Sky Pilot - Eric Burdon & the Animals


Rola: Sky Pilot
Traducción: Piloto espacial
Intérprete: Eric Burdon & the Animals
Compositor: Barry Jenkins, Danny McCulloch, Eric Burdon, John Weider, Vic Briggs
Disco: The Twain Shall Meet
Productor: Tom Wilson
Orden al bat: 094

HISTORIA

Sky Pilot is a 1968 song by Eric Burdon & The Animals, released on the album The Twain Shall Meet. When released as a single the song was split across both sides, due to its length. As Sky Pilot (Parts 1 & 2) it reached number 14 on the U.S. pop charts and number 15 on the Canadian RPM chart.

The Sky Pilot of the title is a military chaplain, as revealed by the opening verse:

He blesses the boys
As they stand in line
The smell of gun grease
And the bayonets they shine
He's there to help them
All that he can
To make them feel wanted
He's a good holy man

The line-up includes Eric Burdon on lead vocals, Vic Briggs on guitar, John Weider on guitar and electric violin, Danny McCulloch on bass guitar, and Barry Jenkins on drums.

The song is a balladic slice of life story about a chaplain who blesses a body of troops just before they set out on an overnight raid or patrol, and then retires to await their return.

Sky Pilot is organized into three movements: an introduction, a programmatic interlude, and a conclusion.

The introduction begins with the verse quoted above, sung a cappella and solo by Eric Burdon. Thereafter the band joins in with instruments for the chorus. Several verse-chorus iterations follow, leaving the story with the "boys" gone to battle and the Sky Pilot retired to his bed. The verses are musically lean, dominated by the vocal and a pulsing bass guitar, with a strummed acoustic guitar and drum mixed in quietly.

The interlude starts as a guitar solo, but the guitar is quickly submerged under a montage of battle sounds. First come the sounds of an airstrike; then the airstrike and Rock band fade into the sounds of shouting, gunfire, and bagpipes. Near the end of the interlude the battle sounds fade, briefly leaving the bagpipes playing alone before the third movement begins. (The bagpipe music is a covert recording of the pipers of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards playing "All The Bluebonnets Are Over The Border", captured by Burdon while performing at a school. He received an angry letter from the UK government (or possibly the Crown) over his use of the recording in the song.)

The conclusion begins with the return of the bass and strummed acoustic guitar, accompanied by strings. After a few measures the verses resume, but with a quieter, melancholy atmosphere: one verse is sung along with bass, guitar, and strings, and then without a choral break a final verse (quoted below) is sung to bass, guitar, and woodwinds. Finally a strong bass line announces the return of the chorus, now accompanied with horns and piccolos, repeated several times as it fades. The musical effect is very upbeat, in stark contrast with the "downer" content of the movement's lyrics.

The song is universally interpreted as an anti-war protest song. There are no overt anti-war statements, but no glorification of war either. The (presumed) anti-war message is conveyed simply and obliquely, by lines such as:

But he'll stay behind
And he'll meditate
But it won't stop the bleeding
Or ease the hate

and the final verse:

In the morning they return
With tears in their eyes
The stench of death
Drifts up to the skies
A young soldier so ill
Looks at the Sky Pilot
Remembers the words
'Thou Shall Not Kill'

There is also a sense of futility, or perhaps moral judgement upon the chaplain, conveyed by the chorus:

Sky Pilot
How High Can You Fly
You'll never reach the sky

The war in question is usually assumed to be the Vietnam War, though the bagpipes and apparent sounds of a dive bomber in the interlude, taken with the UK nationality of the artists, may suggest an earlier era; the A-1 Skyraider, sometimes referred to by its radio call sign of Sandy, was a dive bomber, and was heavily used during the Vietnam War.

Besides the use of "found sound" in the interlude section, and heavy use of reverb and echos, the song is notable for its use of flanging, the swept "whooshing" sound effect laid over the entire track, most prominently during the chorus sections.


DATOS DE LA GRABACIÓN

Duración: 07:23
Año: 1968
Formato: 7"
A la venta: 01/01/1968
Lado B: Sky Pilot (part 2)
Disquera: MGM


MÚSICOS

Eric Burdon - voz principal
John Weider - guitarra y violín
Vic Briggs - guitarra
Danny McCulloch - bajo
Barry Jenkins - batería
the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards - pasaje de gaitas


ESCUCHA SKY PILOT



LETRA

Sky Pilot
Piloto espacial
He blesses the boys
As they stand in line
The smell of gun grease
And the bayonets they shine
He's there to help them
All that he can
To make them feel wanted
He's a good holy man

Sky Pilot
How High Can You Fly
You'll never reach the sky

He smiles at the young soldiers
Tells them its all right
He knows of their fear in the forthcoming fight
Soon there'll be blood and many will die
Mothers and fathers back home they will cry

Sky Pilot
How High Can You Fly
You'll never reach the sky

He mumbles a prayer and it ends with a smile
The order is given
They move down the line
But he's still behind and he'll meditate
But it won't stop the bleeding or ease the hate

As the young men move out into the battle zone
He feels good, with God you're never alone
He feels so tired and he lays on his bed
Hopes the men will find courage in the words that he said

Sky Pilot
How High Can You Fly
You'll never reach the sky

You're soldiers of God you must understand
The fate of your country is in your young hands
May God give you strength
Do your job real well
If it all was worth it
Only time it will tell

In the morning they return
With tears in their eyes
The stench of death
Drifts up to the skies
A young soldier so ill
Looks at the Sky Pilot
Remembers the words
'Thou Shall Not Kill'

Sky Pilot
How High Can You Fly
You'll never reach the sky




SKY PILOT VIENE EN EL L.P. THE TWAIN SHALL MEET


LADO A
1. "Monterey"
2. "Just The Thought"
3. "Closer To The Truth"
4. "No Self Pity"
5. "Orange And Red Beams"


LADO B
1. "Sky Pilot (parts 1 & 2)"
2. "We Love You Lil"
3. "All Is One"




The Twain Shall Meet is an album released in 1968 by Eric Burdon & The Animals.

It includes Sky Pilot, an anti-war song of the Vietnam War era, including the sound of a plane crashing and a guitar riff by Vic Briggs, and Monterey, the band's tribute to the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Reviewer Bruce Elder of Allmusic describes the song "All Is One" as "unique in the history of pop music as a psychedelic piece, mixing bagpipes, sitar, oboes, horns, flutes, and a fairly idiotic lyric, all within the framework of a piece that picks up its tempo like the dance music from Zorba the Greek while mimicking the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'."

