![]() The Band consisted of mostly Canadian musicians - all very talented with a love of North American folk, rock, country and blues music.Įric Clapton had known Steve Winwood for some time and had even considered bringing him into the Cream line-up to fill out their sound and help ease the tensions between the group members. This group had recently recorded a diverse album titled "Music from Big Pink" which Eric had been playing to friends. "I wanted no part of Cream again but didn't have the heart to say no to Ginger"Īt this time, Eric Clapton was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and his legendary backing group known as "The Band". Their fighting both off (and on) stage was a factor in Cream splitting along with Eric Clapton's desire to find a break from the spotlight and demands of the music business. This was mainly between Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker whose long-running conflict dated back to their early jazz/blues days performing with "The Graham Bond Organization" in the pubs and clubs of London's developing blues scene. While Cream was an internationally successful and highly influential band who pushed the boundaries of guitar-based rock, there was much internal strife. Eric's latest group "Cream" with drummer Ginger Baker and bass guitarist/vocalist Jack Bruce had just disbanded following two years of constant touring and recording four multi-million selling albums. One of the visitors to the Traffic cottage was Eric Clapton who had gained his celebrated reputation as one of the world's best electric guitarists during the time he played in "The Yardbirds" and "John Mayall's Blues Breakers". Along with playing and listening to records, the "jamming" that went on there both inside and outside the house along with no noise restrictions, often extended late into the night and early morning hours. This attitude may have developed as a result of Traffic's own living and rehearsal space at an isolated cottage in Berkshire that was frequented by other famous musicians and friends who dropped in for a visit. Steve said "We feel today's scene is moving very much away from permanent groups and more towards recognition for individual musicians". However, in a move that seemed similar with his previous band, Steve Winwood left Traffic at what looked to be the height of their success to embark on a supposed solo career that many had anticipated (or expected) for some time. While Traffic enjoyed significant "pop" hits in Britain like 'Paper Sun' and 'Hole In My Shoe' during the so called "Summer of Love", it was their album sales and considerable success in America that was to eventually establish them as major artists on the international music scene. "We feel today's scene is moving very much away from permanent groups" He left this band in 1967 at the height of their success to form Traffic, a line-up promoted by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell to compete with new psychedelic-sounding groups that were taking over the record charts at the time. ![]() Steve or "Stevie" had previously found fame at the young age of only fifteen in The Spencer Davis Group with whom he recorded several hit records during the mid 1960s that included 'Keep On Running', 'Gimme Some Lovin' and 'I'm A Man'. Although only twenty one years old at the time, Steve was already a seasoned pro in pop music terms having fronted two brilliant and successful bands. It was fifty years ago when Birmingham's own multi-talented Steve Winwood formed a "supergroup" that soon threatened to collapse under the staggering weight of expectations placed upon them. Steve Winwood's "million-dollar time bomb"
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