What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears? – Watch the trailer for the new music documentary

Documentary feature film, What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears? will be released theatrically in New York and Los Angeles March 24, 2023, before expanding across North America and Canada via Abramorama.

The truth-is-stranger-than fiction film blends political intrigue, social commentary, and a mystery involving one of the biggest rock bands of the late 60s and early 70s.

Blood, Sweat & Tears, known for hits such as “Spinning Wheel”, “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy”, and “And When I Die”, headlined the legendary Woodstock Festival and won multiple Grammy Awards, most notably 1970’s win for Album of The Year, beating The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” and “Johnny Cash Live at San Quentin.” This is the incredible never-before-told story about a top rock band that was unknowingly embroiled in a political rat’s nest involving the U.S. State Department, the Nixon White House and a controversial concert tour of Yugoslavia, Romania and Poland, countries that were behind what was then known as the Iron Curtain. As a result, they found themselves in the crosshairs of a polarized America -as divided then as it is now – and became an early victim of cancel culture.

Written, produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker John Scheinfeld (The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Chasing Trane, Who Is Harry Nilsson…?), produced by Dave Harding (Herb Alpert Is…), and executive produced by James Sears Bryant, the film was created with the full cooperation of Blood, Sweat & Tears. The film features never-before-seen film and photos of the band, as well as present day 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.

“It has been fascinating for me to re-live these incidents of some 50 years ago,” said Bobby Colomby, “through the footage, documentation and, incredibly, the live performance tapes John and his team discovered through some very deep and tireless digging. I believe the music we made then holds up today.”

Director John Scheinfeld adds, “Uncovering the details of the extraordinary story took us far and wide, and we were amazed by the unexpected twists and turns of the tale. We hope people will be as struck as we were by the political parallels and counterpoints between then and now.”

Abramorama’s CEO Richard Abramowitz and Head of Music Evan Saxon added, “It’s well known that Blood, Sweat & Tears was a seminal influence in fusing rock and roll with jazz. John Scheinfeld’s movie tells an entirely different story, one of political intrigue and back room dealing at a time when popular music was revolutionary and had a global impact. It’s a thriller wrapped in sheep’s clothing.”

The film’s soundtrack, What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears? – Original Soundtrack, featuring 10 recently discovered and remastered live performances from BS&T’s Iron Curtain concert tour will be available via Omnivore Recordings on CD and digital April 21, as well as the digital-only release of What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears? – Original Score, composed by founding member, Bobby Colomby and arranger/musician David Mann.