News
New Wheels Of Fire Deluxe Editions Feature Previously Lost Tapes
19 May 26
On June 14th 1968, Cream released their third album, Wheels Of Fire, which captured the creative zenith of one of the most impactful bands in music history in a single studio record and another, including an incendiary live set. Twenty-six days later, they announced their demise. At that point, the album hadn’t even been released in the group’s native UK. Another two weeks would pass before that happened, leaving music listeners on both sides of the Atlantic, along with scores of fans around the world, at once dazed, excited and confused.
Almost 60 years later, the album is being reissued on June 12 in a lavish package, including, for the first time, the original Mono tapes, thought lost for decades, outtakes, alternate mixes, live tracks, and a newly restored stereo version that removes the Haeco-CSG* process applied to the album in 1968, which blurred the original stereo image. It can be pre-ordered here.
Cream was a highly influential British rock power trio formed in London in 1966, widely regarded as the world’s first supergroup. The band was composed of three virtuosos who were considered the ‘cream’ of London’s musicians: Eric Clapton on guitar and vocals, Jack Bruce, bass and lead vocals, and Ginger Baker on drums and vocals. The three had already achieved success in other prominent groups, including The Yardbirds, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Manfred Mann and The Graham Bond Organisation.
The band’s first two albums, Fresh Cream (1966) and Disraeli Gears (1967), were instant hits with the latter reaching the top five on both sides of the Atlantic, meaning that expectations were high for Wheels Of Fire. The album was released in the US by Atco on June 14, 1968, with a UK release on Polydor following on August 9. It was a blockbuster success straight away, charting at No. 3 in the United Kingdom and No. 1 in the United States, Canada and Australia, becoming the world’s first platinum-selling double album. However, on July 10, the band announced it would split by the end of the year, citing a loss of direction.
The new super deluxe edition of Wheels Of Fire includes producer and multi-instrumentalist Felix Pappalardi’s reference tapes, which were thought lost forever, offering a unique look at the evolution of the studio tracks.
Back in the mid-’60s, Felix Pappalardi and his wife, Gail, rented a carriage house on McDougal Alley in New York City’s Greenwich Village just around the corner from what would later become Electric Lady Studios. When the couple moved out of that space in the early ’70s, they left behind hundreds of open-reel tapes in a plastic bag, a cache thankfully salvaged by the woman who rented them the space. In that bag were scores of tapes, including those of the Youngbloods, whom Pappalardi had produced, as well as key parts of his work with Cream. About two decades ago, an artist and experienced collector named Kore Yoors acquired the recordings and was subsequently alerted by a friend to a posting in Where’s Eric! seeking Eric Clapton archival rarities for potential use in a career-long documentary. While not visual and “merely” audio recordings, Yoors took a chance and answered the ad, bringing the tapes to the attention of Larry Yelen, who went on to produce the Grammy nominated film Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars and a preeminent Clapton historian. Thus began a twenty-year odyssey of determination and belief in the tapes and their considerable musical importance. “Without Where’s Eric!,” Yelen says, “none of this would have been possible. I’m indebted to Linda Wnek and WE! publicizing the search that helped bring these and other archival treasures to light.” Together with Grammy Award-winning reissue producer Bill Levenson and British Grammy-nominated A&R expert Johnny Chandler, arrangements were made to purchase the tapes and subsequently have them transferred for inclusion in this project.
Studio sessions with Pappalardi began in July and August 1967 at IBC Studios in London, months before the release of Disraeli Gears, and continued in small bursts in the US in September, October & December 1967, finishing up in Spring 1968. The album’s second disc included three live recordings from the Winterland Ballroom and one from the Fillmore. Eric’s second solo from “Crossroads” has made it to the top 20 in multiple “greatest guitar solo” lists.
Even though the band would release one further album, 1969’s Goodbye, Wheels Of Fire stands as the band’s creative peak and, along with their earlier albums, continues to inspire new generations of musicians with every passing year.
*Haeco-CSG was intended to make stereo recordings that were also fully compatible with mono playback equipment. The unfortunate side effect is that the CSG process “blurs” the stereo imaging. Using available digital audio processing software during mastering enabled the reversal of this Haeco-CSG effect.
