Junior Walker & The All Stars - Forgotten?

**noel181** · 10-17-2012, 01:22 PM

Does anyone know if Jr Walker's albums will ever get releases by Hip-O Select / Soulmusic.com or Ace.

It seems that Mary Wells, Martha Reeves & even Shorty Long are getting their chance. Even the Dynamic Superiors & The Originals have had some releases. Only 4 studio LPs from Motown plus his 2nd live LP have been released On CD. I thought since Back Street Boogie was released perhaps someone would get on board with more releases.

**calvin** · 10-17-2012, 01:45 PM

I agree with you and have had the same thought myself. With the exception of the LP Shotgun, the other LPs that have been released on CD are not so easy to find - one might have to pay up a bit for a used copy.

And have these LPs ever had a CD release?
Jr Walker & The All Stars Live [[1967)*
What Does It Take To Win Your Love [[aka Gotta Hold on to This Feeling; UK: These Eyes)
A Gassssssssss...
Moody Jr.
Rainbow Funk
Peace and Understanding Is Hard To Find
Jr. Walker & The All Stars [[1974)
Hot Shot
Sax Appeal
Whopper Bopper Show Stopper
...Smooth

*I have a cd which, I believe, has the front cover of the 1967 Live! LP, but actually features the tracklist of the 1970 Live LP. Has anyone else noticed that, or am I mistaken?

**noel181** · 10-17-2012, 01:54 PM

Yes you are correct. They used the cover from the 1967 live LP but it is actually their 1970 Live LP. I have this CD also. They did the same mistake with The Temptations Live LP and used the 1966 Live At The Roostertail cover for At The Copa CD. I have this as well but one track was omitted when they did 2 for 1 CD.

RossHolloway · 10-17-2012, 02:59 PM

Raise your hand if you think its time for a Jr. Walker & The All Stars album box set?

**Nothing But Soul** · 10-17-2012, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by RossHolloway

Raise your hand if you think its time for a Jr. Walker & The All Stars album box set?

Consider my hand raised high! Junior is long overdue for the box set treatment. Junior probably has more material yet to be released on CD than any other Motown artist.

What Does It Take [[aka Gotta Hold On To This Feeling) is the only one of the albums listed by Calvin that has ever been released on CD. It did not stay in print for very long, so not many copies were produced. For that reason, used copies are nearly impossible to find and go for an excessive price.

None of Junior's later Soul and Motown label albums have been released in their entirety on CD. There are, however, three compilations that have selected tracks from these albums. The second disc of Junior's excellent but long out-of-print Nothing But Soul: The Singles 1962-1983 has the best overview of Junior's seventies and eighties recordings for Motown. Another out-of-print comp, Motown Legends: What Does It Take To Win Your Love has eight tracks from Junior's 70's and 80's albums. The Essential Collection, a Spectrum CD from the UK that is still easily available, has ten tracks from this period. Also, the first Cellarful of Motown collection includes "Riding High On Love" from the A Gassssssss... LP.

It would be nice to have a box set with all of Junior's best Motown recordings in one place rather than having to search for hard-to-find, out-of-print CDs.

**calvin** · 10-17-2012, 03:18 PM

There have been many cd compilations of "greatest hits" over the years, mostly featuring more or less the same songs, but so few original LPs released on cd...

Count me in for a box set of the LPs.

**calvin** · 10-17-2012, 03:22 PM

@Nothing But Soul

Thanks for the detail - I think I need to take a closer look at those compilation cds you mention.

**roger** · 10-17-2012, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by Nothing But Soul

What Does It Take [[aka Gotta Hold On To This Feeling) is the only one of the albums listed by Calvin that has ever been released on CD. It did not stay in print for very long, so not many copies were produced. For that reason, used copies are nearly impossible to find and go for an excessive price.

There were also two "toofers" released in Britain ..

