Blood, Sweat & Tears | ||
| Allmusic Biography : No American rock group ever started with as much daring or musical promise as Blood, Sweat & Tears, or realized their potential more fully -- and then blew it all as quickly. From their origins as a jazz-rock experiment that wowed critics and listeners, they went on -- in a somewhat more pop vein -- to sell almost six million records in three years, but ended up being dropped by their record label four years after that. Blood, Sweat & Tears started as an idea conceived by Al Kooper in July of 1967. An ex-member of the Blues Project, Kooper had been toying with the notion, growing out of his admiration for jazz bandleader Maynard Ferguson, of forming an electric rock band that would include horns and use jazz as the basis for their work. He planned to pursue this in London, but a series of New York shows involving some big-name friends didnt raise enough money to get him there. He did, however, find three players who wanted to work with him: bassist Jim Fielder, Blues Project guitarist Steve Katz, and drummer Bobby Colomby. Kooper agreed, as long as he was in charge musically. The horn section featured Fred Lipsius (saxophone), with Randy Brecker and Jerry Weiss on trumpets and flügelhorns, and Dick Halligan playing trombone. The new group was signed to Columbia Records, and the name "Blood, Sweat & Tears" came to Kooper after a jam at the Cafe au Go Go, where a cut on his hand left his organ keyboard covered in blood. That first version of Blood, Sweat & Tears played music that roamed freely through realms of jazz, R&B;, soul, and even psychedelia in ways that had scarcely been heard before in one band. The songs were bold and challenging, and the arrangements gave Lipsius, Brecker, et. al room to solo, while Koopers organ and Katzs guitar swelled in pulsing, shimmering glory. Their debut, Child Is Father to the Man, was released in February 1968, and seemed to portend a great future. The only thing it didnt have was a hit single to get AM radio play and help drive sales. Disagreements about repertory grew into doubts about Koopers ability as a lead singer, and soon split this band. Kooper left in March of 1968, and Brecker followed him out. That mightve been the end of the story, except that Colomby and Katz decided to salvage a band of their own band out of this debacle. The lineup was reshuffled and expanded, and for a lead singer they found a Canadian national named David Clayton-Thomas. The new Blood, Sweat & Tears recorded their album in late 1968. Blood, Sweat & Tears, released in January 1969, was smoother and more traditionally melodic than its predecessor. Equally important, the singles from the album were edited, removing the featured spots for the jazz players. "Youve Made Me So Very Happy" rose to number two and lofted the album to the top of the LP listings. "Spinning Wheel" b/w "More and More" and "And When I Die" followed, and when the smoke cleared, the album had yielded a careers worth of hits. The LP also won the Grammy as Album of the Year, selling three million copies in the bargain. In the spring of 1970, however, the group lost a huge amount of momentum with its core audience, college students, when they undertook a tour of Eastern Europe on behalf of the U.S. State Department. The Vietnam War was still raging, and anything to do with the government was potentially poisonous on college campuses. It was on their return to America, amid this dubious career move -- which was done to overcome the problem of Clayton-Thomas shaky immigration status -- that Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 was released. It briefly topped the LP charts, and the single "Hi-De-Ho" reached number 14, but both sold only a fraction of what their earlier releases had done. Additionally, the group was now criticized in the rock press, which felt that Blood, Sweat & Tears were either a pretentious pop group that dabbled in horn riffs, or a jazz outfit trying to pass as a rock band. The groups decision to perform at a Las Vegas casino -- which even upset the head of Columbia Records, Clive Davis -- did nothing to defuse these doubts. Clayton-Thomas exited after the fourth album to pursue a solo career. Most of the groups original and second-generation players were gone by then as well, though the playing standard remained consistently high. The lineup became a revolving door -- even Jaco Pastorius passed through their ranks, briefly -- and the groups record sales imploded, squeezed as they were by Chicago on the pop side of jazz-rock, and outfits such as Weather Report and Return to Forever on the more musically ambitious side of the spectrum. Clayton-Thomas returned in 1974, to what was billed officially as "Blood, Sweat & Tears Featuring David Clayton-Thomas." They released New City (1975), which did well enough to justify an ambitious tour that yielded the double-LP Live and Improvised. Columbia Records dropped the group in 1976, and even Bobby Colomby, who had trademarked the groups name, gave up playing with them. Clayton-Thomas has kept the group name alive in the decades since, fronting various lineups. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 26 Title: Blood, Sweat & Tears Released: 1968 Tracks: 10 Duration: 45:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie (1st and 2nd Movements) (02:32) 2 Smiling Phases (05:10) 3 Sometimes in Winter (03:08) 4 More and More (03:04) 5 And When I Die (04:05) 6 God Bless the Child (05:55) 7 Spinning Wheel (04:06) 8 You’ve Made Me So Very Happy (04:18) 9 Blues, Part II (11:43) 10 Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie (1st Movement, Adapted From “Trois Gymnopedies”) (01:40) |
