NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Blind Faith

Blind Faith were an English blues-rock band that consisted of Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds, Cream), Ginger Baker (Graham Bond Organisation, Cream), Steve Winwood (Spencer Davis Group, Traffic) and Ric Grech (Family). The band, which was one of the first so-called supergroups, only released one album, Blind Faith, in August 1969 (see 1969 in music). They were stylistically similar to the bands in which Winwood, Baker, and Clapton had most recently participated (Traffic and Cream). Image File history File links One_blind_faith. ... This article is about the English county. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Blues Rock or Blues-rock is a fusion genre of music which combines elements of the blues with rock and roll. ... Hard Rock redirects here. ... The British blues is a type of blues music that originated in the late 1950s. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... 1920s vintage Polydor export label with its double-horn gramophone logo In 1954 Polydor Records introduced their distinctive orange label. ... Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label, and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... RSO Records was a record label, formed in partnership with Polydor Records by rock and roll and musical theatre impresario Robert Stigwood in the late 1960s, after the death of his business partner and mentor Brian Epstein. ... Cream were a 1960s British rock band comprising guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. ... Traffic was a rock band from Birmingham, England, formed in late 1966 by Steve Winwood with Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE[2] (born 30 March 1945) [3], nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Peter Edward Ginger Baker (born August 19, 1939, Lewisham, South London) is an English drummer who gained fame as a member of the Graham Bond Organization (GBO) and Cream from 1966 until 1968. ... Rick Grech, born November 1, 1945, died March 17, 1990. ... Blind Faith may refer to: Blind Faith, an English blues supergroup which consisted of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Ric Grech Blind Faith (album), the above bands self titled album Blind Faith, a 1984 bestselling true crime book and a TV miniseries adapted from the book Blind... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE[2] (born 30 March 1945) [3], nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. ... Not to be confused with Yard Birds. ... Cream were a 1960s British rock band comprising guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. ... Peter Edward Ginger Baker (born August 19, 1939, Lewisham, South London) is an English drummer who gained fame as a member of the Graham Bond Organization (GBO) and Cream from 1966 until 1968. ... The Graham Bond Organisation was a blues-rock quartet led by organist/singer Graham Bond during the mid-1960s British Invasion. ... Cream were a 1960s British rock band comprising guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Spencer Davis Group was a mid 1960s British beat group from Birmingham, England, founded by Spencer Davis (born 17 July 1939, Swansea, Wales). ... Traffic was a rock band from Birmingham, England, formed in late 1966 by Steve Winwood with Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason. ... Richard Roman Grech, November 1, 1946 â€“ March 17, 1990. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe music groups comprising members who had already achieved fame or respect in other groups or as individual artists. ... Blind Faith is the self-titled debut and sole album of the British blues supergroup Blind Faith, which consisted of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Rick Grech. ... // Perhaps the two most famous musical events of 1969 were concerts. ... Traffic was a rock band from Birmingham, England, formed in late 1966 by Steve Winwood with Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason. ... Cream were a 1960s British rock band comprising guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. ...

Formation and early history

Blind Faith's beginnings date to mid-1968, with the breakup of Cream. Rock's original supergroup had become a financial powerhouse, selling millions of records within a few years and raising the group's (and each member's) repertoire to international popularity. Despite that success, the band was crumbling from within due to frequent animosity between Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, with Eric Clapton doing his best to mediate. In addition, Clapton had tired of being coerced into playing commercially driven blues, and hoped to move forward with a new, experimental, less strait-jacketed approach to the genre. John Symon Asher Jack Bruce (born May 14, 1943) is a Scottish-born musician, composer and singer. ... Peter Edward Ginger Baker (born August 19, 1939, Lewisham, South London) is an English drummer who gained fame as a member of the Graham Bond Organization (GBO) and Cream from 1966 until 1968. ... Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE[2] (born 30 March 1945) [3], nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. ... For statistical mediation, see Mediation (Statistics). ...

Steve Winwood was facing similar problems in The Spencer Davis Group, in which he had been the lead singer for three years. Winwood wanted to experiment with the band's sound by infusing jazz elements, but left due to his musical differences, instead forming a new band -- Traffic -- in 1967. That band split temporarily in 1969, and Winwood started to jam with his good friend Eric in Clapton's basement in Surrey, England. Winwood and Clapton had previously collaborated on the one-off "Powerhouse" project. You Put the Hurt On Me The Spencer Davis Group was formed in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s as The Rhythm and Blues Quartet. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Traffic was a rock band from Birmingham, England, formed in late 1966 by Steve Winwood with Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason. ... The year 1967 was an important year for psychedelic music, with releases from Small Faces Itchycoo Park,The Doors (The Doors, Strange Days), Jefferson Airplane (Surrealistic Pillow, After Bathing at Baxters), the Beatles Sgt. ... This is about Surrey, England. ... Eric Claptons Powerhouse (also referred to as Powerhouse, The Powerhouse, or Eric Clapton and (the) Powerhouse) was a short-lived British blues supergroup formed in 1966. ...

