Blood, Sweat & Tears - And When I Die (HD/Lyrics) | 3:26
Michaels Hit Music | 18.9K subscribers | 32,539 views | July 7, 2022
Posted on 06/25/2026 12:50:19 PM PDT by fidelis
David Clayton-Thomas, the Canadian singer and songwriter whose soulful voice was ubiquitous on American radio in the late 1960s and early ‘70s as lead singer of the brass-driven group Blood, Sweat & Tears, has died, according to his publicist. No cause of death was cited except that he died peacefully at a Toronto hospital on Wednesday evening; he was 84.
Clayton-Thomas wrote “Spinning Wheel,” the group’s most well-known original composition, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969, one of three songs by the band to reach that mark in that year; “When I Die” and the powerful ballad “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” also reached No. 2, powered by Clayton-Thomas’ unmistakable voice. The group won two Grammys in 1970, including best album....
(Excerpt) Read more at variety.com ...
He “made” the band what it was, but far and away my favorite BS&T album is their first, before DCT, with Al Kooper. David had a great voice and to his everlasting credit, knew how to shut up and sing - I have no idea what his politics were. As it should be. RIP DCT.
When Dylan recorded his iconic "Like A Rolling Song", a young musician showed up expecting to play guitar...but that role went to Chicago-based guitarist, Mike Bloomfield.
So the young musician wandered around the studio and discovered no one was playing the organ...and he began playing.
That organist was Al Kooper...and the organ is just as iconic as the song itself!
Winston Churchill’s favorite group.
Great songs.
84 does not even get you to the top 100 of the unoffical “I Hope I Die Before I Get Old” website.
Youngest is 87.
https://www.ihopeidiebeforeigetold.com/oldest-living-rock-stars.php
Great voice.
100% pinko politics.
But at this point I suppose nobody needs to tell him to “shut up and just sing” anymore.
You're probably thinking of "Spirit in the Sky":
"When I die and they lay me to rest
I'm gonna to the place that's the best"
Bon voyage! BS&T made a nice imaginary-western arrangement out of Laura Nyro’s “And When I Die”.
I don't care and I don't know why people always feel they have to bring this up when a musician dies.
If I only listened to music I like that are by people by the peoples judgment of their politics in these forums, I'd probably only be able to listen to about 3 songs.
Blood, Sweat & Tears - And When I Die (HD/Lyrics) | 3:26
Michaels Hit Music | 18.9K subscribers | 32,539 views | July 7, 2022
I was around when WAAF Worcester/Boston first went on air, maybe one commercial an hour. The DJ would come on at the top of the hour for a time and station check and maybe name 2 or 3 songs and bands. I discovered a lot of bands I never heard of from listening in those days. Very fond memories.
“Eli’s Coming” is one of my all time favorite songs.
“Hide your heart, Girl!” :)
Great singer. Saw him and his band play in the Bethlehem PA Music Festival in 1988. He was still on top of his game, good as ever.
BS&T actually played at my HS. Thomas and the band were spectacular.
The band had lost some of their equipment coming to western Mass and put a call out to the students to borrow instruments for their gig. Steve Katz did not select my Gibson SG, but all those who donated were invited backstage after the gig. In talking to the band I learned that they were thrilled that David Clayton Thomas had joined them. They added that when Al Kooper was at the mike, they had no idea what sounds in what key were going to come out of his mouth.
Good times.
Two of their biggest hits were written by Laura Nyro who wrote an amazing number of hit songs - with little credit.
The Fifth Dimension did the best covers of Laura’s songs.
Same name, Different bands, different music. Both good
I still love the sound of vinyl, though. That’s what I grew up with. My Mom had the ‘stereo’ on with her records every day. I’m still in love with Herb Alpert, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell and Brasil 66!
I don’t want to re-invest in all of that, though I like it when I find a ‘vinyl’ track of a song from my youth on You Tube. :)
8 Tracks? Cassettes? What were they thinking? LOL!
As soon as I read his name that song came on .. in my head. How many times I heard that song when I was tooling around in Kentuckian in my Triumph Spitfire w/convertible top down.
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