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Wheels of Fire
Studio album / Live album by
Cream
Released14 June 1968 (1968-06-14) (US)[1]
9 August 1968 (1968-08-09) (UK)
Recorded1967–1968[2]
VenueWinterland & The Fillmore, San Francisco, California
Studio
Genre
Length35:53 (studio album) 44:23 (live album) 80:16 (total)[3]
LabelPolydor
ProducerFelix Pappalardi
Cream chronology
Disraeli Gears
(1967) 		Wheels of Fire
(1968) 		Goodbye
(1969)
Singles from Wheels of Fire
  1. "White Room"
    Released: November 1968
  2. "Crossroads"
    Released: January 1969

Wheels of Fire is the third album by the British rock band Cream. It was released in the US on 14 June 1968 as a two-disc vinyl LP, with one disc recorded in the studio and the other recorded live. It was released in the UK in the same format on August 9.

Background and recording

[edit]

Cream's third album was planned to be a double album which would include several live performances.[4] Unlike Disraeli Gears, which had been recorded in a matter of days, the Wheels of Fire sessions took place in small bursts over nearly a year. The recording engineers on disc one were Tom Dowd and Adrian Barber. The live performances on disc two were recorded by Bill Halverson and mixed by Adrian Barber.[citation needed]

Sessions with producer Felix Pappalardi began in July and August 1967 at IBC Studios in London, months before the release of Disraeli Gears, with the basic tracks for "White Room", "Sitting on Top of the World", and "Born Under a Bad Sign" put to tape.[2][5] Jack Bruce expressed the band's preference for working with Pappalardi and Dowd, as well as the new unhurried atmosphere contrasted with the first two albums: "We're all temperamental but Tom...and Felix manage to get rid of that temperament...We spend a long time in the studio, so we don't have to rush. We usually talk for hours before we record anything, then we play, think and add sounds".[6] Recordings continued with short sessions at Atlantic Studios in September and October 1967 where overdubs were added to the aforementioned three songs along with basic tracks for "Pressed Rat and Warthog" and the non-LP single "Anyone for Tennis".[5] After more overdubs in mid-December, further work took place at Atlantic from 13–22 February 1968, during a break from the band's heavy tour schedule, where basic tracks for "Politician", "Passing The Time", "Deserted Cities of the Heart" and "As You Said" were laid down along with further work on the previous tracks.[2][4]

The following month,[2] Pappalardi ordered that a mobile recording studio in Los Angeles be shipped to The Fillmore Auditorium and Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.[4] Six shows were recorded at both venues from 7–10 March by Pappalardi and recording engineer Bill Halverson,[2] with extra performances not included on Wheels of Fire ending up on Live Cream and Live Cream Volume II.[4] Further recordings and mixing for the album were completed at Atlantic Studios in June 1968, nearly a year after they had started, with the completion of "White Room", "Passing the Time", "Deserted Cities of the Heart", "As You Said" and the recording of a final number, "Those Were the Days".[5] By this point, recording at the end of two exhausting back-to-back tours of America, tensions between the band members had become considerably strained.[6] The album was then rushed to shops in the US by mid-June.

Composition and music

[edit]
Felix Pappalardi served as producer

The band's drummer Ginger Baker co-wrote three songs for the album ("Passing the Time", "Pressed Rat and Warthog", and "Those Were the Days") with jazz pianist Mike Taylor. Baker later admitted that "Pressed Rat and Warthog" was an inside joke, based on the bawdy imagery referred to by its title. Bassist Jack Bruce co-wrote four songs with poet Pete Brown including "White Room", "As You Said" (the only Cream recording which does not feature Clapton), "Politician" and "Deserted Cities of the Heart". In an interview, Pete Brown revealed that the lyrics to "White Room" were condensed from an eight page poem he had written when he moved into a new white-walled apartment room with bare furnishings, where he gave up drinking and drugs.[7] "Politician" came together quickly for a January 1968 BBC radio session when, needing one more track, Bruce came up with a riff which Brown, who was present in the studio, thought was perfect to match with lines of a poem he'd written several years earlier; the song was finished and recorded for broadcast that day.[6] Guitarist Eric Clapton contributed to the album by choosing two blues songs to cover, the standard "Sitting on Top of the World" and Booker T. Jones's "Born Under a Bad Sign", which had been the title track to the recent Albert King album of the same name. Production on the studio disc was more elaborate than that for the first two albums, with the addition of exotic instrumentation including glockenspiel, calliope, cello, trumpet, bells, viola and tonette creating a psychedelic feel, with the three blues numbers featuring the group's basic three piece sound.[citation needed]

For the second disc, Felix Pappalardi chose "Traintime" because it featured Jack Bruce's singing and harmonica playing, "Toad" because it featured Ginger Baker's lengthy drum solo, while "Spoonful" and "Crossroads" were used to showcase Eric Clapton's guitar work.[4] All four songs had been a part of their set list since the band's beginnings in 1966, as shown by several early BBC performances.[8]

