Cream - Sunshine of Your Love Live - Back Bay Theatre

Probably the greatest end jam on Sunshine ever!
"That was a short one" - Ginger Baker
"We like to get warmed up" - Eric Clapton

[@prathameshbhambure]

To stretch(in a splendid fashion), a 5 minutes number to a whopping 17-minute mark is an obvious testament to Cream's magnificence. We'll never have a band like this!

[@danw5785]

That was awesome!!!!

[@markrosenbaum63]

There was nothing like Cream live and there never will be again!!!!!!!!!!!

[@markwilensky5547]

You can't say that, because who knows what the future will bring us...BUT: if there's another group of musicians who can play with such creativity and excellence, I happily look to the future (I'm 71)!

[@tomasvanecek8626]

@@markwilensky5547 There are NO musicians to play like this anymore ... (I´m 62) .. sad, but true

[@YarrowBand]

⁠@@tomasvanecek8626look up Earthless

[@susanreed2802]

Nobody can jam like Cream did

[@oldtimetinfoilhatwearer]

...yet.

[@tomasvanecek8626]

I discovered Cream in 1972, hearing this tune on radio.. I was Zep freak already, wearing off their first 3 albums on my turntable.. but they never did anything like this. Yeah, a great time to be a teen in early 70s 🤩

[@tanveerhasan2382]

lucky

[@ericanderson2987]

I 1st Heard this,Songvon onecofcmy Sister's 45 RPM Record; it was much shorter version than on Album.

[@dennismason3740]

I saw Cream in Santa Monica when I was 13. Sunshine made all radio better. I had to get a guitar after seeing Eric and Jack and Ginger do their thing. It would take me five years to buy a guitar as I was raised in "lack". It was a 62 LP Junior - wine red, one PAF, double cutaway, black pickguard. One-hundred and twenty dollars. In 72 that was like 12-hundred-bucks. I played this song in 76 at a Luau in Hana and everybody danced.

[@tomasvanecek8626]

Wow... was there (Gibson) Wine Red in 1962 ? I dont think so...

[@dennismason3740]

@@tomasvanecek8626 - try 1960 on. SG, LP Junior, 335...my current Epi SG is the original maroon/wine red/deep red. Perhaps a different name?

[@tomasvanecek8626]

@@dennismason3740 Wine Red was a 70s color. Not at all the same one as theTranslucent Cherry on early 60s SGs, etc...

[@dennismason3740]

@@tomasvanecek8626 - I misstyped about the 335 - it's Cherry Red. The 1960 SG and LP Junior are deep wine, I own 2 OG Red SGs and I owned the wine-red LP Junior. Perhaps the color name is confusing - it's a deep dark red, almost maroon and it was THE preferred color of those models in that year. I was there.

[@LordGreystoke]

Imagine this as a soundboard...This is one of the best examples of what Cream was all about. Just jam....

[@CreamBootlegs]

It's my opinion that this was their best recorded show

[@jasonwright7513]

Clapton coming in for another solo at the end of the song! the nerve! the audacity! the gall! I love it!! My God they were on fire 🔥on this night!

[@winterland3253]

This is one of the coolest things ever recorded.

[@lladnar69]

I've been listening to Cream since 1966 and I have never heard this version till now. Holy crap!

[@ericanderson2987]

Me neither!

[@LordGreystoke]

The greatest performances were never recorded to soundboard. It's always an audience recording. Well, better than nothing. This particular performance ranks at the very top of Cream's brief history.

[@zorantaylor3190]

Also, Clapton at the end saying, "We like to get warmed up!" has to rank among the greatest off-the-cuff remarks ever made onstage by a rock musician. Not bad for a guy who's, um....y'know, not necessarily known for his off-the-cuff onstage remarks being.....exactly what you'd call "great"...🙄

[@JohnDoe-me9jh]

@@zorantaylor3190 Then Ginger speaks in the mic “that was a short one”, makes me think in the month of April they were jamming to this song 20m+ every other night!

[@CreamBootlegs]

​@JohnDoe-me9jh "We like to get warmed up" Clapton says right after. Unbelievable performance this entire night was

[@Marcus_C51]

Thanks so much for posting this! What a spectacular version I must say! They were certainly in the zone on this one, what a gobsmacking ending jam! That Psychedelic SG/Les Paul "The Fool" really had some mojo, Clapton always sounded phenomenal on it.

[@CortexZero]

Just legendary. There's something so heavy about this song. One of the 10 greatest riffs in my book.

[@riffdigger2133]

What a great live track of Sunshine! Audio quality- loving it. And the jam in A? They kept going- hundreds of ideas and risk-taking. Jack Bruce's sheer will to keep it all going-almost beyond human. Whereas bassists at that time found it difficult to solo even on 24 bars- Jack meets Eric, almost to infinity. Ah, but when you have an engineer pumping station of rhythms like Ginger Baker thrusting waves of creativity - the other two just go into sonic orbit. And with solid metronomic time.

