Cool, got to see that film.
It was Bill Laswell who put Ginger and Jonny Rotten together. Johnny and Bill were doing an album and were trying to figure out which drummer to get. JR snarled "Ginger Baker" as a joke. Laswell said "That's the first good idea you had" So Bill talked Ginger out of retirement. Bill and Ginger did quite a bit of work together. These may have been the best albums of his post Cream career.
Totally eclipsed by Hendrix within a matter of months.
In a particularly over confident gesture Hendrix asked if he could jam with Cream at their gig at Central London Polytechnic. Hendrix took the stage and tore through a version of 'Killing Floor' in double time. Cream soon regretted allowing him to join them. Hendrix's outrageous stage antics and dazzling guitar playing caused Clapton to leave the stage in a state of shock. He asked Chas Chandler afterwards "Is he always that f***ing good?"
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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