Returning to the topic of making new rock bands out of old ones, the English band Cream was a juggernaut that, first, burned out too fast; also, was the first and probably the greatest power trio in rock music; third, marked a new contingent of British hitmakers beyond the original British Invasion; and lastly, spawned numerous other bands and artists. One of those later bands, Blind Faith is the first rock band that I heard described as a “super-group”, that is, a band composed of standout musicians from previous important bands. However, to some extent at least, that was true of Cream itself, as the three bandmembers had already established themselves in the British R&B scene, including some collaborations that predated this legendary band.

Eric Clapton was a member of both Cream and Blind Faith, and he has been in several other rock bands as well over the years, mostly though not entirely before he began his solo career in 1970. Eric Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: as a solo artist, as a member of the Yardbirds, and as a member of Cream.

The Yardbirds was one of my very favorite British Invasion bands. Casual rock music fans might know the band as successively including within its ranks three of the greatest rock guitarists of all time: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. That is, after Eric Clapton left the Yardbirds, he suggested Jimmy Page as his replacement; but Page was highly successful as a session guitarist in this period and instead recommended Jeff Beck, who played his first gig with the band just two days after Clapton left. Jimmy Page later joined the Yardbirds after Jeff Beck moved on.