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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. The biggest surprise: Holland-Dozier-Holland's "I'm a Road Runner"; on paper, the collaboration seems ridiculous, but in the studio the combo created industrial-strength soul. 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.
© Andrew Hamilton /TiVo
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Autry DeWalt, ComposerLyricist - Willie J. Woods, ComposerLyricist - HARVEY FUQUA, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jr. Walker & The All Stars, MainArtist - Willie Woods, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1962 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Henry Cosby, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Autry DeWalt, ComposerLyricist - Willie J. Woods, ComposerLyricist - William Mickey Stevenson, Producer - Jr. Walker & The All Stars, MainArtist - Willie Woods, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1965 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Berry Gordy Jr., Producer - Autry DeWalt, ComposerLyricist - Lawrence T. Horn, Producer - Jr. Walker & The All Stars, MainArtist
℗ 1965 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Lamont Dozier, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Holland, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jr. Walker & The All Stars, MainArtist
℗ 1966 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Berry Gordy Jr., Producer - Autry DeWalt, ComposerLyricist - Lawrence T. Horn, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Willie J. Woods, ComposerLyricist - Jr. Walker & The All Stars, MainArtist - Willie Woods, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1965 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Berry Gordy Jr., Producer - James Graves, ComposerLyricist - Autry DeWalt, ComposerLyricist - Lawrence T. Horn, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Jr. Walker & The All Stars, MainArtist - James Graves Jr., ComposerLyricist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Berry Gordy Jr., Producer - Autry DeWalt, ComposerLyricist - Jr. Walker & The All Stars, MainArtist
℗ 1965 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Berry Gordy Jr., Producer - Lawrence T. Horn, Producer - Willie J. Woods, ComposerLyricist - Jr. Walker & The All Stars, MainArtist
℗ 1965 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Berry Gordy Jr., Producer - Lawrence Horn, Producer - Autry DeWalt, ComposerLyricist - Jr. Walker & The All Stars, MainArtist
℗ 1965 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Berry Gordy Jr., Producer - Autry DeWalt, ComposerLyricist - Jr. Walker & The All Stars, MainArtist - Victor Thomas, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1965 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Willie J. Woods, ComposerLyricist - HARVEY FUQUA, Producer - Jr. Walker & The All Stars, MainArtist - Willie Woods, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1965 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Henry Cosby, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Willis, ComposerLyricist - William Mickey Stevenson, Producer - Jr. Walker & The All Stars, MainArtist
℗ 1965 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
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. The biggest surprise: Holland-Dozier-Holland's "I'm a Road Runner"; on paper, the collaboration seems ridiculous, but in the studio the combo created industrial-strength soul. 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.
© Andrew Hamilton /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:35:11
- Main artists: Jr. Walker & The All Stars
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: UNI - MOTOWN
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B Soul
© 1965 UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 1965 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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