Cream Singles Collection

Not too far removed from Traffic are Cream (through the Powerhouse / Blind Faith connections). After the passing of Jack Bruce we'll never see Cream perform ever again. I first heard live recordings of them on Dutch radio in late 1966. I didn't hear their debut "Wrapping Paper" until later, but "I Feel Free" made a deep impression. Not the least through the reputations of both Eric Clapton (the John Mayall Bluesbreakers album was hot at the time) and Jack Bruce (during his stint in Manfred Mann he claimed to be the world's best bass player.........). Cream never quite fulfilled its promise, probably due to the pressure of constant touring and the lack of sufficient original material. But listening to all their Dutch/German singles certainly proves they were one of the all-time best bands. Despite strange sidesteps like "Anyone For Tennis" and "Wrapping Paper".

Wrapping Paper / Cat's Squirrel - Polydor Int. 421 059 {1966}

I Feel Free / NSU - Polydor 59058 {1966}

Strange Brew / Tales Of Brave Ulysses - Polydor 59106 {1967}

Sunshine Of Your Love / SWLABR - Polydor 59165 {1967}

Anyone For Tennis / Pressed Rat And Warthog - Polydor 59206 {1968}

White Room / Those Were The Days - Polydor 59235 {1968}

Crossroads / Passing The Time - Polydor 59259 {1969}

Badge / Doing That Scrapyard Thing - Polydor 59206 {1969}

Lawdy Mama / Rollin' And Tumblin' - Polydor DP 1741 {1970}

Rating: *****

Traffic singles

Trying to figure out which Traffic singles were released can be a nuisance. The first three singles were recorded as such by the band, but after that the local representatives of Fontana / Island took over by picking album tracks and releases differed from country to country. This is a mishmash of UK, Dutch and German releases:

Paper sun / Giving to you {Fontana, 278 301 YF}

Hole in my shoe / Smiling phases {Island, WIP 6017}

Here we go round the mulberry bush / Coloured rain {Island, WIP 6025}

No face, no name, no number / Forty thousand headmen {Fontana, 269 378 YF}

Feelin’ alright? / Withering tree {Fontana, 269 387 TF and Island, WIP 6041}

You can all join in / Withering Tree {Fontana, 260 163}

Shanghai Noodle Factory / You can all join in {Island, ALSO WIP 6041}

Medicated goo / Shanghai Noodle Factory {Island, WIP6050}

Medicated goo / Pearly Queen {Island, 269 394 TF}

Empty Pages / Stranger To Himself {Island, 6014 021}

Although there are picture sleeves of "Feelin’ alright?" / "Withering tree" with release number Island WIP 6041 there are also UK labels of "Shanghai Noodle factory" with release number WIP 6041. Even the Traffic fansite doesn't shed a light on this. "Medicate goo" was released with "Shanghai Noodle Factory" as the B-side as Island WIP6050, but in The Netherlands the flipside was "Pearly Queen". To confuse matters even more "Withering tree" (flipside of "Feelin' alright") was also B-side to a French (?) "You can all join in" single.
Anyway: great band, nice collection!
Rating:*****