Wheels of Fire | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album / Live album by | ||||
Released | June 14, 1968 (US) [1] August 9, 1968 (UK) | |||
Recorded | 1967–1968 [2] | |||
Venue | Winterland & The Fillmore, San Francisco, California | |||
Studio | ||||
Genre | ||||
Length | 35:53 (studio album) 44:23 (live album) 80:16 (total) [3] | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Producer | Felix Pappalardi | |||
Cream chronology | ||||
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Singles from Wheels of Fire | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [4] |
About.com | [5] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [6] |
MusicHound | [7] |
Rolling Stone | (Positive) [8] |
Chicago Tribune | [9] |
Musician | (Positive) [10] |
The Daily Vault | A [11] |
Wheels of Fire is the third album by the British rock band Cream. It was released in the US in June 1968 as a two-disc vinyl LP, with one disc recorded in the studio and the other recorded live. It was released in the UK on August 9. It reached number three in the United Kingdom and number one in the United States, Canada and Australia, becoming the world's first platinum-selling double album. [12] [13] In May 2012, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 205 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. [14] It was voted number 757 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). [15]
It was also released as two single LPs, Wheels of Fire (In the Studio) and Wheels of Fire (Live at the Fillmore), released together with similar cover art. In the UK the studio album art was black print on aluminium foil, while the live album art was a negative image of the studio cover. In Japan, the studio album art was black on gold foil, while the live album art was black on aluminium foil. In Australia, both covers were laminated copies of the Japanese releases.
Cream's third album was planned to be a double album on which Atco Records' producer Felix Pappalardi and the group would include several live performances. [16] Unlike Disraeli Gears , which had been recorded in a matter of days, the Wheels of Fire sessions took place in small bursts over many months. The group and Pappalardi had, in July and August 1967, recorded studio material at IBC Studios in London. [2] Recordings continued with short sessions at Atlantic Studios in September, October and December 1967. Further work took place at Atlantic in February 1968, during a break from the band's heavy tour schedule. [2] [16] The following month, [2] Pappalardi ordered that a mobile recording studio in Los Angeles be shipped to the Fillmore Auditorium and the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. [16] Six shows were recorded in San Francisco by Pappalardi and recording engineer Bill Halverson, [2] and extra performances not included on Wheels of Fire ended up on Live Cream and Live Cream Volume II . [16] Studio recordings and mixing for the album were completed in June 1968, nearly a year after they had started.
The recording engineers on disc one were Tom Dowd and Adrian Barber. The songs on disc two were recorded by Bill Halverson, and the performances on the second disc were mixed by Adrian Barber. The artwork for the album was by Martin Sharp, [2] who had also done the artwork for Disraeli Gears. The photography was by Jim Marshall. [2]
The band's drummer Ginger Baker co-wrote three songs for the album with pianist Mike Taylor. Bassist Jack Bruce co-wrote four songs with poet Pete Brown. Guitarist Eric Clapton contributed to the album by choosing two blues songs to cover.
For the second disc, Felix Pappalardi chose "Traintime" because it featured Jack Bruce's singing and harmonica playing, and "Toad" because it featured Ginger Baker's lengthy drum solo, while "Spoonful" and "Crossroads" were used to showcase Eric Clapton's guitar playing. [16]
Disc one: In the Studio
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "White Room" | Jack Bruce, Pete Brown 3 | 4:58 |
2. | "Sitting on Top of the World" | Walter Vinson, Lonnie Chatmon; arr. Chester Burnett | 4:58 |
3. | "Passing the Time" | Ginger Baker, Mike Taylor 1 3 | 4:32 |
4. | "As You Said" | Bruce, Brown | 4:20 |
Total length: | 18:48 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Pressed Rat and Warthog" | Baker, Taylor | 3:13 |
2. | "Politician" | Bruce, Brown 3 | 4:12 |
3. | "Those Were the Days" | 3 Baker, Taylor | 2:53 |
4. | "Born Under a Bad Sign" | Booker T. Jones, William Bell 3 | 3:09 |
5. | "Deserted Cities of the Heart" | Bruce, Brown 2 3 | 3:38 |
Total length: | 17:05 |
Disc two: Live at the Fillmore
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Crossroads" | Robert Johnson, arr. Clapton | 10 March 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco, CA (1st show) | 4:18 |
2. | "Spoonful" | Willie Dixon | 10 March 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco, CA (1st show) | 16:47 |
Total length: | 21:05 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Traintime" | Bruce 4 | 8 March 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco, CA (1st show) | 7:02 |
2. | "Toad" | Baker | 7 March 1968 at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (2nd show) | 16:16 |
Total length: | 23:18 |
Performers on disc one are "the Cream quartet" consisting of Clapton, Baker, and Bruce together with Felix Pappalardi, who plays many different instruments and is also credited with production.
