1) The Crusaders were… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists named The Crusaders;
1) The Crusaders were an American jazz fusion group that was successful from the 1960s to the 1980s. The group was known as The Jazz Crusaders from its formation in 1960 until shortening its name in 1971.
High school friends Joe Sample (piano), Wilton Felder (tenor saxophone) and Nesbert "Stix" Hooper (drums) formed their first band together, the Swingsters, in Houston, Texas in 1954. They played a mixture of jazz and R&B, and were joined by Wayne Henderson (trombone), Hubert Laws (flute), and Henry Wilson (bass). The group soon turned more to hard bop, and renamed themselves the Modern Jazz Sextet, but also recorded in a more R&B vein as the Nighthawks (or Nite Hawks).
In 1960, Sample, Felder, Hooper and Henderson moved to Los Angeles, and formed the Jazz Crusaders as a quintet with a succession of different bass players. Influenced by musicians such as Cannonball Adderley, Art Blakey and John Coltrane, the band signed to the Pacific Jazz label in 1961, and released 16 albums on the label over the subsequent eight years. With a front-line horn section of Felder and Henderson, the group's sound was rooted in hard bop, but with a slant towards R&B and soul music.
Their first two albums, with Jimmy Bond on bass, were Freedom Sound (1961), and Lookin' Ahead (1962), followed by the live album At the Lighthouse (1962) and Tough Talk, the first of several albums with bassist Bobby Haynes. In all, the group recorded five live albums in the 1960s, four of which were recorded at the Lighthouse Café in Hermosa Beach. They also had their first chart entry, their treatment of Stevie Wonder's "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" reaching No.95 on the Hot 100 in 1966. The group's 1969 album, Powerhouse, was their first to reach the Billboard 200 album chart, reaching No. 184, and was also their last studio album for Pacific Jazz.
The group then signed with the Chisa label, co-owned by trumpeter Hugh Masekela and producer Stewart Levine. Their 1970 album Old Socks, New Shoes reached No. 90 on the album chart, and was their last as the Jazz Crusaders. The decision was taken to call the group simply the Crusaders, so as not to limit their scope and potential audience. After a second album with Chisa, (Pass the Plate, 1971), and one album for the MoWest label (Hollywood, 1972) they signed with Blue Thumb Records, where they remained until the late 1970s. Their recordings increasingly adopted a jazz-funk style. They incorporated electric guitar and bass into their shows and recordings, as well as using Sample's electric piano and clavinet. Guitarist Larry Carlton joined, and featured on their albums in the early part of the decade. Bass duties were often handled by Felder, though Robert "Pops" Popwell joined later in the decade.
According to jazz critic Scott Yanow at Allmusic, however, "after a few excellent albums during the early part of the decade... the group began to decline in quality." Sample later commented that the group was under commercial pressure from record companies to record jazzed-up versions of contemporary popular songs. Henderson left to become a record producer in 1975, and the other musicians regularly and increasingly worked as session musicians with artists such as the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, and Randy Newman. With a growing crossover appeal, the group's most commercially successful recordings included the single "Put It Where You Want It" (No.52 pop, 1972), and the albums The 2nd Crusade (No.45 album, 1973), Southern Comfort (No.31 album, 1974), Chain Reaction (No.26 album, 1975), Those Southern Knights (No.38 album, 1976), and Images (No.34 album, 1978).
The peak of the group's commercial success came with 1979's Street Life, with Randy Crawford as featured singer. The album peaked at No. 18 on the pop album charts and the title track made the Top 10 on the R&B chart, No. 36 on Billboard′s Hot 100 chart, and No.5 in the UK. Later albums by the group featured singers Bill Withers and Joe Cocker. The live 1982 album Royal Jam featured guitarist B. B. King, bassist James Jamerson, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Hooper left in 1983, and though Felder and Sample kept the group operating through the 1980s, the group's commercial success diminished.
Felder and Henderson reunited in the mid-1990s as the Crusaders. Henderson later led a band called the Jazz Crusaders, in which Felder and Carlton also played, and Felder and Sample reunited as the Crusaders in 2003.
Wayne Henderson died on April 5, 2014. Joe Sample died in Houston on September 12, 2014. Wilton Felder died on September 27, 2015.
2) a European Oi band.
3) an Australian garage surf band who recorded two albums in the late 1990s.
4) a Christian garage band active 1966-67.
So Far Away
The Crusaders Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doesn't anybody stay in one place any more?
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
And it doesn't help to know you're just time away
Long ago I reached for you and there you stood
Holding you again would only do me good
Oh how I wish I could but you're so far away
I can't say much of anything that's new
But if I could only work this life out my way
I'd rather spend it being close to you
But you're so far away
Doesn't anybody stay in one place any more?
