What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears?

In June 1970, hot off their spectacular Grammy® win for Album of the Year (beating The Beatles’ “Abbey Road”), Blood, Sweat & Tears becomes the first American rock band to perform behind the Iron Curtain, doing concerts in Yugoslavia, Romania and Poland on a tour sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

Like much of the youth in America, band members have been outspoken and critical of the Nixon administration and the Vietnam War. The Iron Curtain Tour seems to be a curious decision by the band, which was at the very height of their popularity. Upon their return, the band becomes a victim of the significant societal upheaval and culture wars in a polarized America, divided as much then as it is now. Political criticism typically comes from one side or the other.

But in 1970, Blood, Sweat & Tears find themselves in the crossfire from both the Right AND the Left and the group suffers greatly as a result. Suddenly, they are no longer hip and cool and lose support from fans, the media, concert bookers and the recording industry. In short, the Right is outraged by the U.S. government footing the bill for an anti-war/anti-Nixon rock band to tour overseas and refer to Blood, Sweat & Tears members as “Communists”. The Left is critical of the band

By Nicole Goesseringer Muj

for appearing to be an instrument of the U.S. government and/or the CIA.

Through documentary footage shot during the Iron Curtain tour (and thought to be lost) and present-day interviews with band members and historians, as well as the unsealing of government records, What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears? unravels the details of this extraordinary year in the life of the band.

“This is one of the best rock documentaries ever made,” comments Bob Lefsetz and I definitely concur.

IEM had the chance to speak with founding band member Bobby Colomby, and director/producer John Scheinfeld about this provocative documentary, in hopes to shed some light on the question: “What the hell happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears?”

Nicole Muj: Why did you seek out John Scheinfeld to make this film?

Bobby Colomby: I saw Chasing Trane and thought he’d be the right person to help me tell this story.

NM: Why was it important to you for this film to be made?

BC: From my point of view, there’s the tragic comparison of how the extremists from both the Left & Right (the Right more so) are destroying our country and as I was always satisfied with BS&T’s accomplishments, this film serves as a reminder of how that band helped to change popular music.

NM: Do you have any regrets regarding participating in the tour behind the Iron Curtain?

BC: Playing behind the iron curtain as playing anywhere in the world was always an interesting exploration. However, being sponsored by the State Department was not an association we were interested in. However when you see the film, you’ll understand that we had little choice.

NM: What personally surprised you most about being on the historic tour?

BC: Performing in Soviet Block countries gave us a up close and personal view of the horrors of dictatorship under Soviet rule.

NM: Have you had any feedback from the US or Romanian governments re: the film?

BC: Nothing so far

NM: Rolling Stone stated that BS&T’s “inexplicable decision to go on a State Department-sponsored tour of Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia ‘’ was the #7 worst decision in music history. Do you agree?

BC: The decision was hardly “inexplicable.” We knew the potential harm it would cause the group’s image, but as I stated earlier… we had no choice.

NM: Who is BS&T today?

BC: Since I became the bandleader, when the occasion arose when I had to replace a member, I always strived to get the best player possible that would fit in this band’s format. Curating players and songs has been my position for many decades… the band today is actually man for man, is a great band. Speaking for myself, the drummer is better and more fun to watch than I ever was.

NM: What’s next for Bobby Colomby? What are some of the projects you are working on today?

BC: Some of the projects I’m working on can’t be disclosed at this time. My colleague Archie Castillo and myself have just began working with a young, multi-faceted artist from Colombia artist named Jesus Molina. I look forward to some fun adventures with this wonderful musician/singer.

NM: What was it about the BS&T story that appealed to you?

John Scheinfeld: As a longtime fan of the band, I always wondered why it was unable to maintain the massive success it enjoyed following the explosive release of the second album, Blood, Sweat & Tears. In 1970 BS&T was one of the hottest groups in the world. And then… suddenly…they weren’t. Why? Trying to solve this mystery was just too irresistible. Equally powerful was that the story had elements of a Shakespearean tragedy – in this case, innocent musicians are forced to do something to save themselves and, in the process, are damaged irreparably.

NM: Did you have any idea about this story before Bobby Colomby brought it to you?

JS: None whatsoever. I’m so grateful to Bobby for bringing it to my attention. It’s rare to come across a largely unknown story about a band that was so popular and influential. Solving the mystery of “what the hell happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears?” as a result of being the first American rock band to perform being the Iron Curtain was a wonderful challenge for me and my creative team. By the time our research was completed, including uncovering thousands of pages of declassified U.S. State Department documents, we had discovered many different aspects of this fascinating and unique story, some of which came as a complete surprise to Bobby and his bandmates.

NM: You have made many docs about music icons. What drives you? How do you decide on the subjects of your films?

JS: It’s all about the story for me. Is it strong and compelling and multi-layered enough to be worthy of a feature-length film? Does it challenge my storytelling skills? Does it nurture my soul, inspire me and/or make me laugh? And just as important, do I have a passion for the subject? Making a film is a lengthy and challenging process, so you want to devote your time, energy and creativity to something you are really passionate about.

NM: Is the political element important to you when you decide to take on a project?

JS: Although I am fascinated by politics and love a good political debate, it’s not an essential element when taking on a new project. On the other hand, I won’t shy away from exploring political components if they are critical to telling a great and riveting story.

NM: What were some of the main difficulties you faced in making the film?

JS: One of the things I love most about my job is the detective work. Every film has its own challenges when it comes to tracking down the best, the hard-to-find and never-before-seen audio visual elements with which to properly tell the story. This film presented more challenges than most.

