Eric Clapton's Powerhouse (also referred to as Powerhouse, The Powerhouse, or Eric Clapton and (the) Powerhouse) was a short-lived British blues supergroup formed in 1966. The blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the full twelve note chromatic scale plus the microtonal intervals and a characteristic eight and twelve-bar chord progression. ... 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. ...

History

Powerhouse was formed with the intention of being short-lived. In 1965 and 1966, American record producer Joe Boyd was in the process of opening a London office for Elektra Records and was looking for some British talent to feature on the first release from the label's local division, a sampler compilation album. Manfred Mann's singer Paul Jones suggested putting together an all-star band for the occasion. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Joe Boyd (born August 5, 1942) is an American record producer. ... London is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom, and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, and today operates under Atlantic Records Group. ... Cock-A-Hoop Groovin Manfred Mann was a British R&B and pop band of the 1960s, named after its keyboard player, who later led the successful 1970s follow-on group Manfred Manns Earth Band. ... Paul Jones (born February 24, 1942) is an English singer, actor, harmonica player, television and radio presenter. ...

The band featured Eric Clapton (guitar), Paul Jones (harmonica) and Jack Bruce (bass) from Manfred Mann, Steve Winwood (vocals) and Pete York (drums) from the Spencer Davis Group, and Ben Palmer (piano) who had previously played with Clapton. Originally, Ginger Baker was intended to fill the drummer's position, but he was unavailable at the time. Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born March 30, 1945), nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award winning English guitarist, singer and composer, who is one of the most respected and influential musicians of the rock-era, garnering an unprecedented three inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ... John Symon Asher Jack Bruce (born May 14, 1943) is a Scottish musician; a multi-instumentalist, composer, singer and, most importantly, a very influential electric bassist, especially when he was a member of seminal rock band Cream. ... Steve Winwood Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born May 12, 1948 in Great Barr, Birmingham, England) is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who, in addition to his solo career, was a member of the bands the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith. ... The Spencer Davis Group was a mid-1960s British rock band founded by Spencer Davis (born 1942 in Swansea, Wales). ... This is actually Steve Winwood Peter Edward Ginger Baker (born August 19, 1939, Lewisham, London) is a British drummer who gained fame as a member of possibly the worlds first supergroup Cream from 1966 until 1968 with Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton. ...

What's Shakin'

Powerhouse only recorded a few songs in March 1966 before disbanding, three of which were released on the Elektra compilation album What's Shakin', which also featured tracks by The Lovin' Spoonful, Al Kooper, Tom Rush and The Butterfield Blues Band. Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, and today operates under Atlantic Records Group. ... Lovin Spoonful album cover The Lovin Spoonful was an American pop-rock band of the 1960s, named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. ... Mike Bloomfield (left) and Al Kooper (right) album cover Al Kooper (born February 5, 1944, Brooklyn, New York) is an American songwriter,producer, and musician, probably best known for organizing the group Blood, Sweat & Tears. ... Tom Rush (February 8, 1941-) was a popular folk and blues musician in the early 1960s. ... the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, 1966 Paul Butterfield (December 17, 1942 - May 4, 1987) was an American blues musician, and one of the most innovative harmonica players of the electric blues Chicago-originated style. ...

The tracks included were "Crossroads" (R. Johnson), "Steppin' Out" (M. Slim) and "I Want to Know" (S. McLeod). There was a fourth song recorded, a "slow blues", but to this day it remains unreleased. For the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony song, covered by Blazin Squad, see Tha Crossroads Crossroads, from Creams 1968 album Wheels of Fire, is a famous and influential blues-rock song. ... For other people named Robert Johnson, see Robert Johnson (disambiguation). ... James C. Bracken was the co-owner and co-founder of Vee-Jay Records, along with his wife Vivian and her brother, Calvin Carter. ...

After Powerhouse

Bruce and Clapton would go on to form Cream with Ginger Baker, and Palmer would later join them as a roadie. Cream (also The Cream) was a 1960s British supergroup which featured guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce, and drummer Ginger Baker. ... The road crew (or roadies) are the technicians who travel on tour with musicians and who handle every part of the production except actually playing the music. ...

Clapton and Winwood (along with Baker) would later form Blind Faith. Blind Faith were an English blues supergroup which consisted of Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds, Cream), Ginger Baker (Graham Bond Organisation, Cream), Steve Winwood (Traffic) and Ric Grech (Family). ...

Later releases

The Powerhouse recording of "Crossroads" would later be released on Winwood's compilation album Winwood in 1971, "I Want to Know" was released on Clapton's compilation The History of Eric Clapton in 1972, and both were released together on Winwood's compilation The Finer Things in 1995. The History of Eric Clapton was a compilation double LP, released in March 1972 by Atco Records. ... 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. ...

Trivia

• Clapton and Bruce had previously played "Steppin' Out" live with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and would continue to play it and "Crossroads" live with Cream, albeit in very different versions.
• It has been suggested that the song "I Want to Know" was written by Paul Jones and credited to his wife, author Sheila McLeod.
• For contractual reasons, Winwood was credited as either Steve Angelo or Stevie D'Angelo on the original release.
• The song "Steppin' Out" (credited to M. Slim) was actually written by James Bracken.

John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton album cover John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers was a pioneering British blues band that included such luminaries as: Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce (both later in Cream), Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood (later all in Fleetwood Mac), Mick Taylor (later in... For the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony song, covered by Blazin Squad, see Tha Crossroads Crossroads, from Creams 1968 album Wheels of Fire, is a famous and influential blues-rock song. ... Cream (also The Cream) was a 1960s British supergroup which featured guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce, and drummer Ginger Baker. ... James C. Bracken was the co-owner and co-founder of Vee-Jay Records, along with his wife Vivian and her brother, Calvin Carter. ...

External links

• Biography at AllMusicGuide.com
• Collaborations page at WinwoodFans.com