Cream’s American breakthrough album released November 2, 1967, became a hit in 1968.
The group’s second album reached No. 4 on the US charts. Singles “Strange Brew” and “Sunshine of Your Love” came out of this album. Recording of Disraeli Gears had underlying tensions. Cream’s manager and Atlantic wanted Clapton back as frontman, and they voiced further resistance towards some of Jack Bruce’s songs, many co-written with lyricist Pete Brown.
Despite all this, Cream had found another level with Disraeli Gears, both in their own compositions and their interpretation skills.
One track stood out above the others.
Bruce and Brown had created the descending riff of “Sunshine Of Your Love” as they sat up into the early hours writing, and Clapton provided the bridge part and the title.
Ginger Baker pounded across the beat in a style suggested by Tom Dowd, the whole creating a track that sounded like nothing else around. Only label boss Ahmet Ertegun failed to recognize the song’s potential. ‘I remember playing it to Ahmet and he called it ‘psychedelic hogwash’”, Bruce later remembered.
History, of course, has proved Ertegun wrong. “Sunshine Of Your Love” went to #5 in the US singles charts in Spring 1968 and was the springboard that broke Cream in mainstream America.
This album of true genius alerted people to its parent album and brought them in droves to the band’s exhausting tours of the States. Australian artist Martin Sharp, Clapton’s friend who had contributed the lyrics to Tales Of Brave Ulysses designed the psychedelic cover.
They released Disraeli Gears in November 1967. It was hugely successful, peaking at #5 in the UK and charting for 42 weeks, while in the US it hit #4 and stayed in the chart for two weeks short of an entire year.
Cream was the perfect band, and Disraeli Gears was their finest hour. It’s a record that spills over with talent while addressing the everyman issues of passion, self-doubt, and hatred.
Turn it up loud. You can’t remember Cream any other way.
Image Credit: Martin Sharp