It charted #78 on the U.S. Billboard album chart.

INTÉRPRETE

Eric Burdon & the Animals: Newcastle

The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London. Known for their gritty, bluesy sound and deep-voiced frontman Eric Burdon, as exemplified by their number one signature song "The House of the Rising Sun" as well as by hits such as "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", "It's My Life" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", the band balanced tough, rock-edged pop singles against rhythm and blues-oriented album material. They became known in the U.S. as part of the British Invasion.

The Animals underwent numerous personnel changes in the mid-1960s and suffered from poor business management. Under the name Eric Burdon and the Animals, they moved to California and achieved commercial success as a psychedelic rock band, before disbanding at the end of the decade. Altogether, the group had ten Top Twenty hits in both the UK Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

The original lineup had a brief comeback in 1977 and 1983. There have been several partial regroupings of the original era members since then under various names. The Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

A group with Burdon, Jenkins, and new sidemen John Weider (guitar/violin/bass), Vic Briggs (guitar/piano), and Danny McCulloch (bass) were formed under the name Eric Burdon and the Animals (or sometimes Eric Burdon and the New Animals) in December 1966 and changed direction. The hard driving blues was transformed into Burdon's version of psychedelia as the former heavy drinking Geordie (who later said he could never get used to Newcastle "where the rain comes at you sideways") relocated to California and became a spokesman for the Love Generation.

Some of this group's hits included "San Franciscan Nights",[10] "Monterey" (a tribute to the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival), and "Sky Pilot". Their sound was much heavier than the original group. Burdon screamed more and louder on live versions of "Paint It Black" and "Hey Gyp". In 1968 they had a more experimental sound on songs like "We Love You Lil" and the 19-minute record "New York 1963 - America 1968". The songs had a style of being silent at the beginning and then becoming psychedelic and raw straight to the end with screaming, strange lyrics and 'scrubbing' instruments.

There were further changes to this lineup: George Bruno (also known as Zoot Money, keyboards) was added in April 1968, and in July 1968 Andy Summers (guitar) - later of The Police - replaced Briggs and McCulloch. By February 1969 these Animals had dissolved and the singles "Ring of Fire" and "River Deep – Mountain High" were internationally released. Burdon joined forces with a Latin group from Long Beach, California, called War.

Baby please don't go - The Amboy Dukes


Rola: Baby please don't go
Traducción: Nena, por favor no te vayas
Intérprete: The Amboy Dukes
Compositor: Big Joe Williams
Disco: The Amboy Dukes
Productor: Bob Shad
Orden al bat: 077

DATOS DE LA GRABACIÓN

Duración: 05:35
Año: 1967
Formato: L.P.
A la venta: 01/11/1967
Disquera: Mainstream Records


MÚSICOS

John Drake - voz
Ted Nugent - guitarra principal
Steve Farmer - guitarra y voz
Andy Solomon órgano, piano y voz
Greg Arama - bajo
Dave Palmer -batería


ESCUCHA BABY PLEASE DON'T GO



LETRA

Baby please don't go
Nena, por favor no te vayas
Baby, please don't go
Baby, please don't go
Please don't go down to New Orleans
You know I love you so
Baby, please don't go, alright

Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
I get you way down here
And make you walk alone
Baby, please don't go, alright

When the man done gone
When the man done gone
When the man done gone
At the county farm
He had the shackles on
Baby, please don't go

Baby, please don't go
Baby, please don't go
Please don't go down to New Orleans
You know I love you so
Baby, please don't go

When the man done gone
When the man done gone
When the man done gone
At the county farm
He had the shackles on
Baby, please don't go

Well after you left
My baby's leaving on that midnight train
And I'm crying
Baby, please don't go
Baby, please don't go
Please don't go down to New Orleans
You know I love you so
Baby, please don't go

Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
I get you way down here
And make you walk alone
Baby, please don't go, alright



BABY PLEASE DON'T GO VIENE EN EL L.P. THE AMBOY DUKES


LADO A
1. "Baby Please Don't Go"
2. "I Feel Free"
3. "Young Love"
4. "Psalms Of Aftermath"
5. "Colors"



LADO B
1. "Let's Go Get Stoned"
2. "Down On Philips Escalator"
3. "The Lovely Lady"
4. "Night Time"
5. "It's Not True"
6. "Gimme Love"



INTÉRPRETE

The Amboy Dukes: Los Angeles

The Amboy Dukes were an American rock music band of the late 1960s and early 1970s from Detroit, Michigan, best remembered for their hit single "Journey to the Center of the Mind", and for launching the career of Ted Nugent. The band's name comes from the title of a novel by Irving Shulman about a Jewish street gang of the same name in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn during the 1940s. In the UK the group's records were released under the name of The American Amboy Dukes owing to the existence of a homonymous British group.

The band went through a number of personnel changes during its active years. Bassist Greg Arama died in 1979. The group helped in the foundations of heavy metal and progressive rock.

In 2008, The Amboy Dukes were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. The band's biggest hit, "Journey To The Center Of The Mind", was voted a Legendary Michigan Song that same year.

The original Amboy Dukes performed April 17, 2009 at the Detroit Music Awards at The Fillmore Detroit. Their performance began with the song "Baby Please Don't Go", from their 1967 debut single. Followed by "Journey to the Center of the Mind", and ending with Mitch Ryder's "Jenny Take A Ride" (featuring original Ryder drummer Johnny "Bee" Badanjek). In recognition of the band's contribution to rock music history, they received a Distinguished Achievement award.

I Can See for Miles - The Who


Rola: I Can See for Miles
Traducción: Se ve a leguas
Intérprete: The Who
Compositor: Pete Townshend
Disco: The Who Sell Out
Productor: Kit Lambert
Orden al bat: 076

HISTORIA

«I Can See for Miles» es una canción escrita por Pete Townshend del grupo de rock The Who, grabada para el álbum de 1967 The Who Sell Out. Fue la única canción del álbum en ser lanzada como sencillo, el 14 de octubre de 1967. Hasta la fecha, es el sencillo de mayor éxito de la banda en los Estados Unidos y la única canción en alcanzar el Top 10 del Billboard Hot 100.

