1969 - March: Blood, Sweat & Tears “Blood, Sweat & Tears”

Jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears waited until their second studio album to eponymously name it Blood, Sweat & Tears.  This band would defy convention in many ways.  It was a large band, boasting nine full-time members, and adding a tenth in trumpet player Alan Rubin for one song.  They also played a complex mix of progressive music that would come to be called "jazz-rock."  This album would be the first with David Clayton-Thomas on lead vocals, and would spend seven weeks at the top of the album charts.  It would also be a critical success, netting the band a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1970.

Al Kooper, the original band leader and rock legend, started the group.  The sound was inspired by the sound of the Buckinghams and Maynard Ferguson.  Kooper left after the second album, and David Clayton-Thomas came in as front man.  There were over 100 members in Blood, Sweat & Tears over the years, including Bo Bice of "American Idol" fame.  The group name came from a Winston Churchill speech.

Blood, Sweat & Tears was the number 1 album at the time that the Woodstock music festival was held in August of 1969, and at $15,000 they were the highest paid band to appear at Woodstock behind Jimi Hendrix.  For some reason, they decided not to get filmed for the gig, and as a result they are not seen in all the documentaries and retrospectives on that historic concert.  It is almost as if Blood, Sweat & Tears were erased from history.  On top of that, they didn't get their $15,000 at the end of the concert either!

A couple of other factors cause Blood, Sweat & Tears to be overlooked.  Their songs tend to be longer during a time when singles were no longer than 3 minutes for radio.  They also toured eastern Europe in 1972 to show off rock and roll music, sponsored by the U.S. State Department.  The counter culture considered this a sell out, and many of their Vietnam-era protest fans abandoned Blood, Sweat & Tears because of it.

Get ready to ride a painted pony and let the spinnin' wheel spin!

 

Smiling Phases This very jazzy track is a cover of a song originally done by Steve Winwood and Traffic.  The idea is of the song is that you put a smile on no matter what life throws at you.  Keep on smiling and moving forward - don't let the obstacles get you down.

You've Made Me So Very Happy This well known track peaked at number 2, and is a cover of a Motown song done originally by Brenda Holloway in 1967.  They tried to do this song with Al Kooper on their first album, but Kooper's voice wasn't well-adapted to it.  They tried it at a live show with David Clayton-Thomas, and it worked.

And When I Die Another cover that peaked at number 2, this song was written by 17 year-old Laura Nyro and was originally performed by Peter, Paul & Mary.  Blood, Sweat & Tears picked up this song when Nyro was dating the bass player.  Their cover version went to number 2.  It is about recognizing the limited time you have on this earth and making the most of it.  That's pretty profound lyrics for a 17 year-old!

Spinning Wheel The big single of the album was this well known hit, peaking at - you guessed it - number 2.  It compares life to riding on a carousel.  Things come and things go, "what goes up must come down."  Enjoy the ride.

 

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Main Theme to the television series “Marcus Welby M.D.” Robert Young of "Father Knows Best" fame would star in this long-running series that would take on several controversies during its 7-year run.  The pilot for the series aired in March of 1969.

 

STAFF PICKS:

Day after Day (It's Slippin' Away) by Shango Rob starts our staff picks with this calypso one-hit wonder.  It is known as a novelty act about how the earthquakes in California will cause the whole coast to slide into the Pacific - "you better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho!" 

Everyday People by Sly & The Family Stone Brian features a big hit from the fusion group Sly & The Family Stone.  Everyone is essentially the same and we need to learn to live together.  The group was known for combining musical styles and its members' ethnic diversity during a time of racial tensions. 

Time of the Season by The Zombies Bruce's staff pick was a surprise hit by the group led by keyboardist Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone.  It took about a year to catch on before hitting number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1969.  It has become sort of a counterculture anthem in pop culture, and is frequently used in Vietnam-era scenes and flashbacks.

Rock Me by Steppenwolf Wayne's staff pick is a deeper cut, though it hit the charts and peaked at number 10 at the time.  Lead singer John Kay wrote this one.  It has a deeper meaning as a kind of protest song.  Canadian band Steppenwolf was nominated to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, though they didn't make it in.    

 

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Variations On a Theme by Erik Satie (1st Movement) by Blood, Sweat & Tears We're once again double dipping on our featured album.  Blood, Sweat & Tears had a number of instrumental pieces on their albums, and this one is the opening track.

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