^Note 1: Some pressings of this album contain a longer version of "Passing the Time". The "long version" is extended by one minute and 13 seconds, and was included on the gold CD issued by DCC Compact Classics. An "extended version" included on Those Were the Days is an additional seven seconds longer.
^Note 2: Original pressings of Wheels of Fire incorrectly listed the running time of "Deserted Cities of the Heart" at 4:36. This incorrect time was still present on 1980s pressings in the UK.
^Note 3: Some songs on the studio album were processed with the Haeco-CSG system. Also processed was "Anyone for Tennis", which was released as a single. Haeco-CSG was intended to make stereo recordings that were compatible with mono playback but has the unfortunate side effect of "blurring" the phantom centre channel. On Wheels of Fire this side effect is particularly noticeable during Eric Clapton's guitar solo on "Deserted Cities of the Heart".
^Note 4: Original album pressings list "John Group" as the author of "Traintime". The "John Group" appellation dates back to Jack Bruce's tenure with the Graham Bond Organisation (with whom Bruce originally recorded the song in 1965) and was used by that band to ensure that members other than Bond received songwriting royalties. [17] The song is based on a vintage blues by Peter Chatman.
While the second disc is labelled Live at the Fillmore, only "Toad" was recorded there. The other three tracks were recorded at the Winterland Ballroom. [18]
In 2014, Japan Polydor released a two-disc limited edition SHM-CD (UICY-76024/5) with four bonus tracks: two on the studio disc, and two on the live one.
Per liner notes [2]
"White Room"Recorded at IBC Studios, July and August 1967; Atlantic Studios, September, 9–10 October, and 12–15 December 1967; 13–22 February and 12–13 June 1968 [19] [20]
"Sitting on Top of the World"Recorded at IBC Studios, July 1967; Atlantic Studios, September 1967
"Born Under a Bad Sign"Recorded at IBC Studios, July and August 1967; Atlantic Studios, September 1967
"Pressed Rat and Warthog"Recorded at Atlantic Studios, 9–10 October and 12–15 December 1967; 13–22 February 1968
"Anyone for Tennis"Recorded at Atlantic Studios, 9–10 October and 12–15 December 1967; 13–22 February 1968
"Passing the Time"Recorded at Atlantic Studios, 13–22 February and 12–13 June 1968
"As You Said"Recorded at Atlantic Studios, 13–22 February and 12–13 June 1968
"Politician"Recorded at Atlantic Studios, 13–22 February and 12–13 June 1968
"Deserted Cities of the Heart"Recorded at Atlantic Studios, 13–22 February and 12–13 June 1968
"Those Were the Days"Recorded at Atlantic Studios, 12–13 June 1968
Chart (1968–1969) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [21] | 1 |
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [22] | 1 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [23] | 3 |
French Albums (SNEP) [24] | 2 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [25] | 15 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [26] | 16 |
UK Albums (OCC) [27] | 3 |
US Billboard 200 [28] | 1 |
US Top R&B Albums (Billboard) [29] | 11 |
Chart (2013) | Peak position |
---|---|
Croatian International Albums (HDU) [30] | 25 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [31] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [32] 1998 release | Silver | 60,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [33] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Cream were a British rock band formed in London in 1966. The group consisted of bassist Jack Bruce, guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker. Bruce was the primary songwriter and vocalist, although Clapton and Baker contributed to songs. Formed by members of previously successful bands, they are widely considered the first supergroup. Cream were highly regarded for the instrumental proficiency of each of their members.
Goodbye is the fourth and final studio album by Cream, with three tracks recorded live, and three recorded in the studio. It was released in Europe by Polydor Records and by Atco Records in the United States, debuting in Billboard on 15 February 1969. It reached number one in the United Kingdom and number two in the United States. A single, "Badge", was subsequently released from the album a month later. The album was released after Cream disbanded in November 1968.
Disraeli Gears is the second studio album by the British rock band Cream. It was released in November 1967 and reached No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart., and No. 1 on the Swedish and Finnish charts. The album was also No. 1 for two weeks on the Australian album chart and was listed as the No. 1 album of 1968 by Cash Box in the year-end album chart in the United States. The album features the singles "Strange Brew" and "Sunshine of Your Love", as well as their respective B-sides "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and "SWLABR".
