Did you know Blood Sweat & Tears played Woodstock? Why weren’t they included in the film and soundtrack footage? We find out the answer to that and much more as our conversation with former BS&T frontman David Clayton Thomas continues. He discusses how his friendship with bluesman John Lee Hooker helped jumpstart his career in New York, and how no one expected the runaway success of the band’s second album, which sold 10 million copies in its first year of release.
David Clayton Thomas is one of the most recognizable voices in all of popular music. He led the hugely successful band Blood Sweat & Tears for around 30 years, having hits like “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” and “Spinning Wheel,” before embarking on a solo career in the early 2000’s. His latest project is a true labor of love, Soul Ballads (view entry on Amazon.com) comprises 12 classic R&B tracks, filtered through Clayton-Thomas’ deep resonating voice. In part one of our interview, we delve into this project, talking about his influences from Otis Redding to Sam Cooke. He also tells us why he was reluctant to record “Midnight Train to Georgia” at first.