DISRAELI GEARS - HALF SPEED

The remastered DISRAELI GEARS is also available in its entirety on the 4 disc set THOSE WERE THE DAYS. Cream: Eric Clapton (guitar, vocals); Jack Bruce (bass, vocals, harmonica); Ginger Baker (drums, vocals). Recorded at Atlantic Studios, New York, New York in May 1967. Recorded in the U.S. in a three-and-a-half day flurry of inspired activity before the band members' visas expired, DISRAELI GEARS continued to present the legendary, unprecedented rock power-trio acrobatics pioneered by Cream on their debut FRESH CREAM. The acronymic "SWLABR (She Walked Like a Bearded Rainbow)" for instance, featured some of the band's most fiery instrumental interplay. The album, with its eye-catching day-glo cover, was produced by Felix Pappalardi (who went on to co-found the Cream-inspired Mountain) and once again featured collaborations between singer/bassist Jack Bruce and lyric poet Pete Brown. The Top Five hit "Sunshine Of Your Love," however, was written by Brown and Eric Clapton. That iconic riff-rocker, along with the slinky, bluesy "Strange Brew," and the mythographic, wah-wah stomper "Tales of Brave Ulysses" was a staple of rock radio forever after, making DISRAELI GEARS one of the seminal '60s rock albums. Despite the good humor suggested by the jokey a capella reading of "Mother's Lament," however, all was far from peace and love in the Cream camp at the time, as internal and external pressures broke up the band by the end of 1968.