On this day in 1966, Cream (Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker) made their explosive live debut at The Twisted Wheel in Manchester. Just three years later, they'd help invent heavy metal and influence generations of rock bands.

In this Vault episode of Professor of Rock, Adam dives into the haunting 1968 classic “White Room.” More than just a psychedelic anthem, it was born from poet Pete Brown’s battle with addiction and a desperate moment of clarity inside a flophouse that became his makeshift rehab. His raw poem about that apartment was transformed by Cream into a rock milestone—one that stunned even Brown when it became a hit.

Hear the story behind the song that was years ahead of its time, and the band that burned out in a blaze of brilliance.

Next on Professor of Rock!

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