Cream: Best Of Cream

 

Record Info:

 

Manufactured: POLYDOR
Catalogue Number: 184 298
Released: 1969


Musicians:

Guitar/Vocals: Eric Clapton
Bass/Vocals/Harmonica: Jack Bruce
Drums: Ginger Baker


Recording engineers: Adrian Barber, Tom Dowd or Bill Halverson.
Cover: Jim Dine
Back liner photo: Jim Marshall


Crossroads was recorded live at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.
I Feel Free is a Robert Stigwood Organization (London) Production.
All the other selections were produced by Felix Pappalardi by arrangement with Robert Stigwood.
Printed in Germany • Imprimé en Allemagne by Gerhard Kaiser GmbH, Essen

Side 1

 

Sunshine Of Your Love (4:08)
By Jack Bruce, Peter Brown & Eric Clapton; Casserole, BMI.
Originally released by Cream on their album Disraeli Gears (RSO, 1967)

Badge (2:45)
By Eric Clapton & George Harrison; Casserole-Apple. BMI.
Originally released by Cream on their album Goodbye (1969)

Crossroads (4:13)
By Robert Johnson; Noma. BMI.
Crossroads was recorded live at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.
Originally released by Cream on their album Wheel of Fire (1968)

White Room (5:04)
By Jack Bruce & Peter Brown; Casserole, BMI.
Originally released by Cream on their album Wheel of Fire (1968)

Swlabr (2:31)
By Jack Bruce & Peter Brown; Casserole, BMI.
Originally released by Cream on their album Disraeli Gears (1967
 


 

Side 2

 

Born Under A Bad Sign (3:08)
By Booker T. Jones & William Bell; East/Memphis, BMI.
Originally released by Cream on their album Wheel of Fire (1968)

Spoonful (6:31)
By Willie Dixon; Arc. BMI.
Originally released by Cream on their album Wheel of Fire (1968)

Tales Of Brave Ulysses (2:50)
By Eric Clapton & Sharp; Casserole, BMI.
Originally released by Cream on their album Disraeli Gears (1967)

Strange Brew (2:45)
By Eric Clapton. Felix Pappalardi & Gail Collins; Pronto-Coseb-Windfall, BMI.
Originally released by Cream on their album Disraeli Gears (1967)

I Feel Free (2:48)
By Jack Bruce & Peter Brown, Casserole, BMI.
Originally released by Cream on their album Fresh Cream (1967)
 

Record Sleeve Front

Record Sleeve Back

Record Label Side 1

 

Record Label Side 2

1.1 – Sunshine of Your Love

It's gettin' near dawn
When lights close their tired eyes
I'll soon be with you my love
To give you my dawn surprise
I'll be with you darling soon
I'll be with you when the stars start falling

I've been waiting so long
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your love

I'm with you my love
The light's shinin' through on you
Yes, I'm with you my love
It's the morning and just we two
I'll stay with you darling now
I'll stay with you till my seas are all dried up

I've been waiting so long
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your love

I'm with you my love
The light's shinin' through on you
Yes, I'm with you my love
It's the morning and just we two
I'll stay with you darling now
I'll stay with you till my seas are all dried up

I've been waiting so long
I've been waiting so long
I've been waiting so long
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your love

1.2 - Badge

Thinkin' 'bout the times you drove in my car.
Thinkin' that I might have drove you too far.
And I'm thinkin' 'bout the love that you laid on my table.

I told you not to wander 'round in the dark.
I told you 'bout the swans, that they live in the park.
Then I told you 'bout our kid: now he's married to Mabel.

Yes, I told you that the light goes up and down.
Don't you notice how the wheel goes 'round?
And you better pick yourself up from the ground
Before they bring the curtain down.
Yes, before they bring the curtain down.

Talkin' 'bout a girl that looks quite like you.
She didn't have the time to wait in the queue.
She cried away her life since she fell off the cradle.

1.3 - Crossroads

I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knee
Down to the crossroads, fell down on my knee
Ask the Lord up above for mercy, take me if you please

I went down to the crossroads, tried to flag a ride
Down to the crossroads, tried to flag a ride
Nobody seemed to know me, everybody passed me by

Well I'm going down to Rosedale, take my rider by my side
Going down to Rosedale, take my rider by my side
We can still buy a house, baby, on the riverside

Going down to Rosedale, take my rider by my side
Going down to Rosedale, take my rider by my side
We can still buy a house, baby, on the riverside

You can run, you can run, tell my friend, boy, Willie Brown
Run, you can run, tell my friend, boy, Willie Brown
And I'm standing at the crossroads, believe I'm sinking down

1.4 - White Room

In the white room with black curtains near the station
Black roof country, no gold pavements, tired starlings
Silver horses ran down moonbeams in your dark eyes
Dawn light smiles on you leaving my contentment

I'll wait in this place where the sun never shines
Wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves

You said no strings could secure you at the station
Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows
I walked into such a sad time at the station
As I walked out, felt my own need just beginning

I'll wait in the queue when the trains come back
Lie with you where the shadows run from themselves

At the party she was kindness in her hard frown
Consolation for the old wound now forgotten
Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes
She's just dressing, goodbye windows, tired starlings

I'll sleep in this place with the lonely crowd
Lie in the dark where the shadows run from themselves

1.5 - Swlabr

Coming to me in the morning, leaving me at night.
Coming to me in the morning, leaving me alone.
You've got that rainbow feel but the rainbow has a beard.