Artwork

[edit]

The artwork for the album was by Martin Sharp,[2] who had co-written "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and "Anyone for Tennis" with Clapton and also done the artwork for Disraeli Gears. The front and back covers consisted of a silver-grey psychedelic drawing, with the inner gatefold consisting of a similar drawing, only in Day-Glo colors of orange, green, pink and yellow. The photography was by Jim Marshall.[2]

Release and promotion

[edit]

Wheels of Fire was released by Atco in the US on June 14, 1968, with a UK release on Polydor following on August 9. It was an instant blockbuster success, charting at No. 3 in the United Kingdom and No. 1 in the United States, Canada and Australia, becoming the world's first platinum-selling double album.[9][10] The album's release, however, was accompanied by an announcement on July 10 that the band was going to split up by the end of the year, citing a loss of direction.[11]

The album was also released as two single LPs, Wheels of Fire (In the Studio) and Wheels of Fire (Live at the Fillmore), with similar cover art. In the UK the studio album art was black print on aluminum foil, while the live album art was a negative image of the studio cover; In the Studio charted as high as No. 7 in that country,[12] although it possibly took from sales of the double disc set. In Japan, the studio album art was black on gold foil, while the live album art was black on aluminium foil. In Australia, both covers were laminated copies of the Japanese releases.[citation needed]

Reception and legacy

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar[13]
About.comStarStarStarStarStar[14]
Chicago TribuneStarStarStarStar[15]
The Daily VaultA[16]
The Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStarStar[17]
MusicHound RockStarStarStarStarStar[18]
Musician(Positive)[19]

In England, critical reception to the album was highly positive. In a lengthy review, Chris Welch of Melody Maker began by noting "If Cream have been disappointing on record in the past...their long awaited double album is sufficient to restore the faith of the most errant disciple", praising the group's taste and restraint on tracks like "As You Said" and enthusing that the live disc was "electrifying".[20] Record Mirror said the record should be subtitled "to remind us of all that was best about the Cream live and in the studio", concluding that as the band wouldn't be around for much longer, it was a must for everyone's collection.[21] Disc & Music Echo labelled it "Best LP of the month" and "a fitting--at times superb--memorial to Britain's best live group" with the best material they had put on record.[22] In the United States, Jann Wenner at Rolling Stone gave a poor review to the studio disc, singling out "As You Said" and "Politician" as the only worthwhile tracks and stating of "White Room" that it is a too-close duplication of "Tales of Brave Ulysses" with a "Sonny Bono-ish production job that adds little"; however, he praised the live disc, stating of "Spoonful" that "this is the kind of thing that people who have seen Cream perform walk away raving about and it’s good to at last have it on a record".[23] In a more positive review, Cashbox predicted that the album would see heavy sales action.[24]

Retrospectively, the album has been cited a classic of the era. Writing in The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Colin Larkin said the live disc captured the group at their "inventive and exploratory best".[17] In a four-star review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine at AllMusic notes that the album "is indeed filled with Cream's very best work, since it captures the fury and invention (and indulgence) of the band at its peak on the stage and in the studio, but...doesn't quite add up to something greater than the sum of its parts. But taken alone, those individual parts are often quite tremendous".[25] David Bowling at The Daily Vault gushed that the album has "withstood the test of time, remains one of the essential rock albums and should be required listening."[16]

In May 2012, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 205 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, noting it is "incontrovertible proof of Eric Clapton's interpretive mastery".[26] It was voted number 757 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[27]

Track listing

[edit]

Disc one: In the Studio

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."White Room"Jack Bruce, Pete Brown[a]4:58
2."Sitting on Top of the World"Walter Vinson, Lonnie Chatmon; arr. Chester Burnett4:58
3."Passing the Time"Ginger Baker, Mike Taylor[a][b]4:32
4."As You Said"Bruce, Brown4:20
Total length:18:48
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Pressed Rat and Warthog"Baker, Taylor3:13
2."Politician"Bruce, Brown[a]4:12
3."Those Were the Days"Baker, Taylor[a]2:53
4."Born Under a Bad Sign"Booker T. Jones, William Bell[a]3:09
5."Deserted Cities of the Heart"Bruce, Brown[a][c]3:38
Total length:17:05

Disc two: Live at the Fillmore

Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."Crossroads"Robert Johnson, arr. Clapton10 March 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco, CA (1st show)4:18
2."Spoonful"Willie Dixon10 March 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco, CA (1st show)16:47
Total length:21:05
Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."Traintime"Bruce[d]8 March 1968 at Winterland, San Francisco, CA (1st show)7:02
2."Toad"Baker7 March 1968 at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (2nd show)16:16
Total length:23:18

Performers on disc one are "the Cream quartet" consisting of Clapton, Baker, and Bruce together with Felix Pappalardi, who plays many different instruments and is also credited with production.

