Jack Bruce

John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014),

known professionally as Jack Bruce, was a Scottish singer-
Jack Bruce
songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the lead
vocalist and bass guitarist of British rock band Cream. After the
group disbanded in 1968, he pursued a solo career and also played
with several bands.

In the early 1960s, Bruce joined the Graham Bond Organisation,

where he met his future bandmate Ginger Baker. After leaving the
Graham Bond Organisation, he joined with John Mayall & the
Bluesbreakers, where he met Eric Clapton, who also was his future
bandmate. His time with the band was brief. In 1966, he joined
Cream with lead guitarist Clapton and drummer Baker. He co-wrote
hits like "Sunshine of Your Love", "White Room" and "I Feel Free",
with songwriter Pete Brown. After the band disbanded, Bruce Bruce with Cream on Fanclub, 1968
formed his own blues rock band West, Bruce and Laing in 1972, Born John Symon
with guitarist Leslie West and drummer Corky Laing. In the late Asher Bruce
1960s, he started recording solo albums. His first solo album, Songs 14 May 1943
for a Tailor, released in 1969, was a worldwide hit. His solo career Bishopbriggs,
spanned several decades. From the 1970s to 1990s, he played with
Lanarkshire,
several groups as a touring member. In 2005, he reunited with
Scotland
Cream, for concerts in Royal Albert Hall and Madison Square
Garden in New York. Died 25 October 2014
(aged 71)
Bruce is considered to be one of the most important and influential Sudbury, Suffolk,
bass guitarists of all time. Rolling Stone magazine readers ranked England
him number eight on their list of "10 Greatest Bass Guitarist Of All
Time".[1] He was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Nationality Scottish
1993[2], and was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Occupation Singer ·
Award in 2006[3], both as a member of Cream. songwriter ·
musician ·
His first marriage was with Janet Godfrey in 1964, with whom he
composer ·
had two sons, Jonas and Malcolm. Their marriage ended in a divorce
producer
in 1981. His second marriage was with Margret Seyfer in 1982, with
whom he had two daughters Natascha, Kyla and a son named Corin. Years active 1962–2014
He died of liver disease on 25 October, 2014 in England, aged 71. At Spouse(s) Janet Godfrey
the time of his death, he had a net worth of 20 million dollars. (m. 1964;
div. 1981)
Margret Seyfer
(m. 1982;
Contents died 2014)
Life and career Children Jonas · Malcolm ·
1943-1962: Early life Natascha · Kyla ·
1962-1966: Early career Corin
1966-1968: Cream Parent(s) Charlie Bruce,
1970s: Post-Cream
 1980s Betty Asher
1990s Musical career
2000s Genres Rock · jazz ·
2010s blues · latin
Personal life Instruments Vocals · bass
Death guitar · guitar ·
Influence piano

Discography Labels Polydor · Atco ·

Singles RSO · Epic ·
Studio albums Sanctuary ·
Live albums Esoteric

Compilations Associated acts Cream · The

DVDs Graham Bond
Collaborations Organisation ·
John Mayall &
References
the
External links Bluesbreakers ·
Blues
Incorporated ·
Life and career Manfred Mann ·
The Tony
Williams Lifetime
1943-1962: Early life
· West, Bruce and
Bruce was born on 14 May 1943 in Bishopbriggs, Lanarkshire, Laing · Rocket 88
Scotland, to Betty (Asher) and Charlie Bruce,[4] musical parents · Robin Trower ·
who moved frequently, resulting in the young Bruce attending 14 Kip Hanrahan ·
different schools, ending up at Bellahouston Academy. He began BBM · Ringo
playing jazz bass in his teens and won a scholarship to study cello Starr & His All-
and musical composition at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music Starr Band
and Drama while playing in Jim McHarg's Scotsville Jazzband to
support himself.[5] Website jackbruce.com (ht
tp://jackbruce.co
m)
1962-1966: Early career

After leaving school he toured Italy, playing double bass with the Murray Campbell Big Band.[6] In 1962
Bruce became a member of the London-based band Blues Incorporated,[7] led by Alexis Korner, in which he
played the upright bass. The band also included organist Graham Bond, saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith
and drummer Ginger Baker. In 1963 the group broke up, and Bruce went on to form the Graham Bond
Quartet with Bond, Baker and guitarist John McLaughlin.[5] They played an eclectic range of music genres,
including bebop, blues and rhythm and blues. As a result of session work, Bruce switched from the upright
bass to the electric bass guitar. The move to electric bass happened as McLaughlin was dropped from the
band; he was replaced by Heckstall-Smith on saxophone, and the band pursued a more concise R&B sound
and changed their name to the Graham Bond Organisation. The group released two studio albums and
several singles but were not commercially successful.
During the time that Bruce and Baker played with the Graham Bond Organisation, they were known for
their hostility towards each other. There were numerous stories of the two sabotaging each other's equipment
and fighting on stage. Relations grew so bad between the two that Bruce left the group in August 1965.[8]
After leaving, Bruce recorded a solo single, "I'm Gettin Tired", for Polydor Records.[5] He joined John
Mayall and his Bluesbreakers group, which featured guitarist Eric Clapton. Bruce's stay was brief, and he
did not contribute to any releases at the time, but recordings featuring him were later released, initially on
Looking Back and Primal Solos.

