Crossroads (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Crossroads" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Song by Cream | ||
| from the album Wheels of Fire (Live at the Fillmore) | ||
| Released | July 1968 | |
| Recorded | Winterland Ballroom | |
| Genre | Blues rock | |
| Length | 4:14 | |
| Label | Polydor | |
| Producer(s) | Felix Pappalardi | |
| Wheels of Fire (Live at the Fillmore) track listing | ||
| "Crossroads" (1) |
Spoonful (2) |
|
-
For the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony song, covered by Blazin' Squad, see Tha Crossroads
"Crossroads", from Cream's 1968 album Wheels of Fire, is a famous and influential blues-rock song.
It was written by Robert Johnson as "Cross Road Blues" and there are additional lines copied from Johnson's "Traveling Riverside Blues". It is supposedly about the original songwriter, Robert Johnson, going to the crossroads to sell his soul to the devil in exchange for being able to play the blues and gain fame.
The iconic recording was recorded live at the Winterland Ballroom on the 10th March, 1968 and not at the Fillmore as stated by the original Wheels Of Fire album. It has also been suggested that the released recording is a shortened edit from a much longer rendition but this has been disproved by a separate bootleg audience recording available of the entire night's performance.
Unlike Cream's usual arrangement with bassist Jack Bruce singing, guitarist Eric Clapton took the vocals on this recording. Clapton's extended guitar solos from "Crossroads" cemented his reputation as a guitar legend; his work from the track has been voted the greatest live rock solo ever. Bruce's fluent bass playing, blurring the line between rhythm and melody, has been similarly honored as the second-best live bass performance of all time!
The song was later covered in 2004 by Rush on their Feedback album.
The song was also covered by Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1976 on their album One More from the Road.
The song was featured in the 2005 Playstation 2 game, Guitar Hero.
The song was featured in the 1999 Freaks and Geeks episode I'm With the Band.
[edit] External links
- "Cross Road Blues" lyrics
- "Traveling Riverside Blues" lyrics
- Live version performed at Cream's Farewell Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London, 26th November 1968[1]
