Ginger Baker

Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (born 19 August 1939) is an English drummer and the founder of the rock band Cream. His work in the 1960s earned him praise as "rock's first superstar drummer," although his individual style melded a jazz background with his interest in African rhythms. Baker is credited as a pioneer of drumming in genres like jazz fusion, heavy metal and world music.

Baker began playing drums at age 15, and later took lessons from Phil Seamen. In the 1960s, he joined Blues Incorporated, where he met bassist Jack Bruce. The two clashed often, but would be rhythm section partners again in the Graham Bond Organisation and Cream, the latter of which Baker co-founded with Eric Clapton in 1966. Cream achieved worldwide success but lasted only until 1968, in part due to Baker's and Bruce's volatile relationship. After briefly working with Clapton in Blind Faith and leading Ginger Baker's Air Force, Baker spent several years in the 1970s living and recording in Africa, often with Fela Kuti, in pursuit of his long-time interest in African music. Among Baker's other collaborations are his work with Gary Moore, Masters Of Reality, Public Image Ltd, Atomic Rooster, Bill Laswell, jazz bassist Charlie Haden, jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, and another personally led effort, Ginger Baker's Energy.

Baker's drumming attracted attention for his style, showmanship, and use of two bass drums instead of the conventional one. In his early days, he performed lengthy drum solos, most notably in the Cream song "Toad", one of the earliest recorded examples in rock music. Baker is an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Cream, of the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2008, and of the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2016.

Links To Peel
Peel once played a 1958 track on 28 February 1970 from Terry Lightfoot's Jazzmen, which stood out as something no other Radio 1 DJ of the time would think of playing. It was a favourite from Peel's youth - and the drummer on the track was Ginger Baker, who spent years on the British jazz scene before finding fame with Cream.

In 1973 Ginger Baker returned to the UK from Nigeria, where he appeared in an Omnibus documentary called Ginger Baker In Africa, where he travelled across Africa to explore it's music. Returning to the UK he gave Peel a series of African sessions recorded in Ginger's recording studio in Lagos, which was broadcast on Sounds Of The Seventies throughout July of that year. 

Discussing drum solos on his 02 May 2002 show, Peel described a story involving Ginger Baker doing a long drum solo:

"'I remember doing a gig once with Cream - compering a gig actually - with the Bonzos, Viv Stanshall and the Bonzos and Cream at the Saville Theatre in London. Obviously this is a very old time story, but at the same time Ginger Baker did I think a twenty-two minute long drum solo which was just so tedious that I actually asked the stage manager whether we ought to just switch all the equipment off and go home. Good thing we didn't, because he was quite a truculent fellow as I recall.'"

Shows Played

 * Ginger Baker's Air Force - Da Da Manr Baker's Air Force
 * 16 May 1970: Da Da Man (2xLP – Ginger Baker's Air Force) Polydor
 * Baker Gurvitz
 * 16 August 1976: 'Hearts On Fire (LP-Hearts On Fire)' (Mountain)