After the Bluesbreakers, Bruce had his first commercial success as a member of Manfred Mann in 1966,
including "Pretty Flamingo", which reached number one in the UK singles chart (one of two number one
records of his career - the other being an uncredited bass part on The Scaffold's "Lily the Pink")[5] as well as
the freewheeling and groundbreaking jazz rock of Instrumental Asylum. When interviewed on the edition of
the VH1 show Classic Albums which featured Disraeli Gears, Mayall said that Bruce had been lured away
by the lucrative commercial success of Manfred Mann, while Mann himself recalled that Bruce played his
first gig with the band without any rehearsal, playing the songs straight through without error, commenting
that perhaps the chord changes seemed obvious to Bruce.[9]

While with Manfred Mann, Bruce again collaborated with Clapton as a member of Powerhouse, which also
featured Spencer Davis Group vocalist Steve Winwood, credited as "Steve Anglo". Three tracks were
featured on the Elektra sampler album What's Shakin'. Two of the songs, "Crossroads" and "Steppin' Out",
became staples in the live set of his next band, Cream.

1966-1968: Cream

In July 1966 Bruce, Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker founded the power trio Cream, which gained
international recognition playing blues-rock and jazz-inflected rock music. Bruce sang most of the lead
vocals, with Clapton backing him up and eventually assuming some leads himself.[9]

With his Gibson EB-3 electric bass, Bruce became one of the most famous bassists in rock, winning
musicians' polls and influencing the next generation of bassists such as Sting, Jim Shaw, Geddy Lee, Geezer
Butler and Jeff Berlin.[10] Bruce co-wrote most of Cream's single releases with lyricist Pete Brown,
including the hits "Sunshine of Your Love", "White Room" and "I Feel Free". Cream broke up in 1968.[11]

1970s: Post-Cream

Collaborative efforts with musicians, in many genres – hard rock, jazz, blues, R&B, fusion, avant-garde,
world music, third stream classical – continued as a theme of Bruce's career. Alongside these he produced a
long line of highly regarded solo albums. In contrast to his collaborative works, the solo albums usually
maintain a common theme: melodic songs with a complex musical structure, songs with lyrics frequently
penned by Pete Brown and a core band of world-class musicians. This structure was loosened on his live
solo albums and DVDs, where extended improvisations similar to those employed by Cream in live
performance were sometimes still used.

In August 1968, before Cream officially disbanded, Bruce recorded a semi-acoustic free jazz album with
John McLaughlin, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Jon Hiseman.[5] This was issued in 1970 as Bruce's second
solo album, Things We Like. The album was a precursor to the jazz fusion boom in the early 1970s, and
more recently has been sampled by many hip hop artists Artifacts and Smif-N-Wessun.

Bruce's first solo release, Songs for a Tailor, was issued in September 1969; it too featured Heckstall-Smith
and Hiseman.[5] It was a worldwide hit, but after a brief supporting tour backed by Larry Coryell and Mitch
Mitchell, Bruce joined the jazz fusion group Lifetime, with drummer Tony Williams, guitarist McLaughlin,
and organist Larry Young, for its second album, Turn It Over (1970). For the group's third album, Ego
(1971), Ron Carter replaced Bruce on bass, but Bruce contributed a guest vocal. Bruce then recorded his
third solo album Harmony Row, but this was not as commercially successful as Songs for a Tailor.[5] The
song "The Consul at Sunset" from Harmony Row, which was inspired by the Malcolm Lowry novel Under
the Volcano, was released as a single in 1971 (Polydor 2058-153, b/w "A Letter of Thanks"), but did not
chart.

In 1972 Bruce formed a blues rock power trio, West, Bruce & Laing.
Besides Bruce, the group included singer/guitarist Leslie West and
drummer Corky Laing, both formerly of the Cream-influenced
American band Mountain. West, Bruce & Laing produced two studio
albums, Why Dontcha and Whatever Turns You On, and one live
album, Live 'n' Kickin'.

