Legendary bassist with 60s rock group Cream Jack Bruce has given an interview containing an astonishing outburst against fellow rock gods Led Zeppelin.
Bruce was collecting an award for his old group Cream when he was cornered by a journalist who asked him about the recent reformation. Cream played a series of celebrated gigs last year, playing songs from throughout their back catalogue. The original power trio, the band contained Bruce, guitarist Eric Clapton and famed drummer Ginger Baker.
The transcript of the interview with Dave Ling reads as follows:
Dave Ling: It’s good news that there might be more from Cream?
Jack Bruce: “Well, the trouble is that I’m doing so many amazing things on my own. Cream is just a band from many, many years ago, and we did do something…
“Everybody talks about Led Zeppelin, and they played one fucking gig – one fucking lame gig – while Cream did weeks of gigs. Proper gigs, not just a lame gig like Zeppelin did, with all the keys lowered and everything.
“We played everything in the original keys. Fuck off, Zeppelin, you’re crap. You’ve always been crap and you’ll never be anything else. The worst thing is that people believe the crap that they’re sold. Cream is 10 times the band that Led Zeppelin is.”
Ling: That’s a bold opinion.
Bruce: “What? You’re gonna compare Eric Clapton with that fucking Jimmy Page? Would you really compare that?”
Ling: To be fair, they’re different kinds of player, aren’t they?
Bruce: “No! Eric’s good and Jimmy’s crap. And with that I rest my case.”
In a quick office poll Clashmusic.com discovered that none of us are particularly huge fans of Clapton, with one staffer stating bluntly that his legacy doesn’t justify the hype.
We much prefer Peter Green, actually.
