Founder Al Kooper conceived Blood, Sweat and Tears as an experiment in expanding the size and scope of the rock band with touches of jazz , blues , classical , and folk music. When Kooper was forced out of the band soon after its eclectic debut, Child Is Father to the Man, BS&T became increasingly identified as a "jazz-rock" group, although its music was essentially easy-listening rhythm and blues or rock with the addition of brass.
Kooper formed BS&T after leaving the Blues Project in 1967. The nucleus of the original band was Steve Katz, also of the Blues Project; Jim Fielder, who had played with the Mothers of Invention and Buffalo Springfield; and Bobby Colomby, who had drummed behind folksingers Odetta and Eric Andersen. The horn players were recruited from New York jazz and studio bands. Child Is Father featured songs by Harry Nilsson, Tim Buckley, Randy Newman, Gerry Goffin, and Carole King, along with Kooper originals and arrangements by Fred Lipsius for brass, strings, and studio effects. The band nearly broke up when Kooper, Randy Brecker, and Jerry Weiss left (Brecker to join The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra). Regrouping under Katz and Colomby, and fronted by David Clayton-Thomas (who had sung with a Canadian blues band, The Bossmen), BS&T entered a period of immense popularity. Blood, Sweat & Tears featured arrangements of music by French composer Erik Satie and jazz singer Billie Holiday, as well as by Laura Nyro, Steve Winwood, and others. It was the #1 album for seven weeks in 1969, sold over 3 million copies, and spawned three gold singles: “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” “Spinning Wheel,” and “And When I Die,” each of which hit #2.
In 1970 the U.S. State Department sent the band on a goodwill tour of Yugoslavia, Romania, and Poland. Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 duplicated the Blood, Sweat & Tears mix of styles and was almost as popular. The album went to #1, and two singles, “Hi-De-Ho” and “Lucretia MacEvil,” hit the Top 30. But interest in the group began to wane, and 4, which contained almost all original material, barely made the Top 10. In 1971 “Go Down Gamblin’” was its last hit. By the time Clayton-Thomas left for a solo career in 1972, BS&T’s place on the charts had been filled by similarly styled bands such as Chicago, Chase, and Ides of March. Katz left the next year, first to join the short-lived American Flyer and then to an A&R position at Mercury Records.
BS&T became regulars in Las Vegas, with ever-changing personnel recruited largely from big bands like Maynard Ferguson’s, Woody Herman’s, and Doc Severinsen’s. Vocalist Jerry LaCroix appeared between his tenures with Edgar Winter’s White Trash and Rare Earth, while guitarist Mike Stern later played with Miles Davis’ early-’80s band. Clayton-Thomas’ return in 1974 briefly boosted BS&T’s popularity, but Columbia dropped the group, and Colomby, the last original member, left in 1976. He continued to influence BS&T as producer of Brand New Day and, with Clayton-Thomas, as co-owner of the band’s name and catalogue. He then moved on to a career in A&R for several labels, as well as TV reporting. Since 1975 the live act has been billed as Blood, Sweat and Tears Featuring David Clayton-Thomas. [from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001)
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bloodsweatandtears/biography
In late 2005, the band returned to touring. The year 2007 witnessed the band's first world tour in a decade. From 2008 through 2010, Steve Katz returned to appear at BS&T's shows as a special guest.
From 2013 till 2018, Blood Sweat and Tears was fronted by Bo Bice, who was the runner-up against Carrie Underwood in the fourth season of American Idol.
In 2018, the group decided to replace Bice with former Tower of Power singer Tom Bowes, who had previously done a brief stint with BS&T back in July through November 2012.
In 2019 Keith Paluso, from the reality TV show The Voice, was chosen as BS&T's new singer.
Lucretia Mac Evil
Blood Sweat & Tears Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hard luck and trouble
Bound to be your claim to fame
Tail-shakin' heart-breakin' truckin' through town
Each and every country-mother's son, hangin' 'round
Drive a young man insane
Evil that's your name
That's the thing you're doin' fine
Back seat Delilah
Got your six bit jug o'wine, woman
I hear your mother was the talk of the sticks
Nothin' that your daddy wouldn't do for kicks
Never done a thing worth-while
You're just an evil woman-child
Ooh, Lucy, you just so damn bad
Devil got you lucy
Under lock and key
Ain't about to set you free
Sign sealed and witnessed
Since the day you were born
No use tryin' to fake him out
No use tryin' to make him out
Soon, he'll be takin' out his due
What-cha gonna do?
Lucy MacEvil
Honey ya been all night?
Your hair's all messed up, babe
An' the clothes you're wearin'
Just don't fit ya right
Big Daddy Joe's, payin' your monthly rent
Tells his wife he can't imagine where the money went
Dressin' you up in style, evil woman-child
Ooh, Lucy, you just so damn bad
The lyrics to Blood Sweat & Tears's song Lucretia Mac Evil tell the story of a young woman, nicknamed Lucy, who is known for causing trouble and heartache wherever she goes. The lyrics suggest that she has a reputation for being promiscuous and that she uses her sexuality to manipulate men. The lyrics also imply that Lucy comes from a troubled background, with a mother who was the talk of the town and a father who would do anything for kicks. She is described as an "evil woman-child" who drives men insane and has a devil that has her under lock and key.