The band's breakup was announced shortly before Live 'n' Kickin's
release in early 1974, and Bruce released his fourth solo album Out
Bruce performing in Hamburg,
of the Storm later that year. Also in 1974 he featured on the title
January 1972.
track of Frank Zappa's album Apostrophe ('), recorded in November
1972. Bruce was credited with bass and co-authorship on the
improvised track. When asked about Zappa in a 1992 interview,
Bruce tried to change the subject and jokingly insisted that he had played only cello parts. Outtakes from the
session were released on the archival release The Crux Of The Biscuit in 2016. In 1973 Bruce recorded bass
guitar for Lou Reed's Berlin album, playing on all but two tracks.

A 1975 tour was lined up to support the Out of the Storm album with a band featuring former Rolling Stones
guitarist Mick Taylor and jazz keyboard player Carla Bley, with whom he had collaborated in 1971 on
Escalator over the Hill. The tour was belatedly documented on Live at Manchester Free Trade Hall '75
(2003),[12] but it ended with Taylor's departure, and sessions for a studio album were abandoned. During the
next year, Bruce only resurfaced to play on Charlie Mariano's Helen 12 Trees album.

In 1976, Bruce formed a new band (The Jack Bruce Band) with drummer Simon Phillips and keyboardist
Tony Hymas. The group recorded an album, called How's Tricks. A world tour followed, but the album was
a commercial failure.[5] The follow-up album, Jet Set Jewel, was rejected at the time by Bruce's record label
RSO as not being marketable, and RSO ultimately dropped Bruce from their roster. In 1979 he toured with
members from the Mahavishnu Orchestra, reuniting him with John McLaughlin, and introducing him to
drummer Billy Cobham. A 3-CD collection of his 1970s BBC recordings, entitled Spirit, was released in
2008.

1980s

By 1979, Bruce's drug habit had reached such a level that he had lost most of his money. Bruce contributed
as a session musician to recordings by Cozy Powell, Gary Moore and Jon Anderson to raise money. By 1980
his career was back on track with his new band, Jack Bruce & Friends, consisting of drummer Billy
Cobham, guitarist Clem Clempson and keyboardist/guitarist David Sancious. After releasing an album, I've
Always Wanted to Do This, at the end of 1980, they undertook a long tour to support the record, but it was
not a commercial success and they disbanded. In the early 1980s, he also joined up to play with friends from
his Alexis Korner days in Rocket 88, the back-to-the-roots band that Ian Stewart had arranged, and Bruce
appears on the album of the same name, recorded live in Germany in 1980. They also recorded a "live in the
studio" album called Blues & Boogie Explosion for the German audiophile record label Jeton. That year he
also collaborated on the Soft Machine album Land of Cockayne (1981).
In 1981, Bruce collaborated with guitarist Robin Trower and released two power trio albums, B.L.T. and
Truce, the first of which was a minor hit in the US.[5] By 1983, Bruce was no longer contracted to a major
record company and released his next solo album, Automatic, on a minor German label, Intercord. A
European tour followed to promote the album enlisting Bruce Gary from the Knack (who had also played in
Bruce's 1975 band) on drums and Sancious from his 1980 band (Jack Bruce & Friends) on guitar and
keyboards. In 1982, Bruce played with a short-lived ensemble A Gathering of Minds, composed of Billy
Cobham, Allan Holdsworth, Didier Lockwood and David Sancious at Montreux. In 1983, Bruce sang on
tracks 5 and 6 of the Allan Holdsworth album Road Games.

In 1983, Bruce began working with the Latin/world music producer Kip Hanrahan, and released the
collaborative albums Desire Develops an Edge, Vertical's Currency, A Few Short Notes from the End Run,
Exotica and All Roads Are Made of the Flesh. They were all critically successful, and in 2001 he went on to
form his own band using Hanrahan's famous Cuban rhythm section. Other than his partnership with lyricist
Pete Brown, Bruce's musical relationship with Hanrahan was the most consistent and long-lasting of his
career.

In 1985, he sang lead and played blues harp on the song "Silver Bullet" with Anton Fier's Golden
Palominos. It appears on the album Visions of Excess. In 1986 he re-recorded the Cream song "I Feel Free"
and released it as a single to support an advertising campaign for the Renault 21 motor car.

In 1989, Bruce secured his first major record deal in a decade, with Epic, and recorded A Question of Time.
This included two tracks with Ginger Baker on drums, their first collaboration since Cream.[5] Baker then
joined Bruce's live band and toured the United States at the turn of the decade.

