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Cream

May 15, 2014 by strictlyrock Leave a Comment

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Guitarist Eric Clapton had become quite famous in England as a member of the Yardbirds and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers but by July 1966, he was looking for a change. Drummer Ginger Baker was a member of the Graham Bond Organization and was starting to feel the same way. After meeting Clapton, Baker asked if he might be interested in starting a band. Clapton was interested and suggested they recruit bassist Jack Bruce. Baker had played with Bruce previously, and although they didn’t get along on many occasions, they decided to go along with the idea to appease Clapton. They guys came up with the name Cream, because they were seen as the cream of the crop as far as musicians in the UK went.

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Cream released their first album on December 9th, 1966. “Fresh Cream,” went all the way to the #6 spot on the UK charts. The album included the songs “Spoonful,” “Rollin’ and Tumblin,” “I’m So Glad,” and “Toad,” among other which were mostly covers. Although the album would only peak at #39 in the United States, it would eventually receive Gold certification there. The band first traveled to the US to play at the RKO Theater in New York, but returned to record their next album in 1967.

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“Disraeli Gears” was released on November 2nd, 1967 in the UK and December 9th in the US. The album helped them break through into the American market, which they had yet to do, and actually charted higher in the US than it did in the UK, reaching the #4 spot. “Disraeli Gear” included the singles “Strange Brew,” and “Sunshine of Your Love,” and eventually went on to sell more than 1 million copies in the United States alone. As the band continued to play live, they started to stretch some of their songs out as long as 20 minutes, which pleased fans, and inspired future “Jam Bands,” such as the Grateful Dead.

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“Wheels of Fire” was a double album released in July of 1968 that captured the spirit of the band’s live performances. The albums were classified as “In The Studio” and “Live at the Fillmore.” “Wheels of Fire” became the world’s first Platinum selling double album, and claimed the #1 spot on the US charts with help from songs such as “Pressed Rat and Warthog,” “Born Under a Bad Sign,” and “White Room.” The “Live at the Fillmore” album documented the band’s “Jam” style with a 16:15 version of the song “Toad,” and a 16:46 version of the Willie Dixon song “Spoonful.”

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Despite the band’s success, its members were starting to grow tired of the experience. Bruce and Baker were not getting along very well so by October 1968 the band embarked on it farewell tour. Cream recorded their last album “Goodbye,” but it wasn’t released until after the band had officially broken up. The album notably included the song “Badge” which was co-written by Clapton and George Harrison of the Beatles. Ironically “Goodbye” would be Cream’s only album to top the charts in the UK. Although the band had a short lifespan, their influence has not gone unnoticed. In 1993, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Baker, Bruce and Clapton reunited in 2005 to play shows in London and then Madison Square Garden in New York City. In 2006 Cream was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Currently the band does not have plans to tour or release new music.

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100 Greatest Rock & Roll Bands

  1. The Beatles
  2. The Rolling Stones
  3. Led Zeppelin
  4. Jimi Hendrix
  5. Elvis Presley
  6. The Who
  7. U2
  8. Pink Floyd
  9. The Doors
  10. The Police
  11. Elton John
  12. Metallica
  13. AC/DC
  14. Van Halen
  15. Nirvana
  16. Guns N' Roses
  17. Santana
  18. The Allman Brothers Band
  19. Bon Jovi
  20. David Bowie
  21. Grateful Dead
  22. Rush
  23. Yes
  24. Black Sabbath
  25. Bob Dylan
  26. James Brown
  27. The Beach Boys
  28. Eric Clapton
  29. Fleetwood Mac
  30. The Eagles
  31. Bob Marley
  32. Van Morrison
  33. Bruce Springsteen
  34. The Clash
  35. Queen
  36. Janis Joplin
  37. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
  38. R.E.M.
  39. The Kinks
  40. Steely Dan
  41. Steve Miller Band
  42. Jethro Tull
  43. Tool
  44. The Scorpions
  45. Coldplay
  46. Stone Temple Pilots
  47. Rod Stewart
  48. Marilyn Manson
  49. Creedence Clearwater Revival
  50. KISS
  51. The Pretenders
  52. Green Day
  53. Aerosmith
  54. Tina Turner
  55. Pearl Jam
  56. Ted Nugent
  57. Pantera
  58. Motörhead
  59. Judas Priest
  60. ZZ Top
  61. Megadeth
  62. Motley Crue
  63. Alice Cooper
  64. Def Leppard
  65. Iron Maiden
  66. Billy Idol
  67. Journey
  68. Anthrax
  69. Rage Against the Machine
  70. Blue Oyster Cult
  71. Alice in Chains
  72. Genesis
  73. Red Hot Chili Peppers
  74. Chuck Berry
  75. Buddy Holly
  76. Little Richard
  77. Elvis Costello
  78. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
  79. Sex Pistols
  80. Cream
  81. Frank Zappa
  82. Talking Heads
  83. Stevie Ray Vaughan
  84. Billy Joel
  85. The Band
  86. Ramones
  87. Lynyrd Skynyrd
  88. Jerry Lee Lewis
  89. Doobie Brothers
  90. Foo Fighters
  91. The Cure
  92. Soundgarden
  93. Iggy Pop
  94. Peter Gabriel
  95. The Byrds
  96. Traffic
  97. Deep Purple
  98. Blondie
  99. Velvet Underground
  100. Heart

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