1965

In 1965, England's premier music magazine, Melody Maker issues a fan vote for an All-Star band from the notable British Invasion groups of the time.  

The top votes are for:

Eric Clapton on Guitar from the Yardbirds,

Stevie Winwood on keyboards from the Spencer Davis Group,

Jack Bruce on Bass from Manfred Mann

Ginger Baker on drums from the Graham Bond Org.  

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Little did anyone imagine that within a year it would almost come to pass.  Elektra Records would tap Clapton and the rest of this line-up to form an All-Star sampler album including members froms many different bands. This group was led by Clapton (whose name was being spray painted as GOD on guitar at the time around London) and called the Power House! They would only record 3 songs for the showcase album and return to their own bands. Only Ginger Baker was unable to make the recording.  Shortly thereafter however, everything would change.

1965-66

When Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton all decided leave their bands to join forces as a power-trio, music would never be the same.  The swinging 60's universe center was LONDON! And Cream led the charge as the musicians elite band of the British Invasion groups. The London clubs such as the Marquee were scorched first by Cream before taking on America and the world.

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1965 - 66

Cream burst upon the scene right from the start.  A Super-Group of this talent featuring such virtuosos had never been attempted in pop music.  The band's first entrees into International Pop and Jazz festivals sealed the deal as critical acclaim came pouring in from the press.  The classically trained Jack Bruce on bass teamed with the jazz seasoned Ginger Baker and the blues breaking Eric Clapton on guitar combined to form a sound never heard yet in pop music... Psychedelic Rock with pop form yet holding foundations of core music.

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1967

Cream crosses the Atlantic for their first USA Tour and meets bluesmen, BB KING, ELVIN BISHOP and PAUL BUTTERFIELD.  They are welcomed and Clapton is asked to jam with such notables especially at NYC's famed Cafe Au Go-Go but nobody dares even ask to jam with Cream upon witnessing the pure virtuosity they bring to the stage until.. a little later in London when a young American guitarist named Jimi shows up.  Side note: Clapton forms a life-long friendship with his hero, BB KING & many years later record an album with him.

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1967

Only one artist had the confidence to jam with Cream.. Jimi Hendrix.  And what an impression he made that night in London.  He became a well respected artist among all the British pop elite and befriended not only Clapton but also Traffic and Stevie Winwood and Dave Mason who would both later play on his Electric Lady album.  Clapton and Hendrix would form a comardery over the guitar in competition and friendship.

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1967

Cream's first tour of the USA brings great success as they play to sold out clubs and theaters across America.  Some of the most famed stages like the Whiskey A-GO-GO.

1967

The psychedelic community of the SF Bay area immediately took to Cream's attack on rock and blues and they became the first JAM-BAND.. going off on musical ventures for sometimes over 20 minutes per song.  Their shows at the Fillmore West became legendary.

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1967-68

FRESH CREAM, DISRAELI GEARS, WHEELS OF FIRE and GOODBYE

Only 4 albums but each lengenary and at the time, the first 3 were groundbreaking in music. Steve Winwood and Traffic also ushered in the sound of psychedelic folk jazz to pop with Dear Mr. Fantasy and more.

1968

The series of west coast shows that Cream played in the USA in 1968 became simply legendary as live concerts go in musicianship and intensity. None more than the ones at Bill Grahm's Fillmore and Winterland venues where Clapton's version of Crossroads by Robert Johnson would forever establish the song as blues staple for all guitarists to know with the classic Clapton solos hence forward.  The audio from these shows would be used for many albums into Cream's future catalog.. LIVE CREAM, LIVE CREAM 2, WHEELS OF FIRE and more.  Many believe this was Cream at their peak and thus the Best of Album photo was used from this time period and the tribute Heavy Cream uses Winterland/Fillmore as it's main wardrobe look.

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1968

a 360 degree spinning stage at the World's Most Famous Arena!  Cream had conquered America again.  The photos from this show were used on the album LIVE CREAM but the audio can be found on bootlegs like Psychedelic Circus.

1968-69

Greatness knows greatness and so it is no surprise that maybe the greatest band ever recorded in the Beatles had members who would work closely with one of the greatest guitarists of all-time, Eric Clapton.  Beatle's guitarist George Harrison and Cream's Eric Clapton were best friends and even both married the famed model, Patti Boyd but they also collaborated on some of the best songs of the 60s in Harrison's While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Cream's BADGE. They would continue to work together throughout their careers.  

