Cream's "Sunshine" Days Are Over

Legendary rock band's rep says band's recent shows in London, New York and Los Angeles might be last

By Charlie Amter Oct 27, 2005 11:05 PMTags

Cream may have finally curdled.

Just days after the legendary group performed concerts in New York, the Eric Clapton-led band may have split up for good.

According to a Reuters report, the band's promoter and publicist say the trio's recent shows were likely their last.

"The band has no plans for the future," publicist Kristen Foster of KFPR told the news agency Thursday.

The "Strange Brew" supergroup is coming off a string of shows in London and New York over the past few months.

The English blues-rock pioneers could have surely launched a larger world tour based on the strength of the recent gigs; yet the appetite to do so is apparently not strong for the trio of Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and Clapton.

Cream announced they would reform last December in England.

They went on to perform their first show in decades at London's venerable Royal Albert Hall in May--the same venue was the site of the power trio's final gig in 1968. The performance was captured for a CD and DVD released earlier this month.

Since the group's disintegration 35 years ago, the only other time Clapton, Bruce and Baker appeared onstage together was when they performed a scorching three-song set at Cream's 1993 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

After the jam, an emotional Clapton told audience members that he was "moved" by the band's performance, sparking a decade's worth of talk of a possible reunion.

"It's been so long since I've been around something from somebody else that's inspired me. For the last 20 years, it's been up to me to inspire me," Clapton said at the time.

Cream was formed in 1966 when Clapton left another Hall of Fame band, the Yardbirds, and hooked up with Bruce, a Scotsman from blues outfit Manfred Mann, and Baker, who played toms for the Graham Bond Organization.

Known for its blues and psychedelic-infused jams, the threesome quickly established itself among the rock pantheon.

The band released just four albums in two years--Fresh Cream, Disreali Gears, Wheels of Fire and Goodbye--but left an indelible mark on classic rock with such radio standards as "Sunshine of Your Love," "Strange Brew," "Spoonful," "White Room" and "Crossroads."