| Blood, Sweat & Tears : Allmusic album Review : The difference between Blood, Sweat & Tears and the groups preceding long-player, Child Is Father to the Man, is the difference between a monumental seller and a record that was "merely" a huge critical success. Arguably, the Blood, Sweat & Tears that made this self-titled second album -- consisting of five of the eight original members and four newcomers, including singer David Clayton-Thomas -- was really a different group from the one that made Child Is Father to the Man, which was done largely under the direction of singer/songwriter/keyboard player/arranger Al Kooper. They had certain similarities to the original: the musical mixture of classical, jazz, and rock elements was still apparent, and the interplay between the horns and the keyboards was still occurring, even if those instruments were being played by different people. Kooper was even still present as an arranger on two tracks, notably the initial hit "Youve Made Me So Very Happy." But the second BS&T, under the aegis of producer James William Guercio, was a less adventurous unit, and, as fronted by Clayton-Thomas, a far more commercial one. Not only did the album contain three songs that neared the top of the charts as singles -- "Happy," "Spinning Wheel," and "And When I Die" -- but the whole album, including an arrangement of "God Bless the Child" and the radical rewrite of Traffics "Smiling Phases," was wonderfully accessible. It was a repertoire to build a career on, and Blood, Sweat & Tears did exactly that, although they never came close to equaling this album. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 26 Title: Child Is Father to the Man Released: 1968-02-21 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:03:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Overture (01:32) 2 I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know (05:57) 3 Morning Glory (04:15) 4 My Days Are Numbered (03:19) 5 Without Her (02:41) 6 Just One Smile (04:38) 7 I Can’t Quit Her (03:38) 8 Meagan’s Gypsy Eyes (03:24) 9 Somethin’ Goin’ On (08:00) 10 House in the Country (03:04) 11 The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud (04:12) 12 So Much Love / Underture (04:47) 13 Refugee From Yuhupitz (instrumental) (November 11, 1967 audition version) (03:45) 14 I Love You More Than Youll Ever Know (November 11, 1967 audition version) (05:54) 15 The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud (November 11, 1967 audition version) (04:47) |
| Child Is Father to the Man : Allmusic album Review : Child Is Father to the Man is keyboard player/singer/arranger Al Koopers finest work, an album on which he moves the folk-blues-rock amalgamation of the Blues Project into even wider pastures, taking in classical and jazz elements (including strings and horns), all without losing the pop essence that makes the hybrid work. This is one of the great albums of the eclectic post-Sgt. Pepper era of the late 60s, a time when you could borrow styles from Greenwich Village contemporary folk to San Francisco acid rock and mix them into what seemed to have the potential to become a new American musical form. Its Koopers bluesy songs, such as "I Love You More Than Youll Ever Know" and "I Cant Quit Her," and his singing that are the primary focus, but the album is an aural delight; listen to the way the bass guitar interacts with the horns on "My Days Are Numbered" or the charming arrangement and Steve Katzs vocal on Tim Buckleys "Morning Glory." Then Kooper sings Harry Nilssons "Without Her" over a delicate, jazzy backing with flügelhorn/alto saxophone interplay by Randy Brecker and Fred Lipsius. This is the sound of a group of virtuosos enjoying itself in the newly open possibilities of pop music. Maybe it couldnt have lasted; anyway, it didnt. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 26 Title: Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 Released: 1970-06 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hi‐De‐Ho (04:25) 2 The Battle (02:41) 3 Lucretia Mac Evil (03:03) 4 Lucretia’s Reprise (02:35) 5 Fire and Rain (04:01) 6 Lonesome Suzie (04:35) 7 Symphony for the Devil / Sympathy for the Devil (07:48) 8 He’s a Runner (04:13) 9 Somethin’ Comin’ On (04:33) 10 40,000 Headmen (04:40) |
| Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 : Allmusic album Review : Blood, Sweat & Tears had a hard act to follow in recording their third album. Nevertheless, BS&T constructed a convincing, if not quite as impressive, companion to their previous hit. David Clayton-Thomas remained an enthusiastic blues shouter, and the band still managed to put together lively arrangements, especially on the Top 40 hits "Hi-De-Ho" and "Lucretia Mac Evil." Elsewhere, they re-created the previous albums jazzing up of Laura Nyro ("Hes a Runner") and Traffic ("40,000 Headmen"), although their pretentiousness, on the extended "Symphony/Sympathy for the Devil," and their tendency to borrow other artists better-known material (James Taylors "Fire and Rain") rather than generating more of their own, were warning signs for the future. In the meantime, BS&T 3 was another chart-topping gold hit. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 26 Title: B, S & T; 4 Released: 1971-06 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Go Down Gamblin (04:17) 2 Cowboys and Indians (03:11) 3 John the Baptist (Holy John) (03:38) 4 Redemption (05:15) 5 Lisa, Listen to Me (03:03) 6 A Look to My Heart (instrumental) (00:56) 7 High on a Mountain (03:17) 8 Valentines Day (04:00) 9 Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While) (03:31) 10 For My Lady (03:27) 11 Mama Gets High (04:13) 12 A Look to My Heart (duet) (instrumental) (02:08) |
| B, S & T; 4 : Allmusic album Review : Having relied largely on outside songwriting for its last two wildly successful albums, Blood, Sweat & Tears decided (as many groups had before) to bring some of that song publishing income into the family by writing their own material. Singer David Clayton-Thomas contributed the Top 40 hit "Go Down Gamblin," and he and keyboard player Dick Halligan collaborated on another chart entry, "Lisa, Listen to Me." Ex-bandleader Al Kooper even contributed a track, "John the Baptist (Holy John)." But Side two was given over largely to songs by guitarist Steve Katz that were substandard, and the bands cohesion seemed to be disintegrating. Although the album scraped the Top Ten briefly and went gold, it marked the end of BS&Ts period of wide commercial success on records. By the next outing, Clayton-Thomas had quit and the bands heyday was behind it. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 26 Title: Blood, Sweat & Tears Greatest Hits Released: 1972-02 Tracks: 13 Duration: 48:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Youve Made Me So Very Happy (03:33) 2 I Can’t Quit Her (03:38) 3 Go Down Gamblin (02:47) 4 Hi-De-Ho That Old Sweet Roll (03:59) 5 Sometimes in Winter (03:08) 6 And When I Die (03:26) 7 Spinning Wheel (02:40) 8 Lisa, Listen to Me (02:59) 9 I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know (05:57) 10 Lucretia Mac Evil (03:03) 11 God Bless the Child (05:55) 12 So Long Dixie (04:27) 13 More and More (02:40) |
| Blood, Sweat & Tears Greatest Hits : Allmusic album Review : Sometimes, a greatest-hits set is timed perfectly to gather together a groups most successful and familiar performances just at the point when that group has passed the point of their maximum exposure to the public, but before the public memory has had a chance to fade. That was the case when Columbia Records assembled this compilation for release in early 1972. At that point, Blood, Sweat & Tears had released four albums and scored six Top 40 hits, each of which is heard here. But lead singer David Clayton-Thomas had just quit the group, so that the unit that recorded songs like "Youve Made Me So Very Happy" was not working together anymore. And even when Clayton-Thomas returned, the band would continue to decline commercially. As such, BS&Ts Greatest Hits captures the bands peak in 11 selections--seven singles chart entries, plus two album tracks from the celebrated debut album when Al Kooper helmed the group, and two more from the Grammy-winning multi-platinum second album. Using the short singles edits of songs like "And When I Die" emphasizes their radio-ready punch over the more extended suitelike arrangements on the albums, but this selection gains in focus what it lacks in ambition. For the millions who learned to love BS&T in 1969 when they were all over AM radio, this is the ideal selection of their most accessible material. (A later CD reissue of Blood, Sweat & Tears Greatest Hits replaced each singles edit with the original full-length version.) | ||
 | Album: 6 of 26 Title: New Blood Released: 1972-10 Tracks: 9 Duration: 40:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Down in the Flood (04:20) 2 Touch Me (03:32) 3 Alone (05:29) 4 Velvet (03:29) 5 I Cant Move No Mountains (02:57) 6 Over the Hill (04:18) 7 So Long Dixie (04:27) 8 Snow Queen (05:22) 9 Maiden Voyage (06:17) |
| New Blood : Allmusic album Review : The first Blood, Sweat & Tears disc following the departure of lead singer David Clayton-Thomas and chief arrangers Dick Halligan and Fred Lipsius has its moments. The band vocals on "Touch Me" and the arrangement of Herbie Hancocks "Maiden Voyage" are among the highlights, but then theres Bob Dylans "Down in the Flood" and Steve Katzs "Velvet" (about a horse, for Petes sake!). Gerry Goffin and Carole Kings "Snow Queen" almost makes up for it, with sensational solos from Dave Bargeron on trombone and Lou Marini on sax. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 26 Title: No Sweat Released: 1973-08 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Roller Coaster (03:22) 2 Save Our Ship (03:43) 3 Django (an excerpt) (02:08) 4 Rosemary (03:13) 5 Song for John (02:53) 6 Almost Sorry (06:26) 7 Back Up Against the Wall (03:21) 8 Hip Pickles (01:31) 9 My Old Lady (03:15) 10 Empty Pages (03:15) 11 Mary Miles (02:26) 12 Inner Crisis (05:40) |
