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.
So Much Love / Underture
Blood Sweat & Tears Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You came along to guide me
You took pity on a lonely man
When you said you'd stand beside me
I'll never forget you
Or what you've done
I'll never turnt my back on you for anyone
Baby, I've got so much love to give you
Girl, there's more than enough to last a whole life through
And it's all for you
My world was cold and empty
And my life was so unfilled
When I needed someone to pick me up
You were oh so willing
Now to you it might seem like a little thing
But to me it was like changin' my winter to spring
I've got so much love to give you
Baby, I've got so much love to give you
Girl, there's more than enough to last a whole life through
And it's all for you
There's so few women now a days
Who understand the soul of a man
They're always on the talking end
Never giving, never offering a helping hand
But baby, I can count on you
Whenever trouble calls
You see me through
You show your love in so many ways
And I'm gonna love you for the rest of my days
I've got so much love to give you
Baby, I've got so much love to give you
Girl, there's more than enough to last a whole life through
And it's all for you
The lyrics of Blood Sweat & Tears's "So Much Love/Underture" are about a man who was once lost in darkness and emptiness until he met a woman who brought light and joy into his life. He expresses his gratitude towards her for standing by him when he was lonely and lost, and for picking him up when he needed someone the most. The singer acknowledges that there are very few women nowadays who understand what a man's soul needs, but he feels that this woman has always been there for him, offering a helping hand whenever trouble calls. The singer then goes on to express his love to her and promises to love her until the end of time.
The lyrics of "So Much Love/Underture" are touching and heartfelt, and they express the deep connection that the singer has with his partner. The song is a tribute to the power of love and how it can transform and heal even the most broken of hearts. At the same time, the lyrics also acknowledge the difficulties that people face when searching for love and the challenges that arise in relationships. Overall, the lyrics of "So Much Love/Underture" are a testament to the beauty and complexity of human emotions, and they showcase the band's ability to capture those emotions in their music.
Line by Line Meaning
In the midst of all my darkness, baby
When I was going through a tough time,
You came along to guide me
you were there to help me
You took pity on a lonely man
you showed compassion towards me when I was lonely
When you said you'd stand beside me
when you promised to support me
I'll never forget you
I will always remember you
Or what you've done
and what you did for me
I'll never turn my back on you for anyone
I will always be there for you, no matter what
I've got so much love to give you
I have a lot of love to give you
Baby, I've got so much love to give you
I have so much love for you
Girl, there's more than enough to last a whole life through
I have enough love for you to last forever
And it's all for you
and it's all because of you
My world was cold and empty
My life was lonely and depressing
And my life was so unfilled
and I felt like something was missing
When I needed someone to pick me up
When I needed someone to help me
You were oh so willing
You were eager and ready to help me
Now to you it might seem like a little thing
It might not seem like a big deal to you
But to me it was like changing my winter to spring
but to me, it was a significant and positive change
There's so few women now a days
These days, there are few women
Who understand the soul of a man
who can empathize with and comprehend a man's inner self
They're always on the talking end
They tend to talk more than they listen
Never giving, never offering a helping hand
They don't often offer help or support
But baby, I can count on you
But I know I can rely on you
Whenever trouble calls
whenever I'm facing difficulties
You see me through
you help me to overcome it
You show your love in so many ways
You express your love in various forms
And I'm gonna love you for the rest of my days
And I will love you forever
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Gerry Goffin, Carole King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind