Eric Clapton was invited by John Mayall to join his band, John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, in April 1965. By August, Clapton left the band to travel the world with friends as a working musician. He returned after two and a half months. (His temporary replacement in the Blues Breakers was Peter Green). In 1966, the band recorded THE British Blues Album of the 1960s, Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton (a.k.a. “the Beano album”). By May 1966, Eric Clapton was bored with merely imitating his blues heroes and left to form Cream.
During Eric Clapton’s tenure with John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, the lineup was:
John Mayall – keyboards, organ, harmonica, vocals
Eric Clapton – guitar
John McVie – bass
Jack Bruce – bass (November 1965 only)
Hughie Flint – drums
Studio Session for Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton only:
Alan Skidmore – tenor sax
Dennis Healey – trumpet
John Almond – baritone sax