While the second disc is labelled Live at the Fillmore, only "Toad" was recorded there. The other three tracks were recorded at the Winterland Ballroom.[29]

In 2014, Japan Polydor released a two-disc limited edition SHM-CD (UICY-76024/5) with four bonus tracks: two on the studio disc, and two on the live one.

2014 Japan Polydor 2-disc Limited Edition bonus tracks

[edit]

Disc one

[edit]
  2. "Anyone for Tennis" (Eric Clapton, Martin Sharp)
  3. "Falstaff Beer Commercial" (Clapton, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce)

Disc two

[edit]
  2. "Sunshine of Your Love" (Clapton, Bruce, Pete Brown)
  3. "N.S.U." (Bruce)

Personnel

[edit]

Per liner notes.[2]

Personnel and information for the studio sessions

[edit]

"White Room" Recorded at IBC Studios, July and August 1967; Atlantic Studios, September, 9–10 October, and 12–15 December 1967; 13–22 February and 12–13 June 1968[31][32]

"Sitting on Top of the World" Recorded at IBC Studios, July 1967; Atlantic Studios, September 1967

  • Eric Clapton – lead and rhythm guitars
  • Jack Bruce – vocals, bass
  • Ginger Baker – drums

"Born Under a Bad Sign" Recorded at IBC Studios, July and August 1967; Atlantic Studios, September 1967

  • Eric Clapton – lead and rhythm guitars
  • Jack Bruce – vocals, bass
  • Ginger Baker – drums, tambourine

"Pressed Rat and Warthog" Recorded at Atlantic Studios, 9–10 October and 12–15 December 1967; 13–22 February 1968

  • Eric Clapton – lead and rhythm guitars
  • Jack Bruce – basses, recorder
  • Ginger Baker – spoken-word vocals, drums
  • Felix Pappalardi – trumpet, tonette

"Anyone for Tennis" Recorded at Atlantic Studios, 9–10 October and 12–15 December 1967; 13–22 February 1968

  • Eric Clapton – vocals, acoustic guitar, slide guitar
  • Jack Bruce – bass, recorder
  • Ginger Baker – congas
  • Felix Pappalardi – viola

"Passing the Time" Recorded at Atlantic Studios, 13–22 February and 12–13 June 1968

  • Eric Clapton – backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
  • Jack Bruce – lead vocals, bass, cello, calliope
  • Ginger Baker – backing vocals, drums, glockenspiel
  • Felix Pappalardi – organ pedals

"As You Said" Recorded at Atlantic Studios, 13–22 February and 12–13 June 1968

  • Jack Bruce – vocals, acoustic guitars, cello
  • Ginger Baker – hi-hat

"Politician" Recorded at Atlantic Studios, 13–22 February and 12–13 June 1968

  • Eric Clapton – lead and rhythm guitars
  • Jack Bruce – vocals, bass
  • Ginger Baker – drums

"Deserted Cities of the Heart" Recorded at Atlantic Studios, 13–22 February and 12–13 June 1968

  • Eric Clapton – lead and rhythm guitar
  • Jack Bruce – vocals, bass, cello, acoustic guitar
  • Ginger Baker – drums, tambourine
  • Felix Pappalardi – viola

"Those Were the Days" Recorded at Atlantic Studios, 12–13 June 1968

  • Eric Clapton – backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
  • Jack Bruce – lead vocals, bass
  • Ginger Baker – drums, marimba, tubular bells
  • Felix Pappalardi – Swiss hand bells

Charts

[edit]
Chart (1968–1969) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[33] 1
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[34] 1
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[35] 3
French Albums (SNEP)[36] 2
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[37] 15
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[38] 16
UK Albums (OCC)[39] 3
US Billboard 200[40] 1
US Top R&B Albums (Billboard)[41] 11
Chart (2013) Peak
position
Croatian International Albums (HDU)[42] 25

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[43] Platinum 70,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[44]
1998 release 		Silver 60,000‡
United States (RIAA)[45] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Wheels of Fire

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Wheels of Fire is the third studio album by the British rock supergroup , released as a double LP in with one disc of studio recordings and one of live performances. The album features the power trio of guitarist , bassist/vocalist , and drummer , blending blues-rock, , and elements in extended improvisations and original compositions. The studio portion was recorded primarily at in New York and in from late to early , while the live tracks were captured during shows at Auditorium and in on March 7–10, . Notable tracks include the psychedelic hit "," the blues cover "," and the extended live rendition of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads," which showcased Cream's improvisational prowess. Commercially, Wheels of Fire achieved massive success, topping the in the United States for four weeks and reaching number three in the UK, eventually becoming the world's first platinum-selling with over one million copies sold. Critically acclaimed for its innovative blend of studio precision and live energy, the album is often regarded as Cream's magnum opus and a pivotal work in the development of heavy metal and .