La canción está rankeada #40 en «The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made» («Los 1001 Mejores Sencillos Alguna Vez Hechos») de Dave Marsh, #37 en «The Top 100 Singles of All-Time» («El Top 100 de Sencillos de Todos los Tiempos») realizado por la revista NME, #162 en «The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s» («Las 200 Mejores Canciones de los '60») de Pitchfork Media y #258 en «The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time» («Las 500 Mejores Canciones de Todos los Tiempos») según la revista Rolling Stone.

Grabada en varias sesiones por separado en distintos estudios a través de dos continentes, la grabación de «I Can See for Miles» fue un ejemplo de la sofisticación en las técnicas de estudio de las bandas de rock en la década de 1960. Las pistas de fondo se grabaron en Londres, las voces y la mezcla de sonido se realizaron en Nueva York, y el álbum fue masterizado en Los Ángeles en los estudios Gold Star. El sencillo de los Estados Unidos por Decca Records, posee una segunda línea de bajo.

Alcanzó el puesto #10 en el Reino Unido y el #9 en Estados Unidos. A pesar de que estos lugares otorgaban un éxito para cualquier banda, Townshend estaba decepcionado. Se le cita diciendo: «Para mí fue la última grabación Who, sin embargo no se vendió. Escupo en el registro de ventas británico.»

La canción puede haber inspirado a «Helter Skelter» de The Beatles. Paul McCartney recuerda haber escrito aquella canción después de leer una reseña de The Who Sell Out, donde el crítico afirma que «I Can See for Miles» fue la canción más «pesada» que nunca había escuchado. McCartney no escuchó la canción, pero escribió «Helter Skelter» en un intento de hacer un tema más pesado que la elogiada en la revisión.

«I Can See for Miles» fue interpretada pocas veces en vivo en la época de Keith Moon en la banda, las complejas armonías vocales eran difíciles de reproducir en el escenario, como también el estilo de la percusión que se encontraba en la grabación original. Desde 1979, época en que Kenney Jones pasó a ser el nuevo baterista de la banda tras el deceso de Moon, la canción comenzó a interpretarse más en los shows en vivo, aunque con un ritmo mucho más sencillo. Desde 1989, es parte fija en casi todas las giras del grupo, con Simon Phillips en la batería y posteriormente con Zak Starkey.

El álbum/soundtrack del documental The Kids Are Alright contiene una mezcla alternativa de esta canción.

Pete Townshend considers this the best song he ever wrote. He thought it would be a huge hit and was disappointed when it wasn't.

Townshend's played a one-note guitar solo on this song. According to an interview he conducted with his mate Richard Barnes for the book The Story of Tommy, Townshend did this because he "couldn't be bothered." He later admitted that he felt very intimidated at the arrival of Hendrix on the London scene during that time and that he couldn't ever compete in the guitar solo stakes.


DATOS DE LA GRABACIÓN

Duración: 04:06
Año: 1968
Formato: 7"
A la venta: 14/10/1967
Lado B: Someone's Coming
Disquera: Track


MÚSICOS

Pete Townshend: guitarra, voz, piano y teclados
Roger Daltrey: voz y armónica
John Entwistle: bajo, voz, trompeta y teclados
Keith Moon: batería y voz
Al Kooper: órgano


TRASCENDENCIA PARA ESPECIALISTAS

La revista Rolling Stone clasifica a I Can See for Miles como la canción número 258 entre las 500 más importantes de todos los tiempos


POPULARIDAD POR VENTAS (BILLBOARD - HIT PARADE)

En las listas semanales de popularidad y ventas de la revista Billboard I Can See for Miles llegó al número 9


ESCUCHA I CAN SEE FOR MILES



LETRA

I Can See for Miles
Se ve a leguas
I know you've deceived me, now here's a surprise
I know that you have 'cause there's magic in my eyes

I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles
Oh yeah

If you think that I don't know about the little tricks you play And never see you when deliberately you put things in my way

Well, here's a poke at you
You're gonna choke on it too
You're gonna lose that smile
Because all the while

I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles
Oh yeah

You took advantage of my trust in you when I was so far away
I saw you holding lots of other guys and now you've got the nerve to say

That you still want me
Well, that's as may be
But you gotta stand trial
Because all the while

I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles
Oh yeah

I know you've deceived me, now here's a surprise
I know that you have 'cause there's magic in my eyes

I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles
Oh yeah

The Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal are mine to see on clear days
You thought that I would need a crystal ball to see right through the haze

Well, here's a poke at you
You're gonna choke on it too
You're gonna lose that smile
Beacuse all the while

I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles
and miles and miles and miles and miles

I can see for miles and miles



I CAN SEE FOR MILES VIENE EN EL L.P. THE WHO SELL OUT


LADO A
"Radio London"
1. "Armenia City in the Sky"
"Radio London"
2. "Heinz Baked Beans"
"More Music"
3. "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand"
"Premier Drums"/"Radio London" (Instrumental)
4. "Odorono"
"Radio London"
5. "Tattoo"
"Radio London" (Church of Your Choice)
6. "Our Love Was"
"Radio London" (Pussycat) /"Speakeasy"/"Rotosound Strings"
7. "I Can See for Miles"


LADO B
"Charles Atlas" 1. "I Can't Reach You"
2. "Medac"
3. "Relax"
4. "Silas Stingy"
5. "Sunrise"
6. "Rael 1"











The Who Sell Out es el tercer álbum de estudio de la banda británica de rock The Who, grabado y publicado en 1967. Es un álbum conceptual, formado por una colección de canciones inconexas con comerciales y publicidad. El álbum simula la programación de una estación de radio pirata llamada "Radio London", que realmente existió. Parte de la intencionada ironía del título era la imagen que se trataba dar de un grupo de música vendido para realizar comerciales, algunos de los cuales fueron incluidos como temas adicionales en la versión remasterizada del álbum.

El álbum también incluye elementos del rock psicodélico de la época, y una ópera rock nunca completada llamada "Rael", que cierra el álbum (la reedición de 1995 incluye una segunda parte titulada "Rael 2"), e incluye melodías que luego serían recicladas en Tommy.

"I Can See For Miles" fue el primer single del álbum y se convirtió en uno de los éxitos más importantes de la historia del grupo. Otras canciones destacables son "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand" y "Tattoo".

