JUNIOR WALKER &t ALL-STARS OOP MOTOWN 2 LP ANTHOLOGY

JUNIOR WALKER & THE ALL-STARS ANTHOLOGY 2LPCategory / Style / Moods: R&B Soul, Motown, Rock & Roll, Pop-Soul17.77 / 2007-07-13 S asocc1981 MOTOWN US 2LPTITLE: ANTHOLOGYARTIST: JUNIOR WALKER & THE ALL-STARSCONDITIONVINYL: HAS A FEW TICKS ON TRACK A2, BUT THE REST PLAYS VG+ OR BETTERCOVER: VG BB SM PSOCClick here for info on grading and abbreviationsEXCELLENT OUT OF PRINT COMPORIGINAL GATEFOLD SLEEVE COMPLETE WITH BOOKLETClick the pix for a better view TRACKS: Disc: 11.ShotgunDeWalt 2.Do the BoomerangCosby, DeWalt, Woods 3.Shake and FingerpopDeWalt, Horn, Woods 4.Cleo's MoodDeWalt, Fuqua, Woods 5.I'm a Road Runner6.How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)Dozier, Holland 7.Money (That's What I Want)Bradford, Gordy 8.Pucker Up ButtercupBristol, Coggins, Fuqua 9.Shoot Your ShotDeWalt, Graves, Horn 10.Come See About MeDozier, Holland, Holland 11.Hip City, Pt. 1DeWalt, Hollis 12.Home Cookin'Cosby, Moy, Willie 13.What Does It Take to Win Your Love14.These EyesBachman, Cummings 15.Gotta Whole on to This Feeling16.Do You See My Love (For You Growing)17.Holy, Holy18.Don't Blame the ChildrenBristol, Ghant, McMullen 19.Moody JuniorBristol 20.Way Back HomeBristol, Felder, Knight 21.Walk in the NightBristol, McLeod 22.Groove ThangBristol 23.Gimme That Beat, Pt. 124.I Don't Need No Reason25.Peace and Understanding (Is Hard to Find)DeWalt, Harville, Teasley Review by Andrew Hamilton A happy meal of Junior Walker & the All Star's early stunners that have yet to be issued on CD. Disc one contain sides one and four and disc two sides two and three. This was done to invite stacking the disks on your turntable for sequential play: after side one, side two dropped and played; when it finished, you stacked again and played sides three and four -- thank God for CDs! Side one and two are blistering displays of Junior's reckless sax toots and rough, country boy vocals; the grooves wear and the vinyl melt as Walker's magnum size sax screeches, belches, cusses, and commands your attention on stompers like "Shotgun," "Shake And Fingerpop," "Road Runner," etc. And while side two selections aren't as well-known, "Groove Thang," "Gimme That Beat," and "Way Back Home" are funky as a pot of chitterlings inadvertently left on the stove overnight in 90 degree heat. Biography by Steve Huey Motown's skilled but mostly anonymous instrumentalists very rarely stepped out on their own. The lone exception to the rule was tenor saxman Junior Walker, whose rough-and-ready, old-school R&B was a marked contrast with the label's typically smooth, polished product. Walker's squealing gutbucket style was inspired by jump blues and early R&B, particularly players like Louis Jordan, Earl Bostic, and Illinois Jacquet. Possessed of a raspy, untrained voice, Walker's 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. Walker was born Autry DeWalt II on June 14, 1931 (even though Motown gave his birth date as 1942), in Blytheville, AR. (Some accounts list his birth name as Oscar G. Mixon, which was then changed at some point during his early childhood.) DeWalt grew up in South Bend, IN, and began playing the saxophone in high school; he was soon performing in local jazz and R&B clubs with his first band, the Jumping Jacks, under the name Junior Walker. He next joined a trio led by drummer Billy "Stix" Nicks, which also featured organist Fred Patton; they soon added backing vocalist and guitarist Willie Woods, and played around northern Indiana and southern Michigan. Walker took over the group after Nicks joined the Army; in the late '50s, he relocated to Battle Creek, MI, and formed a band billed as Junior Walker & the All-Stars. Initially, they featured Patton, Woods, and drummer Tony Washington; Patton was later replaced by Victor Thomas, and Washington by Jack Douglas and, finally, James Graves. 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, and the following year Fuqua's labels were absorbed by Motown. This exquisite piece of retro music history is a vinyl sound recording (not a CD). Please visit the A Sound Deal store for similar items and information on grading and shipping. Add me to your favorites for red hot sales bulletins and sneak previews of upcoming products. Combine Items to Save $$$! Click here to check the store for more!©A Sound Deal