Vocal Coach reacts to Cream - White Room (Royal Albert Hall 2005)

[@curiousman1672]

Very few can call themselves a Supergroup. With Cream, the term is valid. Epic band; epic music. This was one last flash of brilliance, nearly half a century passed their time in the sun. The best. Great post.

[@Danimal77]

The Police were another.

[@McRocking]

Clapton @ 8:48 - He ends the phrase on the bridge pickup with an open string distortion, then picks it up again with a dark flutey fuzz solo on the neck pickup. It's this seemingly effortless melodic improvisation that makes him a Blues Rock GOD!

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Jack Bruce is one of my all-time favourite singers. He sings like he plays - every note with real thought and feeling. I was at the '68 farewell concert at the Albert Hall and even when they were all fed-up with it they were still on fire.

[@nb1inheaven788]

... J. Bruce is ( or was ? I dont know sorry) a very great singer and bass player ... Clapton is for me just ok, singing and guitar ! He was very happy when Jimmy Page left in the Yardbird because he was so much better and Clapton was afraid not to deserve the place ... !!! Viva Led Zep !!!

[@KentRapelje]

There was only one Jack Bruce!

[@redflag4781]

​@@nb1inheaven788You're quite mad. EC left the yardbirds & actually recommended Page as his replacement. As for Page being better than Clapton 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@CraigFrancisSoto]

He was also one of my favorite singers. IMO.he had a much better voice than Eric Clapton. At his best,he sang most of the lead vocals for Cream. He had a bigger vocal range and a much more attractive vibrato than Clapton. In addition to being one of the greatest rock bass players,he also played piano,organ and the cello. He may have been the most versatile rock musician ever. RIP Mr Bruce . Scotland is very proud of you.

[@coinneachmaclellan3121]

​@CraigFrancisSoto Check out his performances with the Jack Bruce Band with Mick Taylor on guitar and Carla Bley on keyboards...

[@prathameshbhambure]

7:47 Although I've watched that White Room performance hundreds of times, watching it here and seeing your reaction on it was newly exciting!

[@gwaptiva]

Their live recordings from the 60s are just pure energy, pure dead brilliant.

[@mikeconway9849]

Great reaction Beth! The men in this band were part of so many legendary rock and roll bands! I was still in high school and I cannot imagine my youth without listening to Clapton, Bruce and Baker.

[@willyfarr]

I smiled through the whole vid.I seemed to react almost exactly as you did. This is the first video of yours I have watched. I will now bin ge watch the rest. Great job!

[@BethRoars]

Welcome aboard! Thanks Willy!

[@firedoc5]

This is such a classic jam. As soon as you hear that intro, you automatically turn the volume up to 11. With all the change ups it covers all the elements that make a great song. All three members deserve to be in the RRHF on their own individual merits (IMHO). Can't help but feel emotional seeing how these "aged" rockers still rockin' it out. BTW: Beth, your reactions have taught me so much that I wish I knew back when I was running sound boards. Thank you.

[@FITZIEBLUE]

appreciate you take on it, but hearing Cream in their prime, this isn't it. Jack Bruce was a force of nature and it breaks my heart to see the so called 'reunions' .

[@zubrycky]

Great video, Beth! I really liked the technical analysis of the different approaches to the same melody. It was very useful and enriching. That said, as a companion piece, I would love to see you reaction for this same song done by Cream in '68 during its farewell gig. You'll be amazed, I guarantee. Cheers from Brazil!

[@rodneyhearne3405]

Thank you for this nice reaction. I was a mere 14 years old in 1968 when I saw Cream perform in Sacramento, CA. What a great show and a wonderful time for mind blowing music. San Francisco was such a musical Meca during this period and we got many of these great groups in my hometown. If I remember correctly Cream was playing several dates in March at Winterland and the Fillmore West. Such heady times for music.

[@Royal_BLT]

🇨🇦 Cream was considered the first Super Group ! Experts in their instruments ! If you listen closely to the bass line laid down by Jack Bruce, it is always there, in the background, to lead Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker back to the melody, no matter how far away their individual solo's took them !