Clapton was pleased with the jam sessions and looked seriously toward starting a trio with Winwood, but they needed a drummer. Ginger Baker turned up to sit in with them in 1969, and the band took near-final form. But Clapton questioned letting Baker in the band, because he had promised Jack Bruce that, if they were to work with one another again, they would all three play. Moreover, Clapton didn't want to reunite with Cream barely nine weeks after the breakup, and also didn't want to deal with another "Cream-like" superstardom situation. Winwood ultimately persuaded Clapton to finalize Baker's inclusion in the lineup, arguing that Ginger Baker strengthened their musicianship and that it would be hard to find an equally talented drummer. A jam session is a musical act where musicians gather and play (or jam) without extensive preparation or predefined arrangements. ...

By May 1969, Ric Grech, bassist with Family, was invited to join them (leaving Family, mid-tour). They laid down most of their album at Olympic Studios under the supervision of producer Jimmy Miller. Miller provided focus to the band, who often preferred jamming, over the standard commercial 3-5 minute track. By then the group was known collectively as Blind Faith, a slyly cynical reference by Clapton to his outlook on the new group. Richard Roman Grech, November 1, 1946 â€“ March 17, 1990. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Olympic Studios is a commercial recording studio located at 117 Church Road, in the south-western suburb of Barnes in London, England. ... James Jimmy Miller (23 March 1942 - 22 October 1994) was a Brooklyn-born record producer who produced albums for the Spencer Davis Group (and co-wrote the song Im A Man with Steve Winwood), Traffic, Blind Faith, Bobby Whitlock, Kracker and the Rolling Stones (all albums from Beggars Banquet...

Debut and touring

News of the group's formation created a buzz of excitement among the public and press, which even heralded the band as "super Cream". The group debuted at a free concert at London's Hyde Park on June 7, 1969.^[1] The performance was well received by fans there but troubled Clapton, who thought that the band's playing was sub-par and that the adulation was undeserved and reminiscent of his Cream days when the crowds would applaud for nearly everything. Clapton, knowing the band had not rehearsed enough and was unprepared, was reluctant to tour and feared that the band would develop into a Cream repeat. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... â€œHyde Parkâ€ redirects here. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ...

The recording of their album continued, followed by a short tour of Scandinavia, where the band played smaller gigs and were able to rehearse their sound and prepare it for bigger audiences in America and England. After Scandinavia, the band toured the United States, making their debut at Madison Square Garden on July 12 for more than 20,000. During the performance a 30-minute-long riot occurred on stage. Involving police and concert goers, it led to Baker accidentally getting clubbed on the head by a police officer and Winwood's piano being destroyed. The band would tour for seven more weeks in America, finishing their tour in Hawaii on August 24, 1969.^[2] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Richard Roman Grech, November 1, 1946 â€“ March 17, 1990. ... Peter Edward Ginger Baker (born August 19, 1939, Lewisham, South London) is an English drummer who gained fame as a member of the Graham Bond Organization (GBO) and Cream from 1966 until 1968. ... Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE[2] (born 30 March 1945) [3], nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. ... For other uses, see Scandinavia (disambiguation). ... Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially simply as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ...

A major problem with the tour was that the band had only a few songs in their catalogue — barely enough to fill an hour. They were forced to play old Cream and Traffic songs, to the delight of a crowd which usually preferred their older, popular material to their new Blind Faith material. Clapton was now exactly where he didn't want to be — stuck in a "super Cream" that was causing riots during their live shows (Cream hadn't even reached the status to create riots). They were playing the same material from his Cream days, to appease the audience and to fill the void left by the lack of adequate new material.

Opening acts for the band included the band Free and a blues-based rock act called Delaney & Bonnie. Clapton particularly liked the soulful, folksy-sounding blues of Delaney & Bonnie; he began spending most of his time with them instead of Blind Faith, letting Winwood take a more prominent role in the band. Free was a British R&B-style rock band which formed in London in 1968 best known for their popular song All Right Now. Lead singer Paul Rodgers went on to become lead singer of the rock band Bad Company along with Simon Kirke on drums, while lead guitarist Paul... Delaney, Bonnie & Friends was a group started by Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett, which featured artists such as Eric Clapton, Carl Radle, Bobby Whitlock and Jim Gordon. ...

