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scuffy b
climber
heading slowly NNW
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Cream had a significant jump in popularity after the release of Disraeli
Gears, when Sunshine of Your Love became a hit single.
On their first U.S. tour, they were still known mainly to the FM/hippy
crowd, while the vast majority of youthful listeners were in the AM/top 40
mode.
I saw them at the Fillmore Auditorium in August 67. The bill was
Electric Flag
Cream
Gary Burton Quartet
The crowd was so skimpy and mellow that I could walk up to the stage and
watch Clapton from within touching distance. Aside from the intangibles of
his musical performance, one thing that really struck me was the way he
made it look like he really wasn't doing anything. Like anybody could do it.
The ballroom scene in those days, opposed to the arena scene (which Cream
hit after their 2nd U.S. tour) was 3-night or 4-night stands.
Cream played two weeks at the Fillmore their first time through. My cousin,
a guitarist, saw them 5 of the 6 nights they played.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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May 25, 2013 - 10:25pm PT
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I read the NYTimes article that Ed opens with and would like to see the movie.
Ed asked my opinion on Cream songs. The hits are really very good, even today, but the rest are strung out in quality from okay to poor. I have tried to put my finger on why Cream was so good and why it sounded, and still sounds, so unique. Part of it is that Baker, Bruce, and Clapton could play at such a high standard that the music could transcend difficulty. However, nowadays there are many drummers, bass players and guitarist who can play at the same level, so this does not really get at why they sounded the way they did.
Earlier this year, I heard a three piece band play at Severance Hall after a classical concert featuring Bela Fleck playing his banjo concerto. As an encore Fleck played a long improvisation with snippets of famous banjo tunes, all in a more-or-less classical style. The orchestra members seemed to be as mesmerized as the audience. Friday nights at the Orchestra are followed by a band playing in the rotunda with bar service (an effort to draw younger listeners). On this night the group was a pickup band from New Orleans. I don’t think they had spent much time practicing together—there were a lot of solos. The audience were all folks who had just attended the orchestra but we were all pretty much blown away by how well the bass player (six string unfretted electric bass) and the drummer played. Fleck jammed with them for about ½ hour, with his wife singing a few ancient Southern folksongs. The drummer reminded me of Baker, and I overheard several middle-aged guys make the same comment.
After that performance, I listened to some old Cream tunes online and read a bit about them. One funny item I read occurred in one of their extended improvisations. Clapton was not a big fan of those longwinded affairs; he thought that Baker and Bruce were just showing off. So one night he just stopped playing—neither of them noticed.
I also think I know part of why Cream’s music is so unique. The hit tunes were written by Baker and Bruce. Musically, the best Cream tunes are very much structured by the drums and the bass—just listen to the first few bars of the hit tunes. In an analogous way the Rolling Stones tunes are structured by Keith Richards’ style of guitar. I don’t think it is surprising that neither Baker nor Bruce ever did anything after Cream that was as interesting.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 26, 2013 - 04:09am PT
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I have the mp3s for the 4-CD set Those Were The Days on my iPod (I apparently have the UK release version)
[Click to View YouTube Video]
anybody see it? I apparently missed it at the Roxie in SF...
only playing at the Green Mountain Film Festival in VT, but that was March and April...
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Tobia
Social climber
Denial
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May 26, 2013 - 05:39am PT
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Cream. Some of the music is experimental and does not stand up to the test of time. A composite of two jazz oriented musicians (who had been in numerous groups together; but couldn't get along) and a guitar virtuoso.
Ginger Baker, who set a high bar for rock drummers early on with the jazz oriented double bass drum kit, combined with the classically trained bassist and cellist, Jack Bruce (but favored jazz), formed a rhythm section that when combined with Clapton's agility on the guitar created a sound centered on psychedelia and power blues.
Jack Bruce's bass lines and vocals have always impressed me; but the interplay between Baker and Bruce is masterful. Clapton's guitar speaks for itself. He developed his vocal confidence with this band.
Disraeli Gears is my favorite album; it is the only one recorded in the U.S.. The influence of Felix Pappalardi and Tom Dowd's can't be overlooked for the success of that recording.
Not sure if it is mentioned above; but Ginger Baker was the original drummer for the Rolling Stones, giving his seat up to play jazz.
PocoL, put up a link to the 2005 reunion at Royal Albert Hall; which is a good look into the trio's prowess.
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
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May 26, 2013 - 05:47am PT
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Sunshine of Your Love was not working in the studio,
Tom Dowd had them turn the beat around so that it sounds like a Hamms beer commercial and the tune went down on tape after that.
Felix got all shot up by his ol lady for being a tramp,
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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May 26, 2013 - 10:38am PT
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Anyone seen Beware Mr Baker?
As the Brits say he is a "ard cu*t"
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o-man
Social climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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May 26, 2013 - 03:19pm PT
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In the early 90's Ginger retired to his horse ranch in eastern Colorado to raise polo ponies and to play polo.
Every Sunday afternoon/evening in the summer time he would have a flat bed trailer pulled in to the town square(for a stage) in the very small town of Elizabeth,Colorado. He and his trio would play for free well into the evening after the polo match. It was very low key and hardly advertised.
I attended several of his gatherings and always had a delightful time.
From what I understand he had some issues with immigration,IRS,or something of that nature and needed to move away from the area.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Nov 12, 2013 - 10:05am PT
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Saw Beware Mr Baker recently. A very interesting film. After the film was made he went back to playing jazz in the US again. There is some footage from a New York club on Youtube.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 24, 2016 - 11:13pm PT
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just viewed "Beware of Mr. Baker" on Yahoo! View last weekend...
what was impressive was the accolades from other musicians about his musical abilities, and the equally impressive repulsion of his personal life, he seemed to have a been a heroin addict for quite a long time... though he was lucky enough to survive it.
I also found Fela Kuti, Ginger Baker recordings on Bandcamp which I bought and am listening too...
[Click to View YouTube Video]
with so much tragedy heaped on those two, the music is magical.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 24, 2016 - 11:35pm PT
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as Roger says, in 1968 there was nothing like Cream and there never had been
they were probably among the best musicians of that time if not the best...
...but that was nearly 50 years ago, and music has not stood still.
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