On This Day in 1966

On this day in 1966, three important events took place which had a large impact on musical history.

In Manchester, England three young English lads, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton, would perform their live debut as Cream at The Twisted Wheel. After leaving the Yardbirds, Clapton joined Cream. It was his tenure in Cream that would propel him to stardom, and truly allow him to exhibit his guitar talent. Cream's early crossroads jams are also considered to be some of the first extended rock jams. The band would leave the stage as Clapton would solo for twenty minutes by himself, to the extreme delight of the crowd. It was with Cream that Clapton made his US debut, performing nine shows at the RKO Theatre in March of 1967. In October of 1968, the band broke up, performing a final show at the Forum in LA. Some of the songs from this show were released on their final CD "Goodbye". The music Cream created during their short period of time together is some of the finest rock music ever made. Below I have posted the link to the download for Cream's show from Detroit on October 15, 1967. Download the show, and watch this video of Cream performing the Robert Johnson song Crossroads:

1967-10-15 Grand Ballroom, Detroit, MI



Also on this day, The Grateful Dead would leave the United States for the first time, venturing to Vancouver, BC, Canada. In Vancouver, the Dead would play three shows at the P.N.E. Garden Auditorium. These shows are classic '66 Dead, with amazing sound quality. The Dead clearly are not well known in Canada, as it sounds like there are very few people in the audience. Or perhaps just very few clapping. When they are announced, no one claps and Phil says "Our fame has proceeded us". This show is a true testament to Pigpen's abilities as a front-man. He truly was great, and this show personifies his greatness. I have posted the links to the SBDs for the shows in Vancouver from the 29th and 30th (the 31st is hard to find). I have also posted the streams for both shows. Enjoy this classic show from 1966 marking the Dead's first trip to Canada.

1966-07-29 P.N.E. Garden Auditorium, Vancouver, Canada (SBD)
1966-07-30 P.N.E. Garden Auditorium, Vancouver, Canada (SBD)

The 29th Stream

The 30th Stream.

In addition, today marks the 43rd anniversary of Bob Dylan's famous motorcycle accident. The accident, which occurred near his home in Woodstock, NY, is not musically significant itself, however the events that unfolded as a result are. After the crash, amidst a great deal of speculation, Bob Dylan went in seclusion for a number of months. During this period he created a number of recordings, however, it was not until 1975 that these recordings were released as Bob Dylan and The Band's "The Basement Tapes" (a possible phish musical costume). This is some of Bob Dylan's finest work, working with the Band prior to their debut "Music from Big Pink" in 1968. Posted below is a show with Dylan and The Band from the Forum in LA from February 14, 1974. This show is full of Dylan and The Band classics, such as Lay Lady Lay, Up on Cripple Creak and The Shape I'm In. Enjoy these moments from this day in '66.

1974-02-14 The Forum, Los Angeles, CA part 1

1974-02-14 The Forum, Los Angeles, CA part 2