Today’s classic song of the day is “Sweet Blindness.” It was written and originally recorded by legendary singer-songwriter Laura Nyro, but made into a bona fide hit by the 5th Dimension. That group released their single in September of 1968 and it went all the way to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
As noted, “Sweet Blindness” was written by Laura Nyro, who wrote a ton of great songs that were hits for a variety of artists, including “Wedding Bell Blues,” “Stoned Soul Picnic,” and “Save the Country” for the 5th Dimension. She included the song on her second album, Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, released in 1968 when she was just twenty years old. That’s no doubt where the 5th Dimension heard it.
“Sweet Blindness” is a paean to getting drunk on Daddy’s wine. The 5th Dimension’s recording of “Sweet Blindness” was produced, as were most of their hits, by Bones Howe. He used Hal Blaine, Joe Osborn, and the Wrecking Crew as backing musicians, with a vocal and instrumental arrangement by Bill Holman, Bob Alcivar, and Bones himself.
Today’s daily bonus video of the day is a very strange one. It’s the 5th Dimension and Frank freakin’ Sinatra groovin’ out to “Sweet Blindness” on the Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing television special, broadcast on November 25, 1968. You gotta watch this just to see Frank in some very groovy pale blue ruffled threads. Believe it or not, the special was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy, Variety or Musical Special. (It didn’t win.)
