• 1967-

  Al KooperVocals, keyboards1967-1968

  Fred LipsiusSaxophone1967-1972

  Dick HalliganHorns, flute1967-1972

  Steve KatzGuitar1967-1973

  Bobby ColombyDrums1967-1977

  Jim FielderBass1967-1974

  David Clayton-ThomasVocals1968-2004

  Lew SoloffTrumpet1968-1974
• One of the most intriguing riddles in rock 'n' roll history is: How did Blood, Sweat & Tears get their name? In Al Kooper's book Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards, the truth is finally revealed: "One particular night, Jimi Hendrix, B. B. King, myself, and an unidentified drummer and bass player were going at it all night at the Cafe Au Go Go... At daybreak, when we finished playing, they put the house lights on and somebody observed: 'Christ! Look at the organ! There's blood all over the keyboard!' Sure enough, I had cut my hand playing, and in the state of bliss induced by my compatriot's sound had not felt a thing. What a great album cover, I thought. No. What a great name for a band."
• Al Kooper formed the band in 1967, but left after their first album. His replacement was the Canadian singer David Clayton-Thomas, who became the voice of the group. Clayton-Thomas brought the song "Spinning Wheel" to the group, which became their most enduring hit.
• The group was huge in 1969, which was a good time to be popular since it meant prime position at Woodstock. BS&T were slated to earn $15,000 at the festival, second only to Jimi Hendrix. Since Woodstock was a financial disaster, they didn't get paid. They were also not included in the movie, since they would have earned a percentage of the gross.
• When Blood, Sweat & Tears was first forming, they needed $40,000 seed money while the first album was in progress. This made Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records (the A&R behind Leiber and Stoller, Led Zeppelin, and Bob Dylan, amongst others) turn them down. Mo Ostin of Warner Brothers also nibbled but turned them down. Finally Bill Gallagher at Columbia signed them on, after attending the Monterey Pop Festival and becoming interested in the alternative market.
• Original drummer Bobby Colomby owns the name of the group and kept them active with a rotating cast of musicians. Their most visible member, David Clayton-Thomas, was with the group from 1969-1972 and again from 1975-2004. Various vocalist took the role over the next 10 years, with Bo Bice taking over in 2014.
• In Al Kooper's memoir, he writes that he originally conceived of Blood, Sweat & Tears as "a band that could put dents in your shirt if you got within fifteen rows of the stage. Like Maynard Ferguson's band from the years 1960-1964, I wanted a horn section that would play more than the short adjectives they were relegated to in R&B bands; but, on the other hand, a horn section that would play less than Count Basie's or Buddy Rich's. Somewhere in the middle was a mixture of soul, rock, and jazz that was my little fantasy."
• David Clayton-Thomas had a regular gig at a New York club called The Scene on 47th Street in 1968 when the original Blood, Sweat & Tears fractured. His visa ran out, so went back to Canada, but Bobby Colomby had seen him perform and asked him to join the band. Colomby arranged a new visa, and the band had their new singer.
• The group toured constantly from 1969-1972 in large part because that's how most of their members made their living. In a Songfacts interview with David Clayton-Thomas, he explained: "In those days, the only people that were making some serious money were myself - as the songwriter - and Bobby Colomby who owned the name. The rest of the guys only got paid when we toured."
  
  This touring took a toll on the Clayton-Thomas and was one reason he left the group in 1972.
• Their 1969 album Blood, Sweat & Tears won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. The award was given to them by Louis Armstrong at the ceremony.
• Clive Davis agreed to sign Blood, Sweat & Tears to Columbia the first time he saw them at Greenwich Village's Cafe Au-Go-Go. "I had never seen horns used this way," he said.

Comments: 1

• Kenny Sheil from Portland Me9 people are in the photo. Not named is Chuck Winfield, Trumpet. 1968 or1969 - 1972 or 1973.

More Songfacts:

Ship Of FoolsWorld Party

One of the great "we're all going down" songs is "Ship Of Fools" by World Party, written when Margaret Thatcher was in power in England.

Where Did Our Love GoThe Supremes

The Motown team of Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote "Where Did Our Love Go" with The Marvelettes in mind, but they turned it down. When The Supremes recorded the tune, Diana Ross was forced to sing in a lower, breathier style than she was used to because it wasn't written for her.

Police Dog BluesHugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie, star of the TV show House, had a minor hit in 2011 with "Police Dog Blues," an old Blues song from 1929.

Everyday I Write The BookElvis Costello

Elvis Costello says "Everyday I Write The Book" is a knockoff of Nick Lowe's "When I Write the Book."

FancyIggy Azalea

The video for Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" pays homage to the classic 1995 film Clueless with the rapper playing Cher and featured singer Charli XCX portraying Tai. It was filmed at some of the same locations used in the movie.

TitaniumDavid Guetta

Sia Furler wrote "Titanium" and wanted to give the tune to Katy Perry. She turned it down, so David Guetta recorded it instead using Sia's original demo guide vocal. It became a big hit, especially in the UK, where it went to #1.

Editor's Picks

90s MetalFact or Fiction

Test your metal - Priest, Maiden, and Beavis and Butt-head show up in this one.

Tim Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Tim and his brother Richard are the Furs' foundation; Tim explains how they write and tells the story of "Pretty In Pink."

Justin Hayward of The Moody BluesSongwriter Interviews

Justin wrote the classic "Nights In White Satin," but his fondest musical memories are from a different decade.

Janis IanSongwriter Interviews

One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Famous Singers' First FilmsSong Writing

A look at the good (Diana Ross, Eminem), the bad (Madonna, Bob Dylan) and the peculiar (David Bowie, Michael Jackson) film debuts of superstar singers.