Background

Conception

The conception of Wheels of Fire emerged in late 1967 as Cream's third studio album, following the commercial success of their previous release, , which had established the band as a leading force in psychedelic blues-rock and provided the momentum for an ambitious project. The band, consisting of , , and , sought to capture their evolving sound by combining newly composed studio material with extended live improvisations, reflecting their growth as a during an intense period of creativity. Producer played a pivotal role in shaping the album's format, advocating early for a double LP to juxtapose the precision of structured studio recordings against the unfiltered energy of live performances. Pappalardi, often referred to as the "fourth member" of due to his close collaboration, pitched this concept to executives, aligning it with the band's own desire for a comprehensive showcase that went beyond a standard single-disc release. As Pappalardi later reflected, while the album "was never really a planned " in a rigid sense, initial ideas were exchanged among the members in , with him selecting and arranging material to highlight these contrasts. The band's exhaustive 1967 touring schedule, including their inaugural U.S. dates starting in August at venues like the in , directly influenced the inclusion of live tracks to document their improvisational prowess on stage. This heavy roadwork, which exposed to American audiences and psychedelic scenes, inspired the decision to feature raw, extended jams that embodied the trio's dynamic interplay. Ultimately, the album was structured as two distinct discs—"In the Studio" for polished compositions and "Live at Fillmore" for venue-captured energy—emphasizing the power trio's ability to blend composition with spontaneous exploration.

Band tensions

The longstanding rivalry between Cream's bassist and drummer , dating back to their earlier collaboration in , began to severely strain the band's dynamics during the 1967-1968 sessions leading up to Wheels of Fire. Their personal and musical clashes escalated, creating a volatile atmosphere that often required intervention to prevent physical confrontations, as the two musicians frequently argued over creative control and contributions to songs. Guitarist frequently assumed a mediating role amid these disputes, but the band's grueling schedule of extensive touring and recording left him increasingly exhausted and disillusioned with the group's direction. The heightened expectations following the commercial success of prior albums like only amplified the pressure on Clapton, who by mid-1968 had reached a breaking point in trying to balance the dominant personalities of and . Manager Robert Stigwood's relentless push for commercial viability further intensified the conflicts, as his demands for high-output touring and album production clashed with the band's creative visions, particularly regarding song selection and arrangements. These internal frictions, compounded by external pressures, directly led to the band's decision to disband in May 1968 during their tour. On July 10, 1968, shortly after the U.S. release of Wheels of Fire, Clapton publicly announced Cream's breakup, citing a "loss of direction" and the unsustainable toll of the ongoing tensions, marking the end of the supergroup after less than three years together, though they planned a farewell tour.

Recording

Studio sessions

The studio recordings for the first disc of Wheels of Fire took place primarily at in during July and August 1967, with additional sessions in December 1967 and February 1968, and at in New York from September 1967 through June 1968, including overdubs completed in short bursts. These sessions were conceived as part of a double album format to incorporate both studio and live material, allowing for expanded creative exploration. Engineering duties were handled by and Adrian Barber, who utilized eight-track recording technology to enable complex layering of instrumentation, such as multiple guitar tracks and orchestral elements. Producer served as a , contributing viola on tracks like "" and percussion elements including Swiss hand bells and to amplify the album's psychedelic textures. The production process faced logistical challenges, including the band's exhausting U.S. tour schedule, which limited studio time to brief intervals and often left members fatigued; arrangements for songs, particularly extended adaptations of standards into more progressive forms, were frequently finalized on the spot with minimal prior rehearsal. Overdubs were essential to refine these improvisational takes, with Pappalardi and Dowd working late into the night—sometimes until 4 a.m.—to capture and polish the layered sound amid the group's interpersonal tensions.

Live recordings

The live recordings for Wheels of Fire were captured during Cream's performances at West and in as part of their US tour, specifically from shows held between March 7 and 10. Producer , along with engineer Bill Halverson, utilized Wally Heider's mobile recording unit to document multiple nights, resulting in hours of tape from at least six complete performances. From this extensive material, Pappalardi selected four extended tracks—"Sitting on Top of the World," "Spoonful," "Crossroads," and "Toad"—to showcase the band's improvisational prowess during their live sets, editing them down to highlight peak moments of instrumental interplay and energy. These choices were drawn from various nights, with "Spoonful" and "Sitting on Top of the World" from the March 10 show at Winterland, "Crossroads" from the March 10 (1st show) at Winterland, and "Toad" from the March 7 (2nd show) at Fillmore West. The editing process involved splicing to create cohesive, extended jams without adding overdubs, preserving the raw audience interaction and spontaneous dynamics of the concerts. The technical setup employed an 8-track format via the mobile unit, allowing for live mixing that captured the full band's sound, including vocals, instruments, and ambient crowd noise, to maintain audio fidelity reflective of the era's atmosphere. This approach emphasized the high-energy peaks rather than full sets, a deliberate decision to fit the constraints of a single LP disc while focusing on the most representative examples of Cream's live intensity. No enhancements like overdubs were applied, ensuring the tracks remained authentic documents of the performances.