WHEELS OF FIRE: 5 CD SUPER DELUXE EDITION
The 5CD box includes a hardcover book featuring sleeve notes by Jim Faber and photographs of Cream from that period. The CDs are housed in a gatefold sleeve, and together with the book, they are enclosed within a 10” x 10” rigid slipcase with a silver lamination finish.
Disc One
Wheels Of Fire: In the Studio (2026 Remaster)
1968 Originally Released CSG Encoded Version
01. White Room — 4:59
02. Sitting on Top of the World — 4:59
03. Passing the Time — 4:33
04. As You Said — 4:22
05. Pressed Rat and Warthog — 3:15
06. Politician — 4:14
07. Those Were the Days — 2:55
08. Born Under a Bad Sign — 3:11
09. Deserted Cities of the Heart — 3:42
Wheels Of Fire: In the Studio (Phase Corrected 2026 Remaster)
+ Previously Unreleased Phase Corrected (de-CSG’d) Version
A special, newly remastered stereo version of the 9-track studio portion of Wheels Of Fire. Originally released in 1968 utilising CSG-processed recordings, this newly remastered, de-CSG’d version now presents the album phase-corrected, with more detail and a crisp soundstage.
10. White Room — 4:59 +
11. Sitting on Top of the World — 4:59 +
12. Passing the Time — 4:32 +
13. As You Said — 4:22 +
14. Pressed Rat and Warthog — 3:15 +
15. Politician — 4:14 +
16. Those Were the Days — 2:55 +
17. Born Under a Bad Sign — 3:11 +
18. Deserted Cities of the Heart — 3:40 +
Disc Two
Wheels Of Fire: In the Studio (Stereo Reference Reels)
+ Previously Unreleased Stereo Tapes
01. White Room — 4:59 +
02. Sitting on Top of the World — 4:55 +
03. Passing the Time (Long Version) — 5:50 +
04. As You Said — 4:16 +
05. Pressed Rat and Warthog (With Spoken Intro) — 3:16 +
06. Politician — 4:10 +
07. Those Were the Days — 2:54 +
08. Born Under a Bad Sign — 3:08 +
09. Deserted Cities of the Heart — 3:36 +
Wheels Of Fire: In the Studio (Mono Reference Reels)
+ Previously Unreleased Mono Tapes
10. White Room — 4:59 +
11. Sitting on Top of the World — 4:57 +
12. Passing the Time (Long Version) — 5:50 +
13. As You Said — 4:18 +
14. Pressed Rat and Warthog (With Spoken Intro) — 3:15 +
15. Politician — 4:11 +
16. Those Were the Days — 2:54 +
17. Born Under a Bad Sign — 3:10 +
18. Deserted Cities of the Heart — 3:39 +
These newly remastered mono and stereo versions of the studio album, sourced from the late Cream producer Felix Pappalardi’s personal reference reels, have never been issued before. Among the 9 stereo and 9 mono mixes are many alternate mixes.
Disc Three
Wheels Of Fire: Live at the Fillmore Auditorium & Winterland Ballroom (2026 Remaster)
01. Crossroads — 4:16
02. Spoonful — 16:48
03. Traintime — 7:02
04. Toad — 16:16
Disc Four
Wheels Of Fire: More Live at the Fillmore Auditorium & Winterland Ballroom (2026 Remaster)
+ Previously Unreleased
01. N.S.U. — 10:15
02. Sleepy Time Time — 6:51
03. Rollin’ and Tumblin’ — 6:45
04. Sweet Wine — 15:18
05. Tales of Brave Ulysses — 4:45
06. We’re Going Wrong — 6:55 +
07. Sunshine of Your Love — 7:25
08. Steppin’ Out — 13:41
Features 8 additional tracks performed at the March 1968 concerts. Seven of the additional tracks were issued on Live Cream in 1970 and Live Cream Volume II in 1972. “We’re Going Wrong” has never been officially released before and was recorded on 10 March 1968 at Winterland Ballroom.
