Editing Eric Clapton (section)

===Cream===
{{Main|Cream (band)}}
[[File:Cream Clapton Bruce Baker 1960s.jpg|thumb|Clapton (right) as a member of Cream]]
Clapton left the Bluesbreakers in July 1966 (replaced by [[Peter Green (musician)|Peter Green]]) and was invited by drummer [[Ginger Baker]] to play in his newly formed band [[Cream (band)|Cream]], one of the earliest [[Supergroup (bands)|supergroups]], with [[Jack Bruce]] on bass (Bruce was previously of the Bluesbreakers, the [[Graham Bond Organisation]] and [[Manfred Mann]]).<ref>{{Pop Chronicles|53}}</ref> Before the formation of Cream, Clapton was not well known in the United States; he left [[the Yardbirds]] before "For Your Love" hit the US top ten, and had yet to perform there.<ref>{{cite web |last=Unterberger |first=Richie |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p3983 |title=Cream |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=22 August 2010 |archive-date=29 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101029043512/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p3983 |url-status=live }}</ref> During his time with Cream, Clapton began to develop as a singer, songwriter and guitarist, though Bruce took most of the lead vocals and wrote the majority of the material with lyricist [[Pete Brown]].<ref name="unuhsh"/> Cream's first gig was an unofficial performance at the [[Twisted Wheel Club]] in Manchester on {{nowrap|29 July}} 1966 before their full debut two nights later at the [[National Jazz and Blues Festival]] in [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]]. Cream established its enduring legend with the high-volume blues jamming and extended solos of their live shows.

By early 1967, fans of the emerging blues-rock sound in the UK had begun to portray Clapton as Britain's top guitarist; however, he found himself rivalled by the emergence of [[Jimi Hendrix]], an [[acid rock]]-infused guitarist who used wailing [[Audio feedback|feedback]] and [[effects pedals]] to create new sounds for the instrument.<ref name="Jam"/> Hendrix attended a performance of the newly formed Cream at the [[University of Westminster|Central London Polytechnic]] on {{nowrap|1 October}} 1966, during which he sat in on a double-timed version of "[[Killing Floor (Howlin' Wolf song)|Killing Floor]]".<ref name="Jam">{{cite news|title=Hendrix jams with Cream|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/sevenages/events/blues-based-rock/hendrix-jams-with-cream/|publisher=BBC|date=24 April 2016|access-date=13 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171220045148/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/sevenages/events/blues-based-rock/hendrix-jams-with-cream/|archive-date=20 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Top UK stars, including Clapton, [[Pete Townshend]] and members of [[the Rolling Stones]] and [[the Beatles]], avidly attended Hendrix's early club performances. Hendrix's arrival had an immediate and major effect on the next phase of Clapton's career.<ref>Shadwick, Keith (2003). Jimi Hendrix: Musician. P. 84. Backbeat Books</ref>
[[File:The Fool guitar (replica).jpg|thumb|upright=.65|Clapton's [[The Fool (guitar)|The Fool guitar]] (replica shown), with its bright artwork and famous "woman tone", was symbolic of the 1960s psychedelic rock era.]]
Clapton first visited the United States while touring with Cream. In March 1967, Cream performed a nine-show stand at the RKO Theater in New York. Clapton's 1964 painted [[Gibson SG]] guitar – [[The Fool (guitar)|The Fool]] – a "psychedelic fantasy", according to Clapton,<ref>{{cite book|last=Welch|first=Chris|title=Clapton: The Ultimate Illustrated History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M-BMCFL_c3AC&pg=PA87|access-date=2 January 2012|year=2011|publisher=Voyageur|isbn=978-0-7603-4046-2|page=87}}</ref> made its debut at the RKO Theater. Clapton used the guitar for most of Cream's recordings after ''[[Fresh Cream]]'', particularly on ''[[Disraeli Gears]]'', until the band broke up in 1968.<ref name="fool">{{cite news|title=Clapton's Fool: History's Greatest Guitar?|last=Oxman|first=J. Craig|date=December 2011|work=[[Vintage Guitar (magazine)|Vintage Guitar]]|pages=62–66}}</ref> One of the world's best-known guitars, it symbolises the [[Psychedelia|psychedelic era]].<ref name="fool"/> They recorded ''Disraeli Gears'' in New York from 11 to 15 May 1967. Cream's repertoire varied from hard rock ("[[I Feel Free]]") to lengthy blues-based instrumental jams ("[[Spoonful]]"). ''Disraeli Gears'' contained Clapton's searing guitar lines, Bruce's soaring vocals and prominent, fluid bass playing, and Baker's powerful, polyrhythmic jazz-influenced drumming. Together, Cream's talents secured them as an influential [[power trio]]. Clapton's voice can be heard on [[Frank Zappa]]'s album ''[[We're Only in It for the Money]]'', on the tracks "[[Are You Hung Up?]]" and "Nasal Retentive Calliope Music".

