Cream bassist Jack Bruce has died.

[edbermac]

Jack Bruce, bassist from 1960s band Cream, has died aged 71, his publicist confirms.

Legendary supergroup Cream, which also included Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker, are now considered one of the most important bands in rock history.

They sold millions of albums in just over two years and were given the first ever platinum disc for Wheels of Fire.

Bruce wrote and sang most of the songs, including "I Feel Free" and "Sunshine Of Your Love".

http://m.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-29772926

[Le Taz Hot]

1. Woah!

Damn! I though Baker would go first. I saw him in a documentary recently and he was still chain smoking and in really bad health. I loved Jack Bruce's voice.

Go with the muses, Jack. I loved your music.

[roguevalley]

53. me too. I loved their stuff and listened to it nonstop. I loved them,

blind faith and all the rest. Very sad to hear. (

[Warpy]

76. Father Time is one mean SOB

I'll never forget an art festival down south that featured a dozen or more high school garage bands. As you walked around the lake in the park where it was held, you'd go from band to band and they were all playing "Sunshine of Your Love."

Baker has looked like he's had a foot in the grave since 1970. I think he's probably embalmed by now and will outlive us all.

RIP, Jack Bruce, and thank you.

[flamingdem]

2. Thanks to JB for all the great music

Cream was and still is a favorite.

[Octafish]

3. ¡Hasta siempre, Hermano!

[shenmue]

4. Rest in peace

[flamingdem]

5. Crossroads live

The original is better for the bass -

[Iggo]

6. Jack Bruce!!!

[enough]

7. Feeling sad about this, but what joy from the music, for him and for us. (nt)

[otohara]

8. Family Dog Denver - 1967

strange brew - I was 14

[Enthusiast]

64. That had to make an impression.

[likesmountains 52]

75. I think I saw them that year too, but on the "revolving" stage

in the Coliseum. I was 15!

[etherealtruth]

9. RIP

Cream (Baker, Bruce and Clapton) such a phenomenal group, such phenomenal talent.

RIP Mr. Bruce, RIP

[world wide wally]

10. They did their part in changing the world too

[BobbyBoring]

11. RIP JACK

One of the worst days of my life was when Cream broke up. Jack was one of a few bassists of the time that could make a 3 piece band work.

And I too thought Ginger would go first.

[Tikki]

12. So sad...rip Sir..

Tikki

[kentuck]

13. Revolutionary

Before Woodstock.

[Stainless]

14. Short Lived Group - But Long Remembered

When I hear music from that time, I am reminded of how tumultuous it was for me and my friends. RIP Jack Bruce and also many of my friends.

[EileenFB]

15. One of the greatest and influential bass players

"greatest" is thrown around so much today but in this case that word is appropriate. Many talk about Clapton's guitar work on Crossroads (rightfully so), but if you have the right settings on your stereo system and crank up the volume, Bruce's bass work is superb.

[Enthusiast]

22. It is extraordinary.

[WinkyDink]

16. Cream was IT for my college years of '67-'71. Who would've thought Ginger Baker would still be

standing?

[still_one]

27. Same here

[Eleanors38]

78. ^^ Cream was the standard of comparison.

[kairos12]

17. Cream--one of the great bands ever.

[cherokeeprogressive]

18. RIP Jack. Yours was one of the greatest voices to ever grace a vinyl groove.

You thought the leaden winter would bring you down forever,
But you rode upon a steamer to the violence of the sun.

And the colours of the sea bind your eyes with trembling mermaids,
And you touch the distant beaches with tales of brave Ulysses,
How his naked ears were tortured by the sirens sweetly singing,
For the sparkling waves are calling you to kiss their white laced lips.

And you see a girl's brown body dancing through the turquoise,
And her footprints make you follow where the sky loves the sea.
And when your fingers find her, she drowns you in her body,
Carving deep blue ripples in the tissues of your mind.

The tiny purple fishes run laughing through your fingers,
And you want to take her with you to the hard land of the winter.

Her name is Aphrodite and she rides a crimson shell,
And you know you cannot leave her for you touched the distant sands
With tales of brave Ulysses, how his naked ears were tortured
By the sirens sweetly singing.

The tiny purple fishes run lauging through your fingers,
And you want to take her with you to the hard land of the winter.

[Enthusiast]

21. He really could sing pretty. Brilliant lyrics.

[Le Taz Hot]

54. My favorite Cream song.

Right there.

[Enthusiast]

62. It's a dandy.

[NRaleighLiberal]

19. He sang on one of the most unique, bizarre albums ever - Carla Bley Escalator Over The Hill

rare rehearsal clip with John McLaughlin - Bruce on bass of course

It is so weird - and of the particular time - but I still love it! RIP Jack.

Jack singing on this cut

the whole bizarre thing if you dare

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4587FC0B422E40F5

[hifiguy]

40. I bought that album because of Jack

I thought I was one of maybe 10 people in the world who owned it.

Turned me into a big Carla Bley fan.

[Enthusiast]

20. Oh, God. I loved that guy.

I got to see him at his very peak of creativity when he performed in the band West, Bruce and Lang.

That guy could really play some bass guitar. One of the very best. Many say the very best.

[hifiguy]

42. Jack was The MAN for an entire generation of bass guitarists

including me.

[Enthusiast]

47. Oh, yeah!

When I say, "What about Stanley Clark?" My friend gets fighting mad.

Of course I have preached the Jack Bruce argument since forever. I'm sure they got tired of me telling them, "Listen to Jack!", on the Crossroads piece, lol. You know how drunks are. Lord, we had so much fun back in the day.