"Shotgun"/"Soul Sessions"

http://www.amazon.com/Shotgun-Sessio.../dp/B0000BXBYK

"Road Runner"/"Home Cookin'"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Road-Runner-.../dp/B0000BXBYU

Roger

**Kamasu_Jr** · 10-17-2012, 07:26 PM

If Universal isn't interested, which seems to be the case , maybe another company might issue some of Jr. Walker's albums.

smark21 · 10-17-2012, 08:42 PM

Any theories as to why Jr. Walker and The All Stars have been neglected with regards to reissues?

**marv2** · 10-17-2012, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by noel181

Does anyone know if Jr Walker's albums will ever get releases by Hip-O Select / Soulmusic.com or Ace.

It seems that Mary Wells, Martha Reeves & even Shorty Long are getting their chance. Even the Dynamic Superiors & The Originals have had some releases. Only 4 studio LPs from Motown plus his 2nd live LP have been released On CD. I thought since Back Street Boogie was released perhaps someone would get on board with more releases.

Jr. Walker & the Allstars are not forgotten by true lovers of Soul & R&B music. I listened to "A Walk In the Dark" just this past weekend. It is sad that they like many other greats cannot seem to get proper CD release even of their best material.

**vcq** · 10-17-2012, 10:55 PM

I've been trying for the last several YEARS to get companies interested in releasing a Junior Walker set...so far, I've written Hip-O Select, Bear Family, and Wounded Bird Records [[who rereleased Junior's 1979 Whitfield "Back Street Boogie" album on CD). I heard back from Harry, got a rather interesting response from Bear Family, and never did hear back from Wounded Bird.

May 2010:

"Junior was fantastic and I got to meet him when Motown issued ‘Blow The House Down’ in 1983. He deserves some sort of “treatment” - I am mapping out just how many discs that would be. Question really is, how would you start? The 60s albums you mention, although they’re now out of print, were once available, while the 70s albums have never been on CD. Dilemmas...

HW"

And my personal favorite:

"Thank you very much for your email. We always love to hear from our friends in the USA.

Although Junior made a couple of remarkable recordings during his long career, we are not planning to release the music of JUNIOR WALKER & HIS ALLSTARS on Bear Family at the moment.

Thanks again for your interest in our catalog. Your encouragement is really appreciated."

A couple? A COUPLE? Hmm, I know my math skills are atrocious, but I'd say nearly 20 Motown albums and reissues constitute more than "a couple" of hits.

I say our best bet is to keep writing Hip-O Select.

**calvin** · 10-18-2012, 03:08 AM

Regarding the 1970s LPs - maybe this could be something for SoulMusic or Big Break Records - they both do a lot of 70s stuff, including some Motown.

**roger** · 10-18-2012, 06:12 AM

Originally Posted by smark21

Any theories as to why Jr. Walker and The All Stars have been neglected with regards to reissues?

I think it because Mr Walker didn't make music that was typically "Motown" in sound .. there were a few exceptions of course, such as H-D-H produced tunes like "Roadrunner" and Johnny Bristol's "What Does It Take". Most of his material was a Jazz/R&B fusion which was very "individual" to him and didn't sound like typical "Motown" at all.

Roger

**lakedistrictlad1** · 10-18-2012, 06:16 AM

My hand is up too.

It is totally unexplainable as to why Junior and the All Stars have been so neglected.

It is the one 'patch' of my Motown collection where I am still playing my vinyl albums [[well, cdr's of the albums). And it is a significant patch.

There has been so much rare and obscure stuff issued by Hip-O and ACE over the last few years - so why Junior has been overlooked is a total mystery.

**nathanj06** · 10-18-2012, 08:49 AM

Hands up. It is rather sad he has been basically ignored other than the comp. cds. It seems he was always there in the background but did make some awesome records. Alot of good memories for me with Shotgun through Walk In The Night. Maybe break it down into 2 box sets. Same for Martha Reeves & The Vandellas in one set. Junior Walker has never been forgotten in my book.