Running to me a-cryin' when he throws you out.
Running to me a-cryin', on your own again.
You've got that pure feel, such good responses,
But the picture has a moustache.

You're coming to me with that soulful look on your face,
Coming looking like you've never ever done one wrong thing.

You're coming to me with that soulful look on your face.
You're coming looking like you've never ever done one wrong thing.

So many fantastic colours; I feel in a wonderland.
Many fantastic colours makes me feel so good.
You've got that pure feel, such good responses.
You've got that rainbow feel but the rainbow has a beard.
 

2.1 - Born Under A Bad Sign

Born under a bad sign.
I've been down since I began to crawl.
If it wasn't for bad luck,
I wouldn't have no luck at all.

Bad luck and trouble's my only friend.
I've been down ever since I was ten.

Born under a bad sign.
I've been down since I began to crawl.
If it wasn't for bad luck,
I wouldn't have no luck at all.

You know, wine and women is all I crave.
A big bad woman's gonna carry me to my grave.

Born under a bad sign.
I've been down since I began to crawl.
If it wasn't for bad luck,
I wouldn't have no luck at all.

Bad luck and trouble's been my only friend.
I've been down ever since I was ten.

Born under a bad sign.
I've been down since I began to crawl.
If it wasn't for bad luck,
I wouldn't have no luck.
If it wasn't for real bad luck,
I wouldn't have no luck at all.

Born under a bad sign.
Born under a bad sign.

2.2 - Spoonful

Could fill spoons full of diamonds,
Could fill spoons full of gold.
Just a little spoon of your precious love
Will satisfy my soul.

Men lies about it.
Some of them cries about it.
Some of them dies about it.
Everything's a-fightin' about the spoonful.
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful.
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful.
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful.
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful.

Could fill spoons full of coffee,
Could fill spoons full of tea.
Just a little spoon of your precious love
Is that enough for me?

Men lies about it.
Some of them cries about it.
Some of them dies about it.
Everything's a-fightin' about the spoonful.
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful.
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful.
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful.
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful.

Could fill spoons full of water,
Save them from the desert sands.
But a little spoon of your forty-five
Saved you from another man.

Men lies about it.
Some of them cries about it.
Some of them dies about it.
Everything's a-fightin' about the spoonful.
.................................

2.3 - Tales of Brave Ulysses

You thought the leaden winter
Would bring you down forever
But you rode upon a steamer
To the violence of the sun

And the colours of the sea
Blind your eyes with trembling mermaids
And you touch the distant beaches
With tales of brave Ulysses
How his naked ears were tortured
By the sirens sweetly singing
For the sparkling waves are calling you
To kiss their white lace legs

And you see your girl's brown body
Dancing through the turquoise
And her footprints make you follow
Where the sky loves the sea
And when your fingers find her
She drowns you in her body
Carving deep blue ripples
In the tissues of your mind

And tiny purple fishes
Run laughing through your fingers
And you want to take her with you
To the hardland of the winter

Her name is Aphrodite
And she rides a crimson shell
And you know you cannot leave her
For you touched the distant sands
With tales of brave Ulysses
How his naked ears were tortured
By the sirens sweetly singing

And tiny purple fishes
Run laughing through your fingers
And you want to take her with you
To the hardland of the winter

2.4 - Strange Brew

Strange brew, kill what's inside of you

She's a witch of trouble in electric blue
In her own mad mind, she's in love with you, with you
Now what you gonna do
Strange brew, kill what's inside of you

She's some kind of demon messing in the glue
If you don't watch out she'll stick to you, to you
What kind of fool are you
Strange brew, kill what's inside of you

On a boat in the middle of a raging sea
She would make a scene for it all to be ignored
And wouldn't you be bored
Strange brew, kill what's inside of you

Strange brew (4X)
Strange brew, kill what's inside of you

2.5 - I Feel Free

Bo bo bo bo bo bo
Bo bo bo bo bo bo, I feel free
Bo bo bo bo bo bo, I feel free
Hmmm....
Bo bo bo bo bo bo, I feel free
Bo bo bo bo bo bo, I feel free
Bo bo bo bo bo bo, I feel free
Bo bo bo bo bo bo, I feel free
Bo bo bo bo bo bo, I feel free
Bo bo bo bo bo bo, I feel free
Bo bo bo bo bo bo, I feel free

Feel when I dance with you
We move like the sea
You, you're all I want to know
I feel free (3X)

I can walk down the street there's no one there
Though, the pavements are one huge crowd
I can drive down the road, my eyes don't see
Though my mind wants to cry out loud

Ahhh...
I feel free (3X)

I can walk down the street there's no one there
Though, the pavements are one huge crowd
I can drive down the road, my eyes don't see
Though my mind wants to cry out loud
Though my mind wants to cry out loud

Dance floor is like the sea
Ceiling is the sky
You're the sun, and as you shine on me
I feel free, I feel free, I feel free

Ahhhh...