Composition

Studio tracks

The studio recordings on Wheels of Fire mark Cream's bold progression from their blues foundations toward a more experimental, psychedelic sound infused with sensibilities, achieved through intricate songwriting and multi-layered arrangements that transcended the power trio format. The nine tracks feature four originals co-written by bassist/vocalist and poet —"," "As You Said," "," and "Deserted Cities of the Heart"—alongside three compositions by drummer and poet Mike Taylor—"Passing the Time," "Pressed Rat and Warthog," and "Those Were the Days"—and two blues covers, "Sitting on Top of the World" (Walter Vinson and Lonnie Chatmon) and "" (William Bell and ), underscoring a collaborative dynamic where guitarist focused on performance rather than original writing. This division in creative input allowed Bruce and Baker to explore and rhythmic complexity, while the covers paid homage to traditions with rock amplification. Producer , often dubbed Cream's "fourth member," enriched these compositions with exotic instruments like viola, , and , fostering psychedelic textures through overdubs that built dense, atmospheric soundscapes impossible in live settings. For instance, "" exemplifies this fusion, its poetic lyrics by Brown evoking isolation in a stark, surreal environment—"In the white room with black curtains near the station"—paired with Bruce's brooding bass and Clapton's wah-wah guitar, all augmented by Pappalardi's viola and orchestral flourishes for a dramatic, hallucinatory depth. Similarly, the rendition of "" extends the original blues into a seven-minute exploration, incorporating jazz-inflected improvisations where Bruce's walking bass lines and Baker's polyrhythmic drumming evoke a loose, syncopated swing amid Clapton's soulful bends. Other tracks further illustrate the album's stylistic evolution, blending blues-rock grit with progressive experimentation. "Passing the Time," a Baker-Taylor piece, shifts from a gentle acoustic intro with recorder (mimicking tones) and to abrupt tempo changes and heavier electric grooves, creating a whimsical yet disorienting of fleeting moments that hints at the genre's boundaries. "Deserted Cities of the Heart" delivers a brooding psychedelic climax through Bruce's lyrics of desolation, layered with accents and swirling guitar effects that amplify its epic, otherworldly quality. Covers like "Sitting on Top of the World" retain bluesy swagger but gain psychedelic edge via echoing vocals and extended solos, while originals such as "Pressed and "—a quirky fable by Baker and Taylor—employ for a tint, underscoring Cream's innovative push into uncharted sonic territory. Overall, these studio efforts solidify Wheels of Fire as a pivotal work, where blues-rock's raw energy merges with psychedelic abstraction and progressive structural daring.

Live performances

The live performances on Wheels of Fire capture Cream's prowess as a during their March 1968 shows at San Francisco's and , emphasizing extended improvisations that transformed concise covers and originals into epic explorations of rhythm and melody. These four tracks highlight the band's unscripted energy on , with minimal editing to preserve authenticity, allowing Ginger Baker's polyrhythmic drumming, Jack Bruce's melodic bass lines, and Eric Clapton's searing to interplay dynamically without a or additional support. "Crossroads," a cover of Robert Johnson's blues standard, exemplifies Clapton's improvisational command, stretching to 9:37 through fiery, extended guitar solos that build intensity over a driving rhythm section, contrasting any shorter studio interpretations by focusing on live spontaneity and audience-fueled momentum. Similarly, "Spoonful," originally a 6:29 studio track on Fresh Cream, evolves into a 16:47 free-form jam here, where Bruce's vocal howls and bass grooves propel the piece into abstract explorations, showcasing the trio's ability to sustain tension through collective improvisation rather than adhering to the structured brevity of the recorded version. "Sitting on Top of the World," a cover that appeared in a 4:58 studio rendition on , remains relatively compact at 4:58 in this live setting but gains electrifying urgency through audience interaction and the band's raw delivery, with Clapton's bluesy leads cutting sharper amid the venue's responsive crowd. "," Baker's composition featuring his signature drum solo, expands from its 5:11 studio form on to 16:17, delving into polyrhythmic variations and tempo shifts that demonstrate the drummer's technical virtuosity while integrating and Clapton's subtle rhythmic support, underscoring Cream's innovative approach to the power trio format. Overall, these performances, selected from the dates, affirm the band's stage dominance by prioritizing improvisational depth over fidelity to originals, influencing the live album genre's emphasis on unpolished authenticity.

