Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse
Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse was an English blues-rock supergroup that was put together in 1966 for studio recordings.
Band History
Joe Boyd, director of the newly opened London office of the U.S. record company, Elektra Records, was looking for the end of 1965 a British blues band, with which he could shoot for an upcoming Electric Blues album. Material from the Butterfield Blues band, Lovin ' Spoonful and other artists was before.
Paul Jones, vocalist of Manfred Mann, Boyd suggested the founding of a supergroup and put together a list of known musicians. Up to Ginger Baker (drums, Graham Bond Organization) all were available and willing to participate in the project. In January 1966, Eric Clapton (guitar, formerly of the Bluesbreakers ) (vocals, Spencer Davis Group ), Pete York met Paul Jones ( harmonica, vocals), Jack Bruce (bass, then also with Manfred Mann ), Steve Winwood (drums, also at Spencer Davis ) and Ben Palmer (piano, he had already played earlier with Clapton together) to the first sample.
A week later they took in London's Olympic Studios Titles I Want to Know ( S. McLeod ), Crossroads (Robert Johnson) and Steppin ' Out ( M. Slim), which then, as planned, on the Elektra album What's Shakin'! were published in America.
The following year (1967 ) the album was also released in the UK, but under the name Good Time Music. Eric Clapton said later in an interview that the band recorded a fourth title, a slow blues, which remains unpublished to this day.
Due to contractual obligations Steve Winwood was listed in the accompanying text as Steve Anglo. Author of I Want to Know, Paul Jones, who used the name of his wife, Sheila McLeod as a pseudonym. Steppin 'Out by James Bracken was falsely attributed to Memphis Slim, who had the piece in his repertoire. Steppin 'Out Clapton had played with the Bluesbreakers, and Cream went on with it.
The Powerhouse made no further recordings. Clapton and Bruce joined in the same year with Ginger Baker to the power trio Cream together. Palmer was later their tour manager. Clapton and Winwood played in later years together frequently, for example in the project Blind Faith, Ginger Baker which also belonged.
Crossroads was a standard title with Cream. The Powerhouse recording was published by Winwood on his 1971 compilation album Winwood again. Clapton released I Want to Know on his retrospective The History of Eric Clapton 1972. Both titles appeared together on Winwood's compilation The Finer Things 1995, Clapton's name. Ten Years After played I Want to Know in 1967 on their first album.