Listen/Download Burgess Gardner and the Soul Crusaders – Do It

Listen/Download Burgess Gardner and the Soul Crusaders – Think About It

Greetings all

The week is gearing up so I thought it might be cool to whip some funky instrumentals (of the Chitown persuasion) on you all.

The disc you see before you is one of those 45s that was always kind of hovering in the ether of the collector world, respected as a kind of ‘stock item’ in any self-respecting DJ’s funk box.

It was a while before I finally laid my hands on a copy, not because it was expensive (it’s not) or particularly rare, but because sometimes that’s how it is.

That said, I was very pleasantly surprised when Burgess Gardner and the Soul Crusaders’ ‘Do It’ arrived in my mailbox, and I discovered that it was in fact a Chicago 45.

I’ve made something of a habit chasing down New Orleans and Philadelphia records, but it seems like I piled up a stack of Chicago 45s almost as large without even trying.

This has everything to do with the Windy City being – alongside Detroit – the most important soul music hub of the classic era.

Here you had a grip of amazing labels, and in the background some of the most talented songwriters, producers and performers creating a stunning archive of amazing music.

One of those ‘background’ heavies was trumpeter, producer, composer and arranger Burgess Gardner.

Born in 1936, Gardner worked for years as a player in jazz bands, before turning his talents toward the Chicago soul scene. You can find his name on 45s by Monk Higgins, Darrow Fletcher, General Crook, the Vontastics, Chuck Bernard and many others.

He recorded a string of 45s for the More Soul label in the early 70s with the Soul Crusaders Orchestra, of which ‘Do It’ was the third.

I haven’t been able to date the record definitively, but it sounds like an early 70s joint.

‘Do It’ opens with some tasty fuzz guitar, bass and horns, before a string section joins in to give it that uptown feel.

The record’s A-side, ‘Think About It’ has a sweeter edge to it (featuring a muted trumpet lead by Gardner himself) , and in combination with ‘Do It’ sound like tracks from a great, lost Blaxploitation flick.

Garnder is apparently still active today, with his own jazz orchestra.

I hope you dig the sounds, and I’ll see you all on Wednesday.

Keep the faith

Larry

 

 

NOTE: Commenter Chekovsky let me know that this is the instrumental version of General Crook’s ‘Do It For Me’

 

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Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived! The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock. They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US). Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

 

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

2 Responses to “Burgess Gardner and the Soul Crusaders – Do It b/w Think About It”

1. chekovsky says:

   September 28, 2014 at 2:33 pm

   Hi Larry,
   I think it’s the instrumental version to General Crook’s “Do it”.

2. Larry says:

   September 28, 2014 at 2:35 pm

   You’re absolutely right! I did not know that. I just added a note at the end of the post with a link to the song in Youtube.