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Not only Harrison but one of the world's greatest song writers in John Lennon also picked Clapton to play on his Plastic Ono Band projects and be part of the Dirty Mac All-Star group with Mitch Mitchell of the Experience and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.

1968

Sadly, all good things come to an end but Cream went out with a bang at their final FAREWELL show in 1968 at Royal Albert Hall.  It was said that the response of the crowd's appreciation almost made the band re-think their dissolution.  That and the corresponding film that is dynamic in capturing Cream's power and emotion but doesn't quite capture the true playing enough of these virtuosos due to a creative choice to shoot mainly all tight shots.

1969

The last great jam of the 60's and Clapton and Jack Bruce are invited along with greats like BUDDY GUY,  BUDDY MILES, STEPHEN STILLS and more...

1969

Soon after Cream breaks up, their main songwriter in collaboration with Pete Brown scores a critically acclaimed solo album.  Songs For A Tailor.

1969

Timing was just a little off as Steve Winwood was asked to join Cream many times before but had commitments to Traffic.  Now both Cream and Traffic disbanded allowed for Clapton and Winwood to finally collaborate.  Ginger Baker entered the picture and Blind Faith was born.  Jack Bruce was considered for bass to continue Cream as a four piece but due to past difficulties with Ginger and being in the middle of a solo album he wasn't asked. Little did they know he was keen to do it. Eventually Ric Grech of the Family filled out the band.

1969

 Blind Faith would find immediate fame and success when their debut album show to #1 accros the USA and UK and CANADA charts.  A sold out tour followed with occasional riots over the excitement for the band but not before they played a historic free outdoor opening concert at Hyde Park to over 100,000 people.

1969

Madison Square Garden's sold out show got  a bit out of hand as rowdy crowds called for Cream and Traffic songs during Blind Faith's set. Some had to be restrained from coming on stage and Ginger Baker took issue with the handling of the fans causing a melee.  Just yet another note in how popular the Cream/Blind Faith Super Group was becoming.

1970

With all the success of Cream and Blind Faith, few would think that Eric Clapton would grow tired of the guitar god moniker and seek a singer songwriter scope. However, he would and with in a year after breaking up Blind Faith he was busier than ever in 1970.  He toured with Bonnie and Delaney, played on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, recorded his own debut album and recorded what many call his masterpiece... Layla.  That album done with Derek and the Dominoes also featured another guitar god kinship with the extroadariny slide work of Duane Sky Dog Allman from the Allman brothers

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1970

Steve Winwood wasted little time getting back in the swing after Blind Faith by putting Traffic back together for another critically acclaimed album, John Barleycorn Must Die.  Also Traffic performed some historic shows from that tour live the Fillmore East.

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Jack Bruce's musical path in 1970 kept him very busy as well. Bruce an early pioneer of jazz-rock fusion with his new band featuring Lary Coryell, Mitch Mitchell of Jimi Hendrix Experience and more. At about the same time, Bruce would become a member of progressive jazz great Tony William's band, Lifetime.  

1970

Ginger Baker would form a jazz fusion ensemble called AIRFORCE to critical acclaim and score a hit with a new version of his Do What You Like from Blind Faith. He would then travel to Africa to explore the continents rythms and join with their famed Fela Kuti. From there, Baker would bring back the drum battle taking on all comers in jazz and rock from Elvin Jones to Buddy Miles and more.

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1993, 2005, 2008 ...

In 1993 Cream was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and had a mini reunion. But it wasn't until 2005 when the first power trio super group would reform for a series of sold out shows at their last top two venues from their farewell tour of 1968... Royal Albert Hall and Madison Square Garden.  The shows became legendary and promoted a partial Blind Faith reunion a few years late in 2008 when Clapton would team with Steve Winwood once again to great success. As a side note, Eric Clapton is the only 3x inductee to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as along with CREAM he was also inducted with the YARDBIRDS and as a solo artist.

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1970 -

Each member of CREAM/BLIND FAITH is so ground breaking in their musical styles that countless press has and continues to explores their lives in print, books and magazines and more.

Today and beyond...

The final compliment for the sheer extraordinary talent that CREAM/BLIND FAITH possessed is that both  autographical books and documtentary films have been done on each member capturing ERIC CLAPTON, STEVE WINWOOD, JACK BRUCE, GINGER BAKER forever in film and word.