Artwork

Cover art

The cover art for Wheels of Fire was designed by Australian pop artist , who sought to encapsulate the warm, joyful liveliness of Cream's music through psychedelic visuals. The front and back covers present silver-grey illustrations of a central and abstract figures in black on a metallic foil background, evoking motion and intensity in line with the album's theme. Influenced by the era's , Sharp's work reflects the ’s . Sharp collaborated closely with the band, including , while living in London's creative Pheasantry building during the late . The gatefold sleeve extends this aesthetic with vibrant Day-Glo colors in the inner spread, creating a trippy quality that enhances the album's fiery motif. Photography by Jim Marshall captures , integrating into the design to tie the "wheels" imagery to their dynamic presence. The overall artwork earned the New York Art Directors Prize for Best Album Design in 1969.

Packaging details

The original Wheels of Fire LP was released as a on thick cardboard stock, allowing the sleeve to unfold and immerse listeners in Martin Sharp's psychedelic visuals. The inner showcased vibrant Day-Glo colors—predominantly pink, orange, green, and yellow—in hallucinatory abstract drawings amid swirling patterns, extending the cover art's surreal motif for a fully enveloping experience. Lyric sheets and production credits were printed directly within the gatefold, providing detailed track information and personnel notes alongside Sharp's artwork. The innovative split-disc format was emphasized through distinct labeling—"In the Studio" for the first record and "Live at the Fillmore" for the second—reflecting the album's hybrid structure of studio and live material. While standard pressings used black vinyl, select variants in certain markets featured colored options for added visual appeal. Early 1968 releases included both mono and configurations, with stereo quickly becoming the preferred format as consumer demand shifted; mono editions were phased out by late 1968. International versions, such as the Polydor pressing (583 031/2), retained the core design but incorporated localized printing and labeling adjustments to comply with regional standards.

Release

Promotion and formats

Wheels of Fire was released in the United States by on June 14, 1968, followed by a United Kingdom release on on August 9, 1968. The album's promotion capitalized on Cream's ongoing tour, integrating live performances with radio airplay of key tracks such as "" to build anticipation. "" served as the lead single, issued in September 1968 in the where it reached number 6 on the , and in January 1969 in the UK where it peaked at number 28. Under manager Robert Stigwood's direction, promotional activities included television appearances to showcase the band's energy, notably their performance of "" on on July 14, 1968, hosted by . Stigwood's organization also distributed posters highlighting the album's distinctive artwork, positioning Wheels of Fire as an ambitious double-album project amid the band's grueling tour schedule. These efforts were intensified following the band's July 10, 1968, announcement of their after a farewell tour, lending a sense of finality to the campaign. The album was formatted as a double vinyl LP, with the first disc featuring new studio recordings and the second presenting live tracks captured during the band's 1967–1968 tours. It was offered in both mono and stereo pressings, with no contemporaneous single-disc edition; the full package emphasized the contrast between studio experimentation and onstage intensity. Internationally, Wheels of Fire saw variations in pressings to suit regional markets, including Japanese editions on Polydor with obi strips and translated , as well as European releases on labels like with localized packaging and occasional bilingual inserts.

Commercial performance

Wheels of Fire achieved significant commercial success upon its release, topping the chart in the United States for four weeks beginning August 10, 1968. It also reached number one on the RPM 100 Albums chart in and the in . In the United Kingdom, the edition peaked at number three on the Charts Company's . The album became the world's first double album to receive platinum certification, awarded by Atlantic Records for one million units sold in the United States on November 2, , during a Cream concert at —eight years before the RIAA formalized its platinum program. The success of the single "," which peaked at number six on the , significantly boosted album sales, particularly in the market. Following Cream's in late , Wheels of Fire experienced chart re-entries, sustaining its momentum through radio play and fan demand. The album performed strongly in the , fueled by the band's intensive touring that built a dedicated , while its UK reception was more moderate amid growing band fatigue and internal conflicts.

Reception

Contemporary reviews

Upon its release in June 1968 in the United States and August in the United Kingdom, Wheels of Fire received generally positive reviews in the British music press, with critics appreciating the album's evolution of Cream's roots into territory. of hailed it as "a record to restore the faith," noting that the successfully captured the band's live excitement and spirit, which previous studio efforts had failed to convey, and praised tracks like "" for their innovation. In the US, reception was more mixed, with some reviewers expressing fatigue over the album's length and repetitive jams. Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone critiqued the studio disc for overindulgence and poor songwriting, describing it as "indigestible" and faulting extended improvisations on tracks like "Spoonful," though he lauded the live disc's raw energy and specifically commended "White Room" as a standout for its psychedelic flair. Common themes across reviews included admiration for Cream's technical prowess and shift from traditional to more experimental, psychedelic sounds, balanced against criticisms of excess in the longer pieces. Despite press divisions, the album garnered strong fan enthusiasm and radio support for singles such as "," which helped propel its visibility.