[@jonnno243]

You speak about their different approaches vocally. Also, what I have always seen is the marriage between Erics stunning guitar and Jacks superb bass , which gives that unique Cream sound. Of course, Ginger on drums completes the recipe so well.

[@pilsplease7561]

I love gingers crazy antics as well that he was famous for nobody got away with more stuff than he did, dude was wild and a mad lad.

[@nordvegfigg7746]

I covered this in an assortment of bar bands I played in during the 70's and 80's. It's a special one to play. I would throw myself into the solos with eyes closed and try to play by feel like you see Eric doing in this video. Some nights it worked out better than others, but when it worked really well it was like tapping into some magical force where the guitar and me were one.

[@carolmartin4413]

Three great musicians together made some pretty good music over three years. Each individually created enough musical memory to walk into R&R history. RIP Jack and Ginger.

[@timothygrayson]

Exceptional band. A treasure for the listener. Great musicianship and classic psychedelia from the songs and probably Born under a Bad Sign is the finest integration of the 3 musicians heavy and true emotion the sentiment is as relevant today as it was then. Play it on Beth!

[@blue-fj9ky]

Really enjoyed your getting into the vocals. I never much paid attention as I was always listening to the wah wah pedal guitar. This song was one of the first uses of that if not the first. Saw them in 1969 they got old like me!

[@jcoldal6033]

hanks for your reaction to this Cream performance. I was at a Cream concert in 1967 in Copenhagen, and I adored this band. It was called a SUPERBAND with three splendid musicians setting new heights for music.

[@shemanic1]

I urge listen to this & other Cream tunes with Jack's voice in his prime. I saw them several times & although erratic they were always good. Jack's solo album "Songs For A Tailor" with the track "Theme From an Imaginary Western" in particular are well worth your attention.

[@Ronaldinho42031]

Jack Bruce is amazing, exceptional song writer and bass player. Great vocals obviously.

[@KM769]

Cream was pioneer rock band 1966-68. White Room is 1968. Other songs you could check: I Feel Free (1966), Sunshine of Your Love (1967). When Chas Chandler met unknown Jimi Hendrix in 1966 in New York and tried bring him to London, Hendrix first asked if he know Clapton.

[@Danimal77]

Badge is one of their best songs.

[@williewilliams6571]

Somewhere on KZbin there is a live video of Steve Winwood sitting next to a fireplace singing "Can't Find My Way Home". I think you would like it. It has become my favorite version of that song.

[@RobGordon35]

Cream were amazing. Jack Bruce the Bass Player (from Glasgow) was the main vocalist of the band, but it was Ginger Bakers group.Jack had a great baritone back in the day, he wasnt long out of hospital after major surgery in this clip so he was doing really well considering what he'd just been through. Disraeli Gears is one of my favourite albums.

[@ratbert69uk]

You need to hear this from 55 years ago when it came out!

[@johng.4711]

Yeah back when Clapton was drunkenly screaming about the blacks not belonging in his country. f that guy.

[@moonrock41]

Definitely. Jack Bruce had a truly awesome voice. He's trying his best here, but aging and ill health had taken a toll.

[@jonimaricruz1692]

Ahh! The music of my tribe! Thank you, Beth, it was nice to hear them again as well as your expert comments on them. Take care, best wishes!

[@surfingasongwave]

Here's a hot take: Eric might have been the least of the three. Everybody knows who Eric Clapton is, and he's had a long and illustrious career. Ginger Baker was an absolute force behind the kit. Maybe he had more in common with Gene Krupa than any of his contemporaries. His playing was technical but tribal, and his relationships volcanic and pyrrhic. Jack Bruce was a brilliant bassist who understood bass both as a fundamental and a melody. He wrote and sang a lot of their music. When the truly high-powered bass amplifiers became available, he turned bass into an equal partner and plowed new fields in rock music."Fresh Cream", "Disraeli Gears", and "Wheels of Fire" are seminal works of art.