**splanky** · 10-18-2012, 04:03 PM

A few years back jazz reed player Don Byron did a wonderful tribute release to Jr Walker
called Do The Boomerang which I copped and still pullout and listen to often. Though Don
usually favors the clarinet on his stuff, for DTB he played mostly tenor and his take
on What Does It Take and Satan's Blues really killed me. Don isn't the only jazz musician
who dug Jr either. Others like Courtney Pine and James Carter have cited him as an influence as has Branford Marsalis. It seems the only people who've overlooked Jr
are the ones with the power to further his legacy and that to me is really f**ked up....

RossHolloway · 10-18-2012, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by splanky

A few years back jazz reed player Don Byron did a wonderful tribute release to Jr Walker
called Do The Boomerang which I copped and still pullout and listen to often. Though Don
usually favors the clarinet on his stuff, for DTB he played mostly tenor and his take
on What Does It Take and Satan's Blues really killed me. Don isn't the only jazz musician
who dug Jr either. Others like Courtney Pine and James Carter have cited him as an influence as has Branford Marsalis. It seems the only people who've overlooked Jr
are the ones with the power to further his legacy and that to me is really f**ked up....

The fact that he did a cover of Satans blues means I need to search out this release. Satans Blues IMO is one of the most underrated Motown cuts ever.

**vcq** · 10-21-2012, 12:22 PM

In addition to Junior's '70s albums, it would be great to see his rarities [[Love Hangover, Killing Me Softly, the Cellarful tracks) on CD as well [[maybe as the last CD in the box set[[s).

**masterblaster** · 10-22-2012, 09:23 AM

Both Hands Up - I've been mithering for something like this for years. I would even welcome packaging in the same manner as fellow Soul label artsist Gladys Knight who had all her Motown album's released in a series of CD's, two albums per CD. Please someone pick up the banner. Especially the 70's albums.

**arrr&bee** · 10-24-2012, 11:20 AM

This is why i don't mess with all this[hip o select]stuff,i love jr.walker and the allstars and i get all i need from the oldies shop[vinyl,baby vinyl]...jr.walker forever!!!

**mellow_q** · 10-24-2012, 05:52 PM

I'm not sure if this belongs here, and I admit I've been off the scene for awhile, but is anyone here aware that one of Jr. Walker's kids wrote a book about him earlier this year?

http://www.amazon.com/Jr-Walker-Stor...s=derek+dewalt

I just bought it, and will do a review shortly.

Marc T.

RossHolloway · 10-25-2012, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by mellow_q

I'm not sure if this belongs here, and I admit I've been off the scene for awhile, but is anyone here aware that one of Jr. Walker's kids wrote a book about him earlier this year?

http://www.amazon.com/Jr-Walker-Stor...s=derek+dewalt

I just bought it, and will do a review shortly.

Marc T.

Thanks for bringing that to everyone's attention. Definitely on my must have list.

**vcq** · 10-26-2012, 06:38 AM

Thanks for the heads-up on the book! I grew up in Battle Creek, MI and went to high school with one of Junior's grandsons, so I would love to read it.

Here is an interview with Derek about the book: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/20356328

And another article I found: http://www.eurweb.com/2012/02/jr-wal...ct-of-new-boo/

**Nothing But Soul** · 10-26-2012, 09:41 AM

[QUOTE=vcq;128690]Thanks for the heads-up on the book! I grew up in Battle Creek, MI and went to high school with one of Junior's sons, so I would love to read it.

Are you sure you don't mean one of Junior's grandsons, VCQ?

**vcq** · 10-27-2012, 03:40 PM

I recently e-mailed HW and tweeted Hip-O Select inquiring as to the status of a Junior Walker box set...if/when I receive a response, I'll post it.

**mellow_q** · 11-05-2012, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by vcq

Thanks for the heads-up on the book! I grew up in Battle Creek, MI and went to high school with one of Junior's grandsons, so I would love to read it.

Here is an interview with Derek about the book: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/20356328

And another article I found: http://www.eurweb.com/2012/02/jr-wal...ct-of-new-boo/

The book sucks. Save your money, unless you want to read abour Jr. Walker hitting his wife