En 2005, la cantante Petra Haden grabó Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out, una versión del álbum, completamente a capella.

The Who Sell Out apareció en el puesto número 113 de la lista de los 500 mejores álbumes de todos los tiempos, elaborada por la revista musical Rolling Stone, y es uno de los favoritos entre los seguidores del grupo, aunque la mayor parte de las canciones no sean populares (a excepción de "I Can See For Miles"). The Who Sell Out está también incluido en el libro 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

INTÉRPRETE

The Who: Londres

The Who es una banda inglesa de rock formada en 1964. Originalmente se llamaba The Detours, aunque poco después adoptarían el nombre de The High Numbers para más adelante pasarse a llamar The Who. Literalmente significa El que, Los quien o Los Quienes, haciendo referencia a la huella que dejaron en la historia del Rock.

La banda nació en Londres, Inglaterra. La alineación "clásica" estaba compuesta por Roger Daltrey (voz), Pete Townshend (guitarra), John Entwistle (bajo) y Keith Moon (batería). Townshend era el principal compositor: escribió la mayor parte de las canciones de la banda y fue el responsable de los conceptos e historias de álbumes como Tommy y Quadrophenia y el proyecto Lifehouse. Entwistle también compuso una parte importante de las canciones de The Who, y fue responsable de algunos temas importantes de la banda, en los que cantó (Townshend solo cantaba en algunas de sus propias canciones).

El grupo es considerado uno de los más influyentes en la historia del rock, y ha sido descrita como "una de las bandas más innovadoras y poderosas en la historia del rock". La banda es pionera del concepto de ópera rock, y se la considera precursora de subgéneros como el punk y el britpop.

Cada uno de los eventuales miembros del grupo tocaron en diversos grupos sentados a la orilla del río: amigos desde su infancia, Pete Townshend y John Entwistle tocaron juntos por primera vez en una banda de jazz llamada The Confederates (Townshend tocaba el banjo y Entwistle el corno), y posteriormente tocaron juntos en The Aristocrats y Scorpions. Con su primer mánager Jhonny Cuit . Mientras tanto, Roger Daltrey era el guitarrista de una banda llamada The Detours. Daltrey invitó a Entwistle a unirse como bajista a The Detours; Entwistle aceptó y dejó The Scorpions. Entwistle entonces le propuso a Daltrey que Townshend reemplazara al guitarrista Reg Bowen, lo que Daltrey aceptó. The Detours fueron completados por el vocalista Colin Dawson y el baterista Doug Sandom, con Daltrey como guitarrista principal y Townshend como segunda guitarra. Eventualmente Dawson dejaría el conjunto y las funciones de vocalista fueron tomadas por Daltrey. The Detours comenzaron a tocar bajo diversos nombres, incluyendo The High Numbers y Maximum R&B. Tras una conversación en la que surgió la posibilidad de cambiar su nombre, en la que intervino el entonces compañero de habitación de Townshend, la banda comenzó a llamarse The Who (cuya traducción del inglés puede significar «El/Los Quiénes» o «El/Los Quién») un poco antes de que Keith Moon remplazase a Sandom en la batería (tuvieron que cambiar de nombre porque había otra banda llamada The Detours). Durante una presentación, Townshend rompió su guitarra accidentalmente, lo que llevó a que la siguiente ocasión en que tocaron en ese lugar la gente quisiera que la rompiera de nuevo, y así lo hizo, mientras que Moon también destrozó su batería.

Durante un pequeño período durante 1964, cuando su mánager era Peter Meaden, cambiaron su nombre a The High Numbers, y editaron el single "Zoot Suit/I'm The Face", que estaba orientado a sus fanáticos mod y tuvo poco éxito, por lo que la banda despidió a Meaden (que fue reemplazado por Kit Lambert y Chris Stamp) y se volvió a llamar The Who. La banda se convertiría rápidamente en una de las más populares entre los mods británicos, un movimiento de principios de los años 1960.

La banda comenzó a ser liderada por Townshend, ya que éste era el principal compositor (aunque Entwistle también haría contribuciones notables ocasionalmente). Townshend buscaba escribir material inteligente y desafiante, pero Daltrey prefería material energético y masculino (Daltrey ocasionalmente se negaba a cantar una composición de Townshend, por lo que debía ser cantada por este último), mientras que Moon era fan de la música surf de Estados Unidos.

El primer éxito de la banda fue "I Can't Explain"

Al poco editaron su primer álbum: My Generation en Inglaterra y The Who Sings My Generation en Estados Unidos, que incluía himnos mod como "The Kids Are Alright" o "My Generation", que se recuerda por la frase "Hope I die before I get old" ("espero morir antes de llegar a viejo"), y que muchos consideran una de las primeras canciones punk. El álbum también contenía dos versiones de James Brown. The Who Sings My Generation es frecuentemente considerado uno de los álbumes más importantes de la historia del rock, y se destaca la interpretación de John Entwistle (en especial en la canción que da nombre al disco). Sin embargo, Lambert y Stamp estaban decepcionados por la falta de promoción que Decca la daba a los discos de la banda en Estados Unidos, por esto la banda rompió el contrato con Talmy y quedó en números rojos tras la demanda judicial de la discográfica.

Tras el éxito de su primer largo la banda publicó un single en 1966, "Substitute", que se convirtió en otra de las canciones más conocidas del grupo. Los siguientes singles, como "I'm a Boy" (que formó parte del primer intento de Townshend de crear una ópera rock), "Happy Jack" y "Pictures of Lily", demostraban el creciente interés de Townshend alrededor de historias sobre confusión mental y sexual.

El segundo álbum se tituló A Quick One. Salió en 1966, e incluía un medley de 9 minutos llamado "A Quick One, While He's Away", al que más tarde denominaron "mini opera". Esta canción anticipó lo que luego sería llamado "ópera rock". A Quick One generalmente está valorado por debajo de su antecesor, debido a que para este disco, a causa de la situación económica del grupo, Moon y Daltrey se vieron obligados a hacer unas composiciones bastante irregulares. Sin embargo, la canción de Entwistle "Boris the Spider" se convirtió en una de sus contribuciones más relevantes. El álbum fue renombrado "Happy Jack" en Estados Unidos, por la referencia sexual del título.