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
And it doesn't help to know you're so far away
So far away, yeah, you're so far away
Traveling around sure gets me down and lonely
Nothing else to do but close my mind
And I sure hope the road don't get to own me
There's so many dreams that I've yet to find
But you're so far away
Doesn't anybody stay in one place any more?
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
And it doesn't help to know you're so far away
So far away, yeah, you're so far away
The Crusaders' "So Far Away" is a lamentation of being separated from someone who was once close to the singer. The lyrics reflect on the feeling of loneliness and isolation that one can feel when someone who was once nearby is now far away. The repetition of the line "doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore?" emphasizes the singer's longing for stability and consistency in their relationships. The song's signature line "it would be so fine to see your face at my door" conveys the singer's desire to have the person they miss be physically present, instead of just being a memory or thought.
The lyrics also showcase the singer's struggle to find meaning in their current lifestyle, with lines like "one more song about moving along the highway, I can't say much of anything that's new." Being on the road has become monotonous, and the singer finds little joy in it. The idea that there are "so many dreams that I've yet to find" adds a sense of foreboding to the lyrics, as though the singer is worried that they might miss out on something important while they're away from the person they miss.
Overall, "So Far Away" is a poignant reflection on the power of separation and distance to create feelings of loneliness and despair. The song is a testament to the importance of human connection, and the way that being far from the people we love can make us feel like we're adrift in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
So far away
Expresses the distance between the singer and the person they are addressing
Doesn't anybody stay in one place any more?
Questioning the frequency of people remaining in one place for a long time
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
Expressing the desire to see the person's face in person
And it doesn't help to know you're just time away
Acknowledging that knowing the time it would take to see the person doesn't make the distance any less difficult
Long ago I reached for you and there you stood
Recalling a time when they were together physically
Holding you again would only do me good
Reflecting on how being with the person would be beneficial for the singer's health
Oh how I wish I could but you're so far away
Expressing the wish to be with the person but recognizing the distance is a barrier
One more song about moving along the highway
Acknowledging that this is not the first time the singer has been away from the person
I can't say much of anything that's new
Admitting the lack of new experiences to share with the person
But if I could only work this life out my way
Reflecting on the hope to change their life in a way that would allow more time with the person
I'd rather spend it being close to you
Expressing the desire to prioritize being with the person over other activities
Traveling around sure gets me down and lonely
Admitting to negative feelings resulting from being away from the person
Nothing else to do but close my mind
Feeling as though there is nothing to do to remedy the situation
And I sure hope the road don't get to own me
Expressing the hope to maintain a sense of self amidst the constant traveling
There's so many dreams that I've yet to find
Acknowledging the existence of dreams the singer has not yet fulfilled
So far away, yeah, you're so far away
Reiterating the distance between the singer and the person they are addressing
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carole King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheProfessorBacon
The absolute best instrumental ever recoded in my eyes. I was introduced to the Crusaders by my father back in the early 70's. This classic from 1972 is my "go-to" whenever a musical groove is needed to calm the chaos of life. Reminds my of my dad every time I hear it. RIH daddy and thank you for introducing me to jazz, and specifically the Crusaders.
@edwardevans652
@TheProfessorBacon Same here, this album reminds me of my Dad since he owned this LP and left it with me. Through this great music, our Dads are still with us.
@charlesdavis113
I Owe My En'Lightenment to My Older Brother...Miles'Yard'Bird, Donald'Byrd,Nina'Somoan
@charlesdavis113
I Owe My En'Lightenment to My Older Brother...Miles'Yard'Bird, Donald'Byrd,Nina'Somoan
@charlesdavis113
That Was Nina'Simon Jimmy Hendrix Janis'Joplin....on And On , I Could Go'On,🤔But I Digress and Confess 🎶🤫🎼🎵Music is My'Sanctuary 🎼 Music is My'Life 👉😆😂🤣 What Would You Expect Commin From Mo'Town ❤️✌️💪🙏💯🎼
@progrockdock
Your dad and mine! I grew up wearing this out on the turntable. A masterpiece!~Sebastian
@clydecrisp687
When I hear this song I feel like a bird in the sky free as can be. Wind beneath my wings. All my worries are gone and I am truely relaxed. Thank God for the Jazz Crusaders. There will never ever be another like them. Jazz to the fullest, soulfull, delightful and sweet to the ears, relaxing to the body and forever enlightening the heart. Just beautiful music man. Groovey
@prentissbelton4042
Yes sir
@simonedwards3457
Every word true. Beautifully put.
@tafimutekwe2855
First time I heard this tune I must have been about 21 or 22. It completely blew me away and I fell head over heels in love with jazz!!!!!!!!