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| released = February 21, 1968
| released = February 21, 1968
| recorded = November 11 - December 20, 1967
| recorded = November 11 - December 20, 1967
| venue =
| studio =
| studio =
| genre = [[Jazz-rock]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Needs |first=Kris |author-link1= Kris Needs |title=1968 Crowns of Creation |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/1968-crowns-creation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629195819/https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/1968-crowns-creation |archive-date=2020-06-29 |website=Record Collector |access-date=October 13, 2022 |date=January 5, 2018}}</ref>
| genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[jazz rock]], [[blues rock]], [[baroque pop]]
| length = 49:18
| length = 49:28
| label = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
| label = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
| producer = [[John Simon (record producer)|John Simon]]
| producer = [[John Simon (record producer)|John Simon]]
Line 28: Line 27:
}}
}}


'''''Child Is Father to the Man''''' is the debut album by [[Blood, Sweat & Tears]], released in February [[1968 in music|1968]]. It reached number 47 on [[billboard Music Charts|Billboard]]'s Pop Albums chart in the United States.
'''''Child Is Father to the Man''''' is the debut album by [[Blood, Sweat & Tears]], released in February 1968. It reached number 47 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' pop albums chart in the United States.


==History==
==History==
A teenaged [[Al Kooper]] went to a concert for jazz trumpeter [[Maynard Ferguson]] in 1960.<ref name="ReferenceA">Blood, Sweat & Tears - Child Is Father To The Man (Legacy Reissue). Columbia/Legacy Recordings. CK 63987.</ref> Ferguson's performance served as the catalyst to start a rock band with a horn section.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Originally in a band called [[The Blues Project]], Kooper left after band leader [[Danny Kalb]] rejected his idea of bringing in a horn section.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> He then left for the West Coast and found bassist Jim Fielder who believed in the songs that Kooper wrote.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Though Kooper had big ideas for his next project, he didn't have the money to bring his ideas to fruition.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> He then threw a benefit for himself and invited several musicians he previously worked with, such as [[Judy Collins]], [[Simon & Garfunkel]], [[David Blue (musician)|David Blue]], [[Eric Andersen]] and [[Richie Havens]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/> All of the performances were sold out, which led Kooper to believe that the gigs helped him. Unfortunately, the owner of the [[Cafe Au Go Go]] added numerous expenses to the gross receipts so that the net receipts after the performance were not enough to get a plane ticket or a taxi to the airport.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
As a teenager, [[Al Kooper]] went to a concert for jazz trumpeter [[Maynard Ferguson]] and this experience inspired Kooper to start a rock band with a horn section.<ref name="ReferenceA">Blood, Sweat & Tears - Child Is Father To The Man (Legacy Reissue). Columbia/Legacy Recordings. CK 63987.</ref> Originally in a band called [[The Blues Project]], Kooper left after band leader [[Danny Kalb]] rejected his idea of bringing in a horn section.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> He then left for the West Coast and found bassist Jim Fielder who believed in the songs that Kooper wrote.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Though Kooper had big ideas for his next project, he didn't have the money to bring his ideas to fruition.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> He then threw a benefit for himself and invited several musicians he previously worked with, such as [[Judy Collins]], [[Simon & Garfunkel]], [[David Blue (musician)|David Blue]], [[Eric Andersen]] and [[Richie Havens]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Although the performances sold out, the owner of the [[Cafe Au Go Go]] added such numerous expenses to the gross receipts that the net receipts after the performance were not enough to get a plane ticket or a taxi to the airport.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>


