Blind Faith

How I spent my summer vacation. People get summer jobs all the time. But rarely is the job being in a Rock supergroup. In early '69, as Cream bit the dust drummer Ginger Baker made Eric Clapton promise to include him to his next group. Meanwhile, Steve Winwood's Traffic was making great records but not reaching a very large audience. In the pre-Cream days, Clapton and Winwood discussed working together but Winwood had just started Traffic and felt committed to sticking with it. Now seemed perfect. From the Family bassist/violinist Rick Grech was recruited. He quit the group right at the beginning of their U.S. tour, which probably caused a great deal of Family anxiety. Grech was actually something of an afterthought. Baker, Winwood and Clapton had started jamming at Clapton's country cottage. They liked the results but felt trying to make a go of it, as a trio, would just be another Cream. Neither Clapton nor Baker relished that idea, so Grech got the call.

Blind Faith's only album was released and the supergroup made its debut and sole UK performance at London's Hyde Park on June 7th. Then they set out on a U.S. tour through August and September. By the end of the tour Clapton had lost interest and decided to join Delaney and Bonnie and Friends. That instantly brought attention to Delaney and Bonnie who'd been struggling.

Blind Faith's legacy was one album and a cover controversy. The original cover had a young girl topless holding a metallic airplane. For most U.S. covers it was a black and white photo of the band with Winwood clutching a mic, Clapton playing a snare drum and Baker holding a guitar.

Baker and Grech went on to the short-lived Ginger Baker's Airforce. This attempt at big band rock lasted only slightly longer than Blind Faith (two albums). Winwood started work on a solo effort but decided to re-form Traffic instead.