1990s

Bruce played at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1990, and was invited by the Irish blues rock performer, Rory
Gallagher (who had a long-standing relationship with Bruce, having supported Cream's farewell concert in
the band Taste in 1968) to perform a couple of songs together on stage. In 1991 he was one of the supporting
musicians for Vivian Stanshall's solo show "Rawlinson Dog-ends", but quit over a lack of adequate
rehearsals.[13] In 1993, a solo album, Somethin Els, reunited him with Eric Clapton and brought belated, but
widespread, critical acclaim.[14]

Later that year, Ginger Baker and a host of former Bruce band colleagues joined him for two special 50th
birthdays concerts in Cologne, Germany, hosted by the TV show Rockpalast. Selections from these were
released as the live double CD Cities of the Heart, and much later as the DVD set Rockpalast: The 50th
Birthdays Concerts. One special guest was the Irish blues-rock guitarist Gary Moore, who joined Bruce and
Baker for a set of Cream classics. Inspired by this performance, the three formed the power trio BBM and
their subsequent (and only) album, Around the Next Dream, was a top ten hit in the UK.[5] However, the old
arguments between Bruce and Baker arose again, and the subsequent tour was cut short and the band broke
up. A low-key solo album, Monkjack, followed in 1995, featuring Bruce on piano and vocals, accompanied
only by the Funkadelic organist Bernie Worrell.

Bruce then began work producing and arranging the soundtrack to the independently produced Scottish film
The Slab Boys, with; Lulu, Edwyn Collins, Eddi Reader and the Proclaimers. The soundtrack album
appeared in 1997. In 1997 he returned to touring as a member of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band, which also
featured Peter Frampton on guitar. At the gig in Denver, Colorado, the band was joined onstage by Ginger
Baker, and Bruce, Baker and Frampton played a short set of Cream classics. Bruce continued to tour with
Starr through 2000.

2000s
In 2001, Bruce reappeared with a band featuring Bernie Worrell,
Vernon Reid of Living Colour on guitar and Kip Hanrahan's three-
piece Latin rhythm section. Hanrahan also produced the
accompanying album Shadows in the Air, which included a reunion
with Eric Clapton on a new version of "Sunshine of Your Love". The
band released another Hanrahan produced studio album, More Jack
than God, in 2003, and a live DVD, Live at the Canterbury Fayre.

Bruce had suffered a period of declining health, after many years of

Bruce playing a fretless Warwick
addictions which he finally beat with clinical treatment, and in 2003
Thumb bass guitar at the Jazzfestival
was diagnosed with liver cancer.[15] In September 2003, he
in Frankfurt, Germany on 28 October
underwent a liver transplant, which was almost fatal, as his body 2006
initially rejected the new organ.[16] He recovered, and in 2004 re-
appeared to perform "Sunshine of Your Love" at a Rock Legends
concert in Germany organised by the singer Mandoki.

In May 2005, he reunited with former Cream bandmates Clapton and Baker for a series of well-received
concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall,[17] released as the album Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6,
2005, and New York's Madison Square Garden.

In between the UK and U.S. Cream dates, he also played live with Gary Moore and drummer Gary Husband
at the Dick Heckstall-Smith tribute concert in London.

Subsequent concert appearances by Bruce were sparse because of recovery after the transplant, but in 2006
he returned to the live arena with a show of Cream and solo classics performed with the German HR
(Hessischer Rundfunk) Big Band. This was released on CD in Germany in 2007. In 2007, he made a brief
concert appearance, opening a new rehearsal hall named in his honour at the Royal Scottish Academy of
Music and Drama, Glasgow with Clem Clempson, keyboard player Ronnie Leahy and Husband.

In 2008, Bruce collaborated again with guitarist Robin Trower on the album Seven Moons. It also featured
Husband.

In May 2008, Bruce was 65 years old and to commemorate this milestone two box sets of recordings were
released. Spirit is a three-CD collection of Bruce's BBC recordings from the 1970s. Can You Follow? is a
six-CD retrospective anthology released by the Esoteric label in the UK. This anthology is a wide-ranging
collection covering his music from 1963 to 2003 and, aside from his work with Kip Hanrahan, is a
comprehensive overview of his career.

Improved health led to Bruce playing a series of live outdoor concerts across the US starting in July 2008 as
part of the Hippiefest Tour. He was supported by members of the late Who bassist John Entwistle's the John
Entwistle Band, and headlined at a tribute concert to the bassist.

In November 2008, he recorded a concert in Birmingham, England for Radio Broadcast with the BBC Big
Band, where he again played the Big Band arrangements of his classic songs. In December he was reunited
with Ginger Baker at the drummer's Lifetime Achievement Award concert in London. They played jazz
classics with saxophonist Courtney Pine and for the first time in 40 years played the Graham Bond–Cream
classic "Traintime".

The same month, Bruce, with guitarist Vernon Reid, drummer Cindy Blackman and organist John Medeski
played a series of Blue Note Club tribute concerts to the Tony Williams Lifetime in Japan. These shows
were broadcast in high definition on television in Japan.
In 2009, Bruce performed in a series of concerts with Trower and Husband in Europe. Proposed dates in the
U.S. in April were cancelled because of a further bout of ill health. Bruce recovered and the band played
summer concerts in Italy, Norway and the UK during 2009. This promoted the release of the Seven Moons
live CD and DVD, recorded in February during the European leg of the tour in Nijmegen, Netherlands.

