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‘Goodbye’: Cream Say Farewell With Final Studio Album

The last album by Cream had three runs atop the UK chart in March and April 1969.

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Cream ‘Goodbye’ artwork - Courtesy: UMG
Cream ‘Goodbye’ artwork - Courtesy: UMG

Cream may have had all too short a lifespan as far as their millions of admirers around the world were concerned – but at least they had the chance to say Goodbye to each other. That, of course, was the title of the trio’s fourth and final studio album, released on February 5, 1969, a few weeks after they announced that they would soon be splitting. The album had no fewer than three runs at the top of the UK chart in March and April, incongruously doing battle with The Best of the Seekers.

It had been an eventful few months for Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker, who had only released the preceding album, Wheels Of Fire, the previous July in the UK. Then came the announcement that Cream would call it quits after a farewell tour that autumn.

With a shortage of material available, Goodbye was something of a mixed bag. Just as Wheels Of Fire had (in its double LP version) been one disc of studio recordings and another of live performances, the final album was another 50-50 split. Three of its six tracks were recorded at the Forum in Los Angeles on that last tour.

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But the record did boast a very fresh and newsworthy studio number, and one written by Clapton with George Harrison, no less. “Badge” featured George, or “L’Angelo Mysterioso” as he had to be credited for contractual reasons, on rhythm guitar. The song became, in many eyes, the last classic Cream number, and went on to reach the UK Top 20 as a single.

Listen to the best of Cream on Apple Music and Spotify

Goodbye entered the US chart on February 15 at No.107, eight places below the first, eponymous Led Zeppelin album and as The Beatles (“The White Album”) moved back to No.1. In a 26-week chart run on the US album chart, the Cream LP spent two weeks at No.2 in March, held off the top spot by Glen Campbell’s Wichita Lineman.

Buy or stream Goodbye.

8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. Tim Longworth

    July 4, 2016 at 11:37 pm

    Badge is my favourite Cream song it just takes you away with its beauty love the George influence and the Leslie guitar sound is so magical so short and sweet a track I can play over and over!
    “TIMELESS “

  2. aurelio ortega

    February 5, 2017 at 3:31 pm

    So sad that Cream lasted only 2 years and a half, but what they did has not been overcome for nobody else, Cream has been my top favorite band ALL MY LIFE !!!
    Thanks Jack, Ginger and Eric !!!

  3. Bernie Nicholson

    February 6, 2017 at 12:14 am

    Those 3 at the time 1967-69 absolutely incredible

  4. John Ford

    February 17, 2017 at 2:25 am

    Eric Clapton has the most amazing resume in the history of our planet!

  5. Chuck Hobbs

    February 8, 2018 at 1:39 am

    The name of the song “Badge” was coined by George Harrison, on the sheet music written by Clapton was the word “Bridge”. The r and the i were kind of together and looked like it said “Badge” George said what’s this Badge? And the rest is history

  6. Jeff Pettebati

    February 8, 2018 at 11:24 am

    Their breakup is what led me to HOWLIN WOLF and the Blues !

  7. Howard Groopman

    February 7, 2019 at 12:57 am

    The original and best power trio. Never saw them perform, but I did see Blind Faith in NYC in July 1969. Still have all my Cream vinyl (6 albums)–probably missing only the Best of which for me would be superfluous. And my Blind Faith album with the funky cover.

  8. Scott Pease

    June 2, 2019 at 5:07 am

    I have a rare bootleg album by them recoded on 12/09/1966 by the B.B.C. The album cover is completely blank, as the label on the record is. It has an insert picture of the 3 and the songs.

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