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Eric Clapton: Fresh Cream
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Like many young English kids in the 1950's Eric Clapton grew to appreciate what he knew of American blues music. After leaving school at 17, he played in numerous small blues bands. In 1965 he joined the seminal blues-rock band the Yardbirds. After a short time, Clapton left the Yardbirds to make room for Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, the other two British superstars that would rise out of the British blues scene. John Mayall's Bluesbreakers provided his next venue, as it did numerous other young players, including Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and Peter Green who would go on to form Fleetwood Mac. Clapton left Mayall in 1966 to form Cream.
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"With Eric Clapton’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist on March 6, 2000, he became the first musician to have been inducted three times. He was first honored as a member of the Yardbirds in 1992, then with Cream in 1993, and finally as a solo artist in 2000. While his stints with the groups were relatively brief - he stayed with the Yardbirds only a year and a half, and Cream lasted barely two years - Clapton has been a solo artist for three decades, beginning with the release of Eric Clapton in 1970. Even Derek and the Dominos, the short-lived quartet that cut the classic Layla...and Other Love Songs in 1970, was less a band of equals (a la Cream) than a Clapton-piloted project that bore his highly personalized stamp. As a solo artist, Clapton has brought his singing and songwriting to the fore while maintaining his stature as rock’s preeminent guitarist. Demonstrating a remarkable resilience, Clapton has managed to establish himself as a vital, hitmaking presence in every decade.
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Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945), nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. He is one of the most successful musicians of the 20th and 21st centuries,[1] garnering an unprecedented three inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (The Yardbirds, Cream, and solo). Often viewed by critics and fans alike as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Clapton [2] was ranked fourth in Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"[3] and #53 on their list of the The Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[4]
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The affinity towards the group was short-lived and in 1966, Eric left the group and teamed up with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker to form Cream. The band completely changed the music scene and was extremely successful in generating thee solid albums Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, and Wheels of Fire. The three albums combined cemented the existence and permanence of this band all over the world. It was during this time frame, that people started truly appreciating the contribution of Eric as a lead guitarist and started proclaiming him as one of the best in the entire music arena. He finally became the supernatural force that could easily move the guitar strings like no other. Like many other bands that Eric joined, the group dissipated within 2 years after continuous egoistic fights and useless arguments over the status of the band individuals.
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Early during his stint in Cream, Clapton's first Les Paul Standard was stolen. He continued to play Les Pauls exclusively with Cream (one bought from Andy Summers was almost identical to the stolen guitar)[51] until 1967 when he acquired his most famous guitar in this period, a 1964 Gibson SG.[52] In early 1967, just before their first US appearance, Clapton's SG, Bruce's Fender VI and Baker's drum head were repainted in psychedelic designs created by the visual art collective known as The Fool. In 1968 Clapton bought a Gibson Firebird and started using the Gibson ES-335 again.[53] The aforementioned 1964 ES-335 had a storied career. Clapton used it at the last Cream show in November, 1968. It was ... used during Blind Faith, played sparingly for slide pieces in the 1970s, heard on Hard Times from Journeyman and the From the Cradle sessions and tour. It was sold for $847,500 at the 2004 auction.[54] Gibson produced a limited run of 250 "Crossroads 335" replicas.
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Clapton started off by joining the rock and roll band The Yardbirds in 1963, but left in 1965 as the band had more of a pop orientation than he would have liked, remaining dedicated to the blues. Eric then joined John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, who would help Clapton establish himself as one of the worlds best blues guitarists. Clapton left ... quickly left Bluesbreakers as well, forming the band Cream in 1966. During his time with Cream was when he began to develop as a singer and songwriter along with is already notable guitar skills. Cream would break up two years later however in 1968.
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