Cream

Released: August 9, 1968

Songwriter: Peter Brown (UK) Jack Bruce

Producer: Felix Pappalardi

Let's go down to where it's clean
To see what time it might have been
The tides have carried off the beach
As you said
The sun is out of reach

Let's go back to where it's clean
To see what year it might have been
The roads have carried off the smiles
As you said
To judge them at the trials

So let's go back to now that's bad
To see what time we might have had
The rails have carried off the trains
As you said
I'll never come again, again, again, again

The members of this power trio, formed in the autumn of 1966, were all veterans of the blues revival. Guitarist Eric Clapton was the same prodigy who revealed himself with the Yardbirds, and who had contributed to the legendary recording of Bluesbreakers with John Mayall. Drummer Peter “Ginger” Baker, skilled at many forms of percussion, had already played, in 1960, with the Nigerian musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti, and in 1962 with Alexis Korner and the Graham Bond Organisation. Scottish bassist Jack Bruce had traveled some of the same roads as Baker, before joining Manfred Mann. Bruce and Clapton had met each other in the Powerhouse, a short-lived lineup put together by John Mayall, that also included Steve Winwood at the keyboard. With Cream these three virtuosos simply brought to fruition the experience that they developed in the London clubs, bringing to the rock concert stage long, electric, high volume improvisations.

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