Crusaders - Standing Tall (1981)

posted by all-musicrecords

The peak of the group's commercial success came with 1979's Street Life, with Randy Crawford as featured singer.  

Later albums by the group featured singers Bill Withers and Joe Cocker.

Standing Tall is an album by the jazz group the Crusaders, their third studio album with MCA Records. 

It features singer Joe Cocker as guest artist on two tracks: the 1981 Grammy-nominated song "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today" and "This Old World's Too Funky for Me".

This is their best if not the best ever band release, the Joe Cocker vocal contribution is phenomenal, my Favorite Crusaders album of all time.

It is a unique jazz album, all tacks are great, meticulously arranged, played and produced, five stars no doubt, no need to do any musical analysis or using fancy words or jargons, simply good music.

Production is great, solid funk record, if you're a fan of Joe Sample's key work you'll love this album. 

Plenty of funky Fender Rhodes, Clavinet, and B3. Overall great easy listening, I recently rediscovered this album in my collection and I think it makes great Saturday morning coffee music.

Track listing

1. "Standing Tall"  (Stix Hooper) - 6:46
2. "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today"  (Joe Sample, Will Jennings) - 5:02
3. "Sunshine in Your Eyes"  (Sample) - 6:11
4. "This Old World's Too Funky For Me"  (Sample, Jennings) - 5:25
5. "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)"  (Chips Moman, Bobby Emmons) - 4:23
6. "The Longest Night" (Sample) - 6:24
7. "Reprise (I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today)  (Instrumental)"  (Sample. Jennings) - 2:59

Companies, etc.

• Licensed To – MCA Records
• Produced For – Crusaders Productions, Inc.
• Recorded By – MCA Records, Inc.
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – MCA Records, Inc.
• Copyright © – MCA Records, Inc.
• Recorded At – Music City Music Hall
• Recorded At – Paramount Recording Studios
• Lacquer Cut At – Tape One
• Recorded At – Salty Dog Studios
• Recorded At – Producers Workshop
• Recorded At – Wally Heider Recording Studio, Los Angeles
• Recorded At – Yamaha Studios
• Published By – Leeds Music Ltd.
• Published By – Rondor Music (London) Ltd.
• Published By – The Whelk Music Group Ltd
• Published By – Heath Levy Music Co. Ltd.

Credits

• Arranged By [Strings, Horns], Conductor – Joe Sample
• Art Direction – George Osaki
• Backing Vocals – Julia Waters Tillman, Maxine Waters Willard, Stephanie Spruill
• Bass – Louis Johnson, Marcus Miller 
• Coordinator [Production] – Robin Howell
• Design – Georgopoulos , Imada
• Drums, Percussion – "Stix" Hooper
• Electric Bass – Wilton Felder 
• Engineer – Bill Harris
• Engineer [Assistant] – David Debusk, Russell Castillo
• Engineer, Mixed By – Galen Senogles
• Guitar – David T. Walker, Dean Parks, Jon Goin, Larry Carlton, Reggie Young, Steve Gibson
• Guitar, Soloist – Barry Finnerty
• Keyboards [Acoustic, Electric], Synthesizer – Joe Sample
• Lacquer Cut By – JA
• Management [Executive Assistant] – Tom Hooper
• Organ – Billy Preston
• Other [Equipment Coordination] – John Malta, Wes Leathers
• Percussion [Special Percussion] – Paulinho Da Costa
• Photography By – Alan Messer
• Producer – Stix Hooper, Joe Sample, Wilton Felder
• Saxophone – Wilton Felder

Notes

Released: 1981

Genre:  Smooth Jazz, Soul

Runtime:  35:42

Producer(s):  Wilton Felder, Stix Hooper, Joe Sample

Label - MCA Records