Heavy Cream is a compilation album of material recorded by the British rock band Cream from 1966 to 1969.

Heavy Cream
Compilation album by
Released9 October 1972
Recorded1966–69
Genre
Length83:08
LabelPolydor
ProducerFelix Pappalardi/Robert Stigwood
Cream chronology
Live Cream Volume II
(1972)
Heavy Cream
(1972)
Strange Brew
(1983)

Although available in other territories as well, the album was largely released to address the North American market, in order for Polydor Records to leverage Cream's back catalogue; prior to 1972, Polydor had licensed Cream's recordings to Atco/Atlantic Records for North American distribution. Now out of print, Heavy Cream was available as a double album during the years 1972–76, and was briefly reissued by Polydor's affiliated label RSO Records in 1983.

This double album was also issued simultaneously with 3 other double albums of solo material by Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker all titled: "... At His Best"

With 22 tracks, Heavy Cream is one of the more comprehensive collections of Cream's work, containing over two-thirds of the band's studio recordings.

Writing for Newsday in 1972, Robert Christgau regarded the album as the best of the Cream compilations up to that point.[1]

The album reached No. 135 on the Billboard 200.[2]

Track listing

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Side 2
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
6."I Feel Free" (Bruce, Brown)Fresh Cream2:54
7."Born Under a Bad Sign" (Booker T. Jones, William Bell)Wheels of Fire3:08
8."Passing the Time" (Ginger Baker, Mike Taylor)Wheels of Fire4:31
9."As You Said" (Bruce, Brown)Wheels of Fire4:19
10."Deserted Cities of the Heart" (Bruce, Brown)Wheels of Fire3:36
Side 3
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
11."Cat's Squirrel" (Dr. Isaiah Ross, arr. Clapton, Bruce, Baker)Fresh Cream3:05
12."Crossroads" (Robert Johnson, arr. Clapton)Wheels of Fire4:13
13."Sitting on Top of the World" (Walter Vinson, Lonnie Chatmon; arr. Chester Burnett)Wheels of Fire4:56
14."SWLABR" (Bruce, Brown)Disraeli Gears2:31
15."What a Bringdown!" (Baker)Goodbye3:54
16."Tales of Brave Ulysses" (Clapton, Martin Sharp)Disraeli Gears2:45
Side 4
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
17."Take It Back" (Bruce, Brown)Disraeli Gears3:04
18."Politician" (Bruce, Brown)Wheels of Fire4:11
19."I'm So Glad" (Skip James)Fresh Cream3:55
20."Sunshine of Your Love" (Bruce, Brown, Clapton)Disraeli Gears4:08
21."Those Were the Days" (Baker, Taylor)Wheels of Fire2:52
22."Doing That Scrapyard Thing" (Bruce, Brown)Goodbye3:14

Personnel

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Cream

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  • Jack Bruce – Bass guitar on all tracks except "What a Bringdown", keyboards, vocals; acoustic guitar on "As You Said"; harmonica on "Spoonful", "Rollin' & Tumblin'", and "Take It Back"
  • Eric Clapton – Lead guitar, rhythm guitar on all tracks except "Badge", vocals
  • Ginger Baker – Drums, percussion, vocals

Additional personnel

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  • Felix Pappalardi – Viola on "White Room" and "Deserted Cities of the Heart"; organ pedals on "Passing the Time"; keyboards on "Badge"; bass guitar on "What a Bringdown"
  • George Harrison – Rhythm guitar on "Badge"

Citation

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  1. ^ Christgau, Robert (18 December 1972). "Best-ofs: Oldies but Not Always Goodies". Newsday. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  2. ^ "Cream > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums" at AllMusic. Retrieved 28 September 2011.