An earworm has persisted in my mind for three days, but I don't mind, as it's one of my favorite covers. Blood, Sweat & Tears remade Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child" to great effect. The band's three big 1969 hits--"Spinning Wheel," "And When I Die," and "You've Made Me So Very Happy"--tend to overshadow it on the radio, but it deserves as much airplay as those tunes.
David Clayton-Thomas sings the lyrics with absolute conviction, and the tune is a great showcase for the horn section. Just before the last verse, the piano comes in, the horns follow, and for a little while, the tune becomes a raucous dance number. Then, once the brass players have had their say, the vocals return for a final verse. In the context of the late '60s, this free-for-all followed by a return to order serves the tune perfectly.
To my ears, this version of "God Bless The Child" is a perfect earworm. It lets the vocalist and instrumentalists shine in equal measure with the right amount of showmanship.
