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The 1967 Cream classic Eric Clapton has never understood the appeal of
Eric Clapton has said he never particularly liked Cream’s 1967 hit ‘Strange Brew’, despite its lasting popularity. His reservations reflect a wider frustration with Cream’s direction: he wanted room for extended improvisation, while the band and its collaborators also pursued concise songs with commercial appeal.
The track began as a blues shuffle called ‘Lawdy Mama’, then producer Felix Pappalardi slowed it down and reshaped it with psychedelic lyrics. Clapton agreed to record it partly because he could add an Albert King-inspired solo; bassist Jack Bruce also objected to the new arrangement, saying his bass part no longer fitted. ‘Strange Brew’ has since been streamed almost 100 million times on Spotify.
In short
- Clapton never warmed to Cream’s hit ‘Strange Brew’.
- The song grew from a blues shuffle into a pop track.
- Jack Bruce also disliked how the arrangement used his bass part.