| No Sweat : Allmusic album Review : The second Blood, Sweat & Tears recording without David Clayton-Thomas, No Sweat may be the jazziest BS&T ever. Surprisingly, most of the material comes from outside the band, with the exception of two tracks by Lou Marini, Jr., two co-written by George Wadenius (the featured guitarist in the band following Steve Katzs departure), and the concluding "Inner Crisis" by Larry Willis. Jerry Fisher is more integrated into the band in his role as lead singer, and the band shines throughout on material ranging from Traffics "Empty Pages" to John Lewis "Django." The highlight is "Almost Sorry," which features Bobby Colombys rock-solid drumming, and solos from the entire horn section: Dave Bargeron on trombone, Lew Soloff and Tom "Bones" Malone on electric trumpets, and Marini on alto flute. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 26 Title: Mirror Image Released: 1974 Tracks: 11 Duration: 37:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tell Me That Im Wrong (02:28) 2 Look Up to the Sky (04:39) 3 Love Looks Good on You (Youre Candy Sweet) (03:20) 4 Hold on to Me (04:10) 5 Thinking of You (04:26) 6 Are You Satisfied (03:59) 7 Movement I. Maglomania (02:34) 8 Movement II. Mirror Image (03:31) 9 Movement III. South Mountain Shuffle (02:46) 10 Movement IV. Rock (reprise) (02:14) 11 Shes Coming Home (03:11) |
| Mirror Image : Allmusic album Review : Without question, Mirror Image is the most atypical Blood, Sweat & Tears album ever. The last disc recorded before David Clayton-Thomas return to the fold, Mirror Image features three lead vocalists (Jerry Fisher, Jerry LaCroix and George Wadenius), three saxes (LaCroix, Bill Tillman and guest artist Arnie Lawrence) and only one trumpet (Tony Klatka). The album is uneven, but still has its moments, including "Tell Me That Im Wrong" (a minor hit), "Are You Satisfied" and its (rock) reprise, and the concluding "Shes Comin Home," where Klatkas trumpet echoes Wadenius mournful vocal. Its no "Hi-De-Ho," but its got some surprisingly strong material nonetheless. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 26 Title: New City Released: 1975-05 Tracks: 10 Duration: 43:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ride Captain Ride (05:06) 2 Life (04:24) 3 No Show (05:15) 4 I Was a Witness to a War (05:13) 5 One Room Country Shack (02:24) 6 Applause (07:47) 7 Yesterdays Music (04:14) 8 Naked Man (04:00) 9 Got to Get You Into My Life (03:22) 10 Takin It Home (01:37) |
| New City : Allmusic album Review : In the late 60s and early 70s, Blood, Sweat & Tears was at the forefront of the rock with horns movement. But after lead singer David Clayton-Thomas 1972 departure, both he and the band lost their commercial footing. New City finds Clayton-Thomas reconvening with Blood, Sweat & Tears after a three-year absence. Jimmy Ienner, who produced hits with the Raspberries, Grand Funk Railroad, and Three Dog Night, is behind the boards for this 1975 album. It does sound promising, but, in all honesty, New City fortunes seemed doomed from the start. The cover of the Blues Images "Ride Captain Ride" turns out to be more than a perfunctory exercise and gives the band a chance to show its jazz chops, and Clayton-Thomas wails to his hearts content. Allan Toussaints "Life" gets an irreverent and funky treatment. Strangely enough, the workouts on here pale in comparison to the ballads. The best track, the poignant "I Was a Witness to a War," is delicately arranged in the perfect key for Clayton-Thomas subdued vocals. Janis Ians "Applause" sustains interest, even as Clayton-Thomas dramatic flourishes make Richard Harris seem remote. After a few ho-hum tracks, this closes with an energetic but anti-climatic cover of the Beatles "Got to Get You Into My Life." Although New City failed to get the band back to the top of the charts, a listener might be pleasantly surprised to hear that the band did proceed through the 70s accordingly. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 26 Title: In Concert Released: 1976 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:23:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Introduction (00:22) 2 Spinning Wheel (05:22) 3 I Love You More Than Youll Ever Know (08:30) 4 Lucretia Mac Evil (06:57) 1 And When I Die (06:27) 2 One Room Country Shack (02:40) 3 And When I Die (reprise) (02:41) 4 Spain (08:35) 1 Hi-De-Ho (06:17) 2 Unit Seven (10:12) 3 Life (05:03) 1 Mean Ole World (09:06) 2 Ride Captain Ride (06:12) 3 Youve Made Me So Very Happy (05:16) |
 | Album: 11 of 26 Title: Brand New Day Released: 1977 Tracks: 9 Duration: 40:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Somebody I Trusted (03:58) 2 Dreaming as One (04:12) 3 Same Old Blues (03:09) 4 Lady Put Out the Light (04:02) 5 Womanizer (03:52) 6 Blue Street (04:31) 7 Gimme That Wine (05:02) 8 Rock & Roll Queen (05:12) 9 Dont Explain (06:02) |