He later called Fielder and convinced him to come to [[New York City|New York]]. He also asked [[Bobby Colomby]], Anderson and Steve Katz, who was his bandmate in his former band The Blues Project.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Colomby called Fred Lipsius and the band placed an ad in [[The Village Voice]] for more horn players.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Within a month, the band assembled an eight piece which also contained [[Randy Brecker]], Jerry Weiss and Dick Halligan.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Kooper then asked John Simon to produce them, after being fresh off from producing Simon & Garfunkel's album ''Bookends''.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The album was recorded in two weeks in December 1967. Simon asked all of the members to record their material in one take so he could study songs and make useful suggestions to the arrangements.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> After a brief promotional tour, Colomby and Katz ousted Kooper from the band, which led to ''Child is Father to the Man'' being the only BS&T album on which Kooper ever appeared.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The band would later have two number one albums and several Grammys, although Kooper felt they were playing music that he didn't agree with.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Despite being asked to leave Blood, Sweat & Tears, Kooper felt everything worked out well for him and the band.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
He later called Fielder and convinced him to come to [[New York City|New York]]. He also asked [[Bobby Colomby]], Anderson and Steve Katz, who was his bandmate in his former band The Blues Project.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Colomby called Fred Lipsius and the band placed an ad in [[The Village Voice]] for more horn players.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Within a month, the band assembled an eight piece which also contained [[Randy Brecker]], Jerry Weiss and Dick Halligan.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Kooper then asked John Simon to produce them, after being fresh off from producing Simon & Garfunkel's album ''Bookends''.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The album was recorded in two weeks in December 1967. Simon asked all of the members to record their material in one take so he could study songs and make useful suggestions to the arrangements.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> After a brief promotional tour, Colomby and Katz ousted Kooper from the band, which led to ''Child is Father to the Man'' being the only BS&T album on which Kooper ever appeared.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The band would later have two number one albums and several Grammys, although Kooper felt they were playing music that he didn't agree with.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Despite being asked to leave Blood, Sweat & Tears, Kooper felt everything worked out well for him and the band.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
Line 38: Line 37:
In the United States ''Child Is Father to the Man'' peaked at #47 on [[billboard Music Charts|Billboard]]'s Pop Albums chart. It failed to generate any Top 40 singles, although "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" and "I Can't Quit Her" found some play on [[progressive rock (radio format)|progressive rock radio]].
In the United States ''Child Is Father to the Man'' peaked at #47 on [[billboard Music Charts|Billboard]]'s Pop Albums chart. It failed to generate any Top 40 singles, although "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" and "I Can't Quit Her" found some play on [[progressive rock (radio format)|progressive rock radio]].


In 2012, the album was ranked number 266 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine's list of [[The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|the 500 greatest albums of all time]].<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-156826/blood-sweat-and-tears-child-is-father-to-the-man-172157/| year=2012| title=500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone’s definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time| publisher=[[Rolling Stone]]| access-date= September 10, 2019}}</ref>
In 2012, the album was ranked number 266 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine's list of [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|the 500 greatest albums of all time]].<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-156826/blood-sweat-and-tears-child-is-father-to-the-man-172157/| year=2012| title=500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time| publisher=[[Rolling Stone]]| access-date= September 10, 2019}}</ref>


The title is a quotation from a [[s:The Child is father to the man|similarly titled poem]] by [[Gerard Manley Hopkins]], slightly misquoting a poem by [[William Wordsworth]] called "[[My Heart Leaps Up]]".
The title is a quotation from a [[s:The Child is father to the man|similarly titled poem]] by [[Gerard Manley Hopkins]], slightly misquoting a poem by [[William Wordsworth]] called "[[My Heart Leaps Up]]".

CBS Records released [[The Rock Machine Turns You On]], the first budget sampler LP, in the UK in 1968. The song "My Days Are Numbered" was included as Side Two track one on the album and introduced BST to a much wider audience.


The album was re-released in the UK in 1973, entitled "The First Album" on Embassy Records, a subsidiary of [[Columbia Records]] (catalogue number EMB 31028) with an identical track listing and the same picture on the front of the sleeve. The rear had new sleeve notes written by English [[DJ]], [[Noel Edmonds]].
The album was re-released in the UK in 1973, entitled "The First Album" on Embassy Records, a subsidiary of [[Columbia Records]] (catalogue number EMB 31028) with an identical track listing and the same picture on the front of the sleeve. The rear had new sleeve notes written by English [[DJ]], [[Noel Edmonds]].




==Reception==
==Reception==
{{Album ratings
{{Album ratings
| rev1 =[[AllMusic]]
| rev1 =[[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|5|5}} <ref name="AM">{{cite web |first=William |last=Ruhlman |title= ''Child Is Father to the Man' > Review |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id= r30871 |pure_url=yes}} |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=July 9, 2011}}</ref>
| rev1Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="AM">{{cite web |first=William |last=Ruhlman |title= ''Child Is Father to the Man'' > Review |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id= r30871 |pure_url=yes}} |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=July 9, 2011}}</ref>
| rev2 = [[Rolling Stone]]
| rev2 = [[Rolling Stone]]
| rev2Score = ''Positive'' <ref>{{cite web |url= http://archive.rollingstone.com/Desktop?s=1968042727#/19680427/20 |title=Blood, Sweat & Tears: Child Is Father to the Man : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone |date=27 April 1968 |access-date=13 September 2012}}</ref>
| rev2Score = ''Positive''<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/child-is-father-to-the-man-186542 |title=Child Is Father to the Man |date=27 April 1968 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=28 November 2023}}</ref>
}}
}}


