Hello, Into The Groove stays on the trail of crucial soulmen that beat the odds and managed to share their passion with the world. Today in the picture, Autry De Walt, his squealing gutbucket style was inspired by jump blues and early R&B, he possessed a raspy, untrained voice, his singing nonetheless complemented the energy of his sax playing, and he cut a wealth of danceable, party hearty R&B for Motown during his heyday in the second half of the '60s.... Here are the first two albums that launched him and his All Starrs on the scene aswell as his last.
Autry DeWalt Jr., was bom in Blytheville, Arkansas, on June 14, 1931, though Motown always stated that he was born in 1942. As a teenager living in South Bend, Indiana, Junior received his first saxophone from an uncle. Inspired by the jump blues, jazz, and rhythm and blues bands of the 1950s and the playing style of Earl Bostie, who straddled the line between jazz and R&B, Walker took to the instrument right away, apprenticing with his high school band and various Midwest groups. While in his mid-teens, Junior formed his first instrumental band, the Jumping Jacks, adopting the moniker "Junior Walker" after a childhood nickname. Before long, Walker achieved a prominent reputation by playing gigs at local jazz and R&B clubs. Hoping to broaden his name throughout the Midwest, he subsequently moved to St. Louis, Missouri, then in the late-1950s to Battle Creek, Michigan.
Upon relocating to Battle Creek, Walker assembled the All Stars: James Graves on drums, Willie Woods on guitar, and Vic Thomas on keyboards. According to Woods, the group earned their confident name when an enthusiastic fan jumped to his feet during a show and shouted, "Junior Walker played until he dropped, a tireless performer. The All-Stars continued to play around the area, and took up a residency in Battle Creek's El Grotto club. There they were discovered by singer Johnny Bristol, who recommended them to his friend, ex-Moonglow Harvey Fuqua. Fuqua signed the group to his Harvey label in 1961; they made their first recordings in 1962, In 1963, Fuqua sold his Harvey and Tri-Phi labels to Berry Gordy's Detroit-based Motown Records. As a result, Walker found himself under contract with Motown subsidiary Soul Records, where he would perfect a blend of raunchy R&B and Detroit soul. Although the All Stars didn't quite fit in with the sound of young America and Motown's smooth, studio-bound instrumentation, after Walker told the label he had just written a song to go along with the shotgun, a new dance popular in Michigan, Motown sent him to the studio. But when the assigned vocalist failed to show up for the session, Walker, who had never before sung on record, was forced to sing as well as play saxophone for the single, he was somewhat flabbergasted by the label's decision to leave his vocal intact. Berry Gordy's instincts proved right, however, when "Shotgun" topped the R&B charts and hit the pop Top Five. A steady stream of mostly instrumental R&B chart hits followed, including "Do the Boomerang," "Shake and Fingerpop," and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)"
In 1966, Graves left and was replaced by old cohort Billy "Stix" Nicks, and Walker's hits continued apace with tunes like "I'm a Road Runner" and "Pucker Up Buttercup." Meanwhile, the group's revue-like dynamic—an all-singing, all-playing, all-dancing package—made them a star live attraction across the board, from theaters and clubs to television shows and Motown package tours. And from the 1966 album Soul Session onwards, Junior Walker and the All Stars were a top albumselling act for Motown.
Toward the end of the '60s, seeking to diversify their approach, the All-Stars began recording more ballad material, complete with string arrangements and Walker vocals. That approach resulted in the group's second Top Five pop hit, the R&B number one "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)," which helped refuel Walker's career. Albums such as 1971's Rainbow Funk and 1973's Peace and Understanding, as well as popularity among the college crowd and R&B fans, carried Junior Walker and the All Stars throughout the decade.
Walker resurfaced as a solo artist during the disco era, working with producer Brian Holland beginning in 1976 with the single "Hot Shot"; a pair of albums followed. In 1979, Walker joined up with another former Motown mainstay in 1979, signing with producer Norman Whitfield's Whitfield label, though without much success. Walker returned to the spotlight in 1981 with a well-publicized (and well-executed) guest solo on Foreigner's Top Five hit "Urgent." Two years later, he re-signed with Motown and recorded Blow the House Down; by that time, his melodic style was being absorbed into a new generation of R&B-flavored jazz instrumentalists. Walker continued to tour through the '80s and '90s, sometimes with his son Autry DeWalt III playing drums.
Unfortunately, in 1993 his activities were severely curtailed by cancer, and on November 23, 1995, Walker, at the age of 64, passed away after a two-year battle with cancer at his home in Battle Creek. He was survived by his mother, Marie Walker, nine sons, four daughters, and two stepdaughters. Not long before his death, Walter had recently returned from a tour with the Temptations, the Four Tops, and other Motown stars.
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Jr. Walker And The All Stars - Shotgun ( 65 ^ 191mb)
Junior Walker's debut remains highly explosive decades after it first detonated. The seductive "Cleo's Mood" and the syncopated "Cleo's Back" reveal a musical, funky fascination with a fickle chick name Cleo. On "Shotgun" an opening gun blast grabs your attention. Junior's gritty vocal alternates leads with his torrid tenor sax play. He kicks it up another notch on "Shake and Fingerpop." The screeching sax and the opening lyrics are hookers: put on your wig, woman; we're going out to shake and fingerpop. The swaying "Do the Boomerang" finds Walker relaxed and shadowed by All Star Willie Woods on vocals. An uncredited baritone sax player plays soulful low riffs countering Junior's sharper, more emphatic sax squeals. With so much going on, "Shoot Your Shot" got overlooked by many, and that's too bad; it's a dancer, with instructions, featuring Walker's tenor blowing on top an organ flavored rhythm bed. Only his greatest-hits compilations and Road Runner reign supreme over this scorcher.
01 - Cleo's Mood (2:44)
02 - Do The Boomerang (2:22)
03 - Shotgun (3:03)
04 - Shake And Fingerpop (2:46)
05 - Shoot Your Shot (3:01)
06 - Tune Up (3:14)
07 - Hot Cha (3:08)
08 - Monkey Jump (2:09)
09 - Tally Ho! (4:44)
10 - Cleo's Back (2:33)
11 - Ain't That The Truth (3:04)
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Junior Walker and The All Stars - Road Runner (66 ^ 200mb)
Junior Walker's Shotgun LP failed to crack Billboard's Top 100 albums, despite being one of Motown's finest releases. This does better, but still failed to obtain the lofty rungs it should have. The three rockers: "Road Runner," and exciting updates of Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is," and Barrett Strong's "Money" should have punted this sucker into the Top 20, but for some reason Walker didn't get the type of promotion accorded other Motown artists. Four hits exploded from this LP, the three mentioned, and "Pucker Up Buttercup." On the softer side, Ame Cherie (Soul Darling) is one of Junior's sweetest instrumentals. But, if you like the All Stars' harder sound, a remake of Harvey Fuqua's "Anyway You Wanna," "Last Call," and "Baby You Know It Ain't Right" are full of Junior's earthy vocals and sax assaults.
01 - (I'm A) Road Runner (2:48)
02 - How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) (3:03)
03 - Pucker Up Buttercup (3:15)
04 - Money (That's What I Want) (4:33)
05 - Last Call (2:22)
06 - Anyway You Wannta' (2:40)
07 - Baby You Know You Ain't Right (2:32)
08 - Ame' Cherie (Soul Darling) (4:10)
09 - Twist Lackawanna (2:18)
10 - San-Ho-Zay (3:00)
11 - Mutiny (3:49)
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Junior Walker - Blow the House Down ( 83 ^ 233mb)
Junior Walker's signifying sax cries are showcased on eight explosive tracks. Walker's songs are usually about dancing or romance, but these deal with sex and lust. Titles like "Sexpot," "Ball Baby," and "In and Out" are self-explanatory. Urgent is a cover from Foreigner where he played the sax on the original. It was to be his last album.
