12/11/68: Blood, Sweat & Tears – Blood, Sweat & Tears
By the time Blood, Sweat & Tears released their second album (and second of 1968), they were a considerably different band. Gone were founding members Al Kooper, Randy Brecker, and Jerry Weiss. In with the replacements was the distinctive voice of David Clayton-Thomas. The result was a very big record. It rose to the top of the US charts for several weeks and yielded the smash singles Spinning Wheel and You’ve Made Me So Very Happy. The album won a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1969.
12/11/68: The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
It was a very cool idea, and the Stones weren’t nearly as bad as they supposedly saw their performance as being. Yet it didn’t see an official release on DVD and CD until 1996. I do feel the Stones’ performance – o.k., Mick’s – was a bit contrived, but musically still solid. And, of course, it’s the last the world would see of Brian Jones, who would drown in his pool under odd circumstances a few months later. Jethro Tull is fun to watch here even though the only live parts were Ian Anderson’s vocals and flute. It took me a couple of views to realize that’s Tony Ionni fakin’ it on guitar. The Dirty Mac – now that was a supergroup! (Oh yeah, Yoko…) And of course the Who outdid everyone. I also like the dialogue between Lennon and Jagger. Anyway, the Circus is an important film link in the music scene of 1968.
12/20/68: Townes Van Zandt – For the Sake of the Song
This was Van Zandt’s debut album. Some of the more well-known tracks were later re-recorded with a stripped-down sound with arguably much better results (Tecumseh Valley, Waiting ‘Round to Die, and the title track), but his songwriting was stellar out of the gate. I began hearing and reading the name Townes Van Zandt in the early 90’s, and the Cowboy Junkies did a nice version of his To Live Is to Fly on their Black Eyed Man album from 1992. But it took moving to Texas and becoming friends with a connoisseur of music by Texas troubadour musicians to finally be initiated. I’ve been a fan ever since, and I’m looking forward to revisiting his later albums here down the road. What a talent, and what a loss.
12/21/68: Apollo 8 Mission
The second manned spaceflight in the US Apollo program launched on this date 50 years ago with a three-astronaut crew of Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders. They were the first to orbit the Moon and see Earth as an entire planet.
12/21/68: Bee Gees – Single: I Started a Joke
Sorry, but the 1910 Fruitgum Company and the early works of the Bee Gees probably won’t make the cut… – Yours truly, January 1, 2018 in my inaugural post on this blog, discussing the parameters of my loosely planned content. This is now an inaccurate statement, but that’s alright. I’ve always liked this track. Richie Havens did a nice version as well.
12/26/68: Led Zeppelin make their US debut in Denver
And the Hammer of the Gods came down from the mountain…
Up next, my Year-End Top 25 Albums from 1968.
Thanks for reading!
-Stephen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood,_Sweat_%26_Tears_(Blood,_Sweat_%26_Tears_album)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones_Rock_and_Roll_Circus
50th Music Anniversaries and Other Musings 
Good stuff! I haven’t listened to Blood, Sweat & Tears in a long time, so thanks for the reminder. While I’ve read about the Stones’ Rock & Roll Circus, I’ve actually never watched the film – should be fun, given the performers.
Okay, what I’m going to say next may come as a complete shocker for a 60s, classic rock and blues rock kind of guy like I would generally describe myself. I like the Bee Gees – say freaking what?! Yes, I’ve always dug them, even when it comes to what many music and especially rock fans consider as torture: Saturday Night Fever.
I feel the Bee Gees were incredibly talented. These guys could sing great harmony. They wrote their own music, including many songs with catchy melodies and good grooves. They even played their own instruments. And they of course existed a long time before disco became popular. There are some beautiful songs from their early phase.
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