During the Scottish dates of the 2009 tour Bruce was presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from
Glasgow Caledonian University for services to the culture of Glasgow and music in general.

In August 2009, the 1983 Bruce solo album Automatic was re-released, making his entire solo catalogue
available on CD. In addition, all of the discs up to and including How's Tricks contain previously unreleased
material.

In October 2009, Bruce performed at the 50th anniversary of Ronnie Scott's Club with the Ronnie Scott's
Blues Band.

2010s

Jack Bruce - Composing Himself: The Authorized Biography by Harry Shapiro was released by Jawbone
Press in February 2010. Shapiro had previously written biographies of Bruce collaborators Alexis Korner,
Graham Bond and Eric Clapton. The book followed memoirs from his Cream bandmates Clapton (Clapton,
2007) and Baker (Hellraiser, 2009). His songwriting partner, Pete Brown's, biography White Rooms &
Imaginary Westerns was published in September 2010. They each have differing recollections of forming
Cream, playing and writing together.

On 14 January, at the 2011 North American Music Merchants Show, Bruce became only the third recipient
of the International Bassist Award, a lifetime achievement award for bassists, after Jaco Pastorius and
Nathan Watts.

His first independent CD release, Live at the Milky Way, Amsterdam 2001, featuring The Cuicoland Express,
his Latin-based band of the time, was issued in October 2010. The double album received an official
worldwide release, distributed by EMI in February 2011. To support this release Bruce again played four
dates in London at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club with the Ronnie Scott's Blues Experience, followed by a further
ten dates across the UK with the band. On 4 June 2011, Bruce played a special concert at the Royal Festival
Hall in London, which was celebrating its 60th anniversary. The evening celebrated the 50th anniversary of
the blues in Great Britain, and Bruce played with his Big Blues Band and special guest Joe Bonamassa.

Bruce started 2012 playing the Gerry Rafferty tribute concert in Glasgow, followed by a date with the
traditional Celtic band Lau. BBC Scotland recorded a one-hour special on Bruce, which also included a
performance with Lau. The completed documentary Jack Bruce – The Man behind the Bass was transmitted
in February 2012 by BBC Scotland. It featured new interviews with Bruce, Clapton, Baker and Brown. It
was transmitted again on 9 November 2014 on BBC2 Scotland and on 17 November 2014 on BBC4 in the
UK.[18]

February 2012 saw Bruce playing in Havana, Cuba, along with guitarist Phil Manzanera, supporting the
mambo band of Augusto Enriquez. March saw another residency at Ronnie Scott's in London supported by
his Big Blues Band, followed by a UK tour. The concert at the Stables, Milton Keynes on 18 March was due
to be recorded as an Instant Live CD release, but technical issues prevented this. The following evenings'
performance at the same location was recorded and a 2CD version issued by Instant Live.

Spectrum Road, a collaboration with Vernon Reid, Cindy Blackman and John Medeski in tribute to The
Tony Williams Lifetime, was released in June 2012 by the US jazz record label Palmetto Records[19] and
was accompanied by a series of dates at large jazz festivals in North America and Europe throughout June
and July.
In March 2014, Bruce released Silver Rails on the Esoteric Antenna label, his first solo studio album in over
a decade.[20] Silver Rails was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, produced and mixed by Rob Cass
and features contributions from Cream lyricist, Pete Brown, Kip Hanrahan and wife Margrit Seyffer as well
as musicians Robin Trower, Cindy Blackman, Phil Manzanera, Uli Jon Roth, John Medeski and Bernie
Marsden.[21] The deluxe version of the album featured a behind the scenes documentary "The Making of
Silver Rails" which was filmed on location at the studios and directed by Bruce's daughter Kyla Simone
Bruce.[22] Bruce's son Malcolm Bruce pre-produced the album and played guitar on several tracks, while
Bruce's daughter Aruba Red was featured on "Hidden Cities" singing backing vocals.