01 - Sexpot (3:55)
02 - Rise and Shine (3:34)
03 - Closer Than Close (4:32)
04 - Ball Baby (7:20)
05 - T O O (5:43)
06 - Urgent (4:39)
07 - In and Out (3:40)
08 - Blow the House Down (3:55)
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Autry DeWalt Jr., was bom in Blytheville, Arkansas, on June 14, 1931, though Motown always stated that he was born in 1942. As a teenager living in South Bend, Indiana, Junior received his first saxophone from an uncle. Inspired by the jump blues, jazz, and rhythm and blues bands of the 1950s and the playing style of Earl Bostie, who straddled the line between jazz and R&B, Walker took to the instrument right away, apprenticing with his high school band and various Midwest groups. While in his mid-teens, Junior formed his first instrumental band, the Jumping Jacks, adopting the moniker "Junior Walker" after a childhood nickname. Before long, Walker achieved a prominent reputation by playing gigs at local jazz and R&B clubs. Hoping to broaden his name throughout the Midwest, he subsequently moved to St. Louis, Missouri, then in the late-1950s to Battle Creek, Michigan.
Upon relocating to Battle Creek, Walker assembled the All Stars: James Graves on drums, Willie Woods on guitar, and Vic Thomas on keyboards. According to Woods, the group earned their confident name when an enthusiastic fan jumped to his feet during a show and shouted, "Junior Walker played until he dropped, a tireless performer. The All-Stars continued to play around the area, and took up a residency in Battle Creek's El Grotto club. There they were discovered by singer Johnny Bristol, who recommended them to his friend, ex-Moonglow Harvey Fuqua. Fuqua signed the group to his Harvey label in 1961; they made their first recordings in 1962, In 1963, Fuqua sold his Harvey and Tri-Phi labels to Berry Gordy's Detroit-based Motown Records. As a result, Walker found himself under contract with Motown subsidiary Soul Records, where he would perfect a blend of raunchy R&B and Detroit soul. Although the All Stars didn't quite fit in with the sound of young America and Motown's smooth, studio-bound instrumentation, after Walker told the label he had just written a song to go along with the shotgun, a new dance popular in Michigan, Motown sent him to the studio. But when the assigned vocalist failed to show up for the session, Walker, who had never before sung on record, was forced to sing as well as play saxophone for the single, he was somewhat flabbergasted by the label's decision to leave his vocal intact. Berry Gordy's instincts proved right, however, when "Shotgun" topped the R&B charts and hit the pop Top Five. A steady stream of mostly instrumental R&B chart hits followed, including "Do the Boomerang," "Shake and Fingerpop," and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)"
In 1966, Graves left and was replaced by old cohort Billy "Stix" Nicks, and Walker's hits continued apace with tunes like "I'm a Road Runner" and "Pucker Up Buttercup." Meanwhile, the group's revue-like dynamic—an all-singing, all-playing, all-dancing package—made them a star live attraction across the board, from theaters and clubs to television shows and Motown package tours. And from the 1966 album Soul Session onwards, Junior Walker and the All Stars were a top albumselling act for Motown.
Toward the end of the '60s, seeking to diversify their approach, the All-Stars began recording more ballad material, complete with string arrangements and Walker vocals. That approach resulted in the group's second Top Five pop hit, the R&B number one "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)," which helped refuel Walker's career. Albums such as 1971's Rainbow Funk and 1973's Peace and Understanding, as well as popularity among the college crowd and R&B fans, carried Junior Walker and the All Stars throughout the decade.
Walker resurfaced as a solo artist during the disco era, working with producer Brian Holland beginning in 1976 with the single "Hot Shot"; a pair of albums followed. In 1979, Walker joined up with another former Motown mainstay in 1979, signing with producer Norman Whitfield's Whitfield label, though without much success. Walker returned to the spotlight in 1981 with a well-publicized (and well-executed) guest solo on Foreigner's Top Five hit "Urgent." Two years later, he re-signed with Motown and recorded Blow the House Down; by that time, his melodic style was being absorbed into a new generation of R&B-flavored jazz instrumentalists. Walker continued to tour through the '80s and '90s, sometimes with his son Autry DeWalt III playing drums.