Writing for [[AllMusic]], critic William Ruhlman wrote of the album:<blockquote>"[[Al Kooper]]'s finest work, an album on which he moves the folk-blues-rock amalgamation of the [[Blues Project]] into even wider pastures, taking in classical and jazz elements (including strings and horns), all without losing the pop essence that makes the hybrid work. This is one of the great albums of the eclectic post-[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band|Sgt. Pepper]] era of the late '60s, a time when you could borrow styles from [[Greenwich Village]] [[Contemporary folk music|contemporary folk]] to [[San Francisco]] [[acid rock]] and mix them into what seemed to have the potential to become a new American musical form... This is the sound of a group of virtuosos enjoying itself in the newly open possibilities of pop music. Maybe it couldn't have lasted; anyway, it didn't."<ref name="AM" /></blockquote>
Writing for [[AllMusic]], critic William Ruhlman wrote of the album:<blockquote>"[[Al Kooper]]'s finest work, an album on which he moves the folk-blues-rock amalgamation of the [[Blues Project]] into even wider pastures, taking in classical and jazz elements (including strings and horns), all without losing the pop essence that makes the hybrid work. This is one of the great albums of the eclectic post-[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band|Sgt. Pepper]] era of the late '60s, a time when you could borrow styles from [[Greenwich Village]] [[Contemporary folk music|contemporary folk]] to [[San Francisco]] [[acid rock]] and mix them into what seemed to have the potential to become a new American musical form... This is the sound of a group of virtuosos enjoying itself in the newly open possibilities of pop music. Maybe it couldn't have lasted; anyway, it didn't."<ref name="AM" /></blockquote>

The song "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" found new life from 2002 to 2004, as [[Late Show with David Letterman]] band leader [[Paul Shaffer]] performed it regularly during the show's final full commercial break. The performances became more and more animated over time, including celebrity guests such as [[Ted Koppel]], [[Nathan Lane]], and others draping a cape over a kneeling Shaffer and attempting to lead him off stage before he stormed back to continue the song (a tribute to a similar gimmick employed by [[James Brown]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wEGnTatGgQ |title=The Cape Thing Collection on Late Show, 2002-2004 |website=Youtube |access-date=28 November 2023}}</ref>


== Track listing ==
== Track listing ==
{{Track listing
# "Overture" ([[Al Kooper]]) – 1:32
| headline = Side one
# "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" (Kooper)– 5:57
# "Morning Glory" ([[Larry Beckett]], [[Tim Buckley]]) – 4:16
# "My Days Are Numbered" (Kooper) – 3:19
# "Without Her" ([[Harry Nilsson]]) – 2:41
# "[[Just One Smile]]" ([[Randy Newman]]) – 4:38
# "I Can't Quit Her" (Kooper, Irwin Levine) – 3:38
# "Meagan's Gypsy Eyes" ([[Steve Katz (musician)|Steve Katz]]) – 3:24
# "Somethin' Goin' On" (Kooper) – 8:00
# "House in the Country" (Kooper) – 3:04
# "The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud" (Kooper) – 4:12
# "[[So Much Love (song)|So Much Love]]"/"Underture" ([[Gerry Goffin]], [[Carole King]]) – 4:47


| title1 = Overture
=== 1994 Master Sound edition bonus tracks (Columbia CK 64214) ===
| writer1 = [[Al Kooper]]
# <li value="13"> "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" [demo version - mono] (Kooper) – (6:10)
| length1 = 1:32
# "Refugee from Yuhupitz (Instrumental)" [demo version - mono] (Kooper) – (3:44)
# "I Can't Quit Her" [demo version - mono] (Kooper, Levine) – (3:00)
# "Morning Glory" [demo version - mono] (Beckett, Buckley) – (4:11)
# "Somethin' Going On" [demo version - mono] (Kooper) – (5:19)
# "The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud" [demo version - mono] (Kooper) – (5:03)