La banda salió de gira por Estados Unidos, y sus actuaciones, que incluían la destrucción de instrumentos, les permitieron obtener un gran número de seguidores en ese país. Su presentación en el Festival de pop de Monterrey ayudó al grupo a nivel de popularidad. Durante ese verano, salieron de gira como teloneros de Herman's Hermits. En ese período se produjo un famoso incidente en el Holiday Inn de Flint, Míchigan, durante el cumpleaños de Keith Moon, lo que consolidó su reputación. Se llegó a rumorear que tras el mismo se le prohibió a la banda volver a Holiday Inn, y que una de las consecuencias de esa noche de destrucción fue que un coche terminó en una piscina del lugar.

En 1967 publicaron su tercer álbum: The Who Sell Out. Este demostró las ambiciones de Townshend, que quería que los álbumes del grupo fuesen obras unificadas. Sell Out es un álbum conceptual que simula ser una transmisión de una estación de radio pirata llamada "Radio London", por lo que contenía jingles y avisos publicitarios entre las canciones compuestas por la misma banda. "I Can See For Miles" es la única canción del álbum que fue editada como single, y pese a que alcanzó uno de los 10 primeros puestos de muchas listas, Townshend estaba decepcionado con la recepción de la canción entre el público. Tanto el single como otras canciones del álbum demostraban una leve influencia de la escena del rock psicodélico de ese momento. The Who Sell Out también incluía una canción de una ópera rock nunca completada, llamada "Rael 1" (las versiones que incluyen bonus tracks también tienen a "Rael 2").

En 1968 la banda editó "Magic Bus", uno de sus singles más importantes. En ese año, Townshend (que había dejado las drogas y se había dado a las enseñanzas de Meher Baba), empezó a planear su siguiente álbum.

OTRAS VERSIONES

Tina Turner; Styx; Petra Haden; Marty Stuart


Sunshine of Your Love - Cream


Rola: Sunshine of Your Love
Traducción: El brillo de tu amor
Intérprete: Cream
Compositor: Pete Brown, Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton
Disco: Disraeli Gears
Productor: Felix Pappalardi
Orden al bat: 093

HISTORIA

"Sunshine of Your Love" is a song by the British supergroup Cream. The song was originally released on the album Disraeli Gears in November 1967, and was later released as a single in January 1968. It was Cream's only gold-selling single in the United States. It features a distinctive guitar/bass guitar riff and an acclaimed guitar solo from Eric Clapton. It was written by bassist Jack Bruce, lyricist Pete Brown, and Clapton.

Development of the song began when Bruce and Clapton attended a Jimi Hendrix show at the Saville Theatre in London. After the concert, Bruce returned home and wrote the riff that runs throughout the song. Most of the lyrics to "Sunshine of Your Love" were written during an all-night creative session between Bruce and Brown, a poet who worked with the band: "I picked up my double bass and played the riff. Pete looked out the window and the sun was coming up. He wrote 'It's getting near dawn and lights close their tired eyes…'" Clapton later wrote the song's bridge which also yielded the song's title.

Clapton's guitar tone on the song is created using his 1964 Gibson SG guitar and a Marshall amplifier. It is also believed that a Vox Clyde McCoy Picture Wah is placed fully in the bass position for the solo section. The song is renowned among guitarists as perhaps the best example of his legendary late-'60s "woman tone", a thick yet articulate sound that many have tried to emulate. For the solo Clapton quoted the opening lines from the pop standard "Blue Moon," creating a contrast between the sun and the moon.

Drummer Ginger Baker is said to have came up with the song's tempo, which was based on African drumming. Engineer Tom Dowd later claimed to have suggested the drum part, but Baker insists that he was indeed the one who came up with the drum pattern and didn't receive writing credit: "not even a thank you!"

Cream's American record label, Atlantic, did not like the song originally and was not going to release it, but the people at Atlantic changed their mind when Booker T. Jones (of Booker T. & the M.G.'s) said that he liked the song.

The song appears on the soundtracks of the movies School of Rock, Goodfellas, Uncommon Valor, and True Lies. The opening riff also appeared at the end of the Futurama episode "The 30% Iron Chef" after Bender offers to make the crew a brunch laced with LSD. The riff also appears in The Simpsons episode "Mother Simpson", played when Mona Simpson sees Joe Namath's long hair. In the 1985 movie The Breakfast Club, the opening riff is air-guitared by character John Bender. It is a playable track in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. It is also in the Johnny Knoxville movie The Ringer.
In 2004, the song was ranked #65 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song is also a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll List.

In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Sunshine of Your Love" at number 19 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. In 2009 it was named the 44th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.

The song is also a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll list.


DATOS DE LA GRABACIÓN

Duración: 04:14
Año: 1967
Formato: 7"
A la venta: 01/01/1968
Lado B: SWLABR
Disquera: ATCO


MÚSICOS

Eric Clapton - guitarra y voz
Jack Bruce - bajo, armónica y voz principal
Ginger Baker - batería, percusión y voz


TRASCENDENCIA PARA ESPECIALISTAS

La revista Rolling Stone clasifica a Sunshine of Your Love como la canción número 65 entre las 500 más importantes de todos los tiempos


POPULARIDAD POR VENTAS (BILLBOARD - HIT PARADE)

En las listas semanales de popularidad y ventas de la revista Billboard Sunshine of Your Love llegó al número 5


ESCUCHA SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE



LETRA

Sunshine of Your Love
El brillo de tu amor
It's getting near dawn,
When lights close their tired eyes.
I'll soon be with you my love,
To give you my dawn surprise.
I'll be with you darling soon,
I'll be with you when the stars start falling.

I've been waiting so long
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your love.

I'm with you my love,
The light's shining through on you.
Yes, I'm with you my love,
It's the morning and just we two.
I'll stay with you darling now,
I'll stay with you till my seas are dried up.

I've been waiting so long
I've been waiting so long
I've been waiting so long
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your love.

Es casi la madrugada,
cuando las luces cierran los ojos cansados.
Voy a estar pronto contigo mi amor,
para darte mi sorpresa al amanecer.
Voy a estar contigo pronto querida,
Voy a estar contigo cuando las estrellas comienzan a caer

He estado esperando tanto tiempo
que se dónde voy
en el brillo de tu amor.

Estoy contigo mi amor,
la luz que brilla a través de ti.
Sí, estoy contigo mi amor,
es la mañana y sólo nosotros dos.
Me quedo con el cariño que ahora,
me quedo contigo hasta mi mar se secó.

