Disraeli Gears is the sophomore studio album from the rock band Cream. It hit store shelves on this day, November 2, back in 1967 by Reaction Records.
The album marked a shift in Cream’s musical style, from bluesy rock to more of a psychedelic rock vibe. It was one of the most significant albums of the era.
Disraeli Gears
Cream recorded the album over the span of three-and-a-half days at Atlantic Studios in New York City in May 1967. Future Mountain bassist and co-lead vocalist Felix Pappalardi produced the album.
He also co-wrote a couple of the tracks including “Strange Brew.” In addition to “Strange Brew,” the album features the singles and “Sunshine of Your Love” and “SWLABR.” Both songs also became major hits.
Other notable tracks on the album include “Tales of Brave Ulysses” and “World of Pain.” According to legendary engineer Tom Dowd, the recording of the album was so short due to the fact that the band’s visas expired on the very last day of recording.
Disraeli Gears was a critical and commercial success, reaching number 5 in the UK Albums Chart, number 1 on the Swedish, Finnish & Australian charts. Cash Box ranked it as the number one album of 1968 in the United States on their year-end chart.
Australian artist Martin Sharp created the cover art. He lived in the same building as Eric Clapton in West London. Sharp would go on to create the artwork for Cream’s follow-up album Wheels of Fire, while also co-writing the songs “Tales of Rave Ulysses.”
The photography was captured by Bob Whitaker, who was best known for his controversial Beatles “butcher” album cover on Yesterday and Today.
The band reissued the album in a two-disc deluxe edition in 2004. It featured bonus tracks, outtakes, and demos along with new liner notes. Disraeli Gears was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009 (and deservedly so).
Disraeli Gears is most certainly worth a listen from cover to cover! I will be featuring tunes from the album on my show today between 3pm & 7pm.
Happy Anniversary to Cream’s Disraeli Gears!
Cream – “Sunshine of Your Love”