[@LukeMaynard]

It doesn't help that Clapton has taken a long, long time to become a strong vocalist himself. Hearing him in the 24-nights/From The Cradle era, he has matured into a powerful vocalist in his own right. But at no point in his Cream years was he much of a singer. He always struck me as a singer without any vocal support, without any presence or confidence, his whole time with Cream and even within the first early solo studio albums: Eric Clapton, 461 Ocean Boulevard, even The Core-all albums that had some iconic Clapton songs on them. The guitar came as naturally to him as breathing, and Clapton was always at his best when playing live with other top musicians, so Cream is a high point for him as a guitarist. But it's not until many years later that he comes into his own as a singer, especially compared to a powerhouse like young Jack Bruce. He sounds better here in the 2005 reunion gig than he ever did with them in the 1960s.

[@voodooacidman]

so much cheekbones! haha great song, big love to all people :)

[@dennismason3740]

I was "child prodigy" artist (charcoal, 6B pencil, oils). In 1967 I was 13 and I saw Cream, live onstage in Santa Monica. In those years I was furiously doing portraits of musicians. In 1968 I saw Cream in Inglewood, CA. and it was all over. I stopped making "art" and borrowed a guitar and I haven't stopped playing since 1969. Cream. There's a vid (the Albert Hall gig was 3 nights) of Eric Clapton wailing on the lyrics and when you hear "yellow tigers..." from Eric and camera jumps toJack who perks up in surprise because the phrase from Eric is so epic, causing Jack to come in like a demon when it's his turn. Cream. When seeing them live you feel like anything could happen...a UFO could break through the ceiling at any second or somebody could die onstage. Plus the music is very good.

[@billhawkins1236]

I was at their farewell concert at the coliseum in Chicago, up in nosebleed standing room only area, but it's far and away one of the most awesome concert experiences I've ever had. Totally sold out, at one point I looked out the window to the street and people were jamming out all over the place place outside. Mountains of Marshall amps and 3 mountains of improvisation! Thank you Eric, Jack and Ginger!🤠👍

[@zeorihuela5460]

Simple and great! Three people who still sound perfect! No need of fancy effects! ❤

[@tonypeake467]

Beth. The best vocal reaction vids on YT. So glad you did one of UK's best blues band. Big fan of Jack Bruce

[@alexharbison4411]

Love that fretless bass, so smooth

[@timmooney7528]

Theme for an Imaginary Western is another Jack Bruce masterpiece worth listening

[@stefan_becker]

Cream were (in their prime) and absolutely amazing band and live much better than in the studio. They played long complex and jazzy instrumental solos. But there are also many songs with incredible vocals. My recommendation from this 2005 concert would have been "We're Going Wrong". If you want to listen something from their prime time, I'd say it would be definitively worth while listening to "Sunshine Of Your Love" or "Politician" from the "Live Cream II" album. Another incredible song is "Crossroads" from the "Wheels Of Fire" album.

[@FITZIEBLUE]

Pressed Rat and Warthog....'they're closing up shop...' Ginger Baker on vocals

[@Fatherofheroesandheroines]

This is one of my Mom's favorite bands!

[@simonatlee5958]

Your the best coach I've watched x

[@meangene6766]

These 3 were some the best of the best musically, 1st supergroup if im not mistaken

[@TheOriginalFILIBUSTA]

What a performance to listen to when first hearing Jack Bruce's singing! He had cancer and had to sit down. Show her RAH 1968. Bruce has one of the best, unique voices...show her the good stuff.

[@williambent9636]

liver disease

[@mariorojas8424-r8v]

That was very good, i enjoyed it alot. You're very good at what you do, how your analysis is, nothing gets past you, you catch everything.

[@coinneachmaclellan3121]

I hope that you were paying attention to the quality of Jack Bruce's bass playing. He was a fellow Scot who was one of the most talented bass players in music...rock, jazz, blues, etc. He was classically trained on the cello, played piano, and composed many of Cream's songs.

[@bobhoey4648]

This group was known as a Superbad because each of the three members were superstars in their own right.

