Dick Halligan, Jerry Weiss and Randy Brecker of the rock and roll band "Blood, Sweat And Tears" perform onstage at Steve Paul's The Scene nightclub on Nov. 25, 1967 in New York.
Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/GIBlood, Sweat & Tears co-founder Dick Halligan, who won two Grammys with the classic jazz-rock band, died of natural causes on Jan. 18 in Rome, Italy. He was 78.
Halligan grew up in Michigan and moved to New York for school, and as the story goes he first turned down his friend and jazz saxophonist Fred Lipsius when he asked him to join Blood, Sweat & Tears. But, Halligan changed his tune and joined the band when Lipsius told him they would be touring in California — a place he always wanted to see.
With Blood, Sweat & Tears, Halligan played the trombone, keyboard and flute. He also co-wrote several tracks, including “Redemption” and “Lisa Listen To Me.”
Halligan’s expertise in music stemmed from hours spent listening to the big band music of Stan Kenton, Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller as a boy growing up in Glens Fall, New York. He went on to receive a master of arts degree in music theory and composition from the Manhattan School of Music and continued his studies in voice and piano.
Blood, Sweat & Tears’ second studio album, Blood, Sweat & Tears, was released in 1968, spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 1969 and won a Grammy for album of the year in 1970. That same year, they also won a Grammy for best contemporary instrumental performance for the album’s opening track, “Variations On A Theme by Eric Satie.”
Halligan left the band in 1971 following the recording of the group’s fourth studio album, B, S & T 4. Of the four albums that Halligan created with the band, four were certified Gold by the RIAA and one was certified four-times Platinum.
Following his time with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Halligan went on to score over 20 film and TV projects, including The Owl and the Pussycat, the Chuck Norris movies A Force Of One and The Octagon, as well as ABC’s Holmes And Yoyo. He also composed for orchestras and, most recently, wrote, performed and toured with the one-man show Musical Being, which was based on his book of the same name detailing his unique musical journey.
Halligan is survived by his daughter and musician Shana, his son-in-law Eric Kaufman, his grandson Otis and his stepson Buddy.
NEWS
There is no question that Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out made a serious impact and continues to hold weight. The project showed that hip hop is not limited by age and proved that a long-awaited return can still land in a major way regardless of the time away.
If you need a reminder, the Virginia duo’s fourth studio album debuted comfortably within the top five of the Hot 200. It secured the number four position and moved an impressive 118,000 units in its first week.
On top of that, it picked up a win at this year’s Grammys, earning Best Rap Performance for “Chains & Whips.” The album also received four additional nominations, including Best Music Video, Rap Album, and Album of the Year.
It is hard to believe the project will officially hit its one year mark this summer on July 11. Even so, Pusha T is making it clear that both supporters and critics should not be overlooking it anytime soon.
While performing at Coachella yesterday, King Push told the crowd that LGSEO still sits at the top, regardless of genre.
He said, “‘Let God Sort Em Out’ is still the album of the motherfckin year. Whole new year, still album of the year,” per Kurrco. “Album of the motherfcking year until we drop again. We don't care who dropping. It don't matter.”
That is a strong statement for obvious reasons, especially considering the recent claims surrounding Push himself.
Over the same weekend, hip hop social media lit up after several alleged reference tracks connected to Quentin Miller and Push began circulating. Three tracks surfaced in total, but one that drew the most attention was an alleged record titled “Real Gon’ Come.” It is said to come from the DAYTONA era, around 2017 to 2018.
The situation gained traction because fans remember the past tension between Drake and Pusha T before Drake’s clash with Kendrick Lamar. During that feud, Pusha accused Drake of using ghostwriters on tracks like “Infrared,” which appears on DAYTONA. On that song, he raps, “The bigger question is how the Russians did it /
It was written like Nas, but it came from Quentin.”
Reactions have been mixed. Some people argue it is not a major issue since Miller’s alleged contributions were limited to hooks. Others point out that the songs were never officially released, so they see no real problem. Meanwhile, critics view it as clear hypocrisy on Pusha T’s part, a perspective that DJ Akademiks has also supported.