| title2 = I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
=== 2000 remastered edition bonus tracks ===
| writer2 = Kooper
<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
| length2 = 5:57
# <li value="13"> "Refugee from Yuhupitz (Instrumental)" [demo version - mono] (Kooper) – (3:44)
# "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" [demo version - mono] (Kooper) – (6:10)
# "The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud" [demo version - mono] (Kooper) – (5:03)


| title3 = Morning Glory
=== 2012 remastered Limited edition 24k gold bonus tracks (IMPEX IMP8306) ===
| writer3 = [[Larry Beckett]], [[Tim Buckley]]
# <li value="13"> "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" [Demo - mono] (Kooper) (6:13)
| length3 = 4:16
# "Refugee From Yuhupitz (Instrumental)" [Demo - mono] (Kooper) (3:46)

# "I Can't Quit Her" [Demo - mono] (Levine-Kooper) (3:04)
| title4 = My Days Are Numbered
# "The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud" [Demo - mono] (Kooper) (5:25)
| writer4 = Kooper
| length4 = 3:19

| title5 = [[Without Her (Harry Nilsson song)|Without Her]]
| writer5 = [[Harry Nilsson]]
| length5 = 2:41

| title6 = [[Just One Smile]]
| writer6 = [[Randy Newman]]
| length6 = 4:38

| total_length = 22:23
}}

{{Track listing
| headline = Side two

| title1 = I Can't Quit Her
| writer1 = Kooper, Irwin Levine
| length1 = 3:38

| title2 = Meagan's Gypsy Eyes
| writer2 = [[Steve Katz (musician)|Steve Katz]]
| length2 = 3:24

| title3 = Somethin' Goin' On
| writer3 = Kooper
| length3 = 8:00

| title4 = House in the Country
| writer4 = Kooper
| length4 = 3:04

| title5 = The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud
| writer5 = Kooper
| length5 = 4:12

| title6 = [[So Much Love (Ben E. King song)|So Much Love]] / Underture
| writer6 = [[Gerry Goffin]], [[Carole King]]
| length6 = 4:47

| total_length = 27:05
}}


{{Track listing
| headline = 1994 Master Sound edition bonus tracks (Columbia CK 64214)

| title13 = I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
| note13 = demo version - mono
| writer13 = Kooper
| length13 = 6:10

| title14 = Refugee from Yuhupitz
| note14 = Instrumental - demo version - mono
| writer14 = Kooper
| length14 = 3:44

| title15 = I Can't Quit Her
| note15 = demo version - mono
| writer15 = Kooper, Levine
| length15 = 3:00

| title16 = Morning Glory
| note16 = demo version - mono
| writer16 = Beckett, Buckley
| length16 = 4:11

| title17 = Somethin' Going On
| note17 = demo version - mono
| writer17 = Kooper
| length17 = 5:19

| title18 = The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud
| note18 = demo version - mono
| writer18 = Kooper
| length18 = 5:03

| total_length = 27:27 76:55
}}

{{Track listing
| headline = 2000 remastered edition bonus tracks <ref name="ReferenceA"/>

| title13 = Refugee from Yuhupitz
| note13 = Instrumental - demo version - mono
| writer13 = Kooper
| length13 = 3:44

| title14 = I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
| note14 = demo version - mono
| writer14 = Kooper
| length14 = 6:10

| title15 = The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud
| note15 = demo version - mono
| writer15 = Kooper
| length15 = 5:03

| total_length = 14:57 64:25
}}

{{Track listing
| headline = 2012 remastered Limited edition 24k gold bonus tracks (IMPEX IMP8306)

| title13 = I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
| note13 = Demo - mono
| writer13 = Kooper
| length13 = 6:13

| title14 = Refugee From Yuhupitz
| note14 = Instrumental - Demo - mono
| writer14 = Kooper
| length14 = 3:46

| title15 = I Can't Quit Her
| note15 = Demo - mono
| writer15 = Levine-Kooper
| length15 = 3:04

| title16 = The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud
| note16 = Demo - mono
| writer16 = Kooper
| length16 = 5:25

