Johnny Bristol & Jr. Walker - What Does It Take

[motown01]

Is Johnny Bristol singing along with Jr. Walker on What Does It Take [[To Win Your Love)? I was listening to the karaoke vocal-only track recently and it sounds an awful lot like him - I used to think it was Jr. Walker over-dubbed twice.

[MIKEW-UK]

I am sure this is the case.

Junior didn't believe he could sing at all...it was only Johnny's insistence he sing, against much opposition from Junior, that it even happened! I am sure Johnny gave him lots of support as guide vocal

[copley]

According to TCMS10 the backing vocals were by Harvey Fuqua & the Spinners.

[MIKEW-UK]

I learn something again. ......my ears have always told me, for me it is Johnny, who co wrote the song with Harvey and Vernon Bullock. He did it again on Motorcity Records.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT6La601MHQ

[tomato tom]

Does sound like Johnny to these ears too. SO, When will the complete Jr Walker & The All Stars Album reissