Cream- Badge (First Listen) 

I was very much impressed by Jack Bruce's bass playing at that time. There was noone like him. I can't remember having heard a bass being recorded and mixed so clear and dominant before not only in the studio but also in their live sessions. He made the bass an instrument of its own in rock music.

I love this song, especially the bridge section. This was recorded just a month after Clapton performed the solo on Harrison's 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' on "The Beatles" (The White Album). Clapton read a bad review of a Cream performance and decided to leave the band. He went on to form Blind Faith with Steve Winwood (of Traffic) and Ginger Baker joined without invitation. Again I recommend the Cream song 'Tales of Brave Ulysses' which is brilliant, their best I think.

This is a great example of the dictum "Music is the space BETWEEN the notes." My favorite Cream song.

Outstanding choice. Easy to review, I guess, as it is a perfect song! On a similar-(ish) tip, 'Bell Bottom Blues' (Derek and the Dominoes)?

Excellent use of the pause on their 2005 reunion from Royal Albert Hall. Entire concert is worth the listen!

I know Clapton was very reluctant to sing especially early in his career. Once he was a solo artist he became much more comfortable. Nice point about how the vocals and guitar kind of do a call and response throughout. Perfect rhythm section on this song as well pushing the bear along.

Short but sweet - left us all wanting more. Thankfully , the live performance of this is always done with a fantastic extended jam Glad you did this - speaking of , check out ‘ I’m So Glad ‘ and definitely listen to Tales of Brave Ulysses

Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Cassidy (lead guitar and bass in Jefferson Airplane) saw Cream and then brought up the power/volume in Jefferson Airplane. It also led to the Rampage Era of Hot Tuna. Check out "Crown of Creation" by Jefferson Airplane.

Like a giant, slow-turning fountain, that guitar is stellar.

This is a Harrison song. I think Clapton was the go to guy for Harrison when he needed a sounding board (see While My Guitar Gently Weeps), and when Clapton needed a song for this album, George was happy to oblige. It's got his signature all over it. It is a perfect pop song, though.

You constantly keep reminded me how old I am.I see myself in my teenage room,cream playing on my turntable and my dear mother yelling at me to turn down the sound.

"Bad blood" between Bruce and Baker is putting really mildly. They hated each other. I mean, *really* hated each other. Baker pulled a knife on Bruce at one time. Baker was a very odd dude. One of my favourite Clapton moments, apart from his playing on While My Guitar Gently Weeps, is on Ramblin' On My Mind from his live album EC Was Here. After the third verse, he pauses a beat then says, "F sharp". The band changes key and he starts soloing for the next five minutes, calling out the key changes as he goes. Magical!

The title of this song is another Ringo- ism George tells the story that Ringo was looking at the lyrics when he came to the middle of the song and said- what's this "Badge" when it actually said Bridge

Awww! Thanks for the shout-out! I felt pretty sure you would enjoy this song! Thank you for doing it!!! Clapton, over time, really developed his vocal style and the tone of his voice! He became quite a good singer! I also really love a huge chuck of his solo stuff! A "Best of Clapton" Playlist would have lots of excellent tunes! One I will suggest right off the top of my head, is "Forever Man". Great tune with a killer groove and beautiful Clapton solos! Also, gotta tell ya, you have GOT to do a reaction to just about any song from the "Blind Faith" album (Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker and Rick Grech). And speaking of Steve Winwood, you have GOT to do some Traffic. Not to be missed is "Low Spark of High Heel Boys". That would make a GREAT reaction for you!!! Also from the same album, "Hidden Treasures" is absolutely beautiful and will lift you up in a gentle way! Love you and your channel so much!

Great breakdown of this song! Badge is a great moment in time and also the beginning of Clapton's future.

One song that never gets old, and great for almost any occasion. Just fantastic. Thanks for the reaction.

A great song and a great choice! Thanks JP :)

A true rock classic!

a lot of us have been listening to this our whole lives,, it's great that you as a younger guy are finding this new old music. there are certain pieces of music that you have to be introduced to, like a new friend

Greatest song ever!

No one plays with a Leslie anymore and it's such a great sound. Epic song.

Short and very sweet.