| total_length = 18:28 67:56
}}


== Personnel ==
== Personnel ==
'''Blood, Sweat & Tears'''
'''Blood, Sweat & Tears'''
* [[Al Kooper]] – organ, piano; lead vocals (tracks 2, 4-7, 9-12); [[ondioline]] (track 8)
* [[Fred Lipsius]] – piano, alto saxophone
* [[Randy Brecker]] – trumpet, [[flugelhorn]]
* [[Randy Brecker]] – trumpet, [[flugelhorn]]
* [[Bobby Colomby]] – drums, percussion; backing vocals (tracks 4, 10)
* [[Jerry Weiss (musician)|Jerry Weiss]] – trumpet, flugelhorn; backing vocals (track 4)
* [[Jim Fielder]] – bass guitar, [[fretless bass guitar]]
* [[Dick Halligan]] – trombone
* [[Dick Halligan]] – trombone
* [[Steve Katz (musician)|Steve Katz]] – guitars; lead vocals (tracks 3, 8); backing vocals (tracks 3); [[lute]] (track 6)
* [[Steve Katz (musician)|Steve Katz]] – guitars; lead vocals (tracks 3, 8); backing vocals (tracks 3); [[lute]] (track 6)
* [[Jim Fielder]] – bass guitar, [[fretless bass guitar]]
* [[Al Kooper]] – organ, piano; lead vocals (tracks 2, 4-7, 9-12); [[ondioline]] (track 8)
* [[Fred Lipsius]] – piano, alto saxophone
* [[Bobby Colomby]] – drums, percussion; backing vocals (tracks 4, 10)
* [[Jerry Weiss]] – trumpet, flugelhorn; backing vocals (track 4)


'''Additional musicians'''
'''Additional musicians'''
* [[Anahid Ajemian]] – violin
* [[Anahid Ajemian]] – violin
* Fred Catero – [[sound effect]]s
* [[Fred Catero]] – [[sound effect]]s
* Harold Coletta – viola
* Harold Coletta – viola
* Paul Gershman – violin
* Paul Gershman – violin
Line 112: Line 228:
* Harry Lookofsky – violin
* Harry Lookofsky – violin
* Charles McCracken – cello
* Charles McCracken – cello
* [[Melba Moore|Melba Moorman]] – choir, chorus
* [[Melba Moore]] – choir, chorus
* [[Gene Orloff]] – violin
* [[Gene Orloff]] – violin
* [[Valerie Simpson]] – choir, chorus
* [[Valerie Simpson]] – choir, chorus
Line 147: Line 263:


== Covers ==
== Covers ==
* In 2015, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" performed by Italian singer Luca Ronka in ''Soul Man'' album<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/it/album/soul-man-ep/id985540908 |title=Luca Ronka album, 'Soul Man', released in 2015}}</ref>
* In 2015, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" performed by Italian singer Luca Ronka in ''Soul Man'' album<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/it/album/soul-man-ep/id985540908 |title=Luca Ronka album, 'Soul Man', released in 2015|website=[[iTunes]] |date=24 April 2015 }}</ref>
* In 2013, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" on the album [[Seesaw (album)|Seesaw]] by [[Beth Hart]] & [[Joe Bonamassa]]
* In 2013, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" on the album [[Seesaw (album)|Seesaw]] by [[Beth Hart]] & [[Joe Bonamassa]]
* In 2008, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" on the album [[Bad for You Baby (album)|Bad for You Baby]] by [[Gary Moore]]
* In 1973, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" on the album [[Extension of a Man]] by [[Donny Hathaway]]
* In 1973, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" on the album [[Extension of a Man]] by [[Donny Hathaway]]
* In 2007, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" was recorded live in Paris on September, 2007 by [[Amy Winehouse]]


==References==
==References==
Line 157: Line 275:
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Child Is Father To The Man}}
[[Category:Blood, Sweat & Tears albums]]
[[Category:Blood, Sweat & Tears albums]]
[[Category:1968 debut albums]]
[[Category:1968 debut albums]]
[[Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients]]
[[Category:Albums produced by John Simon (record producer)]]
[[Category:Albums produced by John Simon (record producer)]]
[[Category:Columbia Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Bob Irwin]]
[[Category:Albums conducted by John Simon (record producer)]]
[[Category:Albums conducted by John Simon (record producer)]]
[[Category:Columbia Records albums]]
[[Category:Jazz-rock albums]]
[[Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients]]

