Sunday, October 6, 2019

Sad News


London (CNN): Ginger Baker, notorious hellraiser and celebrated drummer in the supergroup Cream, has died at the age of 80 at a hospital in the United Kingdom.

Many consider Cream the first heavy metal rock band.  Some would consider it the first “supergroup”; previously well-established musicians (Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton) coming together to form a new band.  Those familiar with the band and the musicians will often say that their time during Cream produced their best work.

Cream stayed together all of two years.  Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker couldn’t get along.  Each went separate ways, with perhaps only Clapton maintaining the same level of notoriety, albeit in a softer form of music.

Perhaps at their most exciting, a live cover of Robert Johnson’s Crossroads. 

Because I can’t help myself, I will also offer the best cover of Cream’s version of Crossroads, by Rush. 

2 comments:

  1. Dang. Ginger Baker was great. My neighbors saw him years ago and considered it a badge of honor when he told them to "Fuck off" (just quoting him) when they asked for his autograph.

    He was a rough personality but a great musician. Sad to hear he is gone.

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  2. For at least a decade, maybe more, the watchword was 'Clapton is God'. Cream was the original power trio they called it. There's a video on youtube from not too long ago about Baker's trip to Africa - where he apparently set forth for it within a matter of hours after hearing recordings of African drumming. I think its called Beware of Mr. Baker.

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