Good to see you❗️ Clapton’s song Let It Rain has the same vibe & is excellent.

This is a rather atypical song for them. On this same album are 2 very good live performances. One is the original "Politician", and the other is a live cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Sitting On Top Of The World", which I think has the fastest lick I've ever heard from Clapton. If you become familiar with Clapton's playing with the Cream, you here the same licks popping up in the solos of a whole generation of guitarists who learned by playing along with their records.

I love it when you react to the classics! Great review.

Hey Justin - great song and analysis, Clapton / Cream was definitely one of my major influences when i first started playing guitar in late 60s. If you'd like to follow up on them, try anything from the Blind Faith album (with Clapton and Ginger Baker), especially "Presence of the Lord"; Jack Bruce also had some great solo work (e.g. "Rope Ladder To The Moon", "Theme From An Imaginary Western", or the latin sounding "Consul At Sunset" ) Cream also performed a reunion concert in 2005, well worth a look also. Keep 'em coming!

My first listen of Cream ever ! Can you believe it ? And this was good. Thank you.

Sending this video along to my brother's FB page who is a pretty much a Cream expert. He'll appreciate it and hopefully you'll get a new subscriber and perhaps a few others, eh? Good song 👍 It has a subtle simplicity that is almost like Oriental poetry in its bluesy observations.

Cream were a band that had two identities. There was the blues pop sound of their studio albums and then their live performances where their clash of blues, jazz and rock stints took off into extended improvisations that were very influential on musicians. If you decide to bend your ears to those I would recommend Spoonful from the Wheels of Fire album or NSU from their Live Cream album. Much of the reason for their split was the constant tour/recording schedules that were non stop from their first concert until they just collectively decided to pack it in in 1969. Touring back then was a completely different experience then, at that time.

The guitar break. A perfect hook that never gets old no matter how many times you hear. Good breakdown. "Packed" is the right way to describe the track.

My favorite Cream song.

An absolute Iconic song, by one of classic rock's first "power trios. "The Jimi Hendrix Experience" was the other. Both were super Bands, headed by superstar guitarists, Clapton and Hendrix. What a time to be a teenager. I'm now 64 yrs old, and these songs are still Benchmarks of Rock and Roll History.

My God has Clapton ever played a solo that wasn't perfect!

JP, Thanks for another great review. You're quite right that it's a very short tune. But it's most distinguishing characteristic - for me - is the degree to which the bridge is the tune. I can think of stuff from the LZ catalogue that comes close, but nothing to the degree that this tune does. If you aren't familiar with the tune, and want to see what it's capable of being, check out Clapton's live version from his 1996 concert at Hyde Park...simply brilliant. And kudo's to the GOAT - George Harrison - for writing this amazing song!

I think the very last line is the best:"She cried away her life, said she fell out the cradle." Perfect!

Cream,undeniable classic . .

Thanks for this. It’s my favourite song of all time. It is short, on the studio version at least, but the live versions tend to have an extra solo and more vocals. I recommend Eric’s live version from a gig in Hartford, Connecticut in 1985, where Tim Renwick takes the second solo, and the whole song segues smoothly into Let it Rain.

Wicked tune, one of their best tunes. Great analysis of the song. Eric Clapton still till this day plays this in Concert. As far as their recordings, i think most if it all of them, are live, so they probably toured more, than actually recorded, even though a short career. But Clapton was in big groups before, The Yardbirds, John Mayall's Blues Breakers, then after Cream , Derek and the Dominos, then his solo career.

One of my Top 10 greatest songs of all time...IMHO

Always loved at school. Local school kids who could play guitar and bass would attack this iconic song!

Cream were rock's first 'supergroup' - Crosby Stills & Nash, Blind Faith and Humble Pie can also be placed in this category - and as such the biggest surprise is that they lasted as long as they did. This was my first taste of the band, who had already split up when the song crept into the UK top 20 early in 1969. I was 12, too young to appreciate that what made the climax so powerful was the subtle dose of mellotron infused into the final verse.

JP, love me some Cream with my coffee. Highly recommend Blind Faith. They made only one album by the same name and the members of the band were Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech. They were considered a Supergroup since they were composed of members of Traffic and Cream but they could not all get along. Suggest Do What You Like or Had to Cry Today. You will dig it 👌

good summary..

