CIRCA 1980: Singer David Clayton-Thomas of the rock and roll band “Blood, Sweat & Tears” performs onstage in circa 1980. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
getty
David Clayton-Thomas, whose soulful vocals powered the hits “Spinning Wheel” and “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” for the rock-jazz fusion group Blood, Sweat & Tears in the late 1960s, has died.
Clayton-Thomas died on Wednesday night at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, his publicist Eric Alper told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He was 84. No cause of death was given.
Born Sept. 13, 1941, in Surrey, England, Clayton-Thomas joined Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1968 for the band’s self-titled second album. Featuring the band’s distinct horn section, the single “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” went to become a No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, while “Spinning Wheel” was also a No. 2 hit (and No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart). Another single, “And When I Die,” also peaked at No. 2.
In 1970, Blood, Sweat & Tears won Album of the Year at the 12th Annual Grammy Awards. The album was produced by James William Guercio, who at the same time was producing albums for the rock-jazz fusion band Chicago, which additionally featured a horn section on most of the group’s songs.
In additon to Album of the Year, Blood, Sweat and Tears was also nominated for four other Grammys in 1970, and won a second trophy for Best Contemporary Song for “Variations On A Theme By Eric Satie.” “Spinning Wheel” was nominated for Song of the Year, but lost out to the 5th Dimension’s “Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In.”
David Clayton-Thomas’ Vocals Caught The Attention Of Clive Davis Early On
Legendary record executive Clive Davis, who died at 94 earlier this week, recalled in his 1975 memoir, Clive: Inside the Record Business, his first impression of David Clayton-Thomas when he heard him singing at a Blood, Sweat & Tears gig at the Café Au Go-Go in New York City.
“He was staggering … a powerfully built singer who exuded an enormous earthy confidence. He jumped right out at you. I went with a small group of people, and we were electrified,” Davis, who was president of Columbia Records at the time, wrote (via The Hollywood Reporter). “He seemed so genuine, so in command of the lyric … a perfect combination of fire and emotion to go with the band’s somewhat cerebral appeal. I knew he would be a strong, strong figure.”
Note: This is a developing story. Please refresh this page for updates.
Leave a comment