Gorden Campbell has never known a time when music was not a part of his life. He does not recall when he started playing the drums - he just plays them. His grandfather was a pastor at Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the pentecostal denomination that has brought a steady stream of powerful musicians to the world, from Sister Rosetta Tharpe all the way to Kim Burrell. Church was a constant, with conventions that connected Gorden with other young drummers and musicians - Robert ‘Sput’ Searight, Little John Roberts, Doobie Powell, and more would find an empty room at the convention and shed.
Playing in school, church, and anywhere else he had the chance Gorden set his sights on the larger circuit of professional musicians. Having played the conventions, he had solid experience playing the style and performing in front of large audiences. As he moved on to Howard University he got his first professional work with a Gospel group called Shai, coincidentally grabbing the gig when friend Chris Dave passed it up to join Mint Condition. In a minute he was living in LA and on the road, which led to an illustrious career spanning the next 20 some years - Earth Wind & Fire, George Duke, Lalah Hathaway, Eric Benet, Mary J Blige, Whitney Houston, Jessica Simpson, NeYo, and many many more.
All the while Gorden was writing his own music, and finally the time seemed right. After 20 years on the road he settled in to a producer and educator role in Los Angeles, turning down major gigs to make the necessary changes, and the next step was naturally to record his own album. As he puts the finishing touches on the album Conversations, set for release in 2020, he brings a timely and powerful track to the world that speaks to the issues of today. The lead single, dubbed Too Many Lost, was inspired by yet another news story of an unarmed teen losing his life to a bullet. A careful and suspenseful bass line starts the groove, with vocalist Gene Noble’s soulful and anguished tone bringing out the story:
‘You want war, and I want peace
But I’ll fight ya in these streets
If it means one more mother’s gotta cry tonight
I’ve got hope, and you’ve got guns
And they’re pointed at our sons
So I’ve gotta switch up real quick
Or I won’t survive’
Campbell himself covers the Drums, Keys, and Bass on the track, with Taku Hirano adding percussion and a lush string arrangement from Matt Jones and his orchestra. The extended version of the song includes an added verse, with Scott St. Patrick rapping to spell out the message:
‘The next verse is for Trayvon…
Don’t scare me colonizer
Do I die if I fail that breathalyzer?’
The verse wraps up with ‘you want war, guess what - we want war too’ - a statement that can easily be misconstrued, yet Campbell is expressing the pain and anger of many who feel helpless and wish to take action. The war he references is not literal, it is a statement of the frustration and a call to action to find solutions.