There were some interesting transitions during that time. Later that year in 1969, Clapton and Harrison played with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends with Dave Mason, and Clapton would be on their live album. Next year in 1970, Harrison borrowed Delany & Bonnie's band (without D&B) for recording the All Things Must Pass album, and Eric changed his name to Derek when he did an album with them. I found a clip of Eric and George playing with the group in Dec. 69. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-y4DbsNsK3jY.html

The band Fanny did a cover of this a few years after that imo really fleshed it out.

SWLABR is a deep cut worth discovering.

One of my favorite Clapton vocals is in Bell Bottom Blues

Love this song mainly because of the memories it brings back. Transistor radio memories. I electrical taped one to my bike handlebars blasting as loud as possible which wasn’t that loud at all. Sigh... good times. Some songs are like soup where, tasting each ingredient isn’t as good as just taking in a big spoonful. Get it? While painting last night I listened to some Kamasi Washington last night, album “The Epic “, pretty good. Just saying... Anyway enjoyed the song and analysis. Have a great day guys. Peace and Music

Bruce and Baker's relations stem back to about '63-'64 when they were in the Graham Bond Organisation and while they were perfect for each other musically, they hated each other personally. Jack was kind of a showoff and annoyed Ginger constantly, who was an unstable violent lunatic. It was Ginger's idea to form a band with Clapton and was very reluctant but obliging when Eric said he'd only do it if Bruce played bass. The continuation of Bruce and Baker's toxic and hostile relationship, Cream's rapid skyrocket to fame and the pressure to play long-winded live sets at excessively high volume led to Eric becoming exhausted and leaving the band because he was inspired by The Band's Music From Big Pink to make music that was more earthy and mellow.

Sounds great, Justin. A heads-up, though, that although they're still a live act, the seventies and early eighties were the heyday of their most important/innovative musical output, so some of the rhythms and sounds may seem familiar (e.g. for those into hip-hop). Regardless, there was nothing like it on the scene at that time (they designed/built their own instruments in order to produce the sounds they wanted!) and the music still sounds great today, in tandem with the legions of artists influenced in their wake (Bowie, Depeche Mode, Bjork, Gary Numan, etc.). So, perhaps consider their music from this perspective. Enjoy! LL

I'd like to recommend SWLABR (She Was Like a Bearded Rainbow). Similar song, I always group Badge and SWLABR together, but SWALBR is edgier and more musically interesting to me.

Jack Bruce was Cream lead vocalist but was Clapton on Badge

Badge is excellent. Probably my favorite song by them is TALES OF BRAVE ULYSSES.

At 2:02... Harrison wrote that bridge. Which is funny cuz Clapton thought it was "Badge". ;-)

It's easy to think of Cream as a trio or even a supergroup. In reality, they had an amazing guitarist, one of the best bassists in the world, a drummer with 4 brains (one for each hand and foot), 2 great complementary singers and 2 amazing songwriters in Jack Bruce and Pete Brown. That is one hell of a trio. Badge was part written by George Harrison and the arpeggio solo is related to that of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", which was inspired/influenced or part-written by Clapton. PS: Harrison and Clapton were great friends until Clapton ran off with Harrison's wife Patti Boyd.

Request Donald Fagen (of Steely Dan) and his album Nightfly. Jazz / Soft Rock with cool Cold War nostalgic lyrics. JP, you’ll love it, I guarantee. All songs absolutely brilliant musically and lyrically. “Won’t you pour me a Cuban Breeze, Gretchen?”

check out Clapton live version. Longer version with more guitar work. Great version from mid 90s, live at Hyde Park with Steve Gadd on drums.

This was Cream trying to move beyond the sound that had originally defined it but ultimately the band collapsed before it could be truly developed.

WOAH....... WOAH..... WOAH... where is the ending.. The single version I used to listen to had, just after the hanging chord, a repeated lead guitar hook ending with the words, "where is my badge" repeated over it..... it was very striking so you are missing a key ingredient here. When this was released in 1969 I was 16 and living in Gibraltar. This song and "Lay Lady Lay" from Bob Dylan were both on the juke box of the coffee bar where I used to spend a few pennies playing both of those songs endlessly. It's worth tracking down the complete version. Stay safe and Keep on Rocking.