| Brand New Day : Allmusic album Review : Despite the fact that the band was one of the more influential outfits of the late 60s and early 70s, a few key departures caused them to recede from the charts before a few of their peers. Even the return of vocalist David Clayton-Thomas couldnt help the fortunes of their last two 70s albums, and they were released in 1976. Brand New Day is their first and only effort for soon defunct ABC. Brand New Day is produced by Roy Halee and group member Bobby Colomby. The two had been co-producers for 1971s classic Blood Sweat and Tears 4, but, by 1977, the musical landscape had changed, so this is closer to R&B; and polished pop, rather than the amalgam of styles that the group was famous for. "Dreaming As One" is a duet between Clayton-Thomas and Chaka Khan and despite the interesting chemistry, the song is barely there. Both "Same Old Blues" and the humorous "Gimme That Wine" have the band incorporating a funkier sound by way of elastic bass patterns and Clayton-Thomass playful vocals. The well-intentioned tribute to Janis Joplin, "Rock and Roll Queen," comes off a little heavy handed. This does end strong, however. The cover of Billie Holidays "Dont Explain" has a graceful arrangement and a subdued and effective vocal from Thomas. For the most part, Brand New Day wasnt as innovative or as grand as previous releases, but fans will enjoy some of the better moments. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 26 Title: Nuclear Blues Released: 1980 Tracks: 7 Duration: 44:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Agitato (05:53) 2 Nuclear Blues (04:23) 3 Manic Depression (04:19) 4 Ill Drown in My Own Tears (07:22) 5 Fantasy Stage (05:40) 6 Spanish Wine Suite (15:04) 7 Spanish Wine (reprise) (01:42) |
| Nuclear Blues : Allmusic album Review : This 1980 edition of rocks longest-running horn band is definitely not your fathers Blood, Sweat & Tears. Frontman David Clayton-Thomas is still on board, but everybody else is new. The musical emphasis has mostly shifted, from pop/soul with a jazz flavor to out-and-out fusion jazz, such as "Agitato," and the lengthy and often quite lovely "Spanish Wine" suite, with only an occasional lead vocal (a radically re-arranged cover of Jimi Hendrixs "Manic Depression"). Big exceptions include the title tune, in which Clayton-Thomas vents his paranoia about Three Mile Island, and an impassioned, if relatively straightforward, cover of the old blues standard "Ill Drown In My Own Tears." | ||
 | Album: 13 of 26 Title: Spinning Wheel - Best Released: 1990 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:16:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Hi-De-Ho (04:25) 2 I Love You More Than Youll Ever Know (05:56) 3 Spinning Wheel (04:06) 4 You’ve Made Me So Very Happy (04:18) 5 Smiling Phases (05:10) 6 And When I Die (04:05) 7 Sometimes in Winter (03:08) 8 Without Her (02:41) 9 I Cant Quit Her (03:39) 10 Lucretia Mac Evil (05:30) 11 Go Down Gamblin (04:05) 12 Alone (05:31) 13 Down in the Flood (04:20) 14 More and More (03:04) 15 Over the Hill (04:20) 16 Hollywood (03:36) 17 Lisa Listen to Me (02:59) 18 God Bless the Child (05:55) |
 | Album: 14 of 26 Title: Found Treasures Released: 1990 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Go Down Gamblin (04:13) 2 Youre the One (04:55) 3 For My Lady (03:24) 4 Spinning Wheel (single edit) (03:29) 5 Without Her (02:40) 6 Sometimes in Winter (03:08) 7 Love Looks Good on You (Youre Candy Sweet) (03:18) 8 God Bless the Child (05:55) 9 And When I Die (single edit) (03:27) 10 Youve Made Me So Very Happy (single edit) (03:28) |
| Found Treasures : Allmusic album Review : This is an unusually generous and attractive release from Sony Music Special Products budget-priced catalog, and also unusually generous at over 38-minutes running time. Some of the material, such as "Go Down Gamblin" and "Youre the One," is readily available elsewhere, while other tracks are not. What makes this disc especially attractive to the casual fan of the band -- and unique among Sonys CD issues on Blood, Sweat & Tears -- however, is the presence of the single-edits of "And When I Die," "Youve Made Me So Very Happy," and "Spinning Wheel." Even on the CD version of the groups greatest-hits album, which originally contained the single versions; those songs have been replaced by their album versions, which are distinctly longer and more discursive, and the latter attributes were fine, for their album incarnations, but the single-edits had their own virtues, and also are how generations of listeners remember those songs from AM radio. To top it off, the other tracks, including "For My Lady" and "Without Her," showcase the bands pop side exceptionally well, while "Love Looks Good on You (Youre Candy Sweet)" captures them doing blue-eyed soul very successfully, and the combined effect is to make this one of the most accessible ways of approaching this extraordinary band -- its also a good companion piece to the double-CD What Goes Up: The Best Of Blood, Sweat & Tears, despite a couple of overlapping tracks, Whats more, the sound is quite good, even on those single-edits -- all are in stereo and the separation is quite effective in this digital incarnation, and their conciseness has a power all its own. As is usual, there are no notes or credits, though this particular release, for the record, is the work of veteran producer Nick Shaffran. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 26 Title: Live & Improvised Released: 1991-05-07 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:28:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 [Announcers Introduction and Applause] (00:21) 2 Spinning Wheel (05:40) 3 I Love You More Than Youll Ever Know (08:53) 4 Lucretia MacEvil (07:07) 5 And When I Die/One Room Country Shack/And When I Die (Reprise) (12:14) 6 (I Can Recall) Spain (09:01) 1 Hi-De-Ho That Old Sweet Roll (06:32) 2 Unit Seven (11:06) 3 Life (05:14) 4 Mean Ole World (09:39) 5 Ride Captain Ride (06:58) 6 Youve Made Me So Very Happy (06:06) |
 | Album: 16 of 26 Title: Spinning Wheel Released: 1995 Tracks: 12 Duration: 54:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know (05:57) 2 Morning Glory (04:15) 3 My Days Are Numbered (03:19) 4 Without Her (02:41) 5 Somethin’ Goin’ On (07:57) 6 Smiling Phases (05:05) 7 Sometimes in Winter (03:08) 8 More And More (02:48) 9 And When I Die (04:05) 10 God Bless The Child (05:48) 11 Spinning Wheel (05:00) 12 You’ve Made Me So Very Happy (04:18) |
 | Album: 17 of 26 Title: Definitive Collection Released: 1995-07-28 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:39:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Spinning Wheel (04:06) 2 You’ve Made Me So Very Happy (04:18) 3 God Bless the Child (05:55) 4 And When I Die (04:05) 5 Smiling Phases (05:10) 6 Hi-De-Ho (04:28) 7 Lucretia Mac Evil (03:07) 8 Fire and Rain (04:05) 9 Somethin’ Comin’ On (04:33) 10 Go Down Gamblin (04:17) 11 John the Baptist (Holy John) (03:38) 12 Lisa, Listen to Me (03:00) 13 So Long Dixie (04:27) 14 Got to Get You Into My Life (03:22) 15 I Love You More Than Youll Ever Know (05:30) 16 Katy Bell (04:30) 17 Sweet Sadie the Savior (04:21) 1 Overture (01:32) 2 I Love You More Then Youll Ever Know (05:56) 3 Without Her (02:43) 4 More and More (03:04) 5 Sometimes in Winter (03:08) 6 Symphony for the Devil / Sympathy for the Devil (07:48) 7 Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie (1st and 2nd Movements) (02:32) |
 | Album: 18 of 26 Title: What Goes Up! The Best of Blood, Sweat & Tears Released: 1995-11-07 Tracks: 32 Duration: 2:18:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Refugee From Yuhupitz (mono) (03:46) 2 I Can’t Quit Her (03:38) 3 House in the Country (03:04) 4 I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know (05:57) 5 You’ve Made Me So Very Happy (04:18) 6 More and More (03:04) 7 And When I Die (04:05) 8 Sometimes in Winter (03:08) 9 Smiling Phases (05:10) 10 Spinning Wheel (04:06) 11 God Bless the Child (05:55) 12 Children of the Wind (03:17) 13 Hi-De-Ho (That Old Sweet Roll) (04:27) 14 Lucretia MacEvil (05:59) 15 Hes a Runner (04:15) 16 Somethin’ Comin’ On (04:33) 17 40,000 Headmen (04:42) 1 Go Down Gamblin (04:17) 2 Mama Gets High (04:13) 3 Lisa, Listen to Me (02:59) 4 Valentines Day (03:57) 5 John the Baptist (Holy John) (03:38) 6 So Long Dixie (04:27) 7 Snow Queen (05:22) 8 Maiden Voyage (06:17) 9 I Cant Move No Mountains (02:57) 10 Time Remembered (02:58) 11 Roller Coaster (03:22) 12 Tell Me That Im Wrong (02:28) 13 Got to Get You Into My Life (03:22) 14 Youre the One (04:58) 15 Mean Ole World (live) (09:24) |
| What Goes Up! The Best of Blood, Sweat & Tears : Allmusic album Review : Blood, Sweat & Tears 11-track Greatest Hits album, released in February 1972, contained all of the groups six Top 40 singles, plus notable tracks from its two best albums, Child Is Father to the Man and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Almost 24 years later came this 32-track, 138-and-a-half-minute, double-CD expansion, much of it extraneous. Where Greatest Hits contained the single edits of songs like "Youve Made Me So Very Happy" and "And When I Die," here "all titles are original album versions," as the back cover notes, which means the jazzy interludes, frequently having nothing to do with the rest of the song, remain. There are a couple of unreleased tracks, and otherwise the bloated running time was filled out by, for example, four tracks from the 1972 stiff New Blood, which didnt even feature singer David Clayton-Thomas. Legacy would have better served consumers by either expanding the original 41-minute Greatest Hits to proper CD length with a few bonus tracks, or reissuing the first two albums in a double-disc set, again with a few bonus tracks to fill up the time. This compilation did not enhance the bands reputation. And the error-filled liner notes are less than worthless. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 26 Title: Super Hits Released: 1998-07-21 Tracks: 10 Duration: 44:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Spinning Wheel (04:06) 2 You’ve Made Me So Very Happy (04:18) 3 More and More (03:04) 4 And When I Die (04:05) 5 I Cant Quit Her (03:41) 6 Somethin Goin On (08:04) 7 Just One Smile (04:38) 8 I Love You More Then Youll Ever Know (05:58) 9 Roller Coaster (03:22) 10 John the Baptist (Holy John) (03:33) |
