What music fans owe to Eric, Jack and Ginger

I HAVE written a book about Sixties supergroup Cream, which featured guitarist Eric Clapton, drummer Ginger Baker and bass player Jack Bruce.

The band, rated in importance by many music fans as second only to The Beatles, formed in 1966 and split in 1968 and were highly acclaimed in America, playing to huge audiences in Los Angeles and New York. But before their transatlantic fame, the band, responsible for hits such as White Room and Sunshine of Your Love, served their apprenticeship in Britain, often playing small venues for just £75 a night.

Published next month by Spenwood Books, Cream – A People’s History brings together more than 500 fan memories of those shows, including accounts of their performances at Il Rondo Club, in Leicester.

Cream’s impact on modern music cannot be overstated. They took American blues, which bands like the Rolling Stones reintroduced to the world, and turned it into the progressive and heavier sounds which spawned progressive rock and bands like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden.

Without Cream, music today would look and sound vastly different.

Richard Houghton, Manchester

LETTER EDITOR’S NOTE: Il Rondo Club, in Silver Street, Leicester, clearly played its part in the British rock boom, hosting gigs by the likes of Cream, The Who and The Move.

Were any readers lucky enough to witness the unfolding of a piece of music history at a city venue? Share your memories with us at the email address above.