The Music Of Cream’s Will Johns On The Band’s U.S. Tour, His Next Solo Album, Van Halen & More
Last year, UMe/Polydor released the limited-edition, blue, 2LP release of Cream’s show Live At The Forum, as recorded at the Los Angeles Forum during the band’s Goodbye Tour of 1968. Taken from the 2020 full version of the 4-CD set of the that 1968 tour and produced by Bill Levenson, this sumptuous 2LP set was the first authorized release of the full concert on vinyl. It captured Cream — as comprised of Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton — at its virtuosic best, at the end but also at the height of their career. And if you have never heard this top-notch live recording, rest assured that the set’s 10 tracks include the biggest hits of Cream alongside some very inspired, long-form jamming.
Fast forward some decades and The Music Of Cream is a wonderful offering for fans of that Live At The Forum album. Featuring drummer Kofi Baker (Ginger Baker’s son) and guitarist and lead vocalist Will Johns (Eric Clapton’s nephew), The Music Of Cream is back on the road in 2022, finishing out its previously-scheduled U.S. tour dates from 2020. On this run, The Music Of Cream will perform Cream’s landmark 1967 recording of Disraeli Gears in its entirety during the first set, then Clapton Classics will follow in the second set, including Clapton concert staples like “Cocaine,” “Layla,” “Crossroads” and “Wonderful Tonight,” beyond Blind Faith favorites like “Presence of The Lord,” “Do What You Like” and “Can’t Find My Way Home.” On-stage guests for The Music Of Cream have included Steve Winwood, Roger Waters, Ronnie Wood, Kenney Jones, Nile Rodgers and Paul Carrack. Meanwhile, Clapton himself reportedly Johns of The Music Of Cream, “I’m pleased that you guys will continue to fly the flag.”
On February 8, 2022, I had the pleasure of speaking with Will Johns via Zoom, as embedded below. Beyond the upcoming tour dates of The Music Of Cream, we spoke about Johns’ musical influences and his upcoming solo album. More on The Music Of Cream is available here, here and here.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal.Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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