Album release and controversy

Upon its release, Blind Faith topped Billboard's charts at the No. #1 spot for Pop Album in both America and the United Kingdom, and peaked at #40 on the Black Albums chart — an impressive feat for a British rock quartet. The album sold more than half a million copies within the first month of its release and was a huge profit-making device for both Atlantic Records and Eric Clapton (Blind Faith sales were helping to stimulate demand for Cream albums as well). Blind Faith is the self-titled debut and sole album of the British blues supergroup Blind Faith, which consisted of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Rick Grech. ... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label, and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ...

The release of the album provoked controversy because the cover featured a topless pubescent girl ^[3], holding in her hands a silver space ship designed by Mick Milligan, a jeweller at the Royal College of Art.^[4] Some perceived the ship as phallic^[5] The U.S. record company issued it with an alternative cover which showed a photograph of the band on the front.^[6] Pubescent has several meanings: A pubescent person is a young individual who is undergoing the physical and mental changes associated with puberty. ... Ariane 5 lifts off with the Rosetta probe on 2nd of March, 2004. ... This article is about the symbol of the erect penis. ...

The cover art was created by photographer Bob Seidemann, a personal friend and former flatmate of Clapton who is known primarily for his photos of Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead. Bizarre rumours both fuelled and were fuelled by the controversy, among them that the young girl was Baker's illegitimate daughter or, alternatively as a fantasy, was a groupie kept in the meadowlands as a slave by the band members. Actually, the young lass was a London suburbanite, who posed upon consent by her parents and for a handsome fee, as described in Seidemann's mini essay about the origins of the Blind Faith album cover artwork (Re: Blind Faith (album)). ^[7] Also see "Origins of BF's Album Artwork" referenced web link below. Bob Seidemann is an American graphic artist and photographer best known for the creation of several album covers and portraits of musicians in the 1960s and 1970s. ... Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943â€“October 4, 1970) was an American singer, songwriter, and music arranger, from Port Arthur, Texas. ... This article is about the band. ... Illegitimacy was a term in common usage for the condition of being born of parents who are not validly married to one another; the legal term is bastardy. ... A groupie is a person who, while he/she may be a fan at some level, seeks intimacy (most often physical, sometimes emotional) with a famous person. ... Blind Faith is the self-titled debut and sole album of the British blues supergroup Blind Faith, which consisted of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Rick Grech. ...

One other interesting note about the cover is that it was nameless — only the wrapping paper told the buyer who the artist was and the name of the album. Though initially banned in some parts of the USA and other countries, the original artwork was quite popular and collectible. It also became available later in the 1970s on the RSO label worldwide, and in the USA as an import item. Under licensing agreement during the mid- 1980s, the Blind Faith album was remastered to high definition vinyl and gold compact disc by Mobile fidelity Sound Labs. During 2001 the entire album was remastered and re-released as a deluxe edition release from Polydor International that includes alternates, outtakes and studio rehearsal versions of the bands music created during the early months of 1969.

Dissolution and separate paths

After the tour finished in August, the band returned to England surrounded by rumours of breakup or a possible UK tour. By October, the band had effectively dissolved within a year of its creation, and it did not produce another studio or live album — though several live tracks from the band can be found on Steve Winwood's 1995 retrospective album The Finer Things. Outtakes and other live recordings were included in the "Deluxe Edition" of the album, released in 2001. A retrospective album of works by Steve Winwood which include songs from his early days with The Spencer Davis Group through Traffic and later on Blind Faith. ...

Thereafter, Clapton stepped out of the spotlight, first to sit in with the Plastic Ono Band and then to tour as a sideman for Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, with whom he had become good friends during the U.S. tour. This freed him of the limelight that he had considered a plague to both Cream and Blind Faith. After his sideman stint, he took several members from Delaney & Bonnie to form a new supergroup, Derek and the Dominos. Clapton never dropped his Blind Faith repertoire completely, as "Presence of the Lord" and "Can't Find My Way Home" have been performed occasionally throughout his solo career. Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE[2] (born 30 March 1945) [3], nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. ... The Plastic Ono Band is the band John Lennon formed after he left the Beatles. ... A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform or record with a group of which he is not formally a member. ... Delaney, Bonnie & Friends was a group started by Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett, which featured artists such as Eric Clapton, Carl Radle, Bobby Whitlock, Jim Gordon, Leon Russell, Dave Mason, Duane Allman and even some appearances with George Harrison. ... This article is about the term in rock music. ... Derek and the Dominos were a blues-rock supergroup formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton with Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle and Jim Gordon, who had all played with him in Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. ...