He estado esperando tanto tiempo
He estado esperando tanto tiempo
He estado esperando tanto tiempo
que se a dónde voy
en el brillo de tu amor .


SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE VIENE EN EL L.P. DISRAELI GEARS

La revista Rolling Stone clasifica a Disraeli Gears como el número 112 entre los 500 discos más importantes de todos los tiempos


LADO A
1. "Strange Brew"
2. "Sunshine of Your Love"
3. "World of Pain"
4. "Dance the Night Away"
5. "Blue Condition"



LADO B
1. "Tales of Brave Ulysses"
2. "Swlabr"
3. "We're Going Wrong"
4. "Outside Woman Blues"
5. "Take It Back"
6. "Mother's Lament"


Disraeli Gears is the second album by British supergroup, Cream. It was released in November 1967 and went on to reach #5 on the UK Albums Chart. It was also their American breakthrough, becoming a massive seller there in 1968, reaching #4 on the American charts. The album features the two singles "Strange Brew" and "Sunshine of Your Love".

The title of the album was taken from an inside joke. Eric Clapton had been thinking of buying a racing bicycle and was discussing it with Ginger Baker, when a roadie named Mick Turner commented, "it's got them Disraeli Gears", meaning to say "derailleur gears," but instead alluding to 19th Century British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli. The band thought this was hilarious, and decided that it should be the title of their next album. Had it not been for Mick's turn of phrase, the album would simply have been entitled "Cream."

The album was recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York during May 1967, following the band's nine shows as part of Murray the K's "Music in the 5th Dimension" concert series. Cream's American label, ATCO, was a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlantic Records. The sessions were produced by future Mountain bassist Felix Pappalardi - who co-wrote the tracks "Strange Brew" and "World of Pain" with wife Gail Collins - and were engineered by Tom Dowd - who would later work with Clapton on projects such as Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and 461 Ocean Boulevard. The owner of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun, was also present during the sessions.

The psychedelic cover art was created by Australian artist Martin Sharp, who lived in the same building as Clapton at the time of the Chelsea artists colony The Pheasantry. Sharp would go on to create the artwork to Cream's next album Wheels of Fire and co-wrote the songs "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and the Savage Seven Theme "Anyone for Tennis" with Eric Clapton.

The back-cover photography was taken by Bob Whitaker who did the photography for several works by The Beatles including the controversial Yesterday and Today.

"Disraeli Gears" features the group veering away, quite heavily, from their blues roots and indulging in more psychedelic sounds. The most blues-like tunes on the album are the remake of "Outside Woman Blues", the Bruce/Brown Composition "Take it Back" which had been inspired by the contemporary media images of American students burning their draft cards which featured harmonica work by Jack Bruce, and the opening track "Strange Brew" which was based on a 12-bar blues song called "Lawdy Mama" and featured an Albert King-style guitar solo.

INTÉRPRETE

Cream: Inglaterra

Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker. Their sound was characterised by a hybrid of blues rock, hard rock and psychedelic rock, combining the psychedelia-themed lyrics, Eric Clapton's blues guitar playing, Jack Bruce's voice and blues bass playing and Ginger Baker's jazz-influenced drumming. The group's third album, Wheels of Fire, was the world's first platinum-selling double album. Cream is widely regarded as being the world's first notable and successful supergroup. In over two years, they sold over 35 million albums.

Cream's music included songs based on traditional blues such as "Crossroads" and "Spoonful", and modern blues such as "Born Under a Bad Sign", as well as more eccentric songs such as "Strange Brew", "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and "Toad". Cream's biggest hits were "I Feel Free" (UK, #11), "Sunshine of Your Love" (US, #5), "White Room" (US, #6), "Crossroads" (US, #28), and "Badge" (UK, #18).

Cream made a significant impact upon the popular music of the time, and along with Jimi Hendrix popularised the use of the wah-wah pedal. They provided a heavy yet technically proficient musical theme that foreshadowed and influenced the emergence of British bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and The Jeff Beck Group in the late 1960s. The band's live performances influenced progressive rock acts such as Rush, jam bands such as The Allman Brothers Band, Grateful Dead, Phish and heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath.

To begin with, Cream, as its name boasted, consisted of three of the top musicians in the UK in the late sixties. Eric Clapton had established his mastery of the electric blues guitar with the Yardbirds and John Mayall. Jack Bruce was the most inventive bass player around. Ginger Baker was a demon on drums, specializing in a kit that boasted two bass drums. While Clapton was mostly a student of the blues, Bruce and Baker were at least as influenced by jazz. Their live shows relied heavily on improvisation and included long jam sessions on many numbers.

While the musicianship of the band’s three members tell much of the story concerning their live performances, their studio work is another tale altogether. Probably no other rock band in history had such a strong dichotomy between their two modes of expression. As live performers, they were the definitive power trio. Much of their concert work was recorded and released with great commercial and critical success. The compositions used were often old and rearranged blues classics, such as Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads,” “Howlin’ Wolf’s “Sitting On Top of the World,” and Willie Dixon’s “Spoonful,” combined with a few self-penned numbers such as “Toad.” In all these cases, though, the songs used were simply launching pads for the trio’s improvisational gymnastics.

In the studio, though, they became an entirely different proposition. Engineer Tom Dowd and producer Felix Pappalardi were significant contributors to the group’s sound, with Pappalardi co-composing and playing viola, piano and mellotron on some of their tracks. Dowd was a great contributor to their sound on record, and was responsible for editing a longer live performance into the fairly concise version of “Crossroads” that became a hit single. Their sometimes startlingly original compositions were co-penned by a variety of contributors, most importantly poet Pete Brown, but also including illustrator Martin Sharp, Gail Collins, the afore-mentioned Pappalardi and Beatle George Harrison. This unusual combination of talent was capable of producing all sorts of different sounds in the studio, but what emerged most often, and with greatest success, was a sort of psychedelic blues.

Cream was also very much a product of a unique point in time, starting as they did in 1966 and continuing through 1969. Older British bands, such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Kinks were not doing American tours at this time, for various reasons, creating a vacuum in the American market. Previous tours had relied on older amplifiers even after the bands began playing huge venues such as stadiums, making the music less important than the appearance of the bands. Cream was one of the first groups to use the newer Marshall amplifiers on the road, and thus was able to produce an overwhelming sound in the largest of halls, even with only three musicians on stage. Dylan had just opened up the Top 40 to meaningfully vague lyrics and longer songs. Jimi Hendrix had introduced the possibilities of a power trio featuring a wildly improvisational guitarist. Hendrix had also demonstrated the possibilities of electronically distorted guitar sounds, extending the definition of psychedelia, using new tools such as the wah-wah pedal. So in many ways Cream was in the right place at the right time to be able to take advantage of all these new possibilities.