The song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of giving in to temptation and making bad choices. It suggests that Lucy's behavior is the result of her upbringing and that she is trapped by her own choices. The lyrics also suggest that Lucy's fate is sealed and that she is destined to face the consequences of her actions.
Overall, Lucretia Mac Evil is a powerful song that explores themes of temptation, desire, and regret. It is a warning to listeners about the dangers of living a life of excess and indulgence, and the price that must be paid for those choices in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
Little girl what's your game?
Asking the girl what she's trying to achieve or what she's up to.
Hard luck and trouble
She has always had a hard, unfortunate life.
Bound to be your claim to fame
It seems like having bad luck and trouble might be what she is known for and/or what she thinks will make her famous.
Tail-shakin' heart-breakin' truckin' through town
She is dancing and causing men to fall in love with her while traveling through town.
Each and every country-mother's son, hangin' 'round
Every young man in the area is infatuated with her and hanging around her.
Drive a young man insane
Her actions and charisma cause young men to become crazy about her.
Evil that's your name
She is known for doing evil things or causing evil to happen.
Lucretia MacEvil
That's the thing you're doin' fine
Back seat Delilah
Got your six bit jug o'wine, woman
She's doing a great job being the kind of woman who seduces men in the backseat of cars and carrying around cheap alcohol.
I hear your mother was the talk of the sticks
Nothin' that your daddy wouldn't do for kicks
Never done a thing worth-while
You're just an evil woman-child
Her mother was the talk of the town and her father would do anything for fun, but she's never done anything worth mentioning, except being an evil woman-child.
Devil got you lucy
Under lock and key
Ain't about to set you free
Sign sealed and witnessed
Since the day you were born
No use tryin' to fake him out
No use tryin' to make him out
Soon, he'll be takin' out his due
What-cha gonna do?
She's possessed by the devil and there's no getting away from it. There's no point in pretending or trying to get out of it. She knows that soon, the devil will come to claim what's due.
Lucy MacEvil
Honey ya been all night?
Your hair's all messed up, babe
An' the clothes you're wearin'
Just don't fit ya right
Big Daddy Joe's, payin' your monthly rent
Tells his wife he can't imagine where the money went
Dressin' you up in style, evil woman-child
Someone is asking Lucy where she's been and has noticed that her hair is messy and her clothes are ill-fitting. Big Daddy Joe is paying her rent and his wife is unaware of the money being spent. He is dressing her up nicely, even though she's still an evil woman-child.
Ooh, Lucy, you just so damn bad
Lucy is really bad, in a wicked way.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Clayton-Thomas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
andrew james Bunting
Lyrics
Little girl what's your game?
Hard luck and trouble
Bound to be your claim to fame
Tail-shakin' heart-breakin' truckin' through town
Each and every country-mother's son, hangin' 'round
Drive a young man insane
Evil that's your name
Lucretia MacEvil
That's the thing you're doin' fine
Back seat Delilah
Got your six bit jug o'wine, woman
I hear your mother was the talk of the sticks
Nothin' that your daddy wouldn't do for kicks
Never done a thing worth-while
You're just an evil woman-child
Ooh, Lucy, you just so damn bad
Devil got you lucy
Under lock and key
Ain't about to set you free
Sign sealed and witnessed
Since the day you were born
No use tryin' to fake him out
No use tryin' to make him out
Soon, he'll be takin' out his due
What-cha gonna do?
Lucy MacEvil
Honey ya been all night?
Your hair's all messed up, babe
An' the clothes you're wearin'
Just don't fit ya right
Big Daddy Joe's, payin' your monthly rent
Tells his wife he can't imagine where the money went
Dressin' you up in style, evil woman-child
Ooh, Lucy, you just so damn bad
L Dennehy
These guys were pure unadulterated talent!
albertmojicajr
@Christopher Lundgren Hey Christopher Lundgren: Any relation to Todd ? Anyhow, I recently came across a tape of mine (Jethro Tull/Songs From The Wood) and noticed your post/comment. Interesting choice in music 🤘 metaltomotown
albertmojicajr
@One Man que? Beto
albertmojicajr
"By some. But not this one." metaltomotown
Christopher Lundgren
Damn right! 2nd favorite band ever! (Right after Jethro Tull, and just before Doctor Teeth and the Electric Mayhem!) (Sarcasm being what it is online, harder to recognize each day, I say my previous comments with NO Sarcasm at all! Best groups ever!)
One Man
Y?
Greg Stegeman
This is a real find. The mix, particularly on the horns, is better than the original recording in the studio. I've followed this group from the beginning and in my view, this was the best band of them all. Fred Lipsius and Dick Halligan were the best arrangers the group ever had and D.C. Thomas proves that he truly was a great singer here. I idolized Lew Soloff when I was a teenager, too.
Kamar Bazarek
I’m a trumpeter, and I STILL idolize Lew!!!
eight inches
Leaving BS&T was the best decision Al Kooper ever made.
SATOSHEEE E
My most favorite song of all the B,S&T’s is Lucretia MacEvil. First, Thomas' voice is amazing. Second, horn section is soooo brilliant.
Third, the bridge is kind of baroque music. Finally, the last chase by the horns and guitar is quite exciting. All the parts of the song are incredible!!!