Unlike Clapton, Ginger Baker had enjoyed his Blind Faith experience and looked to carry on an offshoot of the band in the form of Ginger Baker's Air Force with both Grech and Winwood. After a few shows together, Winwood left with Grech and went to Island Records to reunite and reform Traffic (Grech is featured on bass on the Traffic album The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys and Welcome To The Canteen). Winwood would later go on to have a successful solo career and Grech was a member of various groups before his death in 1990 due to a brain hemorrhage.^[8] Peter Edward Ginger Baker (born August 19, 1939, Lewisham, South London) is an English drummer who gained fame as a member of the Graham Bond Organization (GBO) and Cream from 1966 until 1968. ... Ginger Bakers Air Force was a Jazz-rock fusion band comprised of Baker, Graham Bond on saxophone, jazz drummer Phil Seaman, Chris Wood and Harold McNair on saxaphone and flute, Denny Laine on guitar and vocals. ... Island Records is a record label that was founded by British record producers in Jamaica. ... Traffic was a rock band from Birmingham, England, formed in late 1966 by Steve Winwood with Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason. ... The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys is a song by the band Traffic from their 1971 album of the same name, The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. ...

Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood both appeared on the movie Blues Brothers 2000. Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE[2] (born 30 March 1945) [3], nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Blues Brothers 2000 is a 1998 musical/comedy film and sequel to the highly successful 1980 film The Blues Brothers. ...

Clapton and Winwood would later look favorably on their work in the band and featured several Blind Faith songs in the Clapton (Crossroads) and Winwood collections and catalogs. Crossroads is music collection box set by Eric Clapton. ...

In July of 2007, old friends Clapton and Winwood reunited for a performance at the Crossroads 2 concert in Chicago, where the duo performed a number of Blind Faith songs as part of their set. Their inspired performance led the two to announce plans to perform three reunion concerts at Madison Square Garden, that took place on February 25, 26, and 28, 2008. It was not an official Blind Faith reunion; rather "Winwood and Clapton." They performed primarily Blind Faith songs as well as some selections from Traffic, Derek and the Dominos, Clapton's solo career and some Jimi Hendrix covers. Their band consisted of Willie Weeks on bass, Ian Thomas on drums and Chris Stainton on keyboards. Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially simply as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City. ... Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 â€“ September 18, 1970) was an American guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter. ... Willie Weeks (born in Salemburg, North Carolina) is an American bassist. ... A pianist who played with The Who in their rock opera album Quadrophenia Among his many other musical credits, he also was featured on on the Leon Russell album Mad Dogs and Englishmen, as well as Eric Claptons late seventies solo album, Backless. ...

Members

Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE[2] (born 30 March 1945) [3], nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Old Pipe organ in Ã‰glise Saint-Thomas, Strasbourg, France. ... Pianoforte redirects here. ... Piano, a well-known instance of keyboard instruments A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. ... Peter Edward Ginger Baker (born August 19, 1939, Lewisham, South London) is an English drummer who gained fame as a member of the Graham Bond Organization (GBO) and Cream from 1966 until 1968. ... Percussion redirects here. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... Richard Roman Grech, November 1, 1946 â€“ March 17, 1990. ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... For the Anne Rice novel, see Violin (novel). ...

Discography

Blind Faith is the self-titled debut and sole album of the British blues supergroup Blind Faith, which consisted of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Rick Grech. ...

Chart positions

Blind Faith on the Billboard (North America): Blind Faith is the self-titled debut and sole album of the British blues supergroup Blind Faith, which consisted of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Rick Grech. ... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ...

References

^ Blind Faith Website. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
^ Official Steve Winwood Website. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
^ Romanowski, , Patricia (2003). Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll Rolling Stone Press, ISBN 0-671-43457-8
^ about BLIND FAITH
^ Steve Winwood Fans' Site: Collaborations & Sessions: Collaborations
^ Romanowski, , Patricia (2003). Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll Rolling Stone Press, ISBN 0-671-43457-8
^ Blind Faith Website. Retrieved on 2007-06-20.
^ Romanowski, , Patricia (2003). Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll Rolling Stone Press, ISBN 0-671-43457-8

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