[@torstrasburg4274]

The impeccable, awe-inspiring timing of all three must have a genetic component. They excel even among so-called peers. I say so-called because they are pretty much peerless, although I'm sure arguments could be made for one or another.

[@maxsno]

The Cream to be sure.

[@drichard123]

I listen to this so many times. Towards the end, one of them signals to the others to end. You wish they didn't. One of the great, great performanes ever. Thanks so much for uploading.

[@JustAnotherBlader]

Clapton being God for 15 min straight holy hell that was a burning hot solo

[@supsailor1885]

I think this is the longest version of "Sunshine" in existence, live , it usually ran 9 or 10 minutes,like on Live Cream Vol II, Those guys were really on a tear that night!!!

[@torstrasburg4274]

Holy hell in a handbasket! The essence of Cream. Otherwordly improvisation. That's a lot of sound for a guitar and bass. Okay, and cymbals (drums are buried). They're pushing the edge, especially for that time. That Eric and Ginger are still with us...my head bows.

[@michaelgibson5047]

Clapton broke a string at the end of the song. You can hear the pop. Very cool. Nicknamed slowhand for a reason. The vintage pictures are exceptional. That is a band. 3 members 3 instruments and decent singers. No over dub and pure loud folk rock and roll

[@OspreyD40]

Probably wrote this elsewhere: when he broke a string on the painted Gibson SG, a roadie handed him a brilliantly red Les Paul. The tone of the Les Paul was clearer and brighter. Ah, what a concert. Curtain was down, Sunshine began as the curtain was going up. Awesome! I don't recall much else but distinctly remember Train Time.

[@drichard123]

I was lucky enough to attend one of the Cream reunion concerts in London in 2005. Went to the Thursday night concert, the third in a series of four.

[@andythomas706]

A bootleg well worth seeking out! Easily the best live 'Sunshine' I've heard! One of THOSE nights!

[@jastrebok]

If these jams appeared today, there would be so many 17 min youtube videos :D

[@danaandrusik6839]

Thank you for a gem. I'm still discovering fresh Cream to me on the internet.

[@warlordzephyr]

Man, I can see why Ginger complains about how loud the volume was back then, I can hardly hear the drums.

[@RandallThompsonguitar]

I want to see Clapton play a Gibson SG again! Thats All! No BS? No Firebird or Strat.

[@oldtimetinfoilhatwearer]

i was sure before that this was the Firebird/backup Les Paul tour but there are pictures of him with the SG. honestly the every guitar he played but the strat he sounded good with

[@TweedSuit]

Basically a jazz band all soloing through cranked Marshalls!

[@ericanderson2987]

No Rock Act could Improvise like Cream did

[@IanSinclair11021949]

This is the Bugatti of blues rock.

[@susanreed2802]

Great pics too thanks

[@drichard123]

The definitive Cream jam!!!

[@lipi29]

Before I heard this exact recording, I was a little bit sceptic, I mean if a 17-minute version of Sunshine is any good, why are most of the other versions about 5 minutes long?... Now I've listened to the whole thing and I still have no fuckin' idea why the later versions of this song are so short... this blowed my mind!

[@jaydubya8739]

lipi29 to get radio play they had to keep songs under 4-4 1/2 minutes. In fact it’s still that way with exception

[@SlowBluesInc]

This is fantastic! Thanks for posting.

[@ginivitalo7641]

this is fantastic! very much like the "famous" crossroads version or the back bay version of steppin out. one of the best live recordings of cream ever. thanks so much.

[@DazedConfused1969]

No specific reason, sometimes bands in those days "jammed" on different songs for longer than usually because of the vibe they got from their emotion/feeling or the crowd... so it must of hit them at sunshine of your love, you know what I mean.

[@MrDino1953]

Christ almighty, this is extraordinary.

[@VIDJACK]

thanks for uncovering this gem and sharing it with us all!

[@phs9452]

this is incredible thank you

[@LordGreystoke]

On a selected few nights, Eric and Cream bested the Jimi Hendrix Experience. This was one of them.

[@arminiushermann09]

Byron Gordon They always bested them imo. Gingers a way better drummer then Mitch. Jack's way, way, way better then Chas. An Eric's better then Jimi because it takes more then skill to be a good musician. Jimi solos were incoherent dribble most of the time. And there times where he had to stop in the middle of a song or what not because he couldn't remember the lyrics or how to play it. And people have told me he did it at other concerts an what not too. He didn't listen to what his band members were doing an play to that, he just went out did his own thing. Listen, Jimi had more skill then anyone but he didn't have the structure or direction like Cream an what made Cream gel so good together. Same as in sports, you have a guy who comes up to the pros an has the most amazing skill an looks like he's going to be the greatest. But he ends up sucking because he had no structure or direction to lead him. And a prime a example of that is RG3. That's why he's not even in my top five. I like, Eric Clapton, Alvin Lee, Duane Allman, Peter Green an Mike Bloomfield, better.