There was friction between all three members from time to time, but Baker, in particular, was a volatile man who could be difficult. Clapton, in contrast, wasn't a big source of conflict, but he was almost always looking ahead to do something new. He went from Cream to Derek and the Dominoes which was a move back to more blues-based rock and produced one of the greatest records of all time with Layla & Other Love Songs.

So great...what else can be said.? Check out (Clapton) Derek and the Dominoes - Bell Bottoms Blues!

Hey JP, what's up. Just discovered your channels and like them a lot. I have Some Rush Requests for you. Tracks from Vapor Trails(2002), either "Vapor Trail" or "Freeze". It's later Rush, under appreciated, and I've never seen react vids of post 2000 Rush, but they made great stuff this century too. Might be edifying for both you & casual Rush listeners. Also, when it's time, I hope you cover either of Rush's final 2 Proggyy 10 minute epics. With Natural Science from Permanent Wave & The Camera Eye from Moving Pictures, you can see their evolution with that format, and it makes sense that they kinda put the epics to bed after those two tracks in 80-81, having hit the nail of the head with both tracks. Moving Pictures also has the best example of Rush honing their compositional skills into shorter & more accessible tracks, cutting the fat, but keeping the Prog aesthetic of high-wire musicianship.and cinematic story telling.. That track is Red Barchetta. Again, good show man, subscribed.

great choice JP the song was also co written by George Harrison

Can I suggest you try bands like China crisis their song wishful thinking is a great song. I think it'll be one you'll add to your play list. Stay safe

Badge was never meant to be the title. They recorded it and wrote Bridge on the box and someone misread that as Badge and wrote that down as the title. Speaking of that bridge, it is played by L'Angelo Mysterioso, due to George Harrison being on a different label who didn't want to let him play on the song. Yes, I wrote this during the video, so didn't know you were going to read all of this.

Katatonia - Decima Estrum - All I Need Anathema - Flying Klone - The Drifter

Cream was a big thing in the later 60's. Very innovative in their style, musicianship and overall sound. As you can tell from this song, by their fourth album, they were advancing into the prog realm. Too bad they disbanded at this juncture.

🖒🖒👏✌

My favorite song by Cream. The best album though is Disraeli Gears

2:08 guitar with leslie - speaker on slow. :)

Cream was the first "Super Group." Clapton wasn't happy with the pop direction that the record company had pushed the band, as well as the record company execs trying to push him as frontman, effectively trying to turn Cream into "The Eric Clapton Band." At that point in his career, he shied away from the spotlight, and wasn't comfortable as the lead singer. Plus he wanted to get back to a more traditional blues style music, though he was also giving thought to trying to join "The Band." Clapton, Bruce and Baker were among the most innovative musicians at their instruments at the time. Bad blood? Saying that there was hatred between Jack and Ginger is an understatement. There's a story that when Jack Bruce was on his death bed, he was calling his friends on the phone to say goodby, and he dialed up Ginger. When Ginger answered, Jack is supposed to have said "Ginger, I'm dying. Fuck You!" and hung up on him. Supposedly it was his way of making sure that he got the last word in on a conversation. There was a set of reunion concerts that was recorded on both audio and video, and it's well worth watching. One bit of Trivia: The opening act for Cream's farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall was Yes, in their first major concert!

Jack Bruce on vocals

Story goes song was named due to chord prog being read upside down off stand?

If you are not familiar with Clapton's Layla (about his infatuation with George Harrison's wife), you should try this all-time rock classic. For an interesting video, do the original and then the completely re-arranged Unplugged version, where he re-invented his signature song and compare. Otherwise, Blind Faith's (Clapton & winwood) Can't Find My Way Home, another classic and one of my all-time favorites.

George Harrison plays the rhythm guitar here and Clapton on lead.

Before they bring the curtain down...ok, I get it

A song that changed the direction of my musical taste. George was good enough friends with Clapton that he allowed Clapton to steal his wife with no hard feelings. They continued to be life long friends.