When Bobby Colomby first told me about the events surrounding the Iron Curtain Tour, he mentioned that a documentary film crew had accompanied the band to shoot W for what was intended to be a theatrical documentary. That film was never released, and Bobby had no idea what became of the 65 hours of raw footage shot under the supervision of director Donn Cambern. I loved the mystery and intrigue behind this story, but without that documentary footage we wouldn’t be able to effectively tell it. So, as the pandemic was shutting the country down, my team and I began a search. We cast a wide net around the world to locate this footage, contacting anyone and everyone who had a connection to the documentary film crew, as well as private archives, independent storage facilities and film labs. It was one dead end after another. It appeared that the footage and related elements had completely vanished. And then, finally, success! While searching for the raw footage, we stumbled upon a pristine print of a 53-minute version of the documentary that had been edited for television syndication. This was an unexpected find as no such version was ever broadcast. A new high-definition transfer was made from this print and watching it provided a fascinating time capsule of this group of nine young men on an unprecedented adventure from 50 years earlier. I knew then we had the makings of a fantastic documentary.

NM: What advice would you give to a young documentary filmmaker just entering the business?

JS: First and foremost, be passionate about your subject. The temptation can be great to accept any project that comes your way, especially if it enables you to get that first foot in the door. But others will judge you by the quality of your work, and I think being passionate about the subject means you will be more thoughtful, dig deeper, take more time to make the best possible film because of how you feel about what you’re doing.

NM: You are best known for your documentary work. Have you ever wanted to work in the fictional feature genre?

JS: Absolutely! I got my start in the business as a studio executive developing comedy and drama projects. After that I began writing my own scripts, eventually being hired to create and write pilot scripts for ABC, NBC and Fox. It is this scripted experience that, I think, distinguishes my documentary storytelling. During some COVID downtime, I actually revisited one of my favorite pilot scripts and re-wrote it for today’s landscape and hope to unleash it on the world soon. I’d certainly love the opportunity to direct a scripted feature film. And being a relentless optimist…;-)

NM: John, what is next for you? (I read there is an Elvis project in the works)

JS: I’ve just finished writing and directing the feature-length documentary, Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback. The film will begin streaming later this year on Paramount+ and reveals the compelling details behind this seminal pop culture event through the eyes of Steve Binder, the bold and visionary director of that landmark television special. I’ve just begun editing Baseball: Beyond Belief, a fresh and unique take on America’s national pastime, produced in association with Major League Baseball. We’ll take the audience on an entertaining and inspiring journey about hope, happiness, and overcoming life’s challenges. Following that, James Sears Bryant, the Executive Producer of What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears? and I have another project percolating (but I’m not yet at liberty to tell you what it will be…;-).

Photos Courtesy of Blood, Sweat & Tears.

Director Danny A. Abeckaser Presents Films Gemini Lounge and The Engineer to Cannes Foreign Buyers Market

Director, actor and producer Danny A. Abeckaser’s latest anticipated projects include two feature American films set to release this year, both being showcased in the international buyers market during the current Cannes Film Festival. Each film is already secured with US distribution and will be showcased for foreign sales by Bleiberg Entertainment. Abeckaser is currently in Cannes to partake in the buyers market.

Gemini Lounge

Gemini Lounge is an independent crime thriller produced by Abeckaser’s 2B Films along with Wild7Films (Kyle Stefanski and partner Gustavo Nascimento) and will be showcased with two screenings on May 17th and 19th. The film, based on the true events of American gangster Roy DeMeo, an Italian American mobster in the Gambino crime family, and was written by Kosta Kondilopoulos. Shot in 2022 at Paramount Studios, the U.S. feature film was directed by Abeckaser and is set for a late 2023 release, with Vertical owning North American rights. Logline: After a meltdown, a demoted detective is given the opportunity to go undercover and take down the mob’s most ruthless killer, but his life and only chance at redemption spiral out of control as he loses himself in the role.

The Engineer

Based on true events, the film covers the story of Yahya Ayyash - the mastermind bombmaker who led an army of suicidal soldiers in Israel during the mid 90s. The story follows the biggest man hunt in the history of Israel to find him. Abeckaser plays the role of agent Yakov. The movie is produced by Abeckaser under his company 2B Films, along with Yoav Gross and Yoav Gross Productions. For both films, Abeckaser teamed up with Emile Hirsch to star as the male lead. The films are set to release back to back in the U.S. followed by their international release. Hirsh stars in Gemini Lounge, alongside Lucy Hale, Ashley Greene, Robert Davi, Jake Cannavale, Kyle Stefanski and Vincent Laresca, and in The Engineer, alongside Angel Bonanni, Tsahi Halevi, Omer Hazan, Adam Haloon, Oshri Cohen, Lee Keinan, Yarden ToussiaCohen, Robert Davi, and Kyle Stefanski. The film was shot in Tel Aviv, Israel, with music by Lionel Cohen.

Abeckaser notes, “Especially being Israeli, I was intrigued by the international manhunt and back story of The Engineer and have been wanting to tell this story for years. I was thrilled to shoot it with Emile following Gemini Lounge, as he is an incredible leading actor, and a dear friend. It was a true full circle moment to shoot in Israel where it all happened and properly showcase the story.”

Abeckaser’s other recently directed films include I Love Us (2021), Mob Town (2019), and Blackjack: The Jackie Ryan Story (2020).

Under his 2B Films production and distribution company, Abeckaser has directed six films to date since his directorial debut in 2018 and produced over 15 films, including several documentaries.

Abeckaser was recently featured in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, acting alongside Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, and co-starred with Sam Worthington, David Elliott and long-time friend Harvey Keitel, in Lansky. His directing career and leading man focus has been a long time in the making.