Cream — rock’s first super-group of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce — formed 55 years ago on today (Friday) — July 16th, 1966.
They recorded four albums — Fresh Cream (1966), Disraeli Gears (1967), Wheels of Fire (1968), and Goodbye (recorded in 1968 and released in 1969) — before breaking up in 1968.
Among their hits are:
- “Sunshine of Your Love”
- “White Room”
- “Badge”
- “Crossroads”
- “Strange Brew”
- “I Feel Free”
Cream played their farewell shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall on November 25th and 16th, 1968. Their last U.S. show was November 4th, 1968 in Providence, Rhode Island. However, the band arrived late and, due to local restrictions, were only allowed to do two songs: the drum showcase “Toad” and a 20-plus minute version of “Spoonful.”
They didn’t perform again until 1993, when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2005, they played four reunion shows at the Royal Albert Hall and three at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Bruce died in 2014 and Baker in 2019. Here is Eric Clapton on being in Cream.
“Cream was a deep emotional experience where people that were giants, and very, very complex. Those two other guys in the band with me were pretty frightening and very powerful and very intense.”
REUTERS PHOTO
