Cursaders?

lucas vigor · #1 08-26-2005, 09:28 AM

Need help!

I remember a song my band played in high school, called "merry-go-round" by either:

Crusaders
The Crusaders
Jazz Crusaders
or
The Jazz crusaders!

The songs was awesome, in a pre-smooth jazz kind of way..I believe the songs was recorded prior to 1983....and I can find no record of it at all! I had the original tape, and there were other great songs on it as well...but I can't remember the name of the album, and internet searches have come up empty....any old school smooth-jazzers out there that can help??

Bernie Connors · #2 08-26-2005, 09:43 AM

Keyboardist Joe Sample was the leader of The Crusaders. The song you're referring to was on their "Images" album from 1978.

HTH.

lucas vigor · #3 08-26-2005, 11:16 AM

Thanks bro!

Of course, the album is now out of print!

Shoot!

Bernie Connors · #4 08-26-2005, 11:57 AM

No problem.

Try eBay. There's always a chance. I've found some gems on there.

jerry · #5 08-26-2005, 01:52 PM

I'm old!......but we didn't call it smooth-jazz back in my day

It was more groove-jazz than anything, and the Crusaders where one of my favorites. I saw them a few times with Pops Popwell on bass, and they where great! Those Southern Knights, Southern Comfort & Chain Reaction are other great albums from the Crusaders that showcase awesome groove that you might be able to find on e-bay.

lucas vigor · #6 08-26-2005, 01:59 PM

I am old too!

I am calling it what you would probably call it nowadays....

To me, jazz fusion is more a word to describe exploratory modern jazz with electric instruments....Mahavishnu Orch, etc...

The crusaders was groovy pop jazz...which in the year 2005 is also called smooth jazz..

Better that then the word......Fuzak!

JimK · #7 08-26-2005, 03:41 PM

I'm old, too...I have Images on both LP & disc.
I'm with Jerry, I wouldn't classify it as "Smooth Jazz", either; Winelight, Breezin'? Maybe.
Images, Those Southerrn Nights, Free As The Wind...no.

JimK · #8 08-26-2005, 03:51 PM

...just wanted to add-
Those Crusaders' records + Tom Scott & The L.A. Express' Tom Cat & Tom Scott's New York Connection were big for me back then. Not as "energetic" as the main '70s Fusion giants(MO, RTF, etc), per se...more like electric R&B/Funk-Jazz(?).

lucas vigor · #9 08-26-2005, 03:54 PM

JimK...where did you find it on Disc?

I really want that album!

All I could find were "best of" albums that had "Marcella's dream"....

The first track "fairy tales" and "merry go round" are both great songs..some guy did a review on one site, and he said the album sucked... what an .idiot!

The album has special sentimental memories...I was stationed in Hawaii during the mid 80's, and I remember listening to that tape on my walkman, watching the sun go down and sipping a mai-tai!

I recently scored another album that was hard to find and I had to order...Spyro Gyra "city kids"

These two albums, plus Pat Metheny "travels" were albums I listened to so much, that the tapes eventually wore out!

Little by little, I am replacing albums from my youth with CD's.

lucas vigor · #10 08-26-2005, 03:55 PM

Oh HELL yeah with Tom Scott!

I saw that guy at the "taste of orange" one year...oh my god!

His band was awesome...and he had such a happy, funky sound!

Tom "triple scale" Scott!!!!!

JimK · #11 08-26-2005, 04:09 PM

Lucas-
I sent you a PM. let me know if you received it(sometimes I'm thinking my PMs are not being delivered; I check the "Sent Items" & there's zero showing...that doesn't look right).

JimK · #12 08-26-2005, 04:11 PM

City Kids is bad! Probably my favourite SG album...Kim Stone cooks on the title track, "Conversations" with Eddie Gomez kicks some ass, too.

lucas vigor · #13 08-26-2005, 04:57 PM

Thanks JimK!!

I just got your PM and responded.

BTW, that was Kim Stone from the Rippingtons on City Kids?

I had no idea, but the tone did seem awful familiar!

I am so glad we can talk about these things on this forum!

20 years ago, I was alone in the world...I would mention "spyro gyra" and basically get blank stares from people..no internet, yet!

lucas vigor · #14 08-26-2005, 04:59 PM

And, Eddie Gomez from Bill evan;s band? Playing electric?

That's very cool!

jerry · #15 08-26-2005, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucas vigor

The album has special sentimental memories...I was stationed in Hawaii during the mid 80's, and I remember listening to that tape on my walkman, watching the sun go down and sipping a mai-tai!

One of the many things I love about music is the 'time machine' aspect of it.....it will take you back to whatever time/place you first started digging it.
I agree Jim, I was into Weather Report, Return To Forever etc. but Tom Scott, Crusaders, early Grover Washington really struck the R&B/groove nerve in me back when I was young.[stone age]

JimK · #16 08-26-2005, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucas vigor

And, Eddie Gomez from Bill evan;s band? Playing electric?

That's very cool!

Gomez is playing URB on "Conversations".

...and Stoney was a member of Spyro Gyra before he landed in The Rippingtons.
He's also on the live album from that period, All Access? Stone is also playing the URB on that album's version of "Conversations".

lucas vigor · #17 08-26-2005, 05:32 PM

"all access" yep..that's a good album! That's the one with "shu's blues" right?

Another artist I want to hear, would be Ramsey Lewis from about the same era...I was not too thrilled with "urban knights" however, but the guy has that old timey piano sound I like...reminds me of the song "billy boy" on Miles Davis.."milestones"....octaves, thrown in with the block chords...the one song I do like off Ramsey Lewis Urban Knightswould be the cover of "sweet home chicago"..though I liked the Blues Brother's version better!!

That;s where I got the knickname for Tom Scott, by the way...off the Blues Brother's album!