Jack Bruce Composing Himself: The Authorised Biography [Paperback]

'Cream bassist Jack Bruce has revealed he saved the life of Ginger Baker when the drummer overdosed on heroin following the band's 1967 Top of the Pops debut...Bruce told Harry Shapiro, who interviewed him for the upcoming biography, Jack Bruce: Composing Himself, that he and Clapton were concerned when Baker failed to meet them after the show. He said: "I went back into the dressing room and found Ginger stretched out on a narrow wooden bench. He was green and he was rattling. I knew immediately he'd overdosed."...'
--Daily Express, January 11, 2010

'Old rock stars never mellow, they just carry on fighting...Composing Himself, an official biography that Bruce has written with the blues writer Harry Shapiro... It's a story which traces the British rock-star arc; a loner in post-war Britain in seduced by the sexual and consumerist glamour of America and sets out to secure a reliable supply of both via music. Singing was his way in; even with Cream, Bruce's soulful, honeyed Glaswegian tones were his trademark...'
--The Sunday Times/Times online, February 14, 2010

When Cream broke up in 1968 it was by no means a foregone conclusion that it would be Eric Clapton who would enjoy continued commercial success. After all, it was Jack Bruce who had the looks, and who co-wrote and sang all the band's major hits, including "Sunshine of Your Love", "I Feel Free" and "White Room". But he was a singular talent who wanted to be a pioneer, not just a pop star, and he was never happy resting on his reputation. Cream split in their prime but their influence endured, and when they reformed in 2005 tickets were selling for nearly GBP 2000 on e-bay. In the 40 years since Cream split Bruce has continued his musical adventures with the likes of John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Carla Bley and Mick Taylor, never quite achieving the success and recognition he deserves. It has been an often troubled life - heroin addiction, management rip-offs, family tragedy, and a failed liver transplant, all of which he speaks about frankly in this book, telling a story that is sometimes funny, sometimes bleak, and always honest. Jack Bruce on Later with Jools Holland 2010 http://jawbonepress.com/index.php?id=54

Harry Shapiro an author, journalist and lecturer who has written widely on the subjects of drugs, popular music and film. He is the author of Waiting For The Man: The Story of Drugs and Popular Music, Shooting Stars: Drugs, Hollywood and The Movies, Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy and biographies of Graham Bond and Alexis Korner.