[@AntonioAccomazzo]

Bruce, Clapton, Backer uno dei primi supergruppi .... Top

[@guitsynthcw]

Jack Bruce was not only a great bassist and singer, but a great songwriter as well. ‘Rope Ladder to the Moon’ is one of my favorites…particularly the Brian Auger/Julie Tippetts version. Sadly, couldn’t find a live video performance of them doing it. Thanks Beth!

[@sampoliini68]

Great comeback after 34 or something years.

[@davidr6026]

Love ❤ Cream.

[@billholder1330]

of course, by the end of the reunion tour, they were all ready to kill each other again! lol Definitely a combustible and explosive mix, that's what makes it so wonderful.

[@GregoryAbbott-o2w]

Cream are in my opinion the greatest band of all time. All masters and in this video all at least mid 60s. Just amazing

[@Meine.Postma]

Maby definitely I like Beth going down the classics road

[@richardhoner7842]

Bruce is one of my favorite Rock singers. She might not know he is Scottish and a highly trained musician. Clapton used to sing his part quite differently.

[@-R.Gray-]

Too bad you didn't see them in their prime. This was taken from a few reunion concerts they did after 37 years apart. Cream only existed between 1966 and 1968, and so many old fans were hoping to see them together again. Bruce and Baker still couldn't get along though. Most songs were played at a slower speed than the originals. I bet many people were hoping Clapton would recreate his original wah wah pedal guitar solo on this song (but he didn't).

[@JohnLnyc]

They were not going to recreate their work from ‘66. This was decades later and all three had moved on personally and musically. Clapton had become a much better singer and his guitar work evolved into pure blues and pop. No more humbuckers through Marshall stacks. Jack was a shell of his former self…mostly vocally. He was one of the most unique and greatest voices in music. He was recovering from a liver transplant at these shows and there was a great sadness watching and listening to the coda to his life. Ginger was remarkably spry though. Of course, they played in slower tempos. More studied less fire. Cleaner tones. They were playing for olde times sake. A note on the Bruce Baker “feud” It is largely exaggerated and misunderstood. Nettie Baker explains what is part myth and part two highly individual and impassioned musicians. They “got along” well enough to have produced quite an enduring legacy of pure magic.

[@Larry1077]

@@JohnLnyc If i remember correctly, they originally tried rehearsing with their old instruments when preparing for these shows, but it just wasn't working for them. They had moved on as musicians and decided to stick with their newer sounds.

[@robmorrison1043]

@@Larry1077 Correct!!

[@JohnLnyc]

@@Larry1077 True. According to, I believe, Jack in an interview somewhere. They wisely played the songs as present day musicians rather than recreate a distant past as what would have been a tribute band…a tribute to themselves. They did humorously pay tribute by placing tiny Marshall replicas on their amps. In short, I think they performed as they were in 2005 not 1967.

[@JohnLnyc]

@@Larry1077 PS…I think it was more the old amplifiers than the instruments. In the old days PA systems were awful. Primitive. Stage volumes were ear splitting. Ginger complained the volumes were ridiculous. Of all three in 2005, Jack maintained a very similar sound, though more refined. Ginger still used a similar drum set up. Eric changed the most moving from a Gibson to a Fender and much smaller Fender amplifiers.

[@tatethompson1234]

Jack Bruce was a distant cousin of mine, very talented guy. Rest easy. Listen to them in the 1960’s, they were amazing

[@SpecialFX99]

That guitar solo stole the show!

[@pedroV2003]

Jack was formally trained vocalist and competed as such as a boy. I'm not singer but he understands how to project and has technique. Its important to note that not long before this reunion he had been in a coma and actually could not speak let alone sing when he was asked to do the reunion.

[@aaronprice511]

If I remember correctly this take in this performance had the flu and was really under the weather (which you can see he looks a little sick), this shows how good of a performer he is to power through like that.

[@Danimal77]

Who had the flu? Eric or Jack?

[@Hogtownboy1]

One. Of the first Super group Clapton was part of creating

[@rk41gator]

Glad to see a trip back towards the roots of rock. Cream was immensely influential then. So nice to see that Ginger Baker was able to participate. Having a connection to Britain I am amazed you have yet to dive into Genesis, any era. Time to start, please. (Phil Collins chin position is insane, but effective)

[@pilesovinyl]

Enjoyed this reaction. Keep 'em comin'

[@fr2ncm9]

Please do another Leprous review. Einar has such a fantastic voice and Slave only scratches the surface of what he can do.Check You should check out the live version of Acquired Taste from Rockefeller Music Hall. It was posted by a fan so it won't be copyrighted.

