Album: Blood, Sweat & Tears (1969)

Charted: 2

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• What goes up must come down
  Spinnin' wheel got to go 'round
  Talkin' 'bout your troubles it's a cryin' sin
  Ride a painted pony let the spinnin' wheel spin
  
  You got no money and you got no home
  Spinnin' wheel all alone
  Talkin' 'bout your troubles and you, you never learn
  Ride a painted pony let the spinnin' wheel turn
  
  Did you find the directing sign on the
  Straight and narrow highway
  Would you mind a reflecting sign
  Just let it shine within your mind
  And show you the colors that are real
  
  Someone is waiting just for you
  Spinnin' wheel, spinnin' true
  Drop all your troubles by the riverside
  Catch a painted pony on the spinning wheel ride
  
  Someone is waiting just for you
  Spinnin' wheel, spinnin' true
  Drop all your troubles by the riverside
  Ride a painted pony let the spinnin' wheel fly Writer/s: David Clayton-Thomas
  Publisher: Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 11

• Jeff from BostonThe chaotic-sounding woodwind music at the end is a Scottish folk song called "Did You Ever See A Lassie?", which shares the same melody as the Austrian song "O du lieber Augustin." It was dubbed in because an engineer had accidentally recorded over the original ending of the song. The Scottish song was used in children's "go around the circle" type playground games in the early and middle 20th century. The instrumentation is intended to sound like a fairground organ that would accompany a merry-go-round. So it's very intentionally used to go with the theme of the song, and not random at all.
• Evil Arch Conservative from Indianapolis, Indiana UsaFun story. Though I had about a four year window. Hey, I was a little kid. My Grandmother took Grandpa to work. After dropping him off, she was running late for her first customer. Grandma was a beautician with her shop inside their home. So I am certain she said she would be speeding home.
  
  Anyway Grandma was definitely speeding. A cop pulls her over. To my astonishment, she starts pulling out repair receipts from the glove box. Turns out Grandpa had taken their new car in multiple times for an inaccurate speedometer. (Grandpa was a stickler for details.)
  
  The nice Policeman, was just as stunned as I was. He briefly looked at the receipts, handed them back to Grandma and said have a nice day. LOL, I can't remember the rest of the trip home.
  
  As I said earlier, I knew there was a four-year window for this traffic stop. But then today, another memory emerged that put the timeline within two months. I remembered singing "Spinning Wheel" in that car. Ironically on the very street where Grandma got pulled over. Thank you BS&T for bringing a memory fully to life
• Kramo from Toronto, CanadaWhen I was 17...back in 1977, I had a job as an enumerator before some kind of election. David Clayton Thomas was on my route. Nasty piece of work. If you didn't want to be interrupted when you were playing, recording or rehearsing...put a note on the door a-hole. I was just doing my job.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn October 2nd 1969, Blood, Sweat, & Tears performed "Spinning Wheel" on the ABC-TV program 'This Is Tom Jones"...
  Just under six weeks earlier on August 23rd it was at #25 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart, and that was also its last day on the chart...
  And on June 29th it had peaked at #2 {for 3 weeks}; its first week at #2, the #1 record was "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" by Henry Mancini and for 2nd and 3rd week it was "In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" by Zager and Evans that was in the top spot...
  Ten days later on October 12th their next release, "And When I Die", would enter the Top 100, and it also peaked at #2 on the Top 100.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 6th 1969, Peggy Lee performed "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and "Spinning Wheel" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'
  Both songs were tracks from her 1969 album 'A Natural Woman'...
  Later in 1969 on June 29th Blood, Sweat, & Tears would peak at #2 {for 3 weeks} with their original version of "Spinning Wheel".
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 28th 1971, James Brown's instrumental covered version of "Spinning Wheel" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #90; the following week it was still at #90 and that was its last week on the chart...
  His version reached #78 on the United Kingdom's Singles chart...
  The 'Godfather of Soul' passed away on Christmas Day of 2006 at the age of 73...
  May he R.I.P.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 18th 1970, Buddy Greco performed "Spinning Wheel", in a medley with "Aquarius" and "Smiling Faces", on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
  In 1962 he released the original version of "Mr. Lonely", it peaked at #64, and two years later in 1964 Bobby Vinton took his covered version to #1 on the Top 100...
  Mr. Greco, born Armando Greco, celebrated his 87th birthday five months ago on August 14th (2013).
• Brian from Desmoines, IaBTW, BS&T's name has my vote for one of the best band names of all time. I think one of the worst is... The Beatles.
• Brian from Desmoines, IaWhen this first came out I was in Jr. high and thought it was about cars, especially a nice Boss 302. Having listened to it more and grown up and knowing what its like to feed a car with no money, I realize it something else entirely: It's about life as a carnie!
• Pat from Albuquerque, NmI saw BS&T when I was in college. They were terrific live, especially Spinning Wheel!
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyBlood, Sweat, & Tears' first three releases all peaked at No. 2; YOU'VE MADE ME SO VERY HAPPY for three weeks, then SPINNING WHEEL for also three weeks, finally AND WHEN I DIE for one week.. {All three records also spent 13 weeks in the Top 100}

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