| Super Hits : Allmusic album Review : This imported double-CD set is a bit difficult to evaluate because it is so strange (and, at times, cheesy) in its design. The 72-minute first disc is devoted to David Clayton-Thomas tenure with the group, containing 17 songs covering the best-known tracks from their second album, Blood, Sweat & Tears, right up through their 1976 rendition of "Got to Get You Into My Life" and beyond, up as far as "Katie Bell" and "Sweet Sadie the Savior," several membership changes later. As with the domestic greatest-hits compilation, the songs are all the album edits; the producers were obviously working within the confines of a restricted budget, because apart from "Got to Get You Into My Life" -- which, one assumes, is a no-brainer in terms of an investment -- the later tracks are all drawn from old 16-bit masters, a fact declared in the packaging, which otherwise has no information or annotation whatsoever. The 26-minute second ("bonus") disc offers four tracks by the original, Al Kooper-led band, and "More and More" and "Symphony for the Devil/Sympathy for the Devil," featuring David Clayton-Thomas. The whole thing is a bit of a mess, though in the European market (where What Goes Up: The Best of Blood, Sweat & Tears is not available), it probably makes sense -- for the rest of the world, its nothing but an attractively packaged, not too well-devised compilation. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 26 Title: Masterpiece Released: 2001 Tracks: 10 Duration: 40:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Spinning Wheel (04:08) 2 Got To Get You Into My Life (03:21) 3 For My Lady (03:25) 4 And When I Die (04:05) 5 Go Down Gambling (04:16) 6 God Bless The Child (05:54) 7 Youve Made Me So Very Happy (04:17) 8 Sometimes In Winter (03:08) 9 Youre The One (04:57) 10 Without Her (02:40) |
 | Album: 21 of 26 Title: Extended Versions Released: 2005-09-27 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:03:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Spinning Wheel (06:01) 2 Lucretia Macevil (07:07) 3 Hi-De-Ho "That Old Sweet Roll" (06:32) 4 And When I Die (02:10) 5 One Room Country Shack (06:57) 6 And When I Die (Reprise) (03:07) 7 I Love You More than Youll Ever Know (08:51) 8 Mean Ole World (09:39) 9 Ride Captain Ride (06:59) 10 Youve Made Me So Very Happy (06:06) |
 | Album: 22 of 26 Title: Spinning Wheel: The Best of Blood, Sweat & Tears Released: 2007-11-19 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:03:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Spinning Wheel (04:06) 2 Youve Made Me So Very Happy (04:18) 3 God Bless the Child (05:55) 4 And When I Die (04:05) 5 Smiling Phases (05:10) 6 Hi-De-Ho (04:25) 7 Lucretia Mac Evil (03:06) 8 Fire and Rain (04:03) 9 Somethings Coming On (04:32) 10 Go Down Gamblin (04:16) 11 John the Baptist (Holy John) (03:35) 12 Lisa, Listen to Me (02:59) 13 So Long Dixie (04:27) 14 Got to Get You into My Life (03:20) 15 I Love You More Than Ever (05:29) |
| Spinning Wheel: The Best of Blood, Sweat & Tears : Allmusic album Review : Picking up on the horn-driven pop-soul approach of the Buckinghams, Blood, Sweat & Tears turned out a series of impressive singles in the late 60s, led by the forceful vocals of lead singer David Clayton-Thomas. This 15-track collection has the essentials, including "Spinning Wheel," a fine version of Laura Nyros "And When I Die," "Hi-De-Ho," and the propulsive "Go Down Gamblin," and for casual listeners, at least, it should fill the bill. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 26 Title: Original Album Classics Released: 2009 Tracks: 58 Duration: 4:16:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Overture (01:32) 2 I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know (05:57) 3 Morning Glory (04:15) 4 My Days Are Numbered (03:19) 5 Without Her (02:41) 6 Just One Smile (04:38) 7 I Can’t Quit Her (03:38) 8 Meagan’s Gypsy Eyes (03:24) 9 Somethin Goin On (08:00) 10 House in the Country (03:04) 11 The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud (04:12) 12 So Much Love / Underture (04:47) 13 Refugee From Yuhupitz (instrumental) (November 11, 1967 audition version) (03:45) 14 I Love You More Than Youll Ever Know (November 11, 1967 audition version) (05:54) 15 The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud (November 11, 1967 audition version) (04:47) 1 Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie (1st and 2nd Movements) (02:32) 2 Smiling Phases (05:10) 3 Sometimes in Winter (03:08) 4 More and More (03:04) 5 And When I Die (04:04) 6 God Bless the Child (05:55) 7 Spinning Wheel (04:08) 8 Youve Made Me So Very Happy (04:19) 9 Blues, Part II (11:43) 10 Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie (1st Movement, Adapted From “Trois Gymnopedies”) (01:40) 11 More and More (live) (04:38) 12 Smiling Phases (live) (18:44) 1 Hi‐De‐Ho (04:25) 2 The Battle (02:41) 3 Lucretia Mac Evil (03:03) 4 Lucretia’s Reprise (02:35) 5 Fire and Rain (04:01) 6 Lonesome Suzie (04:35) 7 Symphony for the Devil / Sympathy for the Devil (07:48) 8 He’s a Runner (04:13) 9 Somethin’ Comin’ On (04:33) 10 40,000 Headmen (04:40) 1 Go Down Gamblin (04:17) 2 Cowboys and Indians (03:11) 3 John the Baptist (Holy John) (03:38) 4 Redemption (05:15) 5 Lisa, Listen to Me (03:03) 6 A Look to My Heart (instrumental) (00:56) 7 High on a Mountain (03:17) 8 Valentines Day (04:00) 9 Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While) (03:31) 10 For My Lady (03:27) 11 Mama Gets High (04:13) 12 A Look to My Heart (duet) (instrumental) (02:08) 1 Down in the Flood (04:20) 2 Touch Me (03:32) 3 Alone (05:29) 4 Velvet (03:29) 5 I Cant Move No Mountains (02:57) 6 Over the Hill (04:18) 7 So Long Dixie (04:27) 8 Snow Queen (05:22) 9 Maiden Voyage (06:17) |