In 28 months, Cream had become a commercial success, selling millions of records and playing throughout the US and Europe. They redefined the instrumentalist's role in rock and were one of the first blues-rock bands to emphasise musical virtuosity and lengthy jazz-style improvisation sessions. Their US hit singles include "[[Sunshine of Your Love]]" (No. 5, 1968), "[[White Room]]" (No. 6, 1968) and "[[Cross Road Blues|Crossroads]]" (No. 28, 1969) – a live version of [[Robert Johnson]]'s "Cross Road Blues". Though Cream were hailed as one of the greatest groups of its day, and the adulation of Clapton as a guitar legend reached new heights, the [[supergroup (music)|supergroup]] was short-lived. Drug and alcohol use escalated tension between the three members, and conflicts between Bruce and Baker eventually led to Cream's demise. A strongly critical ''Rolling Stone'' review of a concert of the group's second headlining US tour was another significant factor in the trio's demise, and it affected Clapton profoundly.<ref>Welch, Chris: "Cream" (2000), page 131</ref> Clapton has also credited ''[[Music from Big Pink]]'', the debut album of [[The Band]], and its revolutionary [[Americana (music)|Americana]] sound as influencing his decision to leave Cream.<ref>Runtagh, J. (1 July 2018) {{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/the-bands-music-from-big-pink-10-things-you-didnt-know-666161/|title=The Band's 'Music From Big Pink': 10 Things You Didn't Know|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=15 April 2020}}</ref><ref>Erlewine, S.T. (1 September 2018) {{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-band-music-from-big-pink/|title=Music from Big Pink|publisher=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|access-date=15 April 2020|archive-date=20 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220225710/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-band-music-from-big-pink/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Cream's farewell album, ''[[Goodbye (Cream album)|Goodbye]]'', comprising live performances recorded at [[The Forum (Inglewood, California)|The Forum]], Los Angeles, on {{nowrap|19 October}} 1968, was released shortly after Cream disbanded. It also spawned the studio single "[[Badge (song)|Badge]]", co-written by Clapton and [[George Harrison]] (Clapton had met and become close friends with Harrison after the Beatles shared a bill with the Clapton-era Yardbirds at the [[London Palladium]]). In 1968, Clapton played the lead guitar solo on Harrison's "[[While My Guitar Gently Weeps]]", from the Beatles' [[The Beatles (album)|self-titled double album]] (also known as the "White Album"). Harrison's debut solo album, ''[[Wonderwall Music]]'' (1968), became the first of many Harrison solo records to include Clapton on guitar. Clapton went largely uncredited for his contributions to Harrison's albums due to contractual restraints, and Harrison was credited as "L'Angelo Misterioso" for his contributions to the song "Badge" on ''Goodbye''. The pair often played live together as each other's guest. A year after Harrison's death in 2001, Clapton was musical director for the [[Concert for George]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/3138096.stm|title=Ex-Beatles at Harrison film tribute|publisher=BBC|access-date=22 September 2014|date=25 September 2003|archive-date=25 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825230635/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3138096.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

In January 1969, when the Beatles were recording and filming what became ''[[Let It Be (1970 film)|Let It Be]]'', tensions became so acute that Harrison quit the group for several days, prompting [[John Lennon]] to suggest they complete the project with Clapton if Harrison did not return.<ref>Elliot J. Huntley (2004). ''Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles''. p. 25. Guernica Editions, 2004.</ref> [[Michael Lindsay-Hogg]], television director of the recording sessions for ''Let It Be'', later recalled: "I was there when John mentioned Clapton – but that wasn't going to happen. Would Eric have become a Beatle? No. Paul [McCartney] didn't want to go there. He didn't want them to break up. Then George came back."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=That Time Eric Clapton Almost Became a Beatle|url=http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/news/a39896/beatles-eric-clapton-last-days/|magazine=Esquire|date=23 April 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426004245/http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/news/a39896/beatles-eric-clapton-last-days/|archive-date=26 April 2016}}</ref> Clapton was on good terms with all four of the Beatles; in December 1968 he had played with Lennon at ''[[The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus]]'' as part of the one-off group [[the Dirty Mac]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Urish|first1=Ben|title=The Words and Music of John Lennon|date=2007|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|page=7}}</ref>

Cream briefly reunited in 1993 to perform at the ceremony inducting them into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]. A full reunion took place in May 2005, with Clapton, Bruce and Baker playing four sold-out concerts at London's [[Royal Albert Hall]],<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|first=Michael|last=Paoletta|title=Inside Track|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rRQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA62|date=23 July 2005|page=62}}</ref> and three shows at New York's [[Madison Square Garden]] that October.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/25/AR2005102501667.html|title=Cream, Rising to the Occasion at Madison Square Garden|publisher=Washingpost.com|access-date=22 September 2014|first=Peter|last=Eisner|date=26 October 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406213420/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/25/AR2005102501667.html|archive-date=6 April 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Recordings from the London shows, ''[[Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6, 2005]]'', were released on CD, LP and DVD in late 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=royal-albert-hall-london-may-2-3-5-6-2005-main-entry-r794100|pure_url=yes}} |title=Royal Albert Hall: London May&nbsp;2–3–5–6 2005 |author=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=30 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/628q51XQN?url=http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/Rihanna/chart-history/658897?f=793&g=Singles |archive-date= 2 October 2011 }}</ref>