Those Were the Days (Cream album)
Encyclopedia
Those Were the Days is a retrospective compilation of the music of Cream
, released on September 23, 1997.
It comprises four CD
s and catalogues every track from their four studio albums, plus live material recorded in 1968.
The title is taken from the song written by Ginger Baker
and Mike Taylor
, released on the album Wheels of Fire
in 1968.
Tracks taken from Fresh Cream
(1966)
Studio out-take (1967)
Tracks taken from Disraeli Gears
(1967)
(1968)
Non-album single (1968)
Tracks taken from Goodbye (1969)
Miscellaneous tracks
(1968)
previously released on Goodbye (1969)
previously released on Live Cream
(1970)
previously released on Live Cream Volume II
(1972)
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
, released on September 23, 1997.
It comprises four CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s and catalogues every track from their four studio albums, plus live material recorded in 1968.
The title is taken from the song written by Ginger Baker
Ginger Baker
Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker is an English drummer, best known for his work with Cream and Blind Faith. He is also known for his numerous associations with World music, mainly the use of African influences...
and Mike Taylor
Mike Taylor (musician)
Ronald Michael 'Mike' Taylor was a British jazz composer, pianist and co-songwriter for the band Cream.Born in Ealing, West London, Taylor was brought up by his grandparents in London and Kent, and joined the RAF for his national service...
, released on the album Wheels of Fire
Wheels of Fire
Wheels of Fire is the name of a double album recorded by Cream. The release was largely successful, scoring the band a #3 peak in the United Kingdom and a #1 in the United States, and became the world's first platinum-selling double album....
in 1968.
Disc one: In the Studio
Non-album single (1966)- 1. "Wrapping PaperWrapping Paper"Wrapping Paper" is a song with music composed by Jack Bruce and lyrics by Pete Brown, performed by Cream and originally released as a single in 1966 with "Cat's Squirrel" as the B side. It is featured on The Very Best of Cream...
" (BruceJack BruceJohn Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician and songwriter, respected as a founding member of the British psychedelic rock power trio, Cream, for a solo career that spans several decades, and for his participation in several well-known musical ensembles...
, BrownPete BrownPeter Ronald Brown is an English performance poet and lyricist.Best known for his collaborations with Jack Bruce, Brown also worked with The Battered Ornaments, formed his own group Pete Brown & Piblokto!, and worked with Graham Bond and Phil Ryan. Brown also writes film scores and formed a film...
) - 2.22
Tracks taken from Fresh Cream
Fresh Cream
Fresh Cream is the debut studio album by British supergroup Cream. It was the first LP release of producer Robert Stigwood's new "Independent" Reaction Records label, released in the United Kingdom as both a mono and stereo version on 9 December 1966, the same time as the single release of "I Feel...
(1966)
- 2. "I Feel FreeI Feel Free"I Feel Free" is a song first recorded by British rock group Cream. The song's lyrics were written by Pete Brown, its music by Jack Bruce. It was the first track on the US issue of their debut album, Fresh Cream , and the band's second hit single...
" (Bruce, Brown) - 2.51 - 3. "N.S.U." (Bruce) - 2.43
- 4. "Sleepy Time Time" (Bruce, GodfreyJanet GodfreyJanet Godfrey was the second wife and some-time writing partner of bassist Jack Bruce. Together, Godfrey and Bruce had two sons, Jonas Bruce, who grew up to play keyboards in his father's band and formed a band AfroCelts, and Malcolm Bruce, who grew up to play the guitar with his father and played...
) - 4.20 - 5. "Dreaming" (Bruce) - 1.58
- 6. "Sweet Wine" (BakerGinger BakerPeter Edward "Ginger" Baker is an English drummer, best known for his work with Cream and Blind Faith. He is also known for his numerous associations with World music, mainly the use of African influences...
, Godfrey) - 3.17 - 7. "SpoonfulSpoonful"Spoonful" is a blues standard written by Willie Dixon and first recorded in 1960 by Howlin' Wolf. It is loosely based on "A Spoonful Blues", a song recorded in 1929 by Charley Patton , itself related to "All I Want Is A Spoonful" by Papa Charlie Jackson and "Cocaine Blues" by Luke Jordan...
" (DixonWillie DixonWilliam James "Willie" Dixon was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. A Grammy Award winner who was proficient on both the Upright bass and the guitar, as well as his own singing voice, Dixon is arguably best known as one of the most prolific songwriters...
