RARELY HEARD REHEARSAL BROADCASTS FROM 1966 & 1967 Cream made their unofficial live debut at Manchester s Twisted Wheel club on 29th July 1966. The group s debut album, Fresh Cream, produced by Robert Stigwood, was recorded in London between August and November 66, and released in December on React ion, Starwood s short lived label. Rehearsals for the album also took place in London during three sessions in August, September and November. The follow-up Cream album, Disraeli Gears - named after a roadie mis-pronounced the transmission system on a racing bike (derailleur gears) - was a quickly assembled affair that became a massive seller particularly in the US where it was the group s breakthrough record. Recorded in New York in May of 1967 and this time produced by future Mountain bassist Felix Pappalardi, who also co-wrote two of the record s tracks, the album came out less than a year after Cream s debut, in November 1967. Rehearsals again took place in London during March and April of 67. Six of the rehearsal sessions undertaken for Fresh Cream and Disraeli Gears were broadcast live on off-shore Pirate Radio during 1966 and 1967, the first time any such occurrence had taken place. These broadcasts are now featured in edited versions on this CD, the first time these rare recordings have been released