Retrospective views

In the decades following its release, Wheels of Fire has been widely recognized for its role in defining the power trio format and bridging with emerging genres. awarded the album a perfect five-star rating, praising its blend of studio innovation and live intensity as a of Cream's legacy in pioneering the amplified, guitar-driven trio sound. Retrospective rankings underscore its enduring impact, with placing it at No. 205 on its 2012 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, highlighting the record as "incontrovertible proof of ’s genius" through tracks like "" and extended improvisations, though it was omitted from the magazine's revised 2020 list. In scholarly and biographical assessments from the and , such as Chris Welch's Cream: The Legendary Sixties Supergroup (2000), the album is lauded for its influence on heavy metal's raw aggression—evident in the sludge-like riffs of ""—and progressive rock's exploratory jams, positioning Cream as a transitional force between blues revival and 1970s complexity. While some later critiques noted the studio disc's psychedelic elements, such as the ornate arrangements in "Those Were the Days," as occasionally dated, the live disc garnered consistent praise for its unfiltered energy and improvisational prowess, with reviewers emphasizing performances like "Spoonful" as timeless displays of virtuosity. Marking its 55th anniversary in 2023, Glide Magazine's retrospective hailed Wheels of Fire as a "transcendent double album" that encapsulates its era while surpassing it, crediting the combination of studio polish and live ferocity for making it the world's first platinum-selling double LP and a benchmark for rock ambition.

Legacy

Cultural influence

Wheels of Fire pioneered the double live/studio album format in , blending polished studio recordings with raw live performances to showcase a band's versatility, and it became the first to achieve certification . This innovative structure influenced subsequent releases, such as Led Zeppelin's approach to album production and live documentation, with and manager Peter Grant drawing lessons from 's commercial success in the U.S. market. Similarly, it contributed to the evolution of live albums by bands like The Who, who were part of the mid-1960s R&B scene influenced by . Tracks from the album, particularly "White Room" and "Crossroads," have endured as staples on classic rock radio, with "White Room" reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining a frequent airplay favorite due to its psychedelic edge and Jack Bruce's haunting lyrics. "Crossroads," a live reinterpretation of Robert Johnson's blues standard, exemplifies Cream's improvisational prowess and has been covered by artists including Pearl Jam in live settings, preserving its status as a rock guitar showcase. The song has also been sampled in hip-hop, notably in Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's "Tha Crossroads," which reimagined Johnson's mythos through a G-funk lens and topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997. The album solidified the power trio archetype in rock, emphasizing the interplay of guitar, bass, and drums without additional instrumentation, which directly impacted bands like Rush, whose progressive sound echoed Cream's technical intensity, and ZZ Top, whose blues-boogie style drew from the trio's raw energy during their early tours with Jimi Hendrix. Cream's format is often referenced in rock documentaries exploring 1960s counterculture, such as those highlighting the band's role in fusing British blues with psychedelic experimentation at venues like the Fillmore Auditorium. In the blues-rock revival of the 2020s, Wheels of Fire continues to be cited in podcasts and essential album lists for its foundational role in establishing Cream as rock's first supergroup, blending virtuosic blues covers with original psychedelic compositions that influenced generations of musicians. For instance, it ranked No. 204 on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and No. 383 on the 2020 update, underscoring its lasting conceptual impact on the genre.

Reissues and remasters

The 1995 Polydor remaster of Wheels of Fire utilized digital processing from the original master tapes to deliver enhanced clarity and dynamic range compared to earlier versions. This edition, part of a broader effort to update Cream's catalog for the CD era, maintained the original double-disc structure with studio and live material intact, emphasizing the album's blues-rock intensity without additional tracks. In 2004, Polydor released a hybrid SACD version that combined Super Audio CD layers for high-resolution playback with backward-compatible CD layers, allowing access to improved stereo and multichannel mixes derived from analog sources. This format catered to audiophiles seeking greater sonic depth in tracks like "White Room" and extended live jams such as "Spoonful," highlighting the album's production nuances originally overseen by engineer Tom Dowd. The 2014 Japanese Polydor 2-disc limited edition expanded the original content with four bonus tracks drawn from the Wheels of Fire sessions, including an alternate take of "White Room" and outtakes like "Anyone for Tennis" on the studio disc, plus live variants of "Sunshine of Your Love" and "Toad" on the live disc. Presented in SHM-CD format for superior audio fidelity, this release preserved the gatefold artwork while adding session photos and liner notes to contextualize the additions. A 2020 reissue on 180-gram heavyweight vinyl by Polydor/Universal targeted the market with a faithful reproduction of the original packaging and analog mastering, pressed at MPO facilities for reduced surface noise. This edition became available through specialty outlets, including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame shop, underscoring the album's induction status and ongoing appeal to vinyl collectors. Post-2010 digital remasters appeared on streaming platforms like , offering streams that captured the album's remixed clarity without limitations. These versions facilitated broader access to the content, maintaining the core tracklist while supporting modern playback technologies. No major physical reissue occurred in 2025, though the album's enduring commercial success—exceeding six million units sold globally—continued to be noted in commemorative discussions. Bonus content evolved across editions: early 1970s compilations, such as RSO's 1976 vinyl repress, selectively featured highlights in single-disc formats for budget markets, while later releases like the 2014 Japanese version incorporated session outtakes to provide deeper insight into the recording process at and Auditorium.