) - 6.30 - 8. "Cat's Squirrel" (Traditional, arr.ArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
S. SplurgeCream (band)Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
) - 3.03 - 9. "Four Until Late" (Johnson, arr. ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
) - 2.07 - 10. "Rollin' and Tumblin'Rollin' and Tumblin'"Rollin' and Tumblin" is a blues song that has been recorded hundreds of times by various artists. Considered as a traditional, it has been recorded with different lyrics and titles...
" (WatersMuddy WatersMcKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
) - 4.42 - 11. "I'm So GladI'm So Glad"I'm So Glad" is a song originally recorded by Skip James in the early 1930s. The song is derived from a 1927 song by Art Sizemore and George A. Little entitled "So Tired"...
" (JamesSkip JamesNehemiah Curtis "Skip" James was an American Delta blues singer, guitarist, pianist and songwriter, born in Bentonia, Mississippi, died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
) - 3.57 - 12. "Toad" (Baker) - 5.11
Studio out-take (1967)
- 13. "Lawdy MamaHey Lawdy Mama (blues song)"Hey Lawdy Mama" is a Piedmont blues song recorded by Buddy Moss in 1934. The song became popular among jazz musicians with early recordings by Count Basie and Louis Armstrong. In 1943, a version recorded by Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy, with vocals by June Richmond, was a hit,...
" - version 1 (previously unreleased) (Traditional, arr. Clapton) - 2.00
Tracks taken from Disraeli Gears
Disraeli Gears
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...
(1967)
- 14. "Strange Brew" (Clapton, CollinsGail Collins Pappalardi-Biography:She was wife of the late Felix Pappalardi. She contributed lyrics to many Mountain songs and co-wrote Cream's "World of Pain" with Pappalardi and "Strange Brew" with Pappalardi and Eric Clapton...
, PappalardiFelix PappalardiFelix A. Pappalardi Jr. was an American music producer, songwriter, vocalist, and bass guitarist.- Early life :Pappalardi was born in the Bronx, New York...
) - 2.46 - 15. "Sunshine of Your LoveSunshine of Your Love"Sunshine of Your Love" is a 1967 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 is Cream's only gold-selling single in the United States. It features a distinctive...
" (Bruce, Brown, Clapton) - 4.10 - 16. "World of Pain" (Collins, Pappalardi) - 3.02
- 17. "Dance the Night Away" (Bruce, Brown) - 3.34
- 18. "Blue Condition" (Baker) - 3.29
- 19. "Tales of Brave Ulysses" (Clapton, SharpMartin SharpMartin Sharp is an Australian artist, underground cartoonist, songwriter and film-maker. Sharp has made contributions to Australian and international culture since the early 60s, and is hailed as Australia's foremost pop artist...
) - 2.46 - 20. "SWLABRSWLABR"SWLABR" is a song by British rock band Cream from their 1967 album Disraeli Gears and later released as the B-side to the single "Sunshine of Your Love"...
" (Bruce, Brown) - 2.31 - 21. "We're Going WrongWe're Going Wrong"We're Going Wrong" is a song by British supergroup Cream from the album Disraeli Gears. The song was written by bassist Jack Bruce and was the only song on Gears that Jack wrote without lyricist Pete Brown.-Song Structure:...
" (Bruce) - 3.26 - 22. "Outside Woman BluesOutside Woman Blues"Outside Woman Blues" is a standard blues song originally recorded by Blind Joe Reynolds in 1929. The song has been covered by numerous artists most notably by Cream in 1967.-Background:...
" (ReynoldsBlind Joe Reynolds"Blind Joe" Reynolds , was a singer-songwriter.Reynolds is thought to have been born in Tallulah, Louisiana in 1904, although his death certificate stated his birthplace as Arkansas in 1900. He was blinded by a shotgun blast to the face in Louisiana in the mid-late 1920s, which resulted in the...
, arr. Clapton) - 2.24 - 23. "Take It Back" (Bruce, Brown) - 3.05
- 24. "Mother's Lament" (Traditional, arr. Bruce, Brown, Clapton) - 1.47
Disc two: In the Studio
Tracks taken from Wheels of FireWheels of Fire
Wheels of Fire is the name of a double album recorded by Cream. The release was largely successful, scoring the band a #3 peak in the United Kingdom and a #1 in the United States, and became the world's first platinum-selling double album....
(1968)
- 1. "White RoomWhite Room"White Room" is a song by British "supergroup" Cream. The song was a psychedelic rock number written by bassist Jack Bruce and poet Pete Brown. It originally appeared on the US release of their double album, Wheels of Fire, by Atco Records in July 1968 and was released as a single in September 1968...