Produced for radio play.

You should listen to Vega Tables by the Beach Boys Smile Sessions

2005 live Royal Albert Hall is the best

Mellotron at the end ?

I'm an old guy but I never grasped the appeal of Cream. Much of the Clapton solo stuff is OK by me. I think that Traffic and/into Steve Winwood solo stuff is a far more interesting concurrence, yet comparable in maturation.

1. The studio version of Badge is inferior to most live versions. On stage, it's usually extended and features a lot more solos. 2. This was still early days for Clapton. His voice had hardly hit puberty yet. It stayed soft like this until the Layla album, which is when he first sang like a rock god. 3. Cream are still influential, Justin...

A funny story told by George Harrison (from Wikipedia). I helped Eric write "Badge" you know. Each of them had to come up with a song for that Goodbye Cream album and Eric didn't have his written. We were working across from each other and I was writing the lyrics down and we came to the middle part so I wrote 'Bridge.' Eric read it upside down and cracked up laughing - 'What's BADGE?' he said. After that, Ringo [Starr] walked in drunk and gave us that line about the swans living in the park.

Hi Justin. Great reaction. Have you ever considered exploring the music of KRAFTWERK? (Check out 'Autobahn,' 'Trans-Europe Express,' 'We are the Robots,' and 'Computer World,' for starters.) They are perhaps THE most important electronic music pioneers and innovators of the 20th century, and have influenced countless musical styles (synth pop, hip hop, post-punk, techno, ambient, club music, etc.), right up to this very day, yet are barely mentioned on RU-vid by the plethora of other music 'reactors' (probably because so few on this side of the Atlantic have heard of them). Regardless, you WILL NOT be disappointed, and it might be an interesting addition to your 'reaction' library of RU-vid videos to-date, not to mention a captivating listening experience. Yours to consider, LL. right to this very day.

Please David Bowie "Moonage Daydream" from "Ziggy Stardust"

who did the piano?

George Harrison song. He is on second guitar

THAT'S IT JUSTIN AND THENNNNN HE TOOK OFF FOR HOIS OWN BAND KINDA LIKE THE SAME WAY NEIL YOUNG WALKED AWAY FROM CROSBY,STILLS AND NASH! LOL :) CREAM/ HEAVYYYY INFLUENCE ON RUSH ! THEY WERE JUST TOGETHER FOR A FEW YEARS SO, GR8888 PSHYCHEDELLIC ROCK MUSIC, R.I.P GINGER BAKER :(

Co-written with George Harrison. Hey, by the way, you should review some George Harrison songs, he has loads of great music.

At 2:05 that is George Harrison on solo guitar. A pay back for Clapton's solo on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Maybe a pay back for stealing George's wife?

Baker was a very menacing guy. A reporter was interviewing him and came away with a Brocken nose.

Clapton and Harrison were such good friends, they continued to be friends after Clapton stole Harrison's wife.

I told you 'bout our kid, now he's married to Mabel. "Our kid" means your younger brother in British English. So he's talking about his brother, not his son.

Why not try Tales of brave Ulysses next ?

Clapton and Harrison were such good friends, they continued to be friends after Clapton stole Harrison's wife. You gave the lyrics such short shrift. I don't know if he is talking to a former wife of his, but it seems to me the whole song is aimed at her. Actually, someone explains further down that this song was written by Harrison. So that makes sense.

Its a good song but not very representative of what Cream was around. It sounds like this is only the second Cream song you've heard - the other being 'Strange Brew' neither of these tunes fronted by Cream's actual front man Jack Bruce. You should look for some of Cream's live performances. Perhaps 'Sleepy Time' or 'NSU' or 'Spoonful' or 'Sitting On Top of the World'. Clapton's best solo (IMO) was on 'Crossroads' but equally matched if not exceeded by Bruce's remarkable bass and Baker's incredible drums.

Jack Bruce drives the band so beautifully.

Classic riff but I still prefer the psychedelia of Tales Of Brave Ulysses.

A lot of drama between Baker and Jack Bruce Clapton got tired of it that's why they ended breaking up Ginger Baker the drummer through the late sixties early seventies was considered the premier drummer in Rock but he was a drama queen