Cream
Eric Clapton: guitar and vocals
b. 30 Mar 45, Ripley, Surrey, England
Jack Bruce: bass and vocals
b. 14 May 43, Glasgow, Scotland
Ginger Baker: drums
b. Peter Baker, 19 Aug 39, Lewisham, England
 
1966
July: Three musicians active in London blues and jazz bands with other people's names on them, create their own performing entity: Eric Clapton left John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Jack Bruce left the Graham Bond Quartet, and Ginger Baker left Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated.
The three had played together in some of these bands and had certainly jammed together. Each brought musical virtuosity to the ensemble to form one of the first so-called "super groups." They also brought substantial egos which, while subdued in their initial days, eventually rendered the group asunder. However, when it was good, it was very good.
October. "Wrapping Paper" (Jack Bruce and Pete Brown) / "Cat's Squirrel" [Reaction 591 007; UK #34]
December. "I Feel Free" (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown) / "N.S.U." (Jack Bruce) [Reaction 591 011 UK #11]
December. Fresh Cream [Reaction 593/4 001; UK #6]
 
1967
Cream made highly successful tour of United States and Canada, playing in the growing number of halls that were springing up in cities across the landscape.
Places like the Filmore in San Francisco and the Grande Ballroom in Detroit were part of a national self-described "counter culture" which revolved primarily around music and secondarily around drugs. While a number of terms described the under-30 participants in this social movement one thing they did have in common was self-absorption. In this context we find Cream focusing on extended solos — particularly guitar and drum solos — celebrating the individual.
2 June. "Strange Brew" (Eric Clapton, Gail Collins, Felix Pappalardi) / "Tales of Brave Ulysees" (Eric Clapton, Martin Sharp) [Reaction 591 015; UK #17]
November. "Spoonful" (Part One) / "Spoonful" (Part Two)
November. Disraeli Gears [Reaction 593/4 003; UK LP #5]
 
1968
January. "Sunshine of Your Love" / "SWLABR" [Polydor 56286; UK #25]
May. "Anyone for Tennis" / "Pressed Rat and Warthog" [Polydor 56258; UK #40]

August. Wheels of Fire — In the Studio: "White Room," "Passing the Time," "Those Were the Days," "As You Said," "Sitting on Top of the World," "Politician," "Traintime," "Pressed Rat and Warthog," "Deserted Cities of the Heart," "Born under a Bad Sign"
August. Wheels of Fire — Live at the Fillmore: "Crossroads," Spoonful," Toad," "Traintime"[Released both as a combined disc set and as separate LPs, August 1968; Polydor 582/3 031/2; UK #3]
26 November. Farewell concert at Royal Albert Hall)
 
1969
January. "White Room" / "Those Were the Days" [Polydor 56300; UK #28]
April. "Badge" / "What a Bringdown" Charts 9 April [Polydor 56315]
Psychedelic Pop Schedule Transatlantic Psychedelic Blues
  6-apr-12