After nearly 40 years, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood have finally resolved the issues that once plagued their momentous musical relationship. Fresh off three historic shows together, Winwood reflects on Blind Faith’s history, his own artistic evolution and a promising collaborative future.

The first time through it all ended in haze and chaos. On July 12, 1969, nearly 20,000 shaggy, eager concertgoers braved the police presence and the poor acoustics at Madison Square Garden for the U.S. debut of a group that had recently emerged from a shroud of rumor and speculation. Just one month earlier, five times that number had made the pilgrimage to London’s Hyde Park to witness the first public performance of the band that paired Steve Winwood, at age 21 already a celebrated veteran of both The Spencer Davis Group and Traffic, with one of the rock era’s newly anointed guitar gods, Eric Clapton. Clapton had dubbed the group Blind Faith, something of a cynical nod to the hype machine that had quickly surrounded the formation of the group that also featured Cream drummer Ginger Baker and Family bassist Rick Grech.

Blind Faith’s MSG appearance was marked by tension both within and outside the confines of the band room. Audience anticipation approached frenzy levels for the group that many imagined would somehow build on the power of Cream and take that group’s music to some ineffable, unattainable next level. This expectation was fueled by a sense of unknown, since Blind Faith’s self-titled debut wouldn’t be released for another eight weeks.

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