Cream: ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ on Glen Campbell Show
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Yes, that’s Eric Clapton
While Best Classic Bands was researching our On This Day story about the debut of the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, we stumbled upon this fantastic clip of Campbell introducing U.S. TV audiences to “The Cream.”
It took place on July 14, 1968 when the then-32-year-old singer was the summertime host of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. (That success, coupled with the singer’s huge run of country to pop crossover success led to him getting his own variety series as a CBS midseason replacement in January 1969.)
Cream (guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker) were promoting their third album and were no strangers to U.S. audiences either collectively or individually. The British classic rock supergroup’s 1966 debut, Fresh Cream, reached #39 on the album sales chart and the 1967 follow-up, Disraeli Gears, reached #4. The latter included “Sunshine of Your Love,” which became a huge breakthrough hit when it was released as a single in January 1968. (In one of those chart oddities, the group’s signature song peaked at #5 on Billboard‘s singles chart but was the same publication’s #6 song for all of 1968.)
The July 1968 double LP Wheels of Fire continued their commercial success. The second disc was a live album recorded in San Francisco earlier that year. The studio LP included another huge hit, “White Room” which became their only Top 5 single. (Interestingly, their never hit the Top 10 in their native England.)
In the broadcast, Campbell introduces “The three guys you are about to meet were at one time considered to be the finest studio musicians in England. They were considered the cream of the crop of their profession so they figured they were so much in demand that they started their own thing. Ladies and Gentlemen… The Cream!”
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8 Comments so far
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Best Classic Bands Staff, as your name says, you are the BEST.
Thank you for this little gem.
Thanks!
Great find ! Really nice version of Sunshine. Only complaint is why the focus on Ginger Baker during Clapton’s solo ?
Did they actually have their backs to the audience? Crazy
I was thinking the same thing??
Never could figure out why Clapton’s guitar is so “plinky” in this performance. There’s none of his classic overdrive here that makes the record, and Cream’s typical live stuff, sound so great.
Clapton is great I have no idea why so many people voice complaints. It sucks and is uncalled for.
Cream also lip-synched to “Anyone for Tennis” on this show.