Although Cream stayed together for only two years — and long enough to produce three and a half studio albums — this group still has the distinction of being the only band to feature the talents of Eric Clapton for this long a run. And given their perfect timing, and the accelerated pace of activity in the rock world during this period, they were able to be enormously productive and influential over this relatively brief span.

OTRAS VERSIONES

Jimi Hendrix; Ella Fitzgerald; Frank Zappa; Fudge Tunnel; Living Colour; Bim Skala Bim; Earth Crisis; Ozzy Osbourne; Funkadelic; Trini Lopez; Santana

Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition




DATOS DE LA GRABACIÓN

DATOS TÉCNICOS DE LA ROLA

Título: Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
Traducción: Sólo vine para ver (en que condiciones estaba mi condición)
En México: Mi condición
Compositor: Mickey Newbury
Intérprete: Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
Productor: Mike Post
A la venta: 01/07/1967
Formato: Sencillo (7")
Lado B: Shadow In The Corner Of Your Mind
Incluída en el L.P. The First Edition
Disquera: Reprise
Orden al bat: 066

POPULARIDAD POR VENTAS (BILLBOARD - HIT PARADE)

En las listas semanales de popularidad y ventas de la revista Billboard Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) llegó al número 5


LETRA

Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
Sólo vine para ver (en que condiciones estaba mi condición)
(Yeah, yeah, oh-yeah, what condition my condition was in)

I woke up this mornin' with the sundown shinin' in
I found my mind in a brown paper bag, but then...
I tripped on a cloud and fell eight miles high
I tore my mind on a jagged sky
I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in

(Yeah, yeah, oh-yeah, what condition my condition was in)

I pushed my soul in a deep dark hole and then I followed it in
I watched myself crawlin' out as I was a-crawlin' in
I got up so tight I couldn't unwind
I saw so much I broke my mind
I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in

(Yeah, yeah, oh-yeah, what condition my condition was in)

Someone painted "April Fool" in big black letters on a dead end sign
I had my foot on the gas as I left the road and blew out my mind
Eight miles outta Memphis and I got no spare
Eight miles straight up downtown somewhere
I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in

I said I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in
Yeah yeah oh-yeah



JUST DROPPED IN (TO SEE WHAT CONDITION MY CONDITION WAS IN) VIENE EN EL L.P. THE FIRST EDITION


LADO A
1. "I Found a Reason"
2. "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)"
3. "Shadow in the Corner of Your Mind"
4. "If Wishes Were Horses"
5. "Ticket to Nowhere"
6. "I Get a Funny Feeling"


LADO B
1. "I Was the Loser"
2. "Dream On"
3. "Home Made Lies"
4. "Marcia: 2 A.M."
5. "Hurry up, Love"
6. "Church Without a Name"




MÚSICOS

Kenny Rogers (vocals and bass guitar)
Mickey Jones (drums and percussion)
Terry Williams (guitar and vocals)
Mike Settle (guitar and backing vocals)
Thelma Camacho


INTÉRPRETE

Kenny Rogers & The First Edition: California


OTRAS VERSIONES

Jeff Walker; Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

Strange Brew - Cream


Rola: Strange Brew
Traducción: Brebaje extraño
Intérprete: Cream
Compositor: Eric Clapton, Felix Pappalardi, Gail Collins
Disco: Disraeli Gears
Productor: Felix Pappalardi
Orden al bat: 079

HISTORIA

"Strange Brew" is a 1967 song by British supergroup Cream. Released in late May of that year as the lead single from their album Disraeli Gears, this song featured Eric Clapton on lead vocals rather than the usual lead by Jack Bruce. The single peaked at number 17 on the UK charts in June of that same year. The UK single release was the last Cream single to be released by Reaction Records.

After the Murray "the K" Show Cream recorded a song called "Lawdy Mama" with Ahmet Ertegun at Atlantic Studios in New York. When Cream was working on the sessions for "Disraeli Gears", producer Felix Pappalardi took the tape of "Lawdy Mama" and with help from his wife Gail Collins transformed the song into "Strange Brew" which according to Eric Clapton "created a pop song without completely destroying the original groove."


DATOS DE LA GRABACIÓN

Duración: 02:51
Año: 1967
Formato: 7"
A la venta: 01/11/1967
Lado B: Tales of Brave Ulysses
Disquera: Reaction


MÚSICOS

Eric Clapton - guitarra y voz principal
Jack Bruce - bajo, armónica y voz
Ginger Baker - batería, percusión y voz


POPULARIDAD POR VENTAS (BILLBOARD - HIT PARADE)

En las listas semanales de popularidad y ventas de la revista Billboard Strange Brew llegó al número 17 en la semana del 15/07/1967


ESCUCHA STRANGE BREW



LETRA

Strange Brew
Brebaje extraño
Strange brew -- kill what's inside of you.
She's a witch of trouble in electric blue,
in her own mad mind she's in love with you.
with you.
now what you gonna do?

strange brew -- kill what's inside of you.
She's some kind of demon messing in the glue.
if you don't watch out it'll stick to you.
to you.
what kind of fool are you?

strange brew -- kill what's inside of you.
On a boat in the middle of a raging sea,
she would make a scene for it all to be
ignored.
and wouldn't you be bored?

strange brew -- kill what's inside of you.
Strange brew, strange brew, strange brew, strange brew.
strange brew -- kill what's inside of you



STRANGE BREW VIENE EN EL L.P. DISRAELI GEARS

La revista Rolling Stone clasifica a Disraeli Gears como el número 112 entre los 500 discos más importantes de todos los tiempos


LADO A
1. "Strange Brew"
2. "Sunshine of Your Love"
3. "World of Pain"
4. "Dance the Night Away"
5. "Blue Condition"



LADO B
1. "Tales of Brave Ulysses"
2. "Swlabr"
3. "We're Going Wrong"
4. "Outside Woman Blues"
5. "Take It Back"
6. "Mother's Lament"


Disraeli Gears is the second album by British supergroup, Cream. It was released in November 1967 and went on to reach #5 on the UK Albums Chart. It was also their American breakthrough, becoming a massive seller there in 1968, reaching #4 on the American charts. The album features the two singles "Strange Brew" and "Sunshine of Your Love".

