1969 GRAMMY WINNER! -
In 1969, faced with both the departure of founding member Al Kooper and the pressure created by the critical acclaim their debut Child Is Father To The Man had garnered, Blood, Sweat & Tears stood tall and delivered with their 1969 self-titled sophomore release. Welcoming vocalist David Clayton-Thomas aboard, the band advanced beyond its R&B / blues origins to create what can only be described as a masterpiece, culminating in a Grammy that same year for Album Of The Year. Utilizing Erik Satie's Variations On a Theme to quietly open and close the album, in between they mixed songs from exciting, contemporary writers; Laura Nyro - "And When I Die" Traffic's "Smiling Phases" and Barry Gordy - "You've Made Me So Very Happy", with original material; "Spinning Wheel" and "Sometime In Winter", creating virtually a 'greatest hits' and concert staples with all. Engineered by legendary Columbia staffers Roy Halee and Fred Catero, the blend of jazz-pop arrangements with just a hint of classical, created a breakthrough recording that was constantly featured on radio for years. As a bonus, live versions of “More and More” and “Smiling Phases”, recorded in 1968 at NYC's Cafe A Go Go, allow the band to really stretch, giving the original audience and now the listener, a taste of a live Blood, Sweat & Tears performance in their prime.