" (Bruce, Brown) - 4.58 - 2. "Sitting on Top of the WorldSitting on Top of the World"Sitting on Top of the World" is a folk-blues song written by Walter Vinson and Lonnie Chatmon, core members of the Mississippi Sheiks, a popular country blues band of the 1930s...
" (Walter VinsonWalter VinsonWalter Vinson was an American Memphis blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a member of the Mississippi Sheiks, worked with Bo Chatmon and his brothers, and co-wrote the blues standard, "Sitting on Top of the World"...
, Lonnie Chatmon; arr. BurnettHowlin' WolfChester Arthur Burnett , known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player....
) - 4.58 - 3. "Passing the Time" - extended version (Baker, TaylorMike Taylor (musician)Ronald Michael 'Mike' Taylor was a British jazz composer, pianist and co-songwriter for the band Cream.Born in Ealing, West London, Taylor was brought up by his grandparents in London and Kent, and joined the RAF for his national service...
) - 5.53 - 4. "As You Said" (Bruce, Brown) - 4.20
- 5. "Pressed Rat and Warthog" (Baker, Taylor) - 3.13
- 6. "Politician" (Bruce, Brown) - 4.12
- 7. "Those Were the Days" (Baker, Taylor) - 2.53
- 8. "Born Under a Bad Sign" (JonesBooker T. JonesBooker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. and the MGs. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for lifetime...
, BellWilliam Bell (singer)William Bell is an American soul singer and songwriter, and one of the architects of the Stax-Volt sound. As a performer, he is probably best known for 1961's "You Don't Miss Your Water" ; 1968's "Private Number" ; and 1976's "Tryin' To Love Two", Bell's only US top 40 hit, which also hit #1 on the...
) - 3.09 - 9. "Deserted Cities of the Heart" (Bruce, Brown) - 3.38
Non-album single (1968)
- 10. "Anyone for Tennis" (Clapton, Sharp) - 2.38
Tracks taken from Goodbye (1969)
- 11. "BadgeBadge (song)"Badge" is a song performed by Cream, written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison. It was included as a track on Cream's final album, Goodbye. Peaking at number 60 on Billboard's Hot 100, "Badge" was a minor hit after its release as a single in April 1969...
" (Clapton, HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
) - 2.44 - 12. "Doing That Scrapyard Thing" (Bruce, Brown) - 3.14
- 13. "What a Bringdown" (Baker) - 3.58
Miscellaneous tracks
- 14. "The Coffee Song" (Colton, Smith) - 2.44
- 15. "Lawdy Mama" - version 2 (Traditional, arr. Clapton) - 2.46
- 16. "You Make Me Feel" - demo version (previously unreleased) (Bruce, Brown) - 2.39
- 17. "We're Going Wrong" - demo version (previously unreleased) (Bruce) - 3.49
- 18. "Hey Now Princess" - demo version (previously unreleased) (Bruce, Brown) - 3.31
- 19. "Swlabr" - demo version (previously unreleased) (Bruce, Brown) - 4.30
- 20. "Weird of Hermiston" - demo version (previously unreleased) (Bruce, Brown) - 3.12
- 21. "The Clearout" - demo version (previously unreleased) (Bruce, Brown) - 3.58
- 22. "Falstaff Beer Commercial" (previously unreleased) (Baker, Bruce, Clapton) - 1.00
Disc three: Live
- 1. "N.S.U." (previously unreleased) (Bruce) - 12.38
- Recorded March 9, 1968 at WinterlandWinterland BallroomThe Winterland Ballroom, often referred to as Winterland Arena or simply Winterland, was an old ice skating rink and 5,400-seat music venue in San Francisco, California...
, San FranciscoSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
- Recorded March 9, 1968 at Winterland
- 2. "Sleepy Time Time" (Bruce, Godfrey) - 6.48
- Recorded March 9, 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco
- 3. "Rollin' and Tumblin'" (Waters) - 6.29
- Recorded March 7, 1968 at Fillmore WestThe FillmoreThe Fillmore Auditorium is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California, made famous by Bill Graham. Named for its original location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it lies on the boundary of the Western Addition and the Pacific Heights neighborhoods.In 1968,...
, San Francisco
- Recorded March 7, 1968 at Fillmore West
- 4. "CrossroadsCross Road Blues"Cross Road Blues" is a song by Delta Blues singer Robert Johnson; released on a 78 rpm record in 1936 by Vocalion Records, catalogue 3519. The original version remained out of print after its initial release until the appearance of The Complete Recordings in 1990...