Latest revision as of 12:40, 3 March 2024

This article is about the album by Blood, Sweat & Tears. For the song by the Beach Boys, see Child Is Father of the Man.
Child Is Father to the Man
Studio album by
Blood, Sweat & Tears
ReleasedFebruary 21, 1968
RecordedNovember 11 - December 20, 1967
GenreJazz-rock[1]
Length49:28
LabelColumbia
ProducerJohn Simon
Blood, Sweat & Tears chronology
Child Is Father to the Man
(1968) 		Blood, Sweat & Tears
(1968)
Singles from Child Is Father to the Man
  1. "I Can't Quit Her"
    Released: May 28, 1968

Child Is Father to the Man is the debut album by Blood, Sweat & Tears, released in February 1968. It reached number 47 on the Billboard pop albums chart in the United States.

History[edit]

As a teenager, Al Kooper went to a concert for jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and this experience inspired Kooper to start a rock band with a horn section.[2] Originally in a band called The Blues Project, Kooper left after band leader Danny Kalb rejected his idea of bringing in a horn section.[2] He then left for the West Coast and found bassist Jim Fielder who believed in the songs that Kooper wrote.[2] Though Kooper had big ideas for his next project, he didn't have the money to bring his ideas to fruition.[2] He then threw a benefit for himself and invited several musicians he previously worked with, such as Judy Collins, Simon & Garfunkel, David Blue, Eric Andersen and Richie Havens.[2] Although the performances sold out, the owner of the Cafe Au Go Go added such numerous expenses to the gross receipts that the net receipts after the performance were not enough to get a plane ticket or a taxi to the airport.[2]

He later called Fielder and convinced him to come to New York. He also asked Bobby Colomby, Anderson and Steve Katz, who was his bandmate in his former band The Blues Project.[2] Colomby called Fred Lipsius and the band placed an ad in The Village Voice for more horn players.[2] Within a month, the band assembled an eight piece which also contained Randy Brecker, Jerry Weiss and Dick Halligan.[2] Kooper then asked John Simon to produce them, after being fresh off from producing Simon & Garfunkel's album Bookends.[2] The album was recorded in two weeks in December 1967. Simon asked all of the members to record their material in one take so he could study songs and make useful suggestions to the arrangements.[2] After a brief promotional tour, Colomby and Katz ousted Kooper from the band, which led to Child is Father to the Man being the only BS&T album on which Kooper ever appeared.[2] The band would later have two number one albums and several Grammys, although Kooper felt they were playing music that he didn't agree with.[2] Despite being asked to leave Blood, Sweat & Tears, Kooper felt everything worked out well for him and the band.[2]

Commercial performance[edit]

In the United States Child Is Father to the Man peaked at #47 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart. It failed to generate any Top 40 singles, although "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" and "I Can't Quit Her" found some play on progressive rock radio.

In 2012, the album was ranked number 266 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[3]

The title is a quotation from a similarly titled poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins, slightly misquoting a poem by William Wordsworth called "My Heart Leaps Up".

CBS Records released The Rock Machine Turns You On, the first budget sampler LP, in the UK in 1968. The song "My Days Are Numbered" was included as Side Two track one on the album and introduced BST to a much wider audience.

The album was re-released in the UK in 1973, entitled "The First Album" on Embassy Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records (catalogue number EMB 31028) with an identical track listing and the same picture on the front of the sleeve. The rear had new sleeve notes written by English DJ, Noel Edmonds.


Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Rolling StonePositive[5]

Writing for AllMusic, critic William Ruhlman wrote of the album:

"Al Kooper's finest work, an album on which he moves the folk-blues-rock amalgamation of the Blues Project into even wider pastures, taking in classical and jazz elements (including strings and horns), all without losing the pop essence that makes the hybrid work. This is one of the great albums of the eclectic post-Sgt. Pepper era of the late '60s, a time when you could borrow styles from Greenwich Village contemporary folk to San Francisco acid rock and mix them into what seemed to have the potential to become a new American musical form... This is the sound of a group of virtuosos enjoying itself in the newly open possibilities of pop music. Maybe it couldn't have lasted; anyway, it didn't."[4]

The song "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" found new life from 2002 to 2004, as Late Show with David Letterman band leader Paul Shaffer performed it regularly during the show's final full commercial break. The performances became more and more animated over time, including celebrity guests such as Ted Koppel, Nathan Lane, and others draping a cape over a kneeling Shaffer and attempting to lead him off stage before he stormed back to continue the song (a tribute to a similar gimmick employed by James Brown).[6]