[@jurgenschmidt2759]

While Jack Bruce was a good singer early on, Eric Clapton has gained so much confidence and power over the years in the way he performs as singer and not only as the guitarist, who was seen as 'god'.

[@gutz1981]

The original recording is such a haunting rendition. This is good, but loses that slight high tone lost that they once had in their youth.

[@Bikebrh]

You could tell that Jack was struggling with his voice by this time. For those who don't know, originally Jack handled all the vocals in this song. Every time Eric came in here until the last section of the song, he was singing a chorus that Jack originally sang in a beautiful falsetto. When Jack took the last chorus, he just couldn't get up to the falsetto. When Eric plays this song solo, he has another younger singer come in for the falsetto lines. But here, they couldn't bring in another singer and still be Cream. Another thing this one misses is the extraordinary Wah-Wah solo that Clapton played originally, possibly the most famous use of the Wah-Wah pedal in rock history.

[@martinreed5964]

a short lived but brilliant band

[@charliemike47]

Been really diggin' your covers so.....quietly waiting for Beth to roar on this one. Even if not really dig your stuff. Keep on keeping on.

[@wls64]

Yes you should certainly hear the studio version from the 60s to get an idea of how Jack Bruce's voice is incredible back in the day

[@bagoquarks]

WE'RE GOING WRONG - written and sung solo by Jack Bruce; based on a real-life experience. The ultimate English Blues number built around his unique, wailing voice. You need to hear his late '60s vocal chords performing it. Support is provided by Baker's tom-tom drama and Clapton's quiet chords and occasional riff accents. And, of course, Jack plays bass. A masterpiece.

[@gerstelb]

Although Jack Bruce sang this when Cream was together in the 60s, Eric Clapton started playing and singing it just about 20 years before this concert; I first remember hearing it when he performed at Live Aid.

[@arjanpetersen]

steve winwood is unbelievable gifted.

[@andrea22213]

Jack Bruce once said 'Ginger and I were playing Jazz, we just didn't tell Clapton'.

[@srudine]

Great reaction Beth! Your comments were spot-on regarding microphone placement. By way of an extreme comparison you might want to react to Motorhead-Ace of Spades (official video) with Lemmy's high mic position. Besides, it's a killer song!🥰👏

[@Jeffrey-w2b8x]

Is jack bruce playing a fret less base? I don’t see any frets on the neck.

[@RhiannonFan]

Yes, Jack Bruce often played a fretless bass

[@kostaskritsilas2681]

A good version, but where is the wah (sometimes called a wah-wah) pedal? This song was one of the most prominent song to feature a wah, a fairly new invention at the time this song was first recorded.

[@jah9253]

Check out Clapton/Winwood live in Madison Garden (Blind Faith) remake of "Can't Find my way Home" . I think the concert took place in the mid 2000's.

[@RockDocNeal]

I've always loved Eric Clapton's voice (and his guitar playing, of course!) and even though Eric's and Jack's singing voices aren't as strong and fluid as when they were young, they both sound very good, but IMO, Eric has more of a rock/blues voice with grit and soul and Jack has a cleaner voice with sometimes a little "Broadway vocalist" sound to it...not in a bad way (I think it's his more accentuated vibrato and that he holds the last note of a line a little longer).

[@NorwayMan36]

The drummer, Ginger Baker, has a fantastic solo in this gig!! If your into drums, you should check it out

[@vernhoke7730]

I believe the first time I heard this was around 1969 or 1970. I was hooked.

