Hailing from Macclesfeld, Cheshire, and growing up in Cheadle Hulme, John Mayall had already made a name for himself on the Manchester blues scene before relocating to London in 1963 at the urging of Alexis Korner Released in September 1967, Crusade introduced another guitar protégé to the world. The 18-year-old Mick Taylor had crossed Mayall's path a couple of years earlier at a show in Hatfeld: it was now time for him to join, as Peter Green had left Mayall to form his own group. The album was so titled as Mayall felt that he would forever be on a crusade to get the blues to the widest audience possible.
