Interview by Annette Valentine.
Cream; the electric British rock power trio Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce. The third album, Wheels of Fire in 1968 is the worlds’ first platinum double album. They were regarded as the worlds’ first super-group, selling more than 15 million copies of their albums worldwide featuring songs based on blues such as Crossroads, Spoonful, and Born Under a Bad Sign as well others like Strange Brew, Tales of Brave Ulysses and Toad and of course the biggest hits, I Feel Free, Sunshine of Your Love, White Room and Crossroads. In 2006 they received a Grammy for lifetime achievement and contribution to modern music.
Now they’re back in another guise for the 50th anniversary of Cream’s debut album, with the line-up now consisting of Kofi Baker, Ginger’s son, Malcolm Bruce, Jack’s son and Will Johns, Eric’s nephew. We caught up with Malcolm to talk about the upcoming tour ‘The Music of Cream’and life as the son of a legend.
Is there an album you would like to promote with this Tour?
Not as such, but we will be selling our own material we’ve been working on.
How does it feel to be standing in your dad’s shoes with what would have been his 75th birthday coming up?
I’m certainly not trying to be him, that would be silly. It’s just it would be amazing to play this music we’ve all grown up around. It’s so exciting.
How did you all come together for this?
I’ve known Kofi for years, played with him in his band for around 14 years, done different projects over the years and we did tours of Australia and New Zealand that went well doing Sons of Cream, which was nice, so we decided to continue it.
You currently have your own jazz music and opera how’s it going?
Yes, I did a song-based album and hoping to get out on the road next year with it.
Do write your own songs?
Yes I do and occasionally work with lyricists.
Does the great lyricist Pete Brown who wrote Creams’ songs work with you still?
He does, he’s an idiosyncratic, brilliant kind of guy, wonderfully talented and I’ve done stuff with him so that’s always been so good.
In the two and a half years of Cream, they performed 300 live shows in thirty months on tour, that’s a lot isn’t it?
Yes it’s a lot, amazing.
Belinda Carlisle and David Bowie covered the song I Feel Free….
Yes they did, well.
Do you like your dad’s songs and do you have a favourite?
Wow, I think when you look at it like that, it’s an impressive feat all of this, in a short space of time they did all that. I love performing We’re Going Wrong, it’s a wonderful song and it’s based on improvisation so each night we play it completely different you know depending on the energy of the room.
Will Eric Clapton or Ginger Baker be there in the audience when you play London in November?
I’m sure well invite them. Yes, we’ll see.
Ginger Baker said when performers get nervous,” just relax and say it’s just another gig.” Do you think that’s sound advice?
(Laughing), did he say that? It’s true though, it is a wonderful force of nature the music.
Creams music did change peoples’ lives and influenced other bands to come through the rock door like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath….Bruce played the fretless guitar, Eric created the “woman tone” with the wah wah pedal and the guitar called The Fool was used…..
Yes the same guys that worked with the Beatles painted psychedelic stuff and if you look at the pictures, there was a Gibson SG there. My dad had his guitar painted in that psychedelic style and that’s why they called it The Fool. It was a small world back then.
The bands intention was just fun.
Hmmm…
Just a few unusual questions. What’s the best party you were invited to?
When Cream got together in 2000, there was an after show party at the Royal Albert Hall with big famous people there like Tom Hanks, so exciting. Also in New York in Madison Square Gardens, Santana was there. I’ve had an interesting life with my dad in the band I got to hang out with him. My dad was more of a musicians’ musician, so I got to hang out with people like Tony Williams.
What does your bathroom look like?
I travel around a lot - I was in Nashville as I’ve got friends there. I’m living in London in a work/live space, so more like an annexe thing…the shower room is nice.
Do you get emotional doing your dad’s songs?
Um, not sure. If it’s music, you need to be emotional to play, so it depends on the music. With improvisation you do need to be invested emotionally. You need to access that part of yourself.
Have you any strange hobbies?
Yes, a disciplined yoga practice and I learnt meditation that’s the transcendental kind…going into that stillness. It allows stress free way of life.
When your dad was on stage with Cream they used to have a teddy bear and collected numerous bears on their journey….
I’ll try and bring one and stick it on my amp.
Is there a thing such as over-rehearsing?
Yes for this music for sure, because it’s based on improvisation so to be tight and to be in the moment. You can’t time how long for.
Any more gigs with Kofi and Wills?
Yes, the full North America tour starts in September through to November with four shows in the UK after that.
I suspect your dad and the rest of the band were overworked with their schedule. Could this be a factor in the break-up?
Yes partly, and strained relations in the band.
Your dad Jack was the quietest of the three in the band
That’s interesting as he was the chief song-writer. I think he could have played the game a bit more though. Although that may have been how it looked to others, it’s not necessarily true.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
My album Salvation that I recorded in Nashville and completed in London. It’s been a spiritual journey. I did that and I think, did I really think like that that. I am writing jazz too so I will be performing at the Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen in London soon. I will also be doing a workshop on my Opera and I’ve been researching about China for that.
Catch Sons of Cream live in the UK at these dates:
Glasgow, O2 Academy Friday 23 November
Leamington Spa, Assembly Saturday 24 November
London, O2 Forum Sunday 25 November
Manchester, Ritz Monday 26 November
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