Unfortunately, in 1993 his activities were severely curtailed by cancer, and on November 23, 1995, Walker, at the age of 64, passed away after a two-year battle with cancer at his home in Battle Creek. He was survived by his mother, Marie Walker, nine sons, four daughters, and two stepdaughters. Not long before his death, Walter had recently returned from a tour with the Temptations, the Four Tops, and other Motown stars.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Jr. Walker And The All Stars - Shotgun ( 65 ^ 191mb)
Junior Walker's debut remains highly explosive decades after it first detonated. The seductive "Cleo's Mood" and the syncopated "Cleo's Back" reveal a musical, funky fascination with a fickle chick name Cleo. On "Shotgun" an opening gun blast grabs your attention. Junior's gritty vocal alternates leads with his torrid tenor sax play. He kicks it up another notch on "Shake and Fingerpop." The screeching sax and the opening lyrics are hookers: put on your wig, woman; we're going out to shake and fingerpop. The swaying "Do the Boomerang" finds Walker relaxed and shadowed by All Star Willie Woods on vocals. An uncredited baritone sax player plays soulful low riffs countering Junior's sharper, more emphatic sax squeals. With so much going on, "Shoot Your Shot" got overlooked by many, and that's too bad; it's a dancer, with instructions, featuring Walker's tenor blowing on top an organ flavored rhythm bed. Only his greatest-hits compilations and Road Runner reign supreme over this scorcher.
01 - Cleo's Mood (2:44)
02 - Do The Boomerang (2:22)
03 - Shotgun (3:03)
04 - Shake And Fingerpop (2:46)
05 - Shoot Your Shot (3:01)
06 - Tune Up (3:14)
07 - Hot Cha (3:08)
08 - Monkey Jump (2:09)
09 - Tally Ho! (4:44)
10 - Cleo's Back (2:33)
11 - Ain't That The Truth (3:04)
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Junior Walker and The All Stars - Road Runner (66 ^ 200mb)
Junior Walker's Shotgun LP failed to crack Billboard's Top 100 albums, despite being one of Motown's finest releases. This does better, but still failed to obtain the lofty rungs it should have. The three rockers: "Road Runner," and exciting updates of Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is," and Barrett Strong's "Money" should have punted this sucker into the Top 20, but for some reason Walker didn't get the type of promotion accorded other Motown artists. Four hits exploded from this LP, the three mentioned, and "Pucker Up Buttercup." On the softer side, Ame Cherie (Soul Darling) is one of Junior's sweetest instrumentals. But, if you like the All Stars' harder sound, a remake of Harvey Fuqua's "Anyway You Wanna," "Last Call," and "Baby You Know It Ain't Right" are full of Junior's earthy vocals and sax assaults.
01 - (I'm A) Road Runner (2:48)
02 - How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) (3:03)
03 - Pucker Up Buttercup (3:15)
04 - Money (That's What I Want) (4:33)
05 - Last Call (2:22)
06 - Anyway You Wannta' (2:40)
07 - Baby You Know You Ain't Right (2:32)
08 - Ame' Cherie (Soul Darling) (4:10)
09 - Twist Lackawanna (2:18)
10 - San-Ho-Zay (3:00)
11 - Mutiny (3:49)
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Junior Walker - Blow the House Down ( 83 ^ 233mb)
Junior Walker's signifying sax cries are showcased on eight explosive tracks. Walker's songs are usually about dancing or romance, but these deal with sex and lust. Titles like "Sexpot," "Ball Baby," and "In and Out" are self-explanatory. Urgent is a cover from Foreigner where he played the sax on the original. It was to be his last album.
01 - Sexpot (3:55)
02 - Rise and Shine (3:34)
03 - Closer Than Close (4:32)
04 - Ball Baby (7:20)
05 - T O O (5:43)
06 - Urgent (4:39)
07 - In and Out (3:40)
08 - Blow the House Down (3:55)
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Boy, talk about a blog that is truly a labor of love. And so much commentary. Thanks for Junior Walker. Rarely have I seen such a varied selection of music.
ReplyDeleteVery nice. But could you please re-up the Jr. Walker & the All Stars albums in FLAC ?
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work.
Thank you.