The Journal Times from Racine, Wisconsin • 46

6D the louirul Iime, lhv''V- ei- mi RettMi, Wn, trying to do what they are, In a forces. But country music has ens. I'm trying to maka the world, gained because of what they hava accomplished. Quartet gospel music i i probably could have gone into country music and made more 7 money. But our i calling was gospel music' Brock Speer Speer art Brock, bit wife, their son Brian and Brock's brother, Ben.

The seven travel by bus to give concerts In the Speer style of Southern gospel music before crowds of 200 to 2.000 In auditoriums, churches and colleges. Speer, a Nazarene, doesn't see any strong correlation between the popularity of gospel music and the upsurge In the religious right through groups like the Moral Majority. "Christian music was on the rise before the Moral Majority raised its head," he says. "But the Moral Majority hasn't hurt us. "If I had to choose for or against (the Moral Majority), I'd be for.

I'm By lo Idwardi a Tm Ahockm Prtti NASHVILLE, Tenn. Brock Spw. the patriarch of "the ftrit family of gospel music," will be home for Christmas. Speer, whose neatly combed silver hair tops off a bright, benign face, it away from home performing 223 days a year. But In December, he takes two weeks off to be with his I close-knit family and honor his God, whose message he spreads through music.

"It's quite a family time for all of us," says Speer, 60, a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. "It's a special time." That's especially so this year, be- a better place to live. We re trying to accomplish the same goal, but I'm not so politically Involved." The Oak Ridge Boys, now performing as a flashy country music quartet, make up probably the best-known group ever to come out of gospel music. Speer says he admires them and their huge hit of the past year, "Elvira." "I follow their career with Interest," he says of the Oak Ridge Boys. "They are money-motivated, and If so, they are doing the right thing.

"I wish them well. They were a great force in gospel music. I hated to lose them It weakened our is energy, and they have carried this energy to country music. "I enjoyed and the bass part papa mou was the stinger. It seemed new to the world, but we've been doing that In gospel music for years." Speer has made a financial sacrifice to remain In gospel music rather than switch to the more lucrative country music.

But he says he has no regrets. "I probably could have gone Into country music and made more money. But our calling was gospel music," he says. cause the Speer family Is celebrat- for 59 of his 60 years. -His parents ing its 60th year In gospel music, died about 15 years ago.

Brock Speer's parents began singing The current Speer group includes in 1921. and he has been performing four Soeers and three others. The i Crusaders conquer with jblend of jazz and new metallic holiday Prices effective thru December 20 By Yardena Arar 'i OUR REG. 16.99 1 I DRESS WEDGES I 1 Women's covered wedge heel has bronze trimmed vamp. Black in sizes 6-10.

Our Rg. 6.97 Evening Bag black with bronze metallic trim sale 5 OPEN NIGHTS AND SUNDAYS IB 2043 Lathrop Ave. 634-9970 I -J I innniuiimnn iuuifwmninnunmiinq of Tht Auociattd Prtn LOS ANGELES There don't seem to be many battles left for the Crusaders these days. In more than 25 years together, Joe Sample, Nesbert "Stix" Hooper, and Wilton Felder have overcome anonymity in Houston, Texas, to be- come, first, blue-chip sidemen, then one of the premiere instrumental groups In pop music. Their relaxed, appealing blend of jazz and blues has become not only famous but widely emulated.

In 1975, they became the first and only instrumen- tal band ever to tour with the Rolling Stones. And in 1978 they crossed the instrumental music bar-; rier with a huge hit, "Street Life," featuring a vocal by Randy Crawford. They've branched out as solo artists as well, keyboard player Sample with three albums, reeds player-bassist Felder with two and drummer I Hooper with one. Musical soulmates who obviously are closely attuned to each other's sensibilities, the three co-'. produce not only their ensemble albums but their solo efforts as well.

Band members also pop up as players on each other's albums. In fact, the main difference between the group and solo work is that "on the solo projects, I can just be totally selfish," explains a serious-looking man whose curly hair and beard is shot with grey. Altogether, the Crusaders' solo and some 35 en-' semble albums have sold in excess of 61 million copies worldwide. If you count the albums they've played on for others, the Crusaders have worked on more than 200 golden LPs. But there's always room for one more, and just in time for Christmas the Crusaders have put out "Standing Tall." For a change, the band that left Texas years ago to conquer Los Angeles decided to record out of town, and the album was made in that famous jazz capital, Nashville.

Nashville? "It isn't a country album," Sample says. "There is one song that we did because we were in Nashville recording, and it was 'Luckenbach, It was the only song we did that had those sort of country vibes to it. Top 10 records vMitisio iHirite iHj AP Laserphoto 'Stix'faooper Wilton' Felder, left, joe Sample, Nesbert Face it. No chal comes closer to the 7 unbridled frenzy of on unchecked stampede thqrf STAMPEDE" byActMsionS A nauu uirlon nnmo Irvr use with the Atari or this would also add another feeling to it." And there was one particularly special guest artist who hailed not only from out of (own but from overseas: Joe Cocker sings two songs, "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today" and "This Old World's Too Funky For Me." Like the" other vocalists the Crusaders have worked with, Cocker whom the band members met at the Mbntreux Festival in 1976 was invited to perform much the way the band would hire a guest instrumentalist for a special solo. And though using singers has expanded the band's audience, the Crusaders insist this was not a primary goal.

"If you are concerned about a wider audience," says Sample, who co-wrote the two songs for Cocker with lyricist Will Jennings, "I would not be playing the kind of music I "We went down to Nashville because over the past five years we discovered that Nashville was a music town, and it doesn't necessarily mean that it is country music," he adds. "In fact my very first time I went info Nashville, I went into the Gold Rush which in those days was the popular bar of Nashville and I thought I was going to hear country, music. "Well, when I walked through the door, I heard a Crusader album. I thought, 'What is It could have been New York or Los Angeles or London." Hooper, who joined Sample for an interview at the Universal City offices of MCA Records, says the Crusaders brought their longtime bass player and guitarist with them, "but we did use a couple of musicians from Nashville, because we were familiar with their work and we knew Sears video game system. Local pop Just try to control and rope a rampaging herd.

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