"Sunshine of Your Love" is a 1967 song by the British rock band Cream. With elements of hard rock and psychedelia, it is one of Cream's best known and most popular songs. Cream bassist and vocalist Jack Bruce based it on a distinctive bass riff he developed after attending a Jimi Hendrix concert. Guitarist Eric Clapton and lyricist Pete Brown later contributed to the song and drummer Ginger Baker plays a distinctive tom-tom drum rhythm.
"White Room" is a song by British rock band Cream, composed by bassist Jack Bruce with lyrics by poet Pete Brown. They recorded it for the studio half of the 1968 double album Wheels of Fire. In September, a shorter US single edit was released for AM radio stations, although album-oriented FM radio stations played the full album version. The subsequent UK single release in January 1969 used the full-length album version of the track.
BBC Sessions is a live album by the British rock band Cream, released on 25 May 2003 on Polydor Records. It contains 22 tracks and 4 interviews recorded live at the BBC studios in London.
Live Cream is a live compilation album by the British rock band Cream, released in 1970. This album comprises four live tracks recorded in 1968 and one studio track "Lawdy Mama" from 1967. The instrumental track for "Lawdy Mama" is the same as heard on "Strange Brew" with a different vocal and guitar solo by Eric Clapton.
Live Cream Volume II is the second live album by the British rock band Cream, released in March 1972 by Polydor Records. This album contains six tracks recorded at various performances from 9 March to 4 October 1968.
Strange Brew: The Very Best of Cream is a 1983 compilation album by the British rock band Cream.
Those Were the Days is a retrospective compilation of music recorded by the British rock band Cream, released on 23 September 1997. It comprises four compact discs and includes almost every studio track released during the band's active lifetime, with the exception of the original "Passing The Time" from Wheels of Fire, and all but three tracks from the live material recorded in 1968 and released on Wheels of Fire, Goodbye, and the two Live Cream volumes of 1970 and 1972. The title is taken from the song written by Ginger Baker and Mike Taylor, released on Wheels of Fire in 1968.
Gold is a two-disc compilation album by the British rock band Cream, released in 2005 to help celebrate the band's reunion at the Royal Albert Hall. It was a part of the larger Gold series.
Crossroads is a 1988 music collection box set of the work of Eric Clapton released by Polydor Records. The set includes his work with the Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends and Derek and the Dominos, as well as his solo career.
"Tales of Brave Ulysses" is a song recorded in 1967 by British group Cream. It was released as the B-side to the "Strange Brew" single in June 1967. In November, the song was included on Cream's second album, Disraeli Gears. The song features one of the earliest uses of a wah-wah pedal, which guitarist Eric Clapton plays throughout the song. Cream's song "White Room" copies the chord progression to a large extent.
Heavy Cream is a compilation album of material recorded by the British rock band Cream from 1966 to 1969.
Eric Clapton at His Best is a two-LP compilation of Eric Clapton's work after he left his earlier band Cream, released in September 1972. It was concurrently released with a two-LP compilation of Cream tracks, Heavy Cream, along with "at His Best" solo retrospectives by Cream's other members Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker.
Backtrackin' is a two-disc compilation album by Eric Clapton spanning the years 1966 to 1980. It was released in 1984. The compilation contains all of Clapton's best known songs with Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominos, and his solo 1970s work through his 1980 live album Just One Night. This compilation album is made in Germany and is only available in the United States as an import. It was originally released by Starblend Records, and has since been reissued by Polydor Records. This 2 CD compilation is currently out of print in some markets while still available in some form in others.
Best of Cream is a compilation album of material recorded from 1966 to 1968 by the rock band Cream, and released shortly after their disbanding. The album was originally released by Cream's U.S. label Atco (Atlantic) Records, and was available on that label during the years 1969–1972. The album was briefly reissued in the U.S. in 1977 by RSO/Polydor Records, to whom U.S. distribution rights for Cream's recordings had reverted by that time. A re-release was pressed in 2014 by Polydor on 180g vinyl.
"Strange Brew" is a song by the British rock band Cream. First released as a single in June 1967 in the UK and US, it was later added to their second studio album Disraeli Gears. The song features Eric Clapton on lead vocals rather than the usual lead by Jack Bruce. The single peaked at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart in July of that same year. In the UK, it was the last Cream single to be released by Reaction Records.
"Anyone for Tennis (The Savage Seven Theme)" is a song by the British rock band Cream. It was used as the theme song for the 1968 film The Savage Seven.
"Doing That Scrapyard Thing" is a song from British group Cream's 1969 farewell album, Goodbye. Composed by the band's bassist, Jack Bruce, with lyrics by Pete Brown, the song, alongside Eric Clapton's "Badge" and Ginger Baker's "What a Bringdown," was one of Cream's final studio recordings.