Powerhouse – I Want To Know

Last week I ran across the one-off “supergroup” The Buzzin’ Cousins that John Mellencamp formed with  Joe Ely, Dwight Yoakam, John Prine, and James McMurtry. I thought I would look around for any more that I don’t know about.

Many of you probably know this band but I had no clue about it. It’s been called different things like Eric Clapton’s Powerhouse. This band featured Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Steve Winwood, Paul Jones (Manfred Man) Pete York (Spencer Davis Group drummer), and Ben Palmer (piano,  previously played with Clapton and Jones as a member of the Roosters and the Grands) and they recorded this in 1966.

This was meant to be and was a short-term one-off band that included some heavy players back in the day and huge historically. They recorded three songs that appeared on the Elektra Records compilation What’s Shakin’ in 1966. A fourth song, “Slow Blues”, was recorded but remains unreleased to this day.

It’s been said that I Want To Know was written by Paul Jones but he used his wife’s name in the credit…Sheila McLeod. I would guess for contract reasons. Also due to contractual restrictions, Stevie Winwood is listed as Steve Angulo. The songs are I Want To Know (Shelia McLeod), Steppin Out (Memphis Slim), and Crossroad (Robert Johnson) which Cream would later cover.

Later on these songs were released on collections by Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Steve Winwood. This was around the time that Jack Bruce was in Manfred Man.

Here is a link to the complete album on youtube.

I’m going to include their released discography here…all three songs.

I Want To Know

I want to know why do you always run around
I want to know why do you always run around
Every man I know is watching you pull me down
I want to know, do you really mean to hurt me
I want to know, do you really mean to hurt me
Well, I’m tryin’ to understand the dirty way you always treat me
I want to know if I can come home every night
I want to know if I can come home every night
Well, oh woman, oh woman, why can’t you try to treat me right

I wanna know, I wanna know
Hey hey I want want, I wanna know, oo oh
All right, what do you say
Well woman, oh woman, why can’t you try to treat me right

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

28 thoughts on “Powerhouse – I Want To Know”

  1. I remember hearing about that album, because The Butterfield Blues Band was on it. I was never able to find it; I heard two songs Butterfield added (“Spoonful” and “One More Mile”) because they were on another collection. I looked it up on Discogs. Looks like a hell of an album!

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    1. I looked it up also…along with Lovin Spoonful…I didn’t know they played that much blues but I only know the singles by them. It’s cool to find the complete album on youtube. I’m going to link it.

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  2. I have referenced this Crossroads cover version but the whole What’s Shakin” compilation is interesting. In particular The Powerhouse with that impressive lineup. I actually thought “I Want to Know “ was a cover song as it’s got a very authentic Blues feel.

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    1. All of this is new to me…I never knew they exsisted.
      It was more than likely based on a blues song we know. It’s cool to see soon to be Cream and Blind Faith members in the same group.

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  3. Wow, I never heard of Powerhouse – quite an appropriate name, given the heavy weights in that group! I also had no idea Jack Bruce was a member of Manfred Mann for a short time. In fact, I just saw he played on their hit “Pretty Flamingo.”

    You won’t be surprised that all of these three songs are right up my alley. Also, interesting how some of these guys needed to conceal their names – the music business can be so screwed up!

    Yesterday, I received a notification that Steve Winwood, who I really love, love, love, is touring again. I think he had been sidelined for a while due to some health issues. I’ve seen him twice and had a ball. I’m so tempted to catch him one more time but unfortunately, I need to slow down. Man, it’s killing me!

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    1. Christian, you are one of the ones I was thinking of when I made the post. It is full of great players. I can’t believe I’d never heard of them.
      I heard he was touring with someone else…I can’t remember who.

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      4. LOL… ah you should go man…you never know if you will see him again.
        I would be happy if he only played Dear Mr Fantasy and walked off… well not really but you know what I mean…that song is one of my favorites of all time.

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      5. Not to make your jealous, “Dear Mr. Fantasy” was among the songs Winwood played when I saw him. In fact, more than 90% was old stuff from Spencer Davis Group and Traffic. I think “Higher Love” was the “newest ” song in his set! 🙂

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      6. That song is like a holy grail to me. Much like Whiter Shade of Pale and a few others. I never get tired of it….and yes I’m jealous!

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    1. Yes…it was right before Cream. I think in the Bluesbreakers is where Eric met Jack Bruce…when Eric came back replacing Peter Green. I could be wrong.

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  5. Another new one to me. Quite an impressive lineup to say the least! Weird it was done for what looks like almost a K-tel record. Listening to that last one, ‘I want to know’, good sound, sounds very in keeping with ’70s Clapton. Surprised it hasn’t been heard more often

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  6. Max went back in the vaults. I have a bunch of this stuff floating around. You can hear the beginnings of Cream/Traffic/Blind Faith. Distinct Winwood vocals (Man has he been putting out great music for a long time). Also hear Jack’s bass which you’d pick up Max. I have an old album called ‘Guitar Boogie’ featuring Clapton, Page and Beck. I wore it out. These guys were all floating around from bands like Mayalls, Bonds etc. Mixing lineups. After discovering Cream/Traffic I ate up all this early stuff. Great take . I’m going to listen to all 3 takes again. Maybe even again again.

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    1. This one I was 99 percent sure you have heard of…what a find this was to me. That is a million dollar lineup. I’m a fan of Clapton through out his career…but especially everything through Blind Faith…that has more to do with changing styles…his stuff here is raw and powerful. Winwood was everywhere back then also.

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  7. Real 60s Brit Blues. Imagine, if they had toured, what name would go up on the theatres lights first? A case of ‘Eric Clapton’s Powerhouse featuring tonight ………….’ Each and every one could be the featured player, a bit like the Band.

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    1. This totally surprised me…I don’t know how I missed it. CB said those guys would mix up quite a bit in one off deals…but yea the talent here is something special…each one of the them could be named like you said.

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