Playlist: The Very Best of Blood Sweat & Tears

Liner Note Author: Arthur Levy .
Photographer: Don Hunstein.
Blood, Sweat & Tears were formed in 1968 by veteran keyboard player and producer Al Kooper, who wanted to fuse jazz with rock using a band that incorporated a full horn section. With Kooper as leader and vocalist, BS&T cut a critically acclaimed debut album, Child Is Father to the Man, but the LP didn't sell especially well, and Kooper left the band to pursue other projects. However, guitarist Steve Katz and drummer Bobby Colomby took control of the group, hired veteran Canadian blues and rock singer David Clayton-Thomas as lead singer, and assembled a new lineup to record a second album. That disc, simply titled Blood, Sweat & Tears, became a massive chart success that touched off a new breed of horn-based rock groups, and spun off a handful of hit singles, including "Spinning Wheel," "You've Made Me So Very Happy," and "And When I Die." Playlist: The Very Best of Blood, Sweat & Tears collects 14 songs from BS&T's tenure with Columbia Records, offering a balance of radio hits and fan favorites from the Al Kooper and David Clayton-Thomas eras of the group. The set includes the rare single versions of "Hi-De-Ho," "Got to Get You into My Life," and "Go Down Gamblin'." ~ Mark Deming