 | Album: 24 of 26 Title: The Complete Columbia Singles Released: 2014 Tracks: 32 Duration: 2:00:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Cant Quit Her (mono single version) (03:33) 2 House in the Country (mono single version) (03:06) 3 Youve Made Me So Very Happy (mono single version) (03:30) 4 Blues, Part II (mono single version) (05:25) 5 Spinning Wheel (mono single version) (02:41) 6 More and More (mono single version) (02:43) 7 And When I Die (mono single version) (03:26) 8 Sometimes in Winter (mono single version) (03:08) 9 Hi‐De‐Ho (04:25) 10 The Battle (02:41) 11 Lucretia Mac Evil (05:30) 12 Lucretia’s Reprise (02:35) 13 Go Down Gamblin (04:17) 14 Valentines Day (04:00) 15 Lisa, Listen to Me (02:59) 16 Cowboys and Indians (03:11) 1 So Long Dixie (04:27) 2 Alone (05:29) 3 I Cant Move No Mountains (02:57) 4 Velvet (03:29) 5 Roller Coaster (03:22) 6 Inner Crisis (05:40) 7 Save Our Ship (03:43) 8 Song for John (02:53) 9 Tell Me That Im Wrong (02:29) 10 Movement IV. Rock (reprise) (02:14) 11 Got to Get You Into My Life (03:15) 12 Naked Man (04:00) 13 Yesterdays Music (04:14) 14 No Show (05:15) 15 Youre the One (04:55) 16 Heavy Blue (05:23) |
| The Complete Columbia Singles : Allmusic album Review : Blood, Sweat & Tears are no strangers to oldies radio but even so, they only have a handful singles in constant rotation: "Youve Made Me So Very Happy," "Spinning Wheel," "And When I Die," and maybe "Hi-De-Ho." "Youre the One," a Top 10 Adult Contemporary single from 1976, is rarely heard and thats just one of many songs released on the A- and B-sides of singles released between 1968 and 1976, all of which are compiled on Real Gones 2014 double-disc set The Complete Columbia Singles. Its well-known that Blood, Sweat & Tears started out as an adventurous jazz-rock outfit headlined by Al Kooper, but its less well known that the group was quite noodly toward the end, especially during the handful of years when vocalist David Clayton-Thomas was away pursuing a solo career. This is the music that comprises the second disc of this set and the odd thing is, even the A-sides during this time reflect how the group would continue to drift on their jazz odyssey. Fans of the oldies staples are unlikely to find this appealing, but adding these latter-day singles, along with some of the wilder earlier moments, turns The Complete Columbia Singles into something rare and needed in the BST discography: a full portrait of the groups heyday, from start to finish. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 26 Title: The Essential Blood, Sweat & Tears Released: 2014-04-04 Tracks: 32 Duration: 1:52:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Cant Quit Her (mono single version) (03:33) 2 House in the Country (03:04) 3 Youve Made Me So Very Happy (mono single version) (03:30) 4 Blues, Part II (mono single version) (05:25) 5 Spinning Wheel (mono single version) (02:41) 6 Spinning Wheel (mono single version) (02:41) 7 And When I Die (mono single version) (03:26) 8 Sometimes in Winter (mono single version) (03:08) 9 Hi-De-Ho (single version) (03:57) 10 The Battle (02:41) 11 Lucretia Mac Evil (03:04) 12 Lucretias (reprise) (02:17) 13 Go Down Gamblin (single version) (02:46) 14 Valentines Day (03:57) 15 Lisa, Listen to Me (02:39) 16 Cowboys and Indians (03:11) 1 So Long Dixie (04:27) 2 Alone (04:14) 3 I Cant Move No Mountains (02:57) 4 Velvet (03:29) 5 Roller Coaster (03:22) 6 Inner Crisis (05:40) 7 Save Our Ship (03:43) 8 Song for John (02:53) 9 Tell Me That Im Wrong (02:28) 10 Movement IV. Rock (reprise) (02:14) 11 Got to Get You Into My Life (03:15) 12 Naked Man (04:00) 13 Yesterdays Music (03:34) 14 No Show (05:15) 15 Youre the One (03:12) 16 Heavy Blue (05:23) |
 | Album: 26 of 26 Title: Playlist: The Very Best of Blood, Sweat & Tears Released: 2015-10-09 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:00:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Can’t Quit Her (03:39) 2 Spinning Wheel (04:06) 3 And When I Die (04:05) 4 Somethin’ Goin’ On (08:00) 5 I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know (05:57) 6 Hi-De-Ho (That Old Sweet Roll) (03:58) 7 Morning Glory (04:16) 8 You’ve Made Me So Very Happy (04:18) 9 Go Down Gamblin (02:47) 10 God Bless the Child (05:55) 11 Got to Get You Into My Life (03:22) 12 Empty Pages (03:15) 13 Roller Coaster (03:22) 14 John the Baptist (Holy John) (03:35) |