EN:
Crusade was a studio album by the British Blues-rock band John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, released on September 1, 1967 for London Records. It was the follow-up to A Hard Road, also released in 1967. As with their two previous album, Crusade was produced by Mike Vernon, but it hasn't achieved the status of a 'classic', unanimously accorded to its predecessors.
The Bluesbreakers with their new guitar player started to attract considerable attention. However Clapton departed without notice and had to be replaced urgently. John Weider, John Slaughter and Geoff Krivit attempted to fill in but finally Peter Green took the charge. John MacVie was dismissed and during the next six months Jack Bruce, from Graham Bond Organization, held the bass. In November Clapton came back and Green departed. Sometime later in the month, the band entered the studio to record a single, Sitting on Top of the World. Also, a live date recorded at the Flamingo provided tracks that appeared later on the 1969 compilation Looking Back and the 1977 album Primal Solos.
In April 1966, the Bluesbreakers returned to (Decca) Studios to record a second LP with producer Mike Vernon. The sessions with horn arrangements for some tracks (John Almond on baritone sax, Alan Skidmore on tenor sax and Dennis Healey on trumpet) lasted just three days. Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton was released in the UK on 22 July 1966. Today the album has gained the status of a classic, but it was also Mayall's commercial breakthrough, rising to #6 on the chart. In the mean time Clapton announced the formation of Cream with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker.
Mayall had to replace him and persuaded Peter Green to come back. During the following year with Peter Green on guitar and various other sidemen some 40 tracks were recorded. The album A Hard Road was released in February 1967. Today its expanded versions include most of this material and the album itself also stands as a classic. Peter Green gave notice and soon started his own project Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac which was to include the three former Bluesbreakers.
Mayall's first choice to replace Green was 16-year-old David O'List, guitarist from The Attack. However O'List declined and went to form The Nice with organist Keith Emerson. Mayall found two other guitarists for the Bluesbreakers, Terry Edmonds and 19-year-old Mick Taylor.
In a single day of May 1967 Mayall alone had put together in a studio an album which was released in November with the apt title The Blues Alone. Only former Artwoods drummer Keef Hartley appears on half of the tracks which showcase Mayall's ability as multi-instrumentalist.
A six-piece lineup (consisting of Mick Taylor on lead guitar, John McVie on bass, Hughie Flint or Keef Hartley on drums, Rip Kant and Chris Mercer on saxes), recorded the album Crusade on 11 and 12 July 1967. These Bluesbreakers spent most of the year touring and Mayall taped the shows on a portable recorder. At the end of the tour he had over sixty hours of tapes which he edited into an album in two volumes: Diary of a Band, Vols. 1 & 2, released in February 1968. Meanwhile a few lineup changes had occurred: McVie had departed and was replaced by Paul Williams who quit to join Alan Price and was replaced by Keith Tillman; Dick Heckstall-Smith had taken the sax.
RU:
Джон Мэйол родился 29 ноября 1933 года в Мэклсфилде, графство Чешир в рабочей семье. Благодаря коллекции пластинок своего отца рано заинтересовался блюзом, и в возрасте 13 лет начал самостоятельно обучаться игре на музыкальных инструментах. В 1949 — 1951 гг. Мэйолл учился в Манчестерском художественном колледже (это позволило ему впоcледствии самостоятельно оформлять обложки некоторых своих альбомов). В 1951 — 1954 гг. будущий музыкант проходил службу в Британской Армии, принимал участие в Корейском конфликте. Тема войны стала позже одной из основных в его творчестве. В 1956 — 1962 годах Мэйол участвовал в группах The Powerhouse Four и The Blues Syndicate, совмещая занятия музыкой с карьерой профессионального дизайнера.
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