Eric Clapton always professed his wish to be the part of an outstanding rock ensemble, in large part because he never felt at ease playing the role of the guy out in the spotlight. The ironic thing is he’s been a part of many legendary bands, but for different reasons, all were relatively short-lived.
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In one case, Clapton ran into a dead end with one of his bands in part because he heard the music of a separate group. That’s right, you can partially blame the demise of Cream on The Band.
Cream Rising
Eric Clapton had already rifled through two bands when the opportunity to form Cream came about in 1966. He had made stops with both The Yardbirds (leaving because of their move toward pop music) and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers (leaving because he felt that he couldn’t quite express himself creatively under Mayall’s oversight).
Clapton saw the potential of Cream as so promising he was willing to overlook the main drawback. The other two members, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, had already played together in a previous band. And during that time, they had developed an intense dislike for each other.
Nonetheless, Cream quickly found a groove, especially on their 1967 album Disraeli Gears. Combing blues authenticity and instrumental virtuosity with a willingness to explore psychedelic realms, the trio created something novel. They were even rewarded with a few hit singles.
The Shadow of Big Pink
No matter how successful Cream was becoming, it still nagged at Clapton that their reputation was largely based on their playing and not on the songs themselves. While it made their live shows thrilling, this notion put a little bit of a ceiling on what they could do in the studio.
On top of that, relations between Bruce and Baker, predictably enough, were souring yet again. All was fine when they were playing, but the rancorous atmosphere all other times soon began to wear on Clapton. It’s safe to say Cream would have gone kerplunk regardless of anything else.
But the process was likely sped up when Clapton got his hands on an early copy of an album called Music From Big Pink. The artists, simply known as The Band, had once backed up Bob Dylan on tour, but here they were making their own music. And, as Clapton said many times in subsequent years, what he heard in this album changed his life.
The End of Cream
What Clapton heard on Music From Big Pink were five guys playing for the sake of the song, instead of trying to outdo each other with flashy solos. Not to mention their music flew in the face of the psychedelic movement, instead relying on a mélange of old-fashioned styles, everything from country to gospel to the blues.
The experience of listening to Music From Big Pink clarified Clapton’s decision-making process. Cream was allowed to peter out in 1968 with one final album (fittingly titled Goodbye) and some perfunctory live shows.
The legend goes that Eric Clapton’s first inclination after the end of Cream was to travel to Woodstock, New York, and ask The Band if he could audition for them, but he never could work up the courage to do it. In any case, their approach certainly influenced some of his future band endeavors, especially his experiences with Delaney & Bonnie and Derek and the Dominos.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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