Track listing[edit]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Overture"Al Kooper1:32
2."I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know"Kooper5:57
3."Morning Glory"Larry Beckett, Tim Buckley4:16
4."My Days Are Numbered"Kooper3:19
5."Without Her"Harry Nilsson2:41
6."Just One Smile"Randy Newman4:38
Total length:22:23
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Can't Quit Her"Kooper, Irwin Levine3:38
2."Meagan's Gypsy Eyes"Steve Katz3:24
3."Somethin' Goin' On"Kooper8:00
4."House in the Country"Kooper3:04
5."The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud"Kooper4:12
6."So Much Love / Underture"Gerry Goffin, Carole King4:47
Total length:27:05


1994 Master Sound edition bonus tracks (Columbia CK 64214)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" (demo version - mono)Kooper6:10
14."Refugee from Yuhupitz" (Instrumental - demo version - mono)Kooper3:44
15."I Can't Quit Her" (demo version - mono)Kooper, Levine3:00
16."Morning Glory" (demo version - mono)Beckett, Buckley4:11
17."Somethin' Going On" (demo version - mono)Kooper5:19
18."The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud" (demo version - mono)Kooper5:03
Total length:27:27 76:55
2000 remastered edition bonus tracks [2]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Refugee from Yuhupitz" (Instrumental - demo version - mono)Kooper3:44
14."I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" (demo version - mono)Kooper6:10
15."The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud" (demo version - mono)Kooper5:03
Total length:14:57 64:25
2012 remastered Limited edition 24k gold bonus tracks (IMPEX IMP8306)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" (Demo - mono)Kooper6:13
14."Refugee From Yuhupitz" (Instrumental - Demo - mono)Kooper3:46
15."I Can't Quit Her" (Demo - mono)Levine-Kooper3:04
16."The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud" (Demo - mono)Kooper5:25
Total length:18:28 67:56

Personnel[edit]

Blood, Sweat & Tears

Additional musicians

  • Anahid Ajemian – violin
  • Fred Catero – sound effects
  • Harold Coletta – viola
  • Paul Gershman – violin
  • Al Gorgoni – organ, guitar, vocals
  • Manny Green – violin
  • Julie Held – violin
  • Doug James – shaker
  • Harry Katzman – violin
  • Leo Kruczek – violin
  • Harry Lookofsky – violin
  • Charles McCracken – cello
  • Melba Moore – choir, chorus
  • Gene Orloff – violin
  • Valerie Simpson – choir, chorus
  • Alan Schulman – cello
  • John Simon – organ, piano, conductor, cowbell
  • The Manny Vardi Strings

Production[edit]

  • Producers: Bob Irwin, John Simon
  • Engineer: Fred Catero
  • Mixing: John Simon
  • Mastering: Vic Anesini
  • Arrangers: Fred Catero, Al Gorgoni, Fred Lipsius, Alan Schulman, John Simon
  • Art direction: Howard Fritzson
  • Photography: Bob Cato, Don Hunstein
  • Packaging: Michael Cimicata

Charts[edit]

Album - Billboard (United States)

Year Chart Position
1968 Pop Albums 47[7]

Later Samples[edit]

Covers[edit]

  • In 2015, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" performed by Italian singer Luca Ronka in Soul Man album[8]
  • In 2013, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" on the album Seesaw by Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa
  • In 2008, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" on the album Bad for You Baby by Gary Moore
  • In 1973, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" on the album Extension of a Man by Donny Hathaway
  • In 2007, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" was recorded live in Paris on September, 2007 by Amy Winehouse

References[edit]

  1. ^ Needs, Kris (January 5, 2018). "1968 Crowns of Creation". Record Collector. Archived from the original on 2020-06-29. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Blood, Sweat & Tears - Child Is Father To The Man (Legacy Reissue). Columbia/Legacy Recordings. CK 63987.
  3. ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Ruhlman, William. "Child Is Father to the Man > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  5. ^ "Child Is Father to the Man". Rolling Stone. 27 April 1968. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  6. ^ "The Cape Thing Collection on Late Show, 2002-2004". Youtube. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Child Is Father to the Man - Blood, Sweat & Tears | Awards | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  8. ^ "Luca Ronka album, 'Soul Man', released in 2015". iTunes. 24 April 2015.
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