Fresh Cream

Untitled

Fresh Cream is Cream's December 1966 debut album. It was the first LP release of producer Robert Stigwood's new "Independent" Reaction Records label. It reached number 6 in the UK in February 1967 and - eventually - number 39 in the US in August 1968. The British version omitted "I Feel Free" (then their current single), while the US version contained it, though it dropped "Spoonful". The CD re-issue of 2000 preserves both songs in the album's running order.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 101 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Track listing

Side 1

1. "I Feel Free" (Jack Bruce, Pete Brown) - 2:53

lead singers: Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce

1. "N.S.U." (Bruce) – 2:43

lead singer: Jack Bruce

1. "Sleepy Time Time" (Bruce, Janet Godfrey) – 4:20

lead singer: Jack Bruce

1. "Dreaming" (Bruce) – 1:58

lead singer: Jack Bruce

1. "Sweet Wine" (Ginger Baker, Godfrey) – 3:17

lead singer: Jack Bruce

1. "Spoonful" (Willie Dixon) – 6:30

lead singer: Jack Bruce

1. • The original U.S. release omitted "Spoonful" and inserted "I Feel Free" at the beginning of Side 1
   • *The track title N.S.U. is an abbreviation for "Non-Specific Urethritis".

Side 2

1. "Cat's Squirrel" (Traditional, arr. S. Splurge) – 3:03

instrumental

1. "Four Until Late" (Robert Johnson, arr. Eric Clapton) – 2:07

lead singer: Eric Clapton

1. "Rollin' and Tumblin'" (McKinley Morganfield) – 4:42

lead singer: Jack Bruce

1. "I'm So Glad" (Skip James) – 3:57

lead singer: Jack Bruce

1. "Toad" (Baker) – 5:11

instrumental

Some 1980s-era album reissues also include "The Coffee Song" (Tony Colton, Ray Smith). These usually sequence the song as the third track on side 2, as per the Swedish edition described below.

Swedish Edition

There was also a Sweden only 1966 12-track release, as UK but adding "The Coffee Song" and "Wrapping Paper". Both vinyl and cover were made in Germany and exported for the Swedish market only - the German original had the same 10 tracks as UK. The group hated "Coffee Song" and didn't want it issued at all, but a mono version was mixed and coupled with "Wrapping Paper" as a single. There were no plans at this stage to release it in stereo, so for the Swedish issue a crude stereo mix was used. This was made during the sessions in early August 1966 for instructive purpose - the whole track as basic mono is mixed far right and a solo guitar overdub far left. Never intended for release this mix was soon lost and for later stereo issues a new one was made.

The front cover and record no. (623 031) are the same as the German issue, but three different back covers exist. The first, listed the correct 12 tracks, the second listed 10 tracks, and a third where the 12 track listing has been "glued" over the 10 track listing.

Track listing on record.

1. "N.S.U"
2. "Sleepy Time Time"
3. "Dreaming"
4. "Sweet Wine"
5. "Spoonful"
6. "Wrapping Paper"
7. "Cat's Squirrel"
8. "Four Until Late"
9. "The Coffee Song"
10. "Rollin´and Tumblin´"
11. "I´m So Glad"
12. "Toad"

Personnel

• Eric Clapton - guitar, vocals
• Jack Bruce - vocals, bass, harmonica
• Ginger Baker - drums, percussion, vocals
• John Timperley - sound engineer

See also

• 1966 in music

External links

• Lyrics to Fresh Cream