Track listing

Original discs

Wheels of Fire was released as a two-disc vinyl LP in 1968, with the first disc comprising studio recordings and the second featuring live performances captured at Auditorium and in during March 1968.

Disc one: In the Studio (36:55)

The studio disc is divided across sides A and B, presenting nine tracks that blend blues-rock with psychedelic elements.
SideTrackTitleDurationWriter(s)Lead Vocals
A14:58,
A2Sitting on Top of the World4:58Walter Vinson, Lonnie Chatmon (arr. Chester Burnett)
A3Passing the Time4:32, Mike Taylor
A4As You Said4:21,
B1Pressed Rat and Warthog3:14, Mike Taylor
B24:12,
B3Those Were the Days2:53, Mike Taylor
B43:10William Bell,
B5Deserted Cities of the Heart4:37,
Track designations for lead instruments are not specified beyond vocal credits on the original release.

Disc two: Live at the Fillmore (44:23)

The live disc spans sides C and D, showcasing extended improvisational jams from four songs, emphasizing the band's dynamics. Although labeled "Live at the Fillmore," the recordings were made at both Auditorium and .
SideTrackTitleDurationWriter(s)Lead Vocals
C1Crossroads4:18
C216:47
D1Traintime7:01
D216:17Instrumental
These live recordings highlight extended solos, with "Toad" serving as a drum feature for .

Bonus content

Various reissues of Wheels of Fire feature bonus tracks drawn from outtakes and alternate recordings from the album's 1968 sessions at and other locations, shedding light on Cream's improvisational style and material that was ultimately excluded from the original release, including extended jams and instrumental experiments. For example, the 1992 DCC Compact Classics 24kt Gold CD edition appends "Anyone for Tennis" (2:39), a non-album single from 1968, to the studio disc. The 2004 Polydor remastered CD includes additional bonuses such as alternate mixes of "Sitting on Top of the World," "As You Said," and "Passing the Time," along with "Anyone for Tennis." The 2014 Japanese SHM-SACD edition (Polydor UIGY-9600) follows the original tracklist without added bonuses but features high-resolution remastering from analog tapes. Similarly, the 2020 Polydor vinyl adheres to the original configuration. These additions derive primarily from 1968 multitrack tapes preserved from the album's recording and live preparations, allowing listeners to explore discarded elements like prolonged improvisations that reflected 's live energy but were deemed too lengthy for the standard release. As of November 2025, no new bonus content has been announced for Wheels of Fire, though digital platforms such as and offer the standard album alongside other live recordings from 1968.

Personnel

Core band

The core band of , the pioneering that recorded Wheels of Fire, featured on lead guitar and vocals, on bass and lead vocals, and on drums and percussion, maintaining the same lineup as their prior albums (1966) and (1967). This format emphasized amplified instrumentation and extended improvisations, setting a template for blues-rock ensembles without additional guitarists or keyboards. Eric Clapton delivered the album's lead and parts, drawing on his influences to craft solos and riffs that anchored both studio and live tracks, while providing vocals on select songs such as the live cover of "Sitting on Top of the World." Jack Bruce, the band's primary vocalist, sang lead on most tracks, including the psychedelic hit "," and played bass alongside harmonica and to add textural depth to compositions like "As You Said." He also contributed on "Passing the Time." Ginger Baker supplied the driving drums and percussion, incorporating elements like and for rhythmic variety, and contributed vocals to tracks such as "Passing the Time."

Additional contributors

Felix Pappalardi produced Wheels of Fire, overseeing the studio sessions and contributing a range of instruments to the first disc's recordings, which enhanced the album's psychedelic and blues-rock arrangements. His contributions included viola on "White Room," organ pedals on "Pressed Rat and Warthog," trumpet and on "Deserted Cities of the Heart," and percussion such as Swiss hand bells on "," along with other instruments like violas, bells, and across various tracks. The engineering for the studio tracks involved at in New York, where he recorded and mixed several sessions to capture the band's dynamic sound, and Adrian Barber at in , who handled additional engineering and remixing duties for cohesion across the disc. For the live disc, Bill Halverson engineered the recordings from performances at venues including West and Winterland in , selecting and capturing extended improvisations that showcased the trio's onstage energy. Martin Sharp created the album's distinctive artwork, including the psychedelic illustrations of the "pressed rat" and "warthog" characters that adorned the sleeve and cover, drawing from the album's thematic elements.

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