Monday 25 May 2009

JR. WALKER AND THE ALL STARS - SHOTGUN (SOUL 1965) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve




Born Autry DeWalt Mixon in Blythesville, Arkansas on June 14, 1931 grew up in South Bend, Indiana. It was there while in high school where he took saxophone and picked up his nickname. Inspired by Louis Jordan Walker fell in love with the saxophone. Soon after graduating high school Walker turned professional and played in local jazz and R&B clubs with bands such as The Jumping Jacks and The Stix Nix. Moving to Battle Creek, Michigan in the late '50s he formed Junior Walker and The All Stars. The group consisted of Junior Walker, sax, vocals; Vic Thomas, Keyboards; Willie Woods, guitar; James Graves, drums. While playing the local club circuit the following year the group was spotted by Johnny Bristol. Bristol recommended them to Harvey Fuqua, who signed them to his own Harvey label. Fuqua's Tri-Phi and Harvey labels were taken over by Motown Records in 1963, and Junior Walker and the All-Stars began recording for the subsidiary label Soul in 1964.
In early 1965, Junior Walker and The All-Stars recorded "Shotgun (#4 pop, #1 R&B, 1965) and had a string of party hits that included "Do the Boomerang," (#10 R&B) and "Shake and Fingerpop" (#7 R&B) in 1965; "How Sweet it is (to Be Loved By You)" (#18 pop, #3 R&B) and "I'm a Road Runner" (#20 pop, #4 R&B) in 1966; "Pucker Up Buttercup" (#3 pop, #11 R&B) and "Come See About Me' (#24 pop, #8 R&B) in 1967, and "Hip City, Part Two" (##7 R&B 1965) in 1968.
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In 1965 Walker hit it big with “Shotgun”. After “Shotgun” there were a string of hits, none of which were totally in the Motown mode. For one thing they were loud, wild and raucous as a Saturday night at a Mississippi Delta throwdown. For another it was instrumental music with the leader howling out catchy phrases.
Here

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Georgie, you are reading my mind. I was just listening to "shake & finger pop" yesterday thinking I really need to get some of Jr Walker. What a great song along with the rest on this album. You made my day, dude. Cheers!

Muckinfuggly

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for this one!

Anonymous said...

Thank You very much for this great album. JR was greatly underrated but always one of my favorites. All the best

J Thyme...kind said...

Another peak in '69 with "What Does It Take".

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this great party music. Cleo's Back -- funky as it gets!