Cream’s Debut Album to Be Reissued in Four-Disc Deluxe Edition
Cream's 1966 debut album will celebrate its 50th anniversary a month late with a four-disc deluxe edition set for release in 2017.
The Fresh Cream reissue, which is due on Jan. 27, will include three CDs made up of mono and stereo mixes of the original LP, singles from the period, alternate takes, early EPs, outtakes and BBC sessions recorded around the time of the album's original release in December 1966.
A fourth disc includes Blu-ray audio versions of both the mono and stereo versions, as well as some bonus tracks. In all, the set includes almost 100 tracks.
The entire track listing for the box set can be found at Super Deluxe Edition. Some of the highlights include the A and B sides of Cream's first singles; early versions of the single "I Feel Free" and Ginger Baker's epic drum instrumental "Toad"; and a BBC interview with Eric Clapton from early 1967.
Fresh Cream was recorded mostly in the summer and fall of 1966 after Baker, Clapton and Jack Bruce formed the group. The U.K. and U.S. editions of the album differed slightly upon their release. The U.S. version included the single "I Feel Free" and omitted the band's studio cover of Willie Dixon's "Spoonful," a song that became more famous for the live version included on Cream's 1968 album Wheels of Fire.
The Fresh Cream: Deluxe Edition package also comes with a book that includes new essays and photos of the band. A six-LP vinyl version of the set reportedly will be released in April.
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