Decisive Band · Sixties Classic & Psych
Cream
London power trio (Clapton / Bruce / Baker) that pushed blues improvisation to hard-rock volume in 1966–68—first supergroup, first citation for trio stadium rock.
01 / 06
Yardbirds exit to supergroup
Clapton joins Bruce and Baker after leaving the Yardbirds over pop direction. The trio debuts at the Twelfth Night Ball, London, July 1966. No second guitarist—each player carries lead weight. Blues covers and originals share equal billing from night one. Fresh Cream (1966) captures the live rave-up method before studio polish arrives.
02 / 06
Disraeli Gears: psychedelic blues peak
Disraeli Gears (1967, Felix Pappalardi production) adds wah, Leslie, and tighter song forms to the jam engine. Sunshine of Your Love opens on Bruce's descending riff; Clapton's solo uses wah as tone filter, not ornament. Strange Brew and Tales of Brave Ulysses show studio psychedelia without losing blues root notes.
03 / 06
Wheels of Fire and breakup
Wheels of Fire (1968) mixes studio tracks and live sides; White Room uses 5/4 verse into 4/4 chorus. Crossroads (live at Winterland) compresses Robert Johnson into a speed-blues sprint—Clapton's solo is the era's guitar exam. Ego and volume wars end the band November 1968; two years, four US Top 10 albums.
04 / 06
Sunshine of Your Love
Minor-key riff + wah lead; studio template for power-trio hard rock.
05 / 06
White Room
Time-signature shifts and Baker's tom fills in a single.
06 / 06
Crossroads
Live Johnson cover at full trio velocity—Clapton's solo as citation.
Yardbirds exit to supergroup
Composition table
band · year · track · members_on_stage · genre_tags
| Year | Track | Members on stage | Genre tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Sunshine of Your LoveMinor-key riff + wah lead; studio template for power-trio hard rock. | Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker | |
| 1968 | White RoomTime-signature shifts and Baker's tom fills in a single. | Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker | |
| 1968 | CrossroadsLive Johnson cover at full trio velocity—Clapton's solo as citation. | Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker |