Cream
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1966-69) - Ginger Baker -- drums, percussion, vocals - Jack Bruce (RIP) -- vocals, bass - Eric Clapton -- vocals, lead guitar
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- Ginger Baker (solo efforts) - Baker Gurvitz Army (Ginget Baker) - Baker, Bruce and Moore - Blind Faith (Eric Clapton) - Jack Bruce (solo efforts) - Eric Clapton (solo efforts) - Derek & the Dominos (Eric Clapton)
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Genre: psych Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Wheels of Fire Company: ATCO Catalog: SD-2-700 Year: 1968 Grade (cover/record): VG/VG Country/State:
UK Available: 2 Catalog ID: 4125 Price: $10.00 Cost: $ Cost: $1.00 |
Artistically and commercially rather daring, 1968's "Wheels of Fire" saw Cream release a 14 track, double LP set. Somewhat groundbreaking from both creative and marketing aspects, the album featured a mix of new studio material and two sides of concert material (recorded at a San Francisco performance). As you'd probably expect, the results were a mixed blessing. On the positive side the studio selections were all pretty good. Relative short and focused, tracks such as 'White Room' and 'Politician' were quite commercial. Other highlights included their cover of Booker T. Jones' 'Born Under a Bad Sign' (no, Albert King didn't write it) and Clapton's blazing performance on 'Spoonful' which was among the cream of the band's output (big smile there). Far less impressive, the live sides aptly displayed the limits to the trio's improvisational style. Most folks simply didn't need to hear the seemingly endless 'Train Time', or Baker's ghastly 'Toad' ( clocking in at 7 and 17 minutes respectively).
Elsewhere, the album was tapped for a single via: - 1968's 'White Room' b/w 'Those Were the Days' (ATCO catalog number 45-6617)
"Wheels of Fire" track listing: (side 1) 1.) White Room (Pete Brown - Jack Bruce) - 4:57 2.) Sitting On Top of the World (Howlin' Wolf) - 4:56 3.) Passing the Time (Ginger Baker - Taylor) - 5:45 4.) As You Said (Pete Brown - Jack Bruce) - 4:19
(side 2) 1.) Pressed Rat and Warthog (Ginger Baker - Taylor) - 3:14 2.) Politician (Pete Brown - Jack Bruce) - 4:11 3.) Those Were the Days (Ginger Baker - Taylor) - 2:53 4.) Born Under a Bad Sign (William Bell - Jones) - 3:09
(side 3) 1.) Deserted Cities of the Heart (Pete Brown - Jack Bruce) - 4:36 2.) Anyone For Tennis (Eric Clapton - Sharp) - 2:39 3.) Crossroads (Robert Johnson) - 4:14 4.) Spoonful (Willie Dixon) - 16:45
(side 4) 1.) Train Time (Jack Bruce) - 6:52 2.) Toad (Ginger Baker) - 16:53
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: The Best of Cream Company: ATCO Catalog: SD-32-291 Year: 1970 Grade (cover/record): VG/VG Country/State: UK Comments: name written in ink on back cover Available: 1 GEMM catalog ID: 4132 Price: $5.00
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Clocking in at roughly 35 minutes, 1969's "The Best of Cream" is probably the perfect set for casual fans and anyone curious to see what all the excitement was about. Ten tracks, including all of the hits and their best known commercial material; only one ('Spoonful') clocking in at over five minutes. Only complaint - 'White Room' is featured in an edited version with one of the versus missing. Last time we checked, this one had not been reissued in CD format, though "The Very Best of Cream" covers much of the same territory.