Personal life
In 1964 Bruce married Janet Godfrey, who had been the secretary of the Graham Bond Organisation fan
club and had collaborated with Bruce on two songs written for the group.[6] The couple had two sons
together, Jonas (Jo) Bruce, who grew up to play keyboards in his father's band and played with Afro Celt
Sound System, and Malcolm Bruce, who grew up to play the guitar with his father and played with Ginger
Baker's son, Kofi. Jonas died in 1997 from respiratory problems.[23]

In 1982 he married his second wife, Margrit Seyffer.[24] With her he had two daughters, Natascha, known
professionally as Aruba Red and Kyla, and a son Corin.[25]

Death
Bruce died of liver disease on 25 October 2014, in Suffolk, England, aged 71.[23][26] He was survived by his
wife Margrit and four children.[23]

His funeral was held in London on 5 November 2014 and was attended by Clapton, Baker and noted
musicians Phil Manzanera, Gary Brooker, Vernon Reid and Nitin Sawhney among others. Dozens
assembled at the Golders Green Crematorium paying a last tribute singing "Morning Has Broken",
"Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Theme for an Imaginary Western". Bruce's remains were later
cremated[27] and then buried at a private family ceremony on 31 December 2014 at the crematorium.[28]

Influence
Steve Anderson, writing in The Independent said: "he became one of the most famous and influential bass
players in rock."[29] Eric Clapton posted on Facebook about Bruce "He was a great musician and composer,
and a tremendous inspiration to me" and composed an acoustic song in his honour.[30] Black Sabbath
guitarist Tony Iommi said on Twitter that Bruce had been his favourite bass player, saying "He was a hero to
so many" and Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler regarded him as his "biggest influence and favourite bass
player".[31] Rush bassist and singer Geddy Lee wrote: "One of the greatest rock bassists to ever live and a
true and profound inspiration to countless musicians. He was one of my first bass heroes and was a major
influence on my playing and my music."[32]

Writing in The Sunday Times in 2008, Dan Cairns had suggested: "many consider him to be one of the
greatest bass players of all time."[33] Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick said, "There was a
time when Jack Bruce was synonymous with the bass guitar in rock history, when he was widely revered as
the best there was on four strings."[34] Roger Waters of Pink Floyd described Bruce as "probably the most
musically gifted bass player who's ever been."[23]

Discography
Singles
1965, "I'm Gettin' Tired (Of Drinkin' And Gamblin')", Polydor: BM 56036[35]
1971, "The Consul At Sunset", Polydor: 2058 153
1974, "Keep It Down", RSO: 2090 141
1986, "Feel Free", Virgin: VS 875
1995, "Monkjack", CMP Records: CMP CD 1010P
1997, "On and On" (Man Doki with Ian Anderson, Nik Kershaw, Jack Bruce, Bobby Kimball,
Chaka Khan, Guru and David Clayton-Thomas), Brunswick News: 573 469-2
2014, "Fields Of Forever", Esoteric / Cherry Red: EANTS 1002

Studio albums

Charts
Date Title Notes
US UK
August 1969 Songs for a Tailor 55 6
December 1970 Things We Like Recorded August 1968

August 1971 Harmony Row

November 1974 Out of the Storm 160
March 1977 How's Tricks 153
Late 1978 Jet Set Jewel Unreleased until 2003

December 1980 I've Always Wanted to Do This

January 1983 Automatic
October 1989 A Question of Time
March 1993 Somethin Els
September 1995 Monkjack
July 2001 Shadows in the Air
September 2003 More Jack than God
March 2014 Silver Rails

Live albums
 Recorded Title Notes
1971–1978 Spirit (Live at the BBC 1971–1978) Triple CD box set, omits 1980 shows, released 2008

1 June 1975 Live at Manchester Free Trade Hall '75 Double CD, released 2003

6 June 1975, 8 Mono, 1975 show incomplete, includes 1980 show,

Live on The Old Grey Whistle Test
January 1980 released 1998

Also released as Concert Classics Vol.9, Bird Alone,

20 November 1980 Doing This ... On Ice!
(A)live in America, etc.

Double CD of the 50th Birthday Concerts, released

2-3 November 1993 Cities of the Heart
1994

Jack Bruce & The Cuicoland Express: Live

20 October 2001 Double CD, released 2010
at the Milky Way
Re-released in 2015 with DVD as More Jack Than
26 October 2006 Live with the HR Big Band
Blues

Jack Bruce & His Big Blues Band – Live

18 March 2012 Double CD, released 2012
2012

Compilations

Date Title Notes

1972 At His Best Double LP

1989 Willpower: A Twenty Year Retrospective CD, double LP

May 2008 Can You Follow? 6-CD box set

October 2015 Sunshine Of Your Love - A Life In Music Double CD

DVDs

Filmed Title Notes

Documentary directed by Tony Palmer, 55 minutes, released
1971 Rope Ladder To The Moon
2010[36]

19 October 1980 Jack Bruce and Friends In Concert Live on Rockpalast, 105 minutes, released 2002

1980, 1983, 1990 Jack Bruce at Rockpalast Double DVD, 3 concerts, 283 minutes, released 2005

2-3 November Rockpalast: The 50th Birthday Double DVD + CD (The Lost Tracks), 235 minutes, released
1993 Concerts 2014[37]

