VIA PRESS RELEASE | Omnivore Recordings is proud to announce the release of the soundtrack to the upcoming acclaimed documentary What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears?, a political thriller with a classic rock band at the heart of the action, a story which has been suppressed for over 50 years. What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears? – Original Soundtrack will be released on CD and digital on April 21.
Blood, Sweat & Tears were arguably the hottest band in America in 1970. Their second album, the eponymously titled Blood, Sweat & Tears had recently spent seven weeks atop the Billboard Album charts, spawning three Top 5 Gold singles (“You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” “Spinning Wheel,” and “And When I Die”). The album had been nominated for four Grammy® awards, ultimately winning two, including Album of the Year (over The Beatles’ Abbey Road), and sales passed the 4 million mark domestically. The band was touring to sold-out audiences around the world and had just completed their third album in the studio—what could possibly go wrong? Enter the U.S. State Department and Richard Milhous Nixon…
In 1970, Blood, Sweat & Tears became the first American rock band to perform behind the Iron Curtain, doing concerts in Yugoslavia, Romania, and Poland. The tour was sponsored by the U.S. State Department. A documentary film crew accompanied the band and shot over 65 hours of material for what was intended to be a theatrical documentary. The documentary was never released and the film footage disappeared. The music was also captured on tape but never issued or even heard by the band themselves. Upon returning to the states after the tour, the group became victim to the significant societal upheaval and culture wars that were polarizing America. The toxic environment found the band in a crossfire between the Right and the Left and the group suffered greatly as a result.
What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears? is a film about this tour, this journey, and the discovery of the film and music that documented one of the world’s biggest bands at the peak of their powers. Award winning director John Scheinfeld (Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him?), The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary) has once again captivated audiences with a thrilling story that contains amazing never-before-seen film footage and stunning musical performances. It also features interviews with five of the nine band members including distinctive lead singer David Clayton-Thomas, sax player and musical arranger Fred Lipsius, innovative bass player Jim Fielder, outspoken guitarist Steve Katz, and drummer and band leader Bobby Colomby.
The soundtrack album features ten previously unheard performances from the 1970 Iron Curtain Tour, including their biggest hits (“Spinning Wheel,” “And When I Die,” and more) and music from their upcoming not-yet-released third album (Blood, Sweat & Tears 3). Lovingly produced and curated by the band’s founding member Bobby Colomby, this album is a tour de force that never stops surprising or pleasing the listener. Packaging includes liner notes from Scheinfeld and Colomby and photos from various members of the band.
Omnivore Recordings is also delighted to announce a companion piece to What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears? – Original Soundtrack, with the digital-only release of What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears? – Original Score, composed by founding member Bobby Colomby and arranger/ composer/ musician David Mann. What makes this release incredibly unique is the original score is not only co-written by original member Colomby, but performed by the current 2023 lineup of Blood, Sweat & Tears, bringing the musical vibe right up to date.
What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears? will be released theatrically in New York and Los Angeles on March 24, 2023, before expanding across North America and Canada via Abramorama. It will include over 25 songs from the Blood, Sweat & Tears catalog, including the ten songs performed live that appear on Omnivore’s original song soundtrack and the nearly 20 minutes of original score that appear on What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears? – Original Score.
Find out what the hell happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears and listen to the glorious results!
