Blood, Sweat & Tears Again Prove Versatile

by Marilyn Nason, The Post-Star, July 1, 1971

Attract 13,000

Blood, Sweat and Tears drew nearly 13,000 last night at Saratoga Performing Arts Center and they were as infectious, loud, brassy, versatile and downright phenomenal as we remembered them from last year when they drew 15,500.

If there’s one key to the secret of the sustained success of this group of nine men, it has to be their amazing versatility.

No Peer

They play well just about every imaginable instrument. David Clayton-Thomas, as lead singer, has no peer in the modern field today for his delivery and about the only annoying thing remains their insistence on super-loud, dozens-on-dozens of amplifiers on the SPAC stage, where acoustics are already perfect as is.

But despite the excess noise, they’re great and the audience loved them, as they offered a mix of their new and old songs. It was everything from “And When I Die” and “Take Me In Your Arms” to “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” and the poignantly beautiful, “Sometimes In Winter.”

They do each number in full production fashion, varying their instruments from the expected electric guitar and drums to organ, piano, trumpets, sax, trombone, French horn and even flute and harmonica.

As last year, the stage was piled with instruments, electronic equipment and roaming engineers, who create absolutely informal atmosphere. In most acts, this would be totally distracting but with Blood, Sweat and Tears, somehow it all times in.

Won Applause

Glens Falls’ own young star, Dick Halligan, is an important part of the nine-member group and won sustained applause last night from a partisan crowd.

But the most surprising part of the evening was the first half. In recent years, the poor performer relegated to carry the first half until the “star” appears for these concerts has a tough go at best but that was not the case last night.

In fact, anyone who deliberately stayed away until the second half missed one of the most sensational new performers we’ve seen in many years.

His name was Charlie Starr. He sang in folk singer fashion and played some phenomenal guitar but the shocker came
when he had finished his program and a man came on stage to help him through the maze of equipment. Then the audience realized he was blind.

Scores “First”

It resulted in another”first” at SPAC, a first half performer receiving a tremendous ovation and doing two encores.

He is the best guitarist in many a moon and makes some amazing sounds with the instrument.

But the best of all was his second encore, a complete departure from what he had been offering previously. In true Spanish flamenco guitar style, he played “Malaguena” in a thrilling manner and Charlie Starr should certainly be invited back another year.

Tonight it will be Duke Ellington and his band at 8:30 p.m.