Disc Five
Wheels Of Fire: Rarities (2026 Remaster)
Early Versions, Alternate Mixes, Single Versions and Live Recordings
+ Previously Unreleased
01. White Room (Stereo US Single Edit) — 3:05
02. Sitting on Top of the World (Alternate Stereo Mix) — 4:57 +
03. Passing the Time (Alternate Long Stereo Mix) — 5:51 +
04. As You Said (Alternate Stereo Mix) — 4:19 +
05. Pressed Rat and Warthog (Alternate Stereo Mix) — 3:10 +
06. Politician (Alternate Stereo Mix) — 4:11 +
07. Anyone for Tennis (Stereo Single Mix) — 2:39
08. White Room (Early Version Mono Mix) — 4:29 +
09. Deserted Cities of the Heart (Rough Mono Mix / No Strings) — 3:37 +
10. Pressed Rat and Warthog (Alternate Mono Mix) — 3:14 +
11. As You Said (Alternate Mono Mix) — 4:21 +
12. Anyone for Tennis (Mono Single Mix) — 2:39
13. Crossroads (Mono Single Version) — 4:16
14. N.S.U. (recorded 9 March 1968 at Winterland Ballroom) — 12:38
15. Sunshine of Your Love (recorded 7 March 1968 at the Fillmore Auditorium) — 6:58
A newly compiled Rarities collection featuring 15 rare recordings (9 unreleased) of early versions, alternate mixes and single versions. Highlights of this collection are “White Room (Early Version Mono Mix),” “Deserted Cities of the Heart (Mono Rough Mix / No Strings),” “Crossroads (Mono Single Version),” as well as 7 other alternate stereo and mono mixes, 3 single versions and 2 rare live recordings.
WHEELS OF FIRE IN THE STUDIO): 2026 EXPANDED THREE-LP EDITION
180g black vinyl release in a gatefold sleeve, complete with a metallic Pantone finish.
LP One
Phase Corrected 2026 Remaster
Previously Unreleased Phase Corrected (de-CSG’d) Version
Side 1
01. White Room — 4:59
02. Sitting on Top of the World — 5:00
03. Passing the Time — 4:32
04. As You Said — 4:22
Side 2
01. Pressed Rat and Warthog — 3:15
02. Politician — 4:14
03. Those Were the Days — 2:55
04. Born Under a Bad Sign — 3:11
05. Deserted Cities of the Heart — 3:40
LP Two
Mono Mix Reference Reels
+ Previously Unreleased Mono Mixes
Side 3
01. White Room (Mono Mix) — 4:59 +
02. Sitting on Top of the World (Mono Mix) — 4:57 +
03. Passing the Time (Long Version) (Mono Mix) — 5:50 +
04. As You Said (Mono Mix) — 4:18 +
Side 4
01. Pressed Rat and Warthog (With Spoken Intro) (Mono Mix) — 3:15 +
02. Politician (Mono Mix) — 4:11 +
03. Those Were the Days (Mono Mix) — 2:54 +
04. Born Under a Bad Sign (Mono Mix) — 3:10 +
05. Deserted Cities of the Heart (Mono Mix) — 3:39 +
LP Three
Rarities: Early Versions, Alternate Mixes and Single Versions
+ Previously Unreleased
Side 5
01. White Room (Stereo US Single Edit) — 3:05
02. Sitting on Top of the World (Alternate Stereo Mix) — 4:57 +
03. Passing the Time (Alternate Long Stereo Mix) — 5:51 +
04. As You Said (Alternate Stereo Mix) — 4:19 +
05. Politician (Alternate Stereo Mix) — 4:11 +
06. Anyone for Tennis (Stereo Single Version) — 2:39
Side 6
01. White Room (Early Version Mono Mix) — 4:29 +
02. Deserted Cities of the Heart (Rough Mono Mix / No Strings) — 3:37 +
03. Pressed Rat and Warthog (Alternate Mono Mix) — 3:14 +
04. As You Said (Alternate Mono Mix) — 4:21 +
05. Anyone for Tennis (Mono Single Version) — 2:39
CREAM
ERIC CLAPTON — Guitar and vocals
JACK BRUCE — Lead vocals, bass guitar, cello, harmonica, calliope, acoustic guitar, recorder
GINGER BAKER — Drums, percussion, bells, glockenspiel, timpani, spoken word on “Pressed Rat And Warthog”
With “In The Studio” FELIX PAPPALARDI — Viola, organ pedals, trumpet, tonette, Swiss hand bells