A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs Episode 166: “Crossroads” by Cream
Jul 2, 2023
00:00
Blues as a Category
- White men didn't create blues music.
- They created the blues as a category, especially the idea of solo male guitarists.
Mamie Smith's Impact
- Mamie Smith's 1920 "Crazy Blues" was a groundbreaking hit.
- It marked a turning point, revealing a huge untapped market for Black music.
Birth of Classic Blues
- "Crazy Blues" sounds like what we consider blues today.
- It was a commercial success, selling 75,000 copies in its first month.
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Introduction
00:00 • 4min
The History of the Blues
03:48 • 3min
The History of the American Black Blues
06:51 • 4min
The Blues and the Empress of the Blues
10:56 • 2min
The Origins of the Blues
12:50 • 2min
The Origins of the Blues
14:52 • 3min
The History of the Blues
17:35 • 3min
The Life and Times of Charlie Patton
20:27 • 3min
The Life and Times of Charlie Patton
23:10 • 2min
Robert Johnson and Willie Brown
25:36 • 2min
The Life and Times of Patton
27:29 • 2min
The Rise and Fall of the Delta Blues
29:07 • 5min
The History of the Grand Bond Organization
33:51 • 3min
The Story of Ginger Baker
37:05 • 3min
The Rise and Fall of Alexis Corner
40:13 • 2min
The Graham Bond Trio
42:29 • 3min
The Graham Bond Quartet
45:35 • 3min
The Beatles: A Hard Day's Night
48:08 • 1min
Gonsko Beatz: A Bizarre Film of the 60s
49:36 • 1min
The Yardbirds: A Cinematic Mecca
51:03 • 5min
The Trouble With Bruce and the Yardbirds
55:51 • 4min
Mael Clapton and the Graham Band
59:45 • 3min
The Blues Breakers Revolving Door
01:03:12 • 4min
The Blues Breakers
01:06:56 • 3min
The Who's Waltz for Pig
01:09:37 • 5min
The Life and Times of Bruce Clapton
01:15:05 • 2min
The Cream: A Trio of Musicians
01:16:40 • 3min
The Influence of Robert Johnson on Mock Guitar
01:19:47 • 2min
The Greatest Black Blue Singer Ever
01:22:04 • 4min
The Country Blues
01:25:59 • 2min
The Legend of Johnson
01:27:39 • 2min
The War Between Manfred Mann and John Mayo
01:29:49 • 2min
The Rise and Fall of the Reaction Label
01:32:05 • 6min
The History of Cream
01:37:40 • 2min
The Who's Amaboy
01:40:03 • 2min
Clapton's Curly Hairdo
01:42:18 • 3min
Stigwood's Loss of Focus on Cream
01:45:30 • 4min
Strange Brew
01:49:53 • 3min
Cream's Disraeli Gears
01:53:12 • 3min
The Rise and Fall of Crazy Blue
01:55:54 • 3min
The Strange Life of Cream
01:59:18 • 4min
The Importance of Listening to Music
02:03:34 • 5min
The Death of Cream
02:08:34 • 4min
The Rise and Fall of Cream
02:12:26 • 2min
The Unreliability of Information About Robert Johnson
02:14:26 • 5min
The Segregation of a South
02:19:56 • 3min
The Life and Times of Robert Spencer
02:23:09 • 2min
Robert Johnson and Lonnie Donnegan
02:25:31 • 2min
The Life and Times of Robert Johnson
02:27:52 • 2min
The Life and Times of Noah Johnson
02:29:46 • 3min
Johnson's Life and Work
02:33:07 • 3min
Johnson's Sweet Home Chicago
02:35:47 • 2min
The Life and Times of Johnny Johnson
02:37:37 • 4min
The Death of Robert Johnson
02:41:26 • 2min
Mack McCormick's False Account of Robert Johnson's Poisoning
02:43:26 • 6min
The Last Living Person With a Strong Family Connection to Robert Johnson
02:49:54 • 3min
The History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
02:53:14 • 2min
Episode 166 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Crossroads”, Cream, the myth of Robert Johnson, and whether white men can sing the blues. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.
Patreon backers also have a forty-eight-minute bonus episode available, on “Tip-Toe Thru’ the Tulips” by Tiny Tim.
Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt’s irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/