STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - BLOOD, SWEAT, & TEARS - BLOOD, SWEAT, & TEARS

[maggot]

Good Tuesday morning to you all and welcome back to Stuck In The Vinyl Again . Today we remember New York native, multi-instrumentalist, and composer, Dick Halligan, on what would have been his 80th Birthday. He was born in 1943 and is best known as a founding member of the jazz and progressive rock band Blood, Sweat, & Tears. On their first album, he played trombone, but after their first album, Child Is Father to the Man, Al Kooper left and Dick started playing keyboards and flute on their next LP, the self titled one. Blood, Sweat & Tears (the album) was released  December 11, 1968 on Columbia Records and produced by James William Guercio. It reached #15 in the UK and on Billboard's R&B charts, #8 in Finland, #7 in the Netherlands, #5 in Spain, #4 in Australia, #3 in Norway, and #1 in Canada and on the Billboard 200. Three singles were released ; "You've Made Me So Very Happy" (#46 R&B, #35 UK, #18 Adult Contemporary, #14 Australia, #2 Hot100, #1 Canada) , "Spinning Wheel" (#45 R&B, #18 Netherlands, #6 New Zealand, #5 Australia, #2 Hot 100, #1 Canada, Adult Contemporary) , and "And When I Die" (#4 Australia, #2 Hot 100, #1  #1 Canada, Adult Contemporary). Our copy is an import from Holland. Halligan passed away January 18, 2022, age 78, from natural causes.

I have a Blood, Sweat, & Tears adjacent connection. Back in 2013 the band recruited former American Idol contestant, Bo Bice, as their new vocalist. My Sister and her friend were really BIG Bo fans and started the Bo Peeps Fan Club. They followed him around, Grateful Dead style and met him several times. My Sister carried a picture of me to show him from when I was in high school because I had the long haired and Bo and I favored each other . So although I've never met him, he knows all about me and even personalized and autographed a CD and a pack of Bo Bice gum for me which I'll include in the photo section. 

1. "Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie" (1st and 2nd Movements)

adapted from Trois Gymnopédies;

arranged by Dick Halligan

October 9, 1968 2:35

2. "Smiling Phases"

Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood

October 15, 1968 5:11

3. "Sometimes in Winter"

Steve Katz

October 8, 1968 3:09

4. "More and More"

Vee Pee Smith, Don Juan

October 15, 1968 3:04

5. "And When I Die"

Laura Nyro

October 22, 1968 4:06

6. "God Bless the Child"

Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr.

October 7, 1968 5:55

Side two

7. "Spinning Wheel"

David Clayton-Thomas

October 9, 1968 4:08

8. "You've Made Me So Very Happy"

Berry Gordy Jr., Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, Frank Wilson

October 16, 1968 4:19

9. "Blues – Part II"

Blood, Sweat & Tears; interpolating "Sunshine of Your Love"

(Jack Bruce, Pete Brown, Eric Clapton),

"Spoonful" (Willie Dixon) and

"Somethin' Goin' On" (Al Kooper)

October 22, 1968 11:44

10. "Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie" (1st Movement)

adapted from Trois Gymnopédies;

arranged by Dick Halligan

October 9, 1968 1:49

David Clayton-Thomas – lead vocals except as noted
Steve Katz – guitar, harmonica, vocals, lead vocals on "Sometimes in Winter"
Jim Fielder – bass
Dick Halligan – organ, piano, flute, trombone, vocals
Fred Lipsius – alto saxophone, piano
Lew Soloff – trumpet, flugelhorn
Chuck Winfield – trumpet, flugelhorn
Alan Rubin - trumpet on "Spinning Wheel"
Jerry Hyman – trombone, recorder
Bobby Colomby – drums, percussion, vocals

Producer: James William Guercio
Engineers: Fred Catero, Roy Halee
Arrangers: Dick Halligan, Fred Lipsius, Al Kooper
Cover art: Timothy Quay, Bob Cato
Photography: Harrie George
Design: John Berg