Cream: Clapton, Bruce & Baker Sitting On Top Of The World

Cream, the hugely influential 1960s British rock power trio—featuring guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce, and drummer Ginger Baker—and the American city of San Francisco, California, were a legendary pairing. The Fillmore Auditorium and Winterland were the venues where, in February–March 1968, the band’s live sound was first officially immortalized on tape and film. Yet, detailed coverage of those historic performances appears far from complete. Inaccurate documentation, as well as a devastating 1978 fire at the Atlantic Records audio archive, made the definitive chronicle of these famed shows difficult to construct. However, recent archival discoveries led author Edoardo Genzolini to look back at those days with a new perspective. This book presents his thorough documentation of Cream on and off the Fillmore and Winterland stages, when, during those two months of 1968, they really were sitting on top of the world. The author’s detailed analysis of all sets played by the band at both venues—recorded by Atlantic Records and filmed by legendary British documentary filmmaker Tony Palmer—and his precise look at which live performances ended up on which Cream albums present the definitive account for the first time. Also featured are rare, never-before-published concert photographs, presenting Cream at the height of their powers.