" (Johnson, arr. Clapton) - 4.24- Recorded March 10, 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco
- 5. "Spoonful" (Dixon) - 16.39
- Recorded March 10, 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco
- 6. "Tales of Brave Ulysses" (Clapton, Sharp) - 4.43
- Recorded March 10, 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco
- 7. "Sunshine of Your Love" (Bruce, Brown, Clapton) - 7.25
- Recorded March 9, 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco
- 8. "Sweet Wine" (Baker, Godfrey) - 15.08
- Recorded March 10, 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco
Disc four: Live
- 1. "White Room" (Bruce, Brown) - 6.21
- Recorded October 4, 1968 at Oakland Coliseum ArenaOakland ArenaThe Oracle is an indoor arena, in Oakland, California, located in the Coliseum Industrial area...
, OaklandOakland, CaliforniaOakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
- Recorded October 4, 1968 at Oakland Coliseum Arena
- 2. "Politician" (Bruce, Brown) - 5.08
- Recorded October 4, 1968 at Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland
- 3. "I'm So Glad" (James) - 9.32
- Recorded October 19, 1968 at The ForumThe Forum (Inglewood, California)The Forum is an indoor arena, in Inglewood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. From 2000 to 2010, it was owned by the Faithful Central Bible Church, which occasionally used it for church services, while also leasing the building for sporting events, concerts and other events.Along with Madison...
, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
- Recorded October 19, 1968 at The Forum
- 4. "Sitting on Top of the World" (Walter VinsonWalter VinsonWalter Vinson was an American Memphis blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a member of the Mississippi Sheiks, worked with Bo Chatmon and his brothers, and co-wrote the blues standard, "Sitting on Top of the World"...
, Lonnie Chatmon; arr. Burnett) - 4.55- Recorded October 19, 1968 at The Forum, Los Angeles
- 5. "Stepping Out" (BrackenJames BrackenJames C. Bracken was an African American songwriter and the co-founder and co-owner of Vee-Jay Records with his wife Vivian and her brother, Calvin Carter.-Life:...
) - 13.29- Recorded March 10, 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco
- 6. "Traintime" (Bruce) - 7.02
- Recorded March 8, 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco
- 7. "Toad" (previously unreleased extended version) (Baker) - 17.35
- Recorded March 7&8, 1968 at Fillmore West, San Francisco
- 8. "Deserted Cities of the Heart" (Bruce, Brown) - 4.14
- Recorded October 4, 1968 at Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland
- 9. "Sunshine of Your Love" (previously unreleased) (Bruce, Brown, Clapton) - 4.44
- Recorded May 1968 at CBS StudiosCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, Los Angeles for the Glen Campbell ShowGlen CampbellGlen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
- Recorded May 1968 at CBS Studios
Live tracks release notes
previously released on Wheels of FireWheels of Fire
Wheels of Fire is the name of a double album recorded by Cream. The release was largely successful, scoring the band a #3 peak in the United Kingdom and a #1 in the United States, and became the world's first platinum-selling double album....
(1968)
previously released on Goodbye (1969)
previously released on Live Cream
Live Cream
Live Cream is a live compilation album by Cream released in 1970. This album comprises four live tracks recorded in 1968 and one studio track "Lawdy Mama" from 1967...
(1970)
previously released on Live Cream Volume II
Live Cream Volume II
Live Cream Volume II is the second live compilation album British supergroup Cream released in March 1972 by Polydor Records. This album contains six tracks recorded at various performances from March 9 to October 4, 1968.-Reception:...
(1972)
Omitted from this collection
- Toad - from Wheels of Fire
- Recorded March 7, 1968 at Filmore West, San Francisco
- (Replaced by an extended version, incorporating material recorded on March 8, 1968)
- Politician - from Goodbye
- Recorded October 19, 1968 at The Forum, Los Angeles
- (Omitted in favour of the version released on Live Cream Volume II, recorded on October 4, 1968)
- N.S.U. - from Live Cream
- Recorded March 10, 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco
- (Replaced by a longer alternative recorded on March 9, 1968)
External links
- A track-by-track analysis of Those Were the Days (via the Wayback MachineWayback MachineThe Wayback Machine is a digital time capsule created by the Internet Archive non-profit organization, based in San Francisco, California. It is maintained with content from Alexa Internet. The service enables users to see archived versions of web pages across time, which the Archive calls a "three...
)