24 August 2002 Live at the Canterbury Fayre With The Cuicoland Express, 76 minutes, released 2003

26 October 2006 More Jack Than Blues With the HR Big Band, 83 minutes, released 2015

Collaborations
with Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated

1964 - Alexis Korner and Friends

with The Graham Bond Organisation

 1964 – Live at Klooks Kleek (first released in 1972 as Faces And Places Vol. 4)
1965 – The Sound of '65
1965 – There's A Bond Between Us

with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers

1966 - Looking Back (compilation album released in 1969)

1966 – Primal Solos (live recording first released in 1977)

with Manfred Mann

1966 - "Pretty Flamingo", Machines EP, Instrumental Asylum EP

with Cream

1966 - Fresh Cream

1967 - Disraeli Gears
1968 - Wheels of Fire
1969 - Goodbye
1970 - Live Cream
1972 - Live Cream Volume II
2005 - Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6, 2005

with Jimi Hendrix

1968 - Jack Bruce Jam (Unofficial Release)

with Michael Gibbs

1970 - Michael Gibbs

with The Tony Williams Lifetime

1970 - Turn It Over

1971 - Ego

with Carla Bley

1971 – Escalator over the Hill

with West, Bruce and Laing

1972 – Why Dontcha

1973 – Whatever Turns You On
1974 – Live 'n' Kickin'

with Lou Reed

1973 - Berlin

with Frank Zappa

 1974 - Apostrophe (')

with Michael Mantler

1974 – No Answer
1987 – Live
1988 – Many Have No Speech
1993 – Folly Seeing All This
1997 – The School of Understanding

with Charlie Mariano

1976 - Helen 12 Trees

with John McLaughlin

1978 - Electric Guitarist

with Cozy Powell

1979 - Over the Top

1981 - Tilt

with Bernie Marsden

1979 - And About Time Too

with Trevor Rabin

1980 - Wolf

with Rocket 88

1981 - Rocket 88

with Soft Machine

1981 - Land of Cockayne

with Robin Trower

1981 – B.L.T. - US#37

1982 – Truce - US#109
2008 – Seven Moons
2009 – Seven Moons Live (re-released as Songs From The Road)

with Ellen McIlwaine

1982 – Everybody Needs It

with Mose Allison

1983 - Lessons in Living

with Allan Holdsworth

1983 - Road Games

with Kip Hanrahan

1983 - Desire Develops an Edge

1984 - Vertical's Currency
1986 - A Few Short Notes from the End Run
1993 - Exotica
1995 - All Roads are Made of the Flesh

with Mark Nauseef

1985 - Wun-Wun
1994 - The Snake Music (with Miroslav Tadić)

with Anton Fier and Kenji Suzuki

1987 – Inazuma Super Session "Absolute Live!!"

with Leslie West

1988 - Theme

with Bill Ward

1990 - Ward One: Along the Way

with Bruce-Baker-Moore (BBM)