The title of the album was taken from an inside joke. Eric Clapton had been thinking of buying a racing bicycle and was discussing it with Ginger Baker, when a roadie named Mick Turner commented, "it's got them Disraeli Gears", meaning to say "derailleur gears," but instead alluding to 19th Century British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli. The band thought this was hilarious, and decided that it should be the title of their next album. Had it not been for Mick's turn of phrase, the album would simply have been entitled "Cream."

The album was recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York during May 1967, following the band's nine shows as part of Murray the K's "Music in the 5th Dimension" concert series. Cream's American label, ATCO, was a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlantic Records. The sessions were produced by future Mountain bassist Felix Pappalardi - who co-wrote the tracks "Strange Brew" and "World of Pain" with wife Gail Collins - and were engineered by Tom Dowd - who would later work with Clapton on projects such as Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and 461 Ocean Boulevard. The owner of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun, was also present during the sessions.

The psychedelic cover art was created by Australian artist Martin Sharp, who lived in the same building as Clapton at the time of the Chelsea artists colony The Pheasantry. Sharp would go on to create the artwork to Cream's next album Wheels of Fire and co-wrote the songs "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and the Savage Seven Theme "Anyone for Tennis" with Eric Clapton.

The back-cover photography was taken by Bob Whitaker who did the photography for several works by The Beatles including the controversial Yesterday and Today.

"Disraeli Gears" features the group veering away, quite heavily, from their blues roots and indulging in more psychedelic sounds. The most blues-like tunes on the album are the remake of "Outside Woman Blues", the Bruce/Brown Composition "Take it Back" which had been inspired by the contemporary media images of American students burning their draft cards which featured harmonica work by Jack Bruce, and the opening track "Strange Brew" which was based on a 12-bar blues song called "Lawdy Mama" and featured an Albert King-style guitar solo.

INTÉRPRETE

Cream: Inglaterra

Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker. Their sound was characterised by a hybrid of blues rock, hard rock and psychedelic rock, combining the psychedelia-themed lyrics, Eric Clapton's blues guitar playing, Jack Bruce's voice and blues bass playing and Ginger Baker's jazz-influenced drumming. The group's third album, Wheels of Fire, was the world's first platinum-selling double album. Cream is widely regarded as being the world's first notable and successful supergroup. In over two years, they sold over 35 million albums.

Cream's music included songs based on traditional blues such as "Crossroads" and "Spoonful", and modern blues such as "Born Under a Bad Sign", as well as more eccentric songs such as "Strange Brew", "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and "Toad". Cream's biggest hits were "I Feel Free" (UK, #11), "Sunshine of Your Love" (US, #5), "White Room" (US, #6), "Crossroads" (US, #28), and "Badge" (UK, #18).

Cream made a significant impact upon the popular music of the time, and along with Jimi Hendrix popularised the use of the wah-wah pedal. They provided a heavy yet technically proficient musical theme that foreshadowed and influenced the emergence of British bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and The Jeff Beck Group in the late 1960s. The band's live performances influenced progressive rock acts such as Rush, jam bands such as The Allman Brothers Band, Grateful Dead, Phish and heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath.

To begin with, Cream, as its name boasted, consisted of three of the top musicians in the UK in the late sixties. Eric Clapton had established his mastery of the electric blues guitar with the Yardbirds and John Mayall. Jack Bruce was the most inventive bass player around. Ginger Baker was a demon on drums, specializing in a kit that boasted two bass drums. While Clapton was mostly a student of the blues, Bruce and Baker were at least as influenced by jazz. Their live shows relied heavily on improvisation and included long jam sessions on many numbers.

While the musicianship of the band’s three members tell much of the story concerning their live performances, their studio work is another tale altogether. Probably no other rock band in history had such a strong dichotomy between their two modes of expression. As live performers, they were the definitive power trio. Much of their concert work was recorded and released with great commercial and critical success. The compositions used were often old and rearranged blues classics, such as Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads,” “Howlin’ Wolf’s “Sitting On Top of the World,” and Willie Dixon’s “Spoonful,” combined with a few self-penned numbers such as “Toad.” In all these cases, though, the songs used were simply launching pads for the trio’s improvisational gymnastics.

In the studio, though, they became an entirely different proposition. Engineer Tom Dowd and producer Felix Pappalardi were significant contributors to the group’s sound, with Pappalardi co-composing and playing viola, piano and mellotron on some of their tracks. Dowd was a great contributor to their sound on record, and was responsible for editing a longer live performance into the fairly concise version of “Crossroads” that became a hit single. Their sometimes startlingly original compositions were co-penned by a variety of contributors, most importantly poet Pete Brown, but also including illustrator Martin Sharp, Gail Collins, the afore-mentioned Pappalardi and Beatle George Harrison. This unusual combination of talent was capable of producing all sorts of different sounds in the studio, but what emerged most often, and with greatest success, was a sort of psychedelic blues.

Cream was also very much a product of a unique point in time, starting as they did in 1966 and continuing through 1969. Older British bands, such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Kinks were not doing American tours at this time, for various reasons, creating a vacuum in the American market. Previous tours had relied on older amplifiers even after the bands began playing huge venues such as stadiums, making the music less important than the appearance of the bands. Cream was one of the first groups to use the newer Marshall amplifiers on the road, and thus was able to produce an overwhelming sound in the largest of halls, even with only three musicians on stage. Dylan had just opened up the Top 40 to meaningfully vague lyrics and longer songs. Jimi Hendrix had introduced the possibilities of a power trio featuring a wildly improvisational guitarist. Hendrix had also demonstrated the possibilities of electronically distorted guitar sounds, extending the definition of psychedelia, using new tools such as the wah-wah pedal. So in many ways Cream was in the right place at the right time to be able to take advantage of all these new possibilities.

Although Cream stayed together for only two years — and long enough to produce three and a half studio albums — this group still has the distinction of being the only band to feature the talents of Eric Clapton for this long a run. And given their perfect timing, and the accelerated pace of activity in the rock world during this period, they were able to be enormously productive and influential over this relatively brief span.