On the second Blood, Sweat and Tears album, the first one with David Clayton Thomas, the first and last tracks are called “Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie”. The riff on which they perform the variations is, as I recall, the signature riff of Sunshine of Your Love, by Cream. I was intrigued by this when I was a teenager, but never pursued it. Can anyone who is familiar with Satie’s music tell me: Did Jack Bruce, Peter Brown and Eric Clapton steal this famous riff from Erik Satie?
The Satie piece is “Trois Gymnopedies,” and I really don’t hear any similarity to Cream.
So was Blood, Sweat and Tears yanking our collective chains way back when? I can’t listen to the song now, because I can’t access the MP3 site from Amazon while I’m at work, but my memory tells me that the first cut on Blood, Sweat and Tears started out note for note like Sunshine of Your Love. Can anyone else listen and verify my memory? Does the BS & T track sound like anything by Satie?
The “Sunshine Of Your Love” riff is in the song “Blues Part II”. Nothing to do with Satie (first and last tracks).
Specifically, Gymnopedie No. 1.
Thanks. I’ve apparently carried a very clear erroneous memory around for over thirty years. Not the first or last time, I’m sure.