White Room
Cream, 1968. Solo by Eric Clapton.
Clapton's wah workout.
Clapton treats the wah pedal less as an effect than as a second voice here. Instead of saving it for one break, he threads wah-soaked fills between Jack Bruce's vocal lines, so the guitar seems to comment on every verse. The payoff comes in the long outro, where the band vamps and he stretches into a sweeping blues solo, rocking the pedal to shape the attack and decay of each phrase. It remains one of the clearest demonstrations of how expressive a wah can be when it follows the phrasing rather than simply pumping in time. Listen for the moments where he seems to hold the pedal partway open, giving single notes a nasal, almost spoken quality before sweeping on.
White Room by Cream is ranked #100 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Eric Clapton and the song was released in 1968. It appears on 5 lists, placing as high as #25 (Radio Beat).
The story of White Room
'White Room' was written by bassist Jack Bruce with poet Pete Brown, Cream's regular lyric partner. Brown first attempted a set of words called 'Cinderella's Last Goodnight', then reworked a long poem of his own about moving into a flat with bare white walls during a period when he was giving up drink and drugs. The imagery of black curtains, tired starlings and railway stations gives the song its dreamlike, slightly ominous feel.
Bruce's melody shares the same basic chord movement as Cream's earlier 'Tales of Brave Ulysses'. The famous opening, a stately passage in 5/4 time, replaced a straight 4/4 start, and both Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker later claimed the idea. The record company worried that the unusual meter would hurt the song's chances on radio, but the introduction became one of its most recognizable features.
Recording stretched from July 1967 through mid-1968, starting in London and continuing at Atlantic Studios in New York across several sessions. Producer Felix Pappalardi played the viola parts that swell under the intro, Baker added timpani, Bruce sang lead and played bass, and Eric Clapton layered rhythm and lead guitars. The polished studio production sat on the first disc of the double album Wheels of Fire.
Wheels of Fire came out in August 1968, split between studio tracks and live recordings. 'White Room' was edited to about three minutes for single release in the US in September 1968, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and appeared in the UK in January 1969, after the band had already played its farewell concerts. It topped the charts in Australia and Canada.
The solo
Eric Clapton's lead part is defined by the wah-wah pedal, which he used to create a vocal, talking quality throughout the track rather than confining it to a single break. Between the verses his wah fills answer Bruce's vocal, and the long outro lets him stretch into a sweeping, blues-based solo, rocking the pedal to shape each phrase as the band vamps beneath. Clapton's main Cream-era guitar through mid-1968 was his psychedelic-painted 1964 Gibson SG known as 'The Fool', per Guitar World, though sources do not state exactly which guitar he used on this track, and the specific amp for the session is undocumented. Clapton recorded both rhythm and lead guitar parts, overdubbing them in the studio over the band's backing.
Legacy
Rolling Stone placed 'White Room' at No. 376 on its 500 Greatest Songs list, and AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised its mix of drama, intricate playing and hard rock menace. It has been covered by an unusually varied set of artists, from actor Joel Grey to Apocalyptica, Helloween and Deep Purple. Clapton kept it in his solo shows for decades, playing it at Live Aid and during his Royal Albert Hall residencies, and the reunited Cream performed it in 2005. Its wah-driven lead remains a textbook example of the effect.
Top 10 facts about White Room
Pete Brown's first lyric for the tune was titled 'Cinderella's Last Goodnight' before he adapted a poem about a white-walled flat.
WikipediaBoth Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker claimed credit for the 5/4 introduction.
WikipediaThe record company was concerned the 5/4 opening would hurt the song commercially.
WikipediaProducer Felix Pappalardi played the viola parts on the recording.
WikipediaThe song uses the same chord progression as Cream's 'Tales of Brave Ulysses'.
WikipediaClapton played his 1964 'Fool' SG extensively until mid-1968, including on live Wheels of Fire tracks.
Guitar WorldThe single reached No. 1 in Australia and No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
WikipediaRolling Stone ranked it No. 376 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
WikipediaClapton performed it at Live Aid in 1985 with Phil Collins on drums.
WikipediaDeep Purple covered it on their 2021 album Turning to Crime.
Wikipedia
Live versions
- Live Cream Volume II (1972) Posthumous live album containing a 1968 Cream performance of the song.
- Live Aid (JFK Stadium, Philadelphia) (1985) Clapton played it in his set with Phil Collins.
- 24 Nights (Royal Albert Hall) (1990) Part of Clapton's Royal Albert Hall concert series.
- Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6, 2005 (2005) Cream's reunion shows, released as a live album.
Notable covers
- Joel Grey Stage and screen actor's unlikely version, cited by AllMusic as proof of the song's range.
- Apocalyptica Finnish cello-metal group's instrumental reading.
- Helloween German power metal band's cover.
- Frank Gambale Fusion guitarist's instrumental take.
- Deep Purple (2021) Included on their covers album Turning to Crime.
In our lists
- The 25 Greatest Blues Rock Guitar Solos — #9
- The 25 Greatest Psychedelic Guitar Solos — #8
- The Pioneers: 1950s & 60s — #16
- Wah & Talk Box Solos — #6
- Best of Eric Clapton — #5
Sources
- Radio Beat: 88 kytarových sól na Beatu — #25
- TheTopTens: Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #26
- Digital Dream Door: 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos — #27
- SiriusXM (countdown transcribed on PRS Guitars forum): 50 Baddest Guitar Solos — #33
- Ranker: The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #45
- Wikipedia: White Room
- Guitar World: The history and mysteries of Eric Clapton's Cream guitars
Who played the guitar solo on White Room?
Eric Clapton played the solo on Cream's White Room (1968).
Where does White Room rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#100 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 5 of them.
Who wrote White Room by Cream?
Jack Bruce wrote the music and Pete Brown wrote the lyrics.
What is White Room about?
Pete Brown based it on a poem about moving into a white-walled flat while quitting drink and drugs.
Does Eric Clapton use a wah pedal on White Room?
Yes, the wah-wah pedal gives his lead part its talking, vocal sound.
What time signature is the White Room intro?
The introduction is in 5/4 time before the song settles into 4/4.
What album is White Room on?
Wheels of Fire, Cream's 1968 double album.