[@guilhermerossi8319]

Great reaction!! I suggest you look more into his live performances, specially back in the 60s-70s when he used to slay the guitar. Here are some songs: Bluesbreakers - Have you ever loved a woman, Stormy Monday, Stepping out, Hideaway Cream ALL LIVE - NSU, Im so Glad, Sweet Wine, Stepping out, Spoonful, Crossroads, White Room, Sitting on the top of the world Derek and the Dominos - Why does love got to be so sad LIVE, Let it Rain LIVE and Anyday Blind Faith - Can’t find my way home and Presence of the Lord live at hyde park Dirty Mac - Yer Blues

[@ozmaile7938]

If I am remembering correctly (think so). This is from the 2010 reunion, They played London and NY. And this is from the NY show Reportedly Eric was fighting a severe head cold /Flu ,, You can see him sweating and he managed to sing threw it (sometime things like that help a performance) During Erics solo Jack's base is just a amazing as Erics lead

[@HudsonsShotgun]

Cream is a band I never really 'got', but this song I like.

[@mhlevy]

(The) Cream is quite probably the first "Supergroup." All 3 musicians were each superstars on their own, and in their own bands, but the combination was really outstanding, and had several really big hits. The problem was with pressure from the record company to promote the band as "Eric Clapton & Cream" and widely different musical tastes (Bruce wanted to play more jazz, while Clapton wanted more Blues based music, plus the fact that Bruce and Baker couldn't stand each other (personally.) BTW, given your recent reaction to the band Yes, Yes was the opening act (and their first "big" concert) for the "Cream Farewell Concert," which was filmed and can still be found, from 1968!

[@rolandkarlsson7072]

Cream was fantastic. And for us Cream fans this is gold. But, of course, they are not in their prime voice wise. But anyhow, it definitely do not sound bad. I like listening to it.

[@spike3082]

Fun fact Eric Clapton is the only person inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 3 times as a member of the Yardbirds Cream and solo

[@jimwilcox2964]

If the title didn't say Cream i would think its a cover by some other group. No surprised they cant hit those notes vocally anymore 40-50 years later. But even the music doesnt have the same feel as the original.

[@oscararzate7956]

Clapton la vieja escuela perfecto 🇫🇴💯💯💯💯💯 Beth 👏👏🍀🍀

[@kelaines5082]

You should watch them back when this song came out. It's epic and I don't think it has gotten as much appreciation as it deserves.

[@dcmanuel7232]

Jack Bruce did some fantastic stuff with Robin Trower in the 80s.

[@craigreid7178]

Cream was Eric Clapton at his absolute PEAK! You should check out the studio version of this, it's incredible. However I don't think Eric's performance on this version was up to the one he did in the studio back in the day.

[@KeepEvery1Guessing]

Yes, Clapton's going to shine, but don't miss the work on that fret-less bass. And such a nice renaissance use of a final major chord in a minor key song. I see you've done Muddy Waters. Cream also does a nice "Rollin and a Tumblin".

[@mikegrattan5862]

Eric is touring - Japan- in April, and teaming up with Tom Jones to release a classic later in the year please keep an eye out for that.

[@luisjuradoestefania537]

You really should listen to Leonel Garcia - Recuerdas (acoustic version) he is sooo underrated. Amazing technique and beautiful lyrics!

[@citizenkane4831]

What nooen mentioon is their version of Rolling and tumblin from this concert, that if any is worth listen to. would love to hear Beth opinion about that

[@cspaikido]

I got to see them in Madison Square Garden in 2005.

[@jpirard]

Bruce passed away in 2014, and Baker in 2019

[@SubCapt]

FWIW the 1968 Farewell Concert take of "White Room" can be found here : kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqi7pHqHodClras

[@andresilva8444]

Jack had just had a liver transplant some 5 months before, if I'm not mistaken.

[@yashamirza1985]

Beauty 😍..!!!

[@howdy627]

One of the true hippies songs

[@danallshaw1131]

The toms and bass remind me a lot of the Moody Blues.

[@donmurray3638]

Jack learned his rolly "r"s in Bishopbriggs.

[@CelticArmory]

Lemmy of Moterhead sang looking up.

[@Pierre50mm]

Jack was an awesome bassist in its time.

[@manondemaagd4019]

You should give TRIUMPH a listen. Rik Emmett's voice and guitar chops will blow your mind.