Biography
The idea of a rock supergroup first took shape with Blind Faith, an outfit that brought together players already celebrated for earlier successes and acclaim. Yet the venture also illustrated a recurring pitfall of such lineups: abundant résumés and matching egos made friction nearly unavoidable, usually dooming the projects to rapid collapse. Even with a chart-topping record and a lucrative worldwide trek, the group formed and disbanded within less than twelve months, registering as a substantial but odd footnote in the trajectories of Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Rick Grech.
Tensions inside two prominent late-’60s British ensembles helped give rise to Blind Faith. At the height of their popularity, Cream dissolved in 1969; Clapton questioned the band’s artistic path, while bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker could scarcely tolerate one another. At the same time, after departing the Spencer Davis Group, vocalist and keyboardist Steve Winwood launched Traffic to pursue an exploratory fusion of roots-oriented psychedelia steeped in jazz and blues. Initial triumphs gave way to similar ego clashes and disputes over songwriting versus instrumental balance, prompting Traffic’s own dissolution in 1969.
Longtime friends and admirers, Clapton and Winwood had already shared stages informally, so once both were free they began discussing a joint project. During one rehearsal session, Baker dropped by and joined on drums; the percussionist’s expansive style meshed well with the emerging material, which favored a gentler blend of blues and R&B than Cream had offered. Though Clapton hesitated to team again with Baker so soon after Cream’s end, Winwood’s eagerness prevailed and Baker came aboard. The lineup became a quartet when bassist Rick Grech, formerly of the noted U.K. group Family, was added.
Recording commenced in May 1969 under producer Jimmy Miller. Capitalizing on Cream’s massive sales and widespread interest in Clapton’s next move, the new band—playfully christened Blind Faith by Clapton—secured generous contracts with Atlantic in the United States and Polydor in the United Kingdom. Demand for live dates prompted bookings across Europe, the United States, and Canada. Their first public appearance occurred at London’s Hyde Park on June 7, 1969, drawing an estimated 100,000 spectators. While most listeners enjoyed the event, Clapton felt the performance sounded too casual and unrehearsed. A subsequent European club tour later that month afforded tighter sonic control, yet the July North American leg placed the musicians in vast arenas plagued by substandard acoustics and sound systems. Enthusiastic crowds frequently clashed with security, creating a volatile atmosphere, and the band possessed barely an hour of original material when the trek began. Seven weeks of dates followed, during which the musicians seldom felt satisfied with either their playing or the surrounding conditions.
The self-titled album reached stores in August 1969. Although “Presence of the Lord” and “Can’t Find My Way Home” quickly became FM-rock staples and the LP claimed the top spot in both Britain and America, critical response proved more muted than anticipated. The cover art—a topless schoolgirl holding a silver model airplane—drew sharp rebuke; American copies substituted a straightforward band portrait instead. Upon returning from North America at month’s end, the members dispersed. Clapton toured as a sideman with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends before forming Derek & the Dominos, while Winwood reassembled Traffic, which achieved greater success than before. Baker started Ginger Baker’s Air Force, later including Grech, who also spent a short period with Traffic. In 1976 Grech participated in the short-lived supergroup KGB alongside Michael Bloomfield, Carmine Appice, and Barry Goldberg.
Grech passed away in 1990 and Baker in 2019. Although Clapton and Winwood have shared occasional performances, Blind Faith has never been revived; their brief 1969 existence apparently sufficed for everyone involved.
Tensions inside two prominent late-’60s British ensembles helped give rise to Blind Faith. At the height of their popularity, Cream dissolved in 1969; Clapton questioned the band’s artistic path, while bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker could scarcely tolerate one another. At the same time, after departing the Spencer Davis Group, vocalist and keyboardist Steve Winwood launched Traffic to pursue an exploratory fusion of roots-oriented psychedelia steeped in jazz and blues. Initial triumphs gave way to similar ego clashes and disputes over songwriting versus instrumental balance, prompting Traffic’s own dissolution in 1969.
Longtime friends and admirers, Clapton and Winwood had already shared stages informally, so once both were free they began discussing a joint project. During one rehearsal session, Baker dropped by and joined on drums; the percussionist’s expansive style meshed well with the emerging material, which favored a gentler blend of blues and R&B than Cream had offered. Though Clapton hesitated to team again with Baker so soon after Cream’s end, Winwood’s eagerness prevailed and Baker came aboard. The lineup became a quartet when bassist Rick Grech, formerly of the noted U.K. group Family, was added.
Recording commenced in May 1969 under producer Jimmy Miller. Capitalizing on Cream’s massive sales and widespread interest in Clapton’s next move, the new band—playfully christened Blind Faith by Clapton—secured generous contracts with Atlantic in the United States and Polydor in the United Kingdom. Demand for live dates prompted bookings across Europe, the United States, and Canada. Their first public appearance occurred at London’s Hyde Park on June 7, 1969, drawing an estimated 100,000 spectators. While most listeners enjoyed the event, Clapton felt the performance sounded too casual and unrehearsed. A subsequent European club tour later that month afforded tighter sonic control, yet the July North American leg placed the musicians in vast arenas plagued by substandard acoustics and sound systems. Enthusiastic crowds frequently clashed with security, creating a volatile atmosphere, and the band possessed barely an hour of original material when the trek began. Seven weeks of dates followed, during which the musicians seldom felt satisfied with either their playing or the surrounding conditions.
The self-titled album reached stores in August 1969. Although “Presence of the Lord” and “Can’t Find My Way Home” quickly became FM-rock staples and the LP claimed the top spot in both Britain and America, critical response proved more muted than anticipated. The cover art—a topless schoolgirl holding a silver model airplane—drew sharp rebuke; American copies substituted a straightforward band portrait instead. Upon returning from North America at month’s end, the members dispersed. Clapton toured as a sideman with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends before forming Derek & the Dominos, while Winwood reassembled Traffic, which achieved greater success than before. Baker started Ginger Baker’s Air Force, later including Grech, who also spent a short period with Traffic. In 1976 Grech participated in the short-lived supergroup KGB alongside Michael Bloomfield, Carmine Appice, and Barry Goldberg.
Grech passed away in 1990 and Baker in 2019. Although Clapton and Winwood have shared occasional performances, Blind Faith has never been revived; their brief 1969 existence apparently sufficed for everyone involved.
Albums
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
2021
Heartbreakers – The Best of Blind Faith
2021
Kashmir Dreams
2021
Whole Lotta Love
2021
Into The Calm
2010
Blind Faith
1969
Singles
