Meet Me in the Bottom

Cream: Meet Me in the Bottom | Tales of Brave Ulysses | The Fool Gibson SG | Wheels of Fire 1968

Cream, miming on Ready, Steady, Go!, November 1966.

One of of the earliest recorded performances by Cream is the live bootleg from 15 November 1966 of Meet Me in the Bottom (also known as Down in the Bottom), one of a group of songs recorded during a gig in a London pub. It is the only known recording of the song by Cream, with origins dating back to July 1937 with the recording by Blind Boy Fuller of Boots and Shoes.

Undoubtedly a old traditional tune predating any recording, its lyrics concern the fate of a man who, upon engaging in an intimate relationship with a married or partnered woman, is sprung by the woman's partner, requiring him to loose his shoes whilst jumping out a window to escape. He subsequently asks for a catch-up meeting to retrieve them, despite the threat of death by the aggrieved partner. The music was usually acoustic slide guitar in the rocking blues idiom, similar to Rollin' and Tumblin'. An updated version of this was released by Black American Pink Anderson in 1961 and was reminiscent in both words and music of the Cream recording Hey Lawdy Mama, as was that done by Lightning Hopkins. Howling Wolf (Chester Burnett) recorded the song in January 1962, with Willie Dixon cited therein as lyricist. Elsewhere John Lee Hooker is listed as songwriter. As played by Wolf in a 1966 live performance, the tune is a variant on that traditional Rollin' and Tumblin' slide guitar workout, though more restrained than the Elmore James version.

Howlin' Wolf, Meet Me in the Bottom, live, 1966, duration: 5.38 minutes.

Never recorded by Creamin the studio, their version of Meet Me in the Bottom is very different to those aforementioned traditional versions, including that recorded by The Rolling Stones in 1964. The Cream version was recorded on 15 November 1966 at Klooks Kleek, Railway Hotel, 100 West End Lane, West Hampstead, London. The following poster was prepared for an earlier, August performance there by the band, supported by the Savoy Brown Blues Band.

Klooks' Kleek, London, 2 August 1966, hand-drawn poster.

This R&B venue was located next door to the Decca recording studios, perhaps explaining why a bootleg live recording could be made of the band at that stage. John Mayall is also known to have recorded R&B bands in London during this period using his own tape recorder. This included the Bluesbreakers band which up until 17 July had featured Clapton. The Klook's Kleek rendition of Meet Me in the Bottom is a high energy, electric blues, heavy guitar riff-laden workout. The crudity of the sound recording captures Clapton's biting guitar up front, and the solid drumming of Ginger Baker. Jack Bruce's vocals and bass are muddy, to say the least. Nevertheless, the power of Clapton's guitar playing at that point comes through loud and clear.

Cream, Meet Me in the Bottom, 15 November 1966, duration: 4.49 minutes.

Other songs recording on the night include the Freddie King Steppin' Out plus Cream originals Sweet Wine, NSU, Hey Lawdy Mama, Sleepy Time Time and Robert Johnson's Crossroads.

Cream, Live at Klook's Kleek, 15 November 1966, duration: 31.40 minutes.

In the hands of Clapton, Bruce and Baker, Meet Me in the Bottom is a driving, heavy electric blues jam with a classic riff. Clapton is likely playing the Gibson Les Paul '59 Burst (seen in the photograph at the head of this article) through a Marshall amp. He had acquired the guitar from Andy Summers, of Zoot Money's Roll Band and later The Police, following the theft of his original Burst during a Cream practice session in June. He paid £200 for the Summers guitar, which at one point he stated was as good as his stolen Beano Burst.

Meet Me in the Bottom had been recorded by the Rolling Stones in 1964, both live and in the studio. However, therein it was a very much lighter Rollin' and Tumblin' copy, lacking the powerful and dominant riff of the Cream version. Brian Jones' slide work is notable on the Rolling Stones live cut.

Analysis of the Cream version

Included below is a 2021 breakdown of the main riff by British guitarist Jeff McErlain. This is the most comprehensive assessment of the Cream performance.

Jeff McErlain, Cream's Meet Me in the Bottom analysis, 15 April 2021, duration: 73.30 minutes.

Three other, shorter playings of the riff, have been recorded by Steve Carpenter, Apostrophe and Echoplexi during 2009, 2016 and 2021. Two guitarists use Gibsons in their presentation.

Steve Carpenter, 24 February 2009, duration: 4.31 minutes.

Apostrophe, 21 February 2016, duration: 1.13.

Echoplexi, 19 April 2021, duration: 1.12 minutes.

-----------------------

Lyrics

Meet Me in the Bottom

Yeah, meet me in the bottom and
Bring my running shoes
Yeah, meet me in the bottom
Bring my running shoes
She's got a bad old man
I ain't got time to lose

Don't you tell nobody if you
See me creeping by
Don't you tell nobody if you
See me creeping by
She got a bad old man
She got a mean old man

I don't wanna die
I'm beat down and tired but
They keep closing in
I know if he catch me here I will
Never breathe again
I might have to jump out the window
I might have to make it out the window

They saw me sinking and
They turned their heads
I know what they're thinking
They think I'm dead
Soon I will wake with just
One thing in mind
Revenge, revenge, revenge

--------------------

Later versions

* 1967 - live version by the New York garage punk band The Groupies. Variant of the Rollin and Tumblin version.

* 1980 - Rainer Baumann Band, with a version in the style of Doctor Feelgood.

* 1974 - Eric Clapton instrumental recording from the 461 Ocean Boulevard sessions. This is similar to the original acoustic blues recordings, and in no way revives the Cream version.