[Hoyt]

23. Hate to hear that. He was still very good a few years ago for 2005 Cream reunion.

[Enthusiast]

28. I believe that entire concert is available on Youtube. It is well worth your time.

[sweetloukillbot]

29. Great Politician from those shows...

[marble falls]

24. Under appreciated part of the band.

[LoisB]

25. RIP, Jack.

[Enthusiast]

26. Here Jack Bruce joins Leslie West and Corky Lang of Mountain to form West, Bruce and Lang.

Jack kicks some butt on this cut.

[hifiguy]

46. Check THIS out

ALL of those voices are Jack. Every last one. The basswork is mind-roasting, to boot.

[Enthusiast]

49. Hell, yes! Gots it on vinyl. Sort of scratchy now though.

Damn good tune! Leslie plays well on that too.

It's funny, Mountain was sort of like an American replacement Cream with the producer of Cream Felix Pappalardi playing the Jack role. He couldn't play bass nearly as well but he was adequate. Felix clearly learned to play bass by his association with Jack. And his vocals were an obvious imitation of Jack's also.

Greatest music period in all of history. Greatest music in all of history, period! Or something.

[hifiguy]

50. Felix was actually pretty honest

about Mountain being an intentional clone of Cream. He never tried to hide it.

Yeah, Leslie's tone at the end of that tune is to die for. He just tastefully wails over that wall of overdubbed voices. Leslie called it "Jack and the Jackettes" in an interview I remember reading. It's the classic "woman tone" as it was called then - a Gibson (a Les Paul Junior in West's case) through a small (50-watt) Marshall half-stack. Mick Taylor got the same mojo with a Gibson SG in his glorious solo on the Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knocking."

1964 -1975 was the greatest period in the history of rock.

I still have that album on vinyl, too and it's still in excellent shape. Bought it when it came out.

[BillZBubb]

30. Truly one of the greats. RIP.

[WestMichRad]

31. RIP, Jack

THE best talent in the massively talented Cream, and contributor to many other great pieces of music.

Here are several songs from an early solo album "Songs for a Tailor"

[Enthusiast]

67. Got that one on vinyl too.

[99Forever]

32. RIP Jack Bruce.

Your music lives on.

[hifiguy]

33. I decided to play bass because of Jack Bruce.

First song I learned on my first bass guitar - a Fender Precision - was Cream's "Tales of Brave Ulysses." He was the inspiration for a generation of bass players and showed us all you didn't have to stand back by the drummer and play chord roots. He was a titan.

Godspeed, Jack.

[DinahMoeHum]

34. His bass riffs are and forever will be legendary. . .

. . .any electric bass player worth his/her salt these days surely cut their musical teeth playing them.

[shenmue]

38. Same here

[progressoid]

35. Aw damn.

[MannyGoldstein]

36. I'm not so glad.

[Enthusiast]

52. +1

[secondvariety]

37. One of the

first songs many a bassist learns to play;

[tabasco]

39. Goodbye to one of the greatest

Cream was absolutely awesome.

[panader0]

41. Damn.

[Karmadillo]

43. Video of Jack discussing/demonstrating White Room bass line & then playing

it with Gary Moore and Gary Husband.

[Enthusiast]

51. Nice!

[adirondacker]

56. Excellent video! Thanks for posting. nt

[hifiguy]

59. Jayzus. That is ON FIRE.

Moore eats Clapton for lunch there and picks his teeth with the bones. Another titan lost.

[Stardust]

44. So sad...I love Cream. RIP, Jack-- you'll be remembered forever.

[annabanana]

45. damn

another chunk of my youth gone...

[kwassa]

48. CREAM WAS THE BEST !!!!!!

I thought they set an incredibly high standard for rock musicianship. They were hugely influential in their brief career.

Everything that Clapton did since this band was less.

Jack Bruce, great songs, great vocals, it is a pity to see him go.

[cascadiance]

55. Here's him performing a solo of "Theme for an Imaginary Western"...

Loved that song from my earlier years too! Quite the keyboard player as well and gives a tribute to Felix Papalardi of the Mountain years too.

[Blue_In_AK]

57. Sad.

I loved Cream and especially loved his voice. I guess we don't live forever.

[AverageJoe90]

58. R.I.P., Jack Bruce. You inspired millions.....nt

[johnp3907]

60. One of my favorite tracks:

[Enthusiast]

63. I was just ready to post that one. Good call.

[awoke_in_2003]

61. The tension between him and Baker

made for some excellent music.

[workinclasszero]

65. RIP Jack

[Enthusiast]

66. One more.

[Unknown Beatle]

68. A had a couple of friends in

high school that wanted to be drummers. They had cheap little drum sets and they would listen to Cream constantly because they wanted to sound like Ginger Baker playing drums.

But I liked Cream because they were a great super-group plus Jack Bruce singing was great especially on White Room.

RIP Jack, pass over quietly.

[Art_from_Ark]

69. How about a live performance of Sunshine of Your Love?

From 1968:

[Enthusiast]

74. That was "back in the day".

I had seen that before but I had to watch it again.

[Art_from_Ark]

79. "Back in the day"...

...seems like only yesterday.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

70. Thanks for the music. Rest in peace.

My condolences to his family and friends.

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

71. RIP Jack, loved your music... nt

[Nativechef]

72. RIP Jack

His influence was one of the reasons I picked up the Bass 40 plus years ago............

[Babel_17]

73. He had skills

[Eleanors38]

77. I remember listening to "I Feel Free" on an album cut

over our big Magnavox stereo in 1966, just before watching that new T.V. show "Star Trek." Even the modernity of Star Trek to a backseat to the sound of psychadellic distortion. Man! The dawn of that whole magical era.

Unsung song writer and singer. Loved his early solo albums.