[@roseblake5803]

Arminius Teutoburg I agree with you. Jimi definitely had skill but I remember very well a lot of Jimi concerts he would say he forgotten the words or spent a lot of time tuning his guitar and seemed to have a real attitude. A lot of people were very unhappy with his shows. It could have been he was worked really hard but so were his band mates. People seemed to have forgotten a lot about that time period or maybe they just don’t know.

[@ThomasPatrickKelly]

Jimi idolized Eric, let's remember that first, and his requirement before coming to England was that he had to meet Eric Clapton. The Jimi Hendrix band was inspired by Cream, Eric was clearly a more educated guitarist, Jimi a better show man, for my money Clapton is god.. They became very good friends, and had tremendous respect for one another, but the Experience band never put on such well organized consummate performances.

[@torstrasburg4274]

@@arminiushermann09 Good stuff. Enjoyable to read. Jimi has the edge because he was the most novel, the most expressive, the flashiest, most prolific, and by far the most innovative. He created new sonic dimensions and musical possibilities. Alvin Lee was a childhood guitar hero of mine. I loved TYA. Saw them three times and the Alvin Lee Band once. My favorite album is Live at Klooks Kleek (of course). But I must say, in retrospect I don't think Alvin's playing is Top Tier of the Top Tier. He's certainly one of the fastest. But his tone is a bit flat. He gets repetitive. Often the music lacks depth. That said, when Alvin goes into free-flight, say in “I Woke Up This Morning” or “Woodchopper's Ball”, it's wondrous to behold and all doubt gets erased.

[@johnr8820]

It's so fucking annoying and absurd to even compare the two...Cream was everything The Experience wasn't and vice versa...just shut up and listen to the good music...sheesh..leave the stats and comparing to sports like moron did above

[@blueswailer1952]

Just about the most gobsmackin' version of this I've ever heard! Are you going to upload any more stuff from this gig; if it's all like this, I'd love to hear Spoonful, or Sitting on Top of the World. I finally managed to see them in London in 2005, which was one of the best gigs I've been to in over 40 years, but when you listen to something like this, there's just no comparision.

[@60RHPWINNER]

LUV IT! THANKS............

[@eduardogarciagonzalez1623]

El trío más chingon de los 60s de blues rock

[@miguelalejandro4357]

eduardo garcia gonzalez yo diría el mejor trío de la historia del rock!

[@j.f.699]

Take away how horrible the RAH farewell concert was filmed Ginger Baker said it was not a good performance. I thought it was OK, but now listening to this I know what he was talking about.

[@winesource1]

I disagree, Clapton is probably one of the most gifted people to pick up a guitar. The Layla album is brillant and yes I am aware that Duane Allman was one of the main reasons but his playing is stunning even with all the drugs. The few live recordings of he and duane are incrediable, some of his best playing. Much like many bands, it clearly seems they were firing on all pistons that night just like the Fillmore East album the Allman bros did. Clapton can hold his own to anybody today, period.

[@johnnyhmash]

Clapton is.....good.

[@dimstath7546]

Clapton is god.. That's for sure.

[@markwilensky5547]

If he's not, he's close.

[@walkindowntheline99]

Damn. I need a drink.

[@GucciTheGlacier]

Some of the heaviest shit I’ve ever heard

[@lipi29]

@metart93 I agree, I play guitar too and it's exactly like what you said and I have nothing to add but thanks, for putting this video up and enlightening us all, thank you!

[@VanF1990]

anywhere I can buy this?

[@spidey1989]

could you point me to some live shows where clapton and duane are playing together. i wish there is a version of them doing layla together live. i just cant seem to find one of that - that would be insane and totally dif. arrangement to layla from the mid 70's and now. you're spot on about duane taking claptons playing to another level - ec says so him self in his autobiography, and you can just tell through jams i-vi that despite the drugs, both were soaring in their playing during the sessions

[@toneyisaiah3556]

Back when Eric had a perm.

[@haroldwighard7059]

WHY DOES ERIC ALWAS DIS CREAM

[@NOPdat]

Remnds me a lot of Sweet Wine on Cream Live I

[@winesource1]

listen to this one: it will not let me put the web address in this. They only did two shows together after the Layla album. The tracks are so intense and they are feeding off of each other. Clearly some of Eric's best playing ever.

[@spidey1989]

could you please give me song names since you can't put the url? something to go by as i look for them. i know their shows were limited since duane had to go back to the allman bros band. thanks again man. cannot wait to hear the tracks.

[@stevenbosky8451]

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooow

[@supsailor1885]

I have this on Cassette

[@morriswilburn9858]

Three is enough if its the right three.

[@idastetis9173]

niiiiiice drugs

[@martinwalters1954]

OMG.......

[@dennismason3740]

I went to Cream's farewell in Inglewood. I brought a mini-reel-to-reel with a mic on a stick to hold above the crowd. Not their best night, I gotta say. They were going through the motions. Eric, mate, you owe me and if your lucky I'll show you how to play Crossroads right. I'm in Hlywd.

[@gerthie]

dynamite

[@brookemcquale5096]

I'm not sure, but, I think they took drugs.