"The Best of Cream" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Sunshine of Your Love (Jack Bruce - Pete Brown - Eric Clapton) - 4:08 2.) Badge (Eric Clapton - George Harrison) - 2:45 3.) Crossroads (Robert Johnson) - 4:13 4.) White Room (Jack Bruce - Pete Brown) - 3:04 5.) Swlbabr (Jack Bruce - Pete Brown) - 2:31
(side 2) 1.) Born Under a Bad Sign (Booker T. Jones - William Bell) - 3:08 2.) Spoonful (Willie Dixon) - 6:31 3.) Tales of Brave Ulysses (Eric Clapton - Sharp) - 2:50 4.) Strange brew (Eric Clapton - Felix Pappalardi - Gail Collins) - 2:45 5.) I Feel Free (Jack Bruce - Pete Brown) - 2:48
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Genre: rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Heavy Cream Company: Polydor Catalog: PD-3052 Year: 1972 Grade (cover/record): VG/VG Country/State: UK Comments: double album set; fold over cover; minor ring wear Available: 1 Catalog ID: 4356 Price: $15.00 Cost: $1.00
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With Polydor Records acquiring rights to Cream's catalog, 1972 saw release of "Heavy Cream". A 22 track, double album compilation, it includes\d all ten tracks found on the earlier ATCO released 'best of' set, along with various other odds and ends ('Deserted Cities of the Heart', 'What a Bringdown' and 'Doing that Scrapyard Thing'). A perfect place to hear the band at their best (the blazing 'Badge') and at their over-the-top worst (the seemingly endless 'Rollin' and Tumblin'') this is probably the best placed for casual fans and the curious to start their exploration of the group.
"The Best of Cream" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Strange Brew (Eric Clapton - Gail Collins - Felix Pappalardi) - 2:46 2.) White Room (Jack Bruce - Pete Brown) - 4:37 3.) Badge (Eric Clapton - George Harrison) - 2:45 4.) Spoonful (Willie Dixon) - 6:31 5.) Rollin' and Tumblin' (Muddy Waters) - 4:41
(side 2) 1.) I Feel Free (Jack Bruce - Pete Brown) - 2:54 2.) Born Under a Bad Sign (Booker T. Jones) - 3:08 3.) Passing the Time (Ginger Baker - M. Taylor) - 4:31 4.) As You Said (Jack Bruce - Pete Brown) - 4:19 5.) Deserted Cities of the Heart (Jack Bruce - Pete Brown) - 3:10
(side 3) 1.) Cat's Squirrel (traditional arranged by S. Splurge) - 3:05 2.) Crossroads (Robert Johnson) - 4:13 3.) Sitting On Top of the World (C. Burnett) - 4:56 4.) Swlbabr (Jack Bruce - Pete Brown) - 2:31 5.) What a Bringdown (Ginger Baker) - 3:54 6.) Tales of Brave Ulysses (Eric Clapton) - 2:45
(side 4) 1.) Take It Back (Jack Bruce - Pete Brown) - 3:04 2.) Politician (Jack Bruce - Pete Brown) - 4:11 3.) I'm So Glad (Skip James) - 3:55 4.) Sunshine of Your Love (Jack Bruce - Pete Brown - Eric Clapton) - 4:08 5.) Those Were the Days (Ginger Baker - M. Taylor) 6.) Doing that Scrapyard Thing (Jack Bruce - Pete Brown) - 3:14
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Genre: rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Extra Cream Company: RSO Catalog: Cream 1 Year: 19?? Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: 4 track 45 rpm EP Available: 1 Catalog ID: 4548 Price: $10.00
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This one's kind of a mystery to me. It doesn't show on any of the discographies or references I've looked at.
Printed in Australia, the aptly titled "Extra Cream" is a 12" four track 45 rpm EP. The set pulls together three semi-obscurities and one extended (and needless) live effort. 'Wrapping Paper' and the 'Coffee Song' are the two I'd never seen or heard before. Best of the lot is Clapton's 'Anyone for Tennis (The Savage Seven Theme)'. Nice to see RSO putting so much money into the art work ...
(side 1) 1.) Wrapping Paper (Pete Brown - Jack Bruce) - 2:24 2.) The Coffee Song (Cotton - Smith) - 2:55
(side 2) 1.) Anyone for Tennis (The Savage Seven Theme) (Eric Clapton - Sharp) - 2.) Crossroads (live) (Johnson) - 4:13
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