Blind Faith - Blind Faith
On this week's episode, we take a look a an album by one of the first rock n’ roll “super group,” 1969’s Blind Faith by Blind Faith.
When Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood started hanging out and jamming together after the dissolution of their previous bands (Cream and Traffic respectively), there was no set plan to start a band together. That changed when Cream drummer Ginger Baker joined the fun. With the addition of bassist Ric Grech from the band Family, Blind Faith was born.
Their one and only album combined the best (and sometimes the worst) of both Cream and Traffic. It doesn’t always work, but when it does it transcends both bands with a unique mix of blues, jazz and folk, all topped off with Winwood’s amazing blue-eyed soul crooning.
No recommendation on this episode.
THINGS WE DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE
In 1963, a fourteen year old Steve Winwood and his older brother Muff, join Spencer Davis and Pete York to form the Spencer Davis Group.
Pictured (L to R): Pete York, Spencer Davis, Muff Winwood, and Steve Winwood (obviously older than 14 in this picture).
The Spencer Davis Group was widely successful. In 1966, the band stared in the British musical comedy: The Ghost Goes Gear.
Here’s a scene of the band performing “Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out,” where an 18 year old Steve Winwood channels his inner Ray Charles.
Prior to Blind Faith, Winwood and Clapton actually recorded together in 1966 under the name the Powerhouse for a1966 compilation album called What’s Shakin’. The band also included Jack Bruce on bass and Paul Jones on harmonica (both were in Manfred Mann at the time), and Ben Palmer on piano, and Pete York from the Spencer Davis Group on drums. Here is their version of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads.” The song would become almost synonymous with Clapton after Cream recorded it two years latter.
Feeling constrained by the limitations of the Spencer Davis Group, Winwood leaves that group and forms Traffic with other musicians from his hometown of Birmingham.
Pictured (L to R): Dave Mason, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood, and Steve Winwood.
A year earlier, Eric Clapton also wanted to expand beyond the what his time with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers allowed. Ginger Baker invites him to join up with Jack Bruce to form Cream.
Pictured (L to R): Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce.
Family was an immensely influential band that incorporated elements of folk, psychedelia, blues in to a progressive rock stew. Blind Faith bassist Ric Grech initially the bassist for Family before leaving to join Winwood, Clapton, and Baker.
By all accounts, Family was a something to behold live. Here’s the band performing in London at the Speakeasy in 1967.
Blind Faith (L to R): Ric Grech, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood, and Eric Clapton
Both Winwood and Clapton brought their managers along for the ride, which contributed to the tension surrounding the project. In the case of Windwood, in was Chris Blackwell (L) and for Clapton it was Robert Stigwood (R).
Prior to the release of the album, Blind Faith played a free concert in London’s Hyde Park in front of 100,000 plus people. Here is “Can’t Find My Way Home” from the show.
When Blind Faith toured the States, they had Delaney and Bonnie and Free open for them. Unhappy with the amount of hype surrounding the Blind Faith, Clapton was already distancing himself from the guys in his own band, and spent most of the tour hanging out with with Delaney and Bonnie.
Here is Winwood and Clapton performing “Had to Cry Today” at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2007.