1994 – Around The Next Dream

with Dick Heckstall-Smith and John Stevens

1994 – This That

with Vernon Reid, Cindy Blackman and John Medeski

2012 – Spectrum Road

References
1. "Rolling Stone Readers Pick the Top Ten Bassists of All Time" (https://www.rollingstone.com/m
usic/music-lists/rolling-stone-readers-pick-the-top-ten-bassists-of-all-time-10325/8-jack-bruce-1
02949/). Rolling Stone. 31 March 2011.
2. "Cream: 1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee" (https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/crea
m). Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
3. "Cream: Jack Bruce accepts Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of Cream" (https://www.gr
ammy.com/grammys/videos/jack-bruce-cream-lifetime-achievement-award-acceptance). The
Recording Academy.
4. Alan Clayson (26 October 2014). "Jack Bruce obituary" (https://www.theguardian.com/music/2
014/oct/26/jack-bruce). The Guardian.
 5. Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books.
pp. 127–128. ISBN 978-1-84195-017-4.
6. Welch, Chris (2000). Cream: The Legendary Sixties Supergroup. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-
0879306243.
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stfoot.com/good-scottish-pop/jackbruce.htm). Firstfoot.com. Archived from the original (http://w
ww.firstfoot.com/good-scottish-pop/jackbruce.htm) on 4 February 2012. Retrieved
11 December 2012.
8. Shapiro, Harry (2004). Graham Bond: The Mighty Shadow. Crossroads Press. pp. 85–86.
ISBN 978-1872747071.
9. "Cream - Disraeli Gears". Classic Albums. 3 November 2006. VH1.
10. Jisi, Chris (November 2005). "Cream Rises" (https://web.archive.org/web/20090321163142/htt
p://www.bassplayer.com/article/cream-rises/Nov-05/15324). Bass Player. Archived from the
original (http://www.bassplayer.com/story.asp?storycode=11837) on 21 March 2009.
11. Jack Bruce (https://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/partners/UNTML/browse/?start=84&fq=untl_c
ollection%3AJGPC) interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1970)
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and_live75_E.html). Cloudsandclocks.net. 10 June 2003. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
13. "Vivian's Live performances" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150808080911/http://www.vivarch
ive.org.uk/live.htm). Archived from the original (http://www.vivarchive.org.uk/live.htm) on 8
August 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
14. "Jack Bruce official website – Somethin Els (1993)" (http://www.jackbruce.com/2008/Music/Alb
ums/somethin_els.htm). Jack Bruce Music. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
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sist-jack-bruce-dies). The Guardian. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
16. Dansby, Andrew (16 October 2003). "Jack Bruce on the Mend" (https://www.rollingstone.com/
music/news/jack-bruce-on-the-mend-20031016). Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
17. "Clapton returns for Cream dates" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4506185.stm).
BBC News. 3 May 2005.
18. "BBC Two - ArtWorks Scotland, Jack Bruce: The Man Behind the Bass" (https://www.bbc.co.u
k/programmes/b01c6hw2). BBC.
19. Jurek, Thom (4 June 2012). "Spectrum Road – Spectrum Road : Songs, Reviews, Credits,
Awards" (http://www.allmusic.com/album/spectrum-road-mw0002330321). AllMusic. Retrieved
11 December 2012.
20. "Jack Bruce to Release New Studio Album on Esoteric Antenna" (http://jackbruce.com/2008/N
ewsArchive/esoteric_release.htm) (Press release). Esoteric Antenna. Retrieved 25 September
2013.
21. "Feature-Jack Bruce: Still going strong at 71" (http://forbassplayersonly.com/feature-jack-bruce
-still-going-strong-at-71/). For Bass Players Only. 10 September 2014.
22. "Jack Bruce interview on You Tube" (https://web.archive.org/web/20141019130318/http://plane
tmosh.com/jack-bruce-interview-on-you-tube/). PlanetMosh. Archived from the original (http://pl
anetmosh.com/jack-bruce-interview-on-you-tube/) on 19 October 2014.
23. Keepnews, Peter (25 October 2014). "Jack Bruce, Cream's Adventurous Bassist, Dies at 71"
(https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/us/jack-bruce-creams-adventurous-bassist-dies-at-71.ht
ml?&_r=0). The New York Times.
24. Clash, James M. "Cream Reunion" (https://www.forbes.com/2004/12/03/cz_jc_1203feat.html).
Forbes. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
25. Shapiro, Harry (2010). Jack Bruce - Composing Himself: The Authorized Biography. London:
Jawbone Press. p. 228. ISBN 978-1-906002-63-3.
26. "Cream bassist Jack Bruce dies, aged 71" (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-2977292
6). BBC News. 25 October 2014.
27. "Jack Bruce funeral: Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker pay a farewell in song to the "all round
legend" " (https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/jack-bruce-funeral-eric-clapton-457224
9). Daily Mirror. 5 November 2014.
28. "@ArubaRed | #roses for Dad #RIPJackBruce 💔 #missingyou xxx" (https://arubared.tumb
lr.com/post/107798185814/roses-for-dad-ripjackbruce-missingyou-xxx). Arubared.tumblr.com.
11 January 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
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t.co.uk/news/people/jack-bruce-dead-cream-bassist-dies-of-liver-disease-aged-71-9818343.ht
ml). The Independent.
30. "Song for Jack" (https://www.facebook.com/ericclapton/photos/a.88629717174.94063.1267356
7174/10152374119432175). Facebook.com.
31. "Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler pay tribute to Cream bassist Jack Bruce, who died at the
weekend" (http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/showbiz-tv/tony-iommi-geezer-butler-pay-8
005069). Birmingham Mail. 27 October 2014.
32. "Band: Geddy Lee" (http://www.rush.com/category/geddy/). Rush.com. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
33. Cairns, Dan (1 June 2008). "Jack Bruce, ace of bass" (https://web.archive.org/web/201106150
83726/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article4025183.
ece). The Sunday Times. Archived from the original (http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/
arts_and_entertainment/music/article4025183.ece) on 15 June 2011.
34. McCormick, Neil (25 October 2014). "Jack Bruce was the greatest bassist in the world" (https://
www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/11188243/Jack-Bruce-unleashed-the-potential
-of-the-bass-guitar.html). Telegraph.
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www.45cat.com.
36. "Jack Bruce -Rope Ladder To The Moon [DVD] [1971]" (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jack-Bruce
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OYTCVRI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421161413&sr=8-1&keywords=jack+bruce+50th+birthd
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External links
Official website (http://jackbruce.com)
Original Smiles & Grins Jack Bruce Club (https://web.archive.org/web/20180423220744/http://
www.vanguardproductions.net/jackbruce/)
Jack Bruce (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0115499/) on IMDb

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