Cream - Double Cream (1966)

By July 1966, Eric Clapton's career with the Yardbirds and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers had earned him a reputation as the premier blues guitarist in Britain, but latterly he found the environment of Mayall's band confining, and sought to expand his playing in a new band. Ginger Baker was also feeling stifled as leader of the leader of the Graham Bond Organisation, and was becoming increasingly frustrated with Graham Bond's drug addictions and bouts of mental instability. Each was impressed with the other's playing abilities, prompting Baker to ask Clapton to join his new, then-unnamed group. Clapton immediately agreed, on the condition that Baker hire Baker's old Graham Bond Organisation band-mate Jack Bruce as the group's bassist. Clapton had also played with Bruce in the past, and having been impressed by his vocals, he wanted to work with him on an ongoing basis. Baker and Bruce had a volatile relationship while playing together in Bond's band, but they agreed to put aside their differences for the good of Baker's new trio, which he envisioned as a collaborative effort, with each of the members contributing to music and lyrics. The band was named Cream, as Clapton, Bruce, and Baker were already considered the 'cream of the crop' amongst their peers. 
Initially, the group were billed as The Cream, but starting officially with their first record releases the trio became known as Cream. The band's debut album, 'Fresh Cream', was recorded and released in 1966, and was evenly split between self-penned originals and blues covers, including 'Four Until Late', 'Rollin' and Tumblin'', and 'Spoonful'. The rest of the songs were written by either Jack Bruce or Ginger Baker, with his 'Toad' containing one of the earliest examples of a drum solo in rock music, as Baker expanded upon his 1965 composition 'Camels and Elephants'. This extended version of that debut album includes alternate mixes and masters of a number of songs which were released on a couple of French EP's in 1966, alongside a number of out-takes from the original sessions, the non-album UK single 'I Feel Free', some rare BBC sessions, a commercial for Falstaff Beer recorded in Sweden in 1967, and a couple of takes of 'Lawdy Mama', the second of which is obviously the inspiration for their own 'Strange Brew'. There's was almost enough material recorded in 1966 for their debut to be a double album, hence the title, so enjoy this alternate look at the early days of a classic band, mostly recorded in glorious mono for that authentic feel. 

Track listing

01 Lawdy Mama (version 1)
02 Sweet Wine (French EP version)
03 Spoonful Part I (single 1967)
04 Spoonful Part II (single 1967)
05 Cat's Squirrel (French EP version)
06 Four Until Late (French EP version)
07 Rollin' And Tumblin' (French EP version)
08 I'm So Glad (French EP version)
09 Sleepy Time Time (BBC session)
10 The Coffee Song (album out-take)
11 Toad (early version)
12 Wrapping Paper (French EP version)
13 Beauty Queen (previously unreleased)
14 Crossroads (BBC session)
15 You Make Me Feel (previously unreleased)
16 Train Time (BBC session)
17 Falstaff Beer Commercial
18 I Feel Free (single)
19 N.S.U. (b-side of 'I Feel Free')
20 Lawdy Mama (version 2)
21 Steppin' Out (BBC session)