What to Expect From the Upcoming Expanded Reissue of Cream’s ‘Wheels Of Fire’

Cream's only U.S. chart-topping album, 1968's Wheels of Fire, returns in as an expanded super-deluxe reissue with previously unreleased recordings including lost mixes from producer Felix Pappalardi.

The late-'60s supergroup included Eric Clapton at a fiery peak, ever-inventive drummer Ginger Baker and hard-charging singing bassist Jack Bruce. Wheels of Fire: Super Deluxe Edition is due on June 12. Preordering is already underway. See a complete track listing below.

The 5CD reissue pairs material Pappalardi's personal tapes with expanded live recordings and a 24-page hardback book featuring new liner notes and rare images to chronicle the "full creation and fruition of this foundational album," according to the official announcement. There will also be a special expanded 3LP edition titled Wheels of the Fire: In the Studio.

Inside the Recording of Cream's 'Wheels of Fire'

The third of just four albums by Cream, Wheels of Fire originally arrived with one disc of studio material and another featuring live recordings. Sessions took place periodically over the course of nearly a year, beginning in the summer of 1967 before the preceding Disreali Gears had arrived on store shelves. The Top 10 U.S. hit single "White Room" was among their first attempted songs.

READ MORE: Top 10 Eric Clapton Guitar Solos

Studio material was then combined with performances captured by a mobile recording studio in early March 1968 at the Fillmore Auditorium and Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. By then, however, tensions were mounting within the group. "As You Said" would emerge as the only Cream song not to feature Clapton.

Wheels of Fire became a platinum-selling smash, also reaching the Top 5 in the U.K, but the band had already announced their intention to split. Cream cobbled together a farewell release, simply titled Goodbye, before going their separate ways.

Cream's 'Wheels of Fire: Super Deluxe Edition' Track Listing

DISC ONE
(Originally Released CSG Encoded Version)
1. "White Room"
2. "Sitting on Top of the World"
3. "Passing the Time"
4. "As You Said"
5. "Pressed Rat and Warthog"
6. "Politician"
7. "Those Were the Days"
8. "Born Under a Bad Sign"
9. "Deserted Cities of the Heart"

(Previously Unreleased Phase Corrected De-CSG'd Version)
10. "White Room"
11. "Sitting on Top of the World"
12. "Passing the Time"
13. "As You Said"
14. "Pressed Rat and Warthog"
15. "Politician"
16. "Those Were the Days"
17. "Born Under a Bad Sign"
18. "Deserted Cities of the Heart"

DISC TWO
(Previously Unreleased Stereo Tapes)
1. "White Room"
2. "Sitting on Top of the World"
3. "Passing the Time (Long Version)"
4. "As You Said"
5. "Pressed Rat and Warthog (With Spoken Intro)"
6. "Politician"
7. "Those Were the Days"
8. "Born Under a Bad Sign"
9. "Deserted Cities of the Heart"

(Previously Unreleased Mono Tapes)
10. "White Room"
11. "Sitting on Top of the World"
12. "Passing the Time (Long Version)"
13. "As You Said"
14. "Pressed Rat and Warthog (With Spoken Intro)"
15. "Politician"
16. "Those Were the Days"
17. "Born Under a Bad Sign"
18. "Deserted Cities of the Heart"

DISC THREE
(Live at the Fillmore Auditorium and Winterland Ballroom 2026 Remaster)
1. "Crossroads"
2. "Spoonful"
3. "Traintime"
4. "Toad"

DISC FOUR
(More Live at the Fillmore Auditorium and Winterland Ballroom 2026 Remaster)
1. "N.S.U."
2. "Sleepy Time Time"
3. "Rollin' and Tumblin'"
4. "Sweet Wine"
5. "Tales of Brave Ulysses"
6. "We're Going Wrong"
7. "Sunshine of Your Love"
8. "Steppin' Out"

DISC FIVE
(Early Versions, Alternate Mixes, Single Versions and Live Recordings)
1. "White Room (Stereo US Single Edit)"
2. "Sitting on Top of the World (Alternate Stereo Mix)"
3. "Passing the Time (Alternate Long Stereo Mix)"
4. "As You Said (Alternate Stereo Mix)"
5. "Pressed Rat and Warthog (Alternate Stereo Mix)"
6. "Politician (Alternate Stereo Mix)"
7. "Anyone For Tennis (Stereo Single Mix)"
8. "White Room (Early Version Mono Mix)"
9. "Deserted Cities of the Heart (Rough Mono Mix / No Strings)"
10. "Pressed Rat and Warthog (Alternate Mono Mix)"
11. "As You Said (Alternate Mono Mix)"
12. "Anyone For Tennis (Mono Single Mix)"
13. "Crossroads (Mono Single Version)"
14. "N.S.U. (Recorded March 9 1968 at Winterland Ballroom)"
15. "Sunshine of Your Love (Recorded March 7 1968 at the Fillmore Auditorium)"

See Jack Bruce Among Rock’s Forgotten Supergroups