Sunshine Of Your Love – Cream

When I was at secondary school some of my friends decided to start a band as there was an end of year talent show coming up. It just so happened one of the guys called Dylan had always played lead guitar, another Dylan learnt to play the drums in boys brigade and Simon had started to learn bass guitar. Perfect combination apart from none of them wanted to be the singer. I still think it’s strange I had two Dylan’s in my class, both you’d have to guess were named after the great man himself, and I’ve not met another Dylan since. Anyway the band asked the music teacher if they could borrow the music room at lunchtimes to rehearse a few songs. The drum kit and amps were set up and I used to tag along at lunch break to hear them fumble their way through a few guitar classics. To be fair it didn’t take them long to get really good and the show was fast approaching. At one point they even asked if I would sing with them but I told them I didn’t want to get arrested for GBH of the ear-hole. I always regretted that I didn’t pick up the guitar then, I waited a few more years, only when my brother passed his one down to me I got into it, feel like I wasted some valuable years there.

The band still didn’t have a singer so one of their other friends was lined up to belt out the vocals, but not long before the show he got cold feet and decided he didn’t want to be famous. Not to sure how it happened but they then approached our English teacher to see if he would stand in. He was a little Scottish fella with a whole heap of confidence and he jumped at the chance. The thing I remember most about him was he collected the little toys out of Kinder Eggs and had them all lined up in the classroom cupboard behind his desk, the whole class spent every lesson trying to knock them down with spit balls when his back was turned. 

I hadn’t really heard much stuff by Cream, they were of the era that fell in between my parents older music and the current stuff I liked. But I sort of knew of this song, then I heard it so many lunchtimes over those few weeks that it really became embedded in my head, it takes me back to that concert every time I hear it. The look on the headmasters face and all the English teachers pupils was brilliant. He was up there doing his Rod Stewart impression completely over shadowing the three lads that had spent weeks learning the songs. He certainly didn’t hold back, great fun.

Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce, now that was a Super Group if there ever was one, no wonder they called themselves Cream. Masterclass in guitar riffs and pumping drums.

Favourite lyric: I'll be with you darling soon / I'll be with you when the stars start falling