Your All-Genres Guide To
Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters
1,990 E-Pages of In-Depth Information
Over 260 Reviews from the discs themselves...
"...Where You Want It..."
Dropping the Jazz in their
name for only the second time since the Fifties and Sixties (the preceding US-only
album "Pass The Plate" from May 1971 on Chisa Records showed the band
as THE CRUSADERS for the first time on the front cover of the single-LP
gatefold sleeve) - our Funky Heroes seemed somehow to sense that the Seventies
would be their decade both nationally and internationally - and frankly funky
frank – they were damn right.
Originally released March 1972 as a 2LP studio set -
"Crusaders 1" by THE CRUSADERS featured the classic four-piece line-up of Joe Sample,
Wilton Felder, Wayne Henderson and "Stix" Hooper augmented by cool
friends like Guitarists Arthur Adams, Larry Carlton and David T. Walker all sat on stools alongside Bassist Chuck Rainey - stunning session cats who would regularly
feature on Steely Dan albums only a few years later absolutely because of their
playing chops and zippy-licks genius. But a bit about this CD reissue first...
Still available in December 2019 as a quality
Remaster for only a fiver to UK buyers - "Crusaders I" is part of
Universal's ORIGINALS CD Reissue Series. A nice bonus (especially for UK buyers
who are used to the 7-track single LP issued by Island Records in Blighty in
1972) is that this US-based CD goes with the American 14-track double-album
configuration. So more bang for your buck for us - especially with stunners
like their 11-minute cover of Carole King's gorgeous "So Far Away"
not being on the British LP. British fans did eventually get the 2LP set but that wasn't until July 1976 when ABC Records of the UK reissued both "Crusaders 1" and the follow-up double "The 2nd Crusade" as double-albums.
Digitally both "Crusaders 1" and their second
double-album for Blue Thumb Records originally issued March 1973 as "The
2nd Crusade" hit the shops in August 2006 as CD Remasters ("The 2nd
Crusade" is on Blue Thumb BTS 7000 - Barcode 602517040670). But
unfortunately "The 2nd Crusade" CD has been deleted a good few years
and subsequently crept up to a £25+ price tag (I'd argue the band was on fire
during the 70ts, so acquire that sucker too if you can, cost or not). But let's
get to One...
UK released August 2006 - "Crusaders
1" by THE CRUSADERS on Universal/Verve/Blue Thumb Originals BTS 6001 -
0602517040663 (Barcode 602517040663) is a CD Reissue and Remaster of the US
14-Track 1972 Double-Album and plays out as follows (77:41 minutes):
1. That's How I Feel [Side 1]
2. So Far Away
3. Put It Where You Want It [Side 2]
4. Mystique Blues
5. Full Moon
6. Sweet Revival [Side 3]
7. Mud Hole
8. It's Just Gotta Be That Way
9. Georgia Cottonfield
10. A Shade Of Blues [Side 4]
11. Three Children
12. Mosadi (Woman)
Tracks 1 to 12 are "Crusaders 1" -
released March 1972 in the USA on Blue Thumb BTS 6001 as a 12-Track
Double-Album and as a Truncated 7-Track Single LP in the UK on
Island/Blue Thumb ILPS 9218. The British LP consisted of CD Tracks 3, 1 and 10
making up Side 1 with Tracks 6, 7, 8 and 9 making up Side 2.
The US 2LP set
peaked at No. 29 on the American R'n'B album charts and No. 96 on the Rock
charts. In July 1976, ABC Records finally issued "Crusaders 1" as a
2LP set on ABC Records ABCD 609 in the UK (they also issued in the same month the double-album of "The Second Crusade" on ABC Records ABCD 610). Produced by STEWART LEVINE - Tracks 1 and 11
written by Wilton Felder, Track 2 is a Carole King cover version, Tracks 3, 6,
9 and 10 written by Joe Sample with Tracks 4, 7, 8 and 12 written by Wayne
Henderson.
THE CRUSADERS was:
JOE SAMPLE - Keyboards
WILTON FELDER - Tenor Saxophone and Electric
Bass
WAYNE HENDERSON - Trombone
NESBERT "Stix" HOOPER - Drums and
Percussion
Guests:
Arthur Adams, Larry Carlton and David T. Walker
on Guitars with Chuck Rainey on Bass
The gatefold slip of paper that acts as an
inlay just about mimics the minimal gatefold double-album of old (that black
and white photo of the four boys on the inner and album credits) - but
unfortunately naught else – no new assessments or liner notes. But at least the
mastering by BOB IRWIN and JAYME PIERUZZI at Sundazed Studios in New York does
the business - fab punch out of groovers like "Put It Where You Want
It" and "That's How I Feel" - tunes that regularly represent
this period on Best Ofs and Anthologies for The Crusaders. To the music...
As the wah-wah guitar combined with electric
piano and thumping bass of "That's How I Feel" comes slinking across
your speakers only to build into a Beatles "I Want You (She's So
Heavy)" instrument-crescendo some five minutes later with Wilton and Wayne
letting rip on Sax and Trombone – you release that the sexy cool of Jazz Funk
has grabbed these Yanks by the musical cahonies. It's properly fab stuff and
even a bit mad Mothers of Invention towards its final moments. But while the
Side 1 opener was to get the juices going, the near 12-minutes of "So Far
Away" is mellow mid-paced Jazz-Funk-Soul bliss to me. And it seems few in
the Soul and Jazz world could resist the undeniably fab melodies on Carole's
"Tapestry" album – the Isley Brothers including "It's Too
Late" on their June 1972 T-Neck album "Brother, Brother,
Brother" (see separate review). It's a little maddening though that we
don't know who the guitar soloist is – Arthur or Larry or David – sounds like
Arthur?
England's Island Records issued a 2:50 minute
edit of "Put It Where You Want It" as a pre-LP 45 in January 1972 on
Island/Blue Thumb WIP 6143 with an edit of Henderson's "Mosadi
(Woman)" on the B-side. But the irresistibly catchy Joe Sample five-minute
funk fest "Put It Where You Want It" that opened original copies of
the British LP – soon incurred a slew of eager covers. None other than those
smart Rock-Funk lads from Scotland - Average White Band – even added lyrics to
their March 1973 UK 7" single on MCA Records MUS 1187. A US group called Southern
Fried did a 45 version of it too on their rare Cream 1020 single, Nino and
April on A&M Records, Hot Stuff on Bell Records as well...
I will admit that "Full Moon" is a
bit more Jazz than Jazz-Funk for my liking and the faster-faster speed of
"Sweet Revival" makes me want to reach for the skip button. But Wayne
Henderson and his guitar buddies pull some wickedly great flicks and licks out
of the fabulously funky "Mud Hole" – a six and half-minute neck
jerker you can’t help thinking could have been a very tasty edited 45 too.
Things mellow with "It's Just Got To Be That Way" - a Trombone
smoocher that stays just about on the right side of Lounge Bar Central. Joe's
piano opens the stomp that is "Georgia Cottonfield" and again some
scratchy guitar playing adds a bottom end to the classy brass duo. The clavinet
funk of "A Shade Of Blues", the Shaft wah-wah slick of "Three
Children" and the settle down with a gin and tonic fizz of "Mosadi
(Women)" end proceedings on a very impressive note (love that piano solo).
For sure I'm a declared Crusaders nut (Joe
Sample's solo material too) - but here is a wee nugget that time has casually forgotten.
And for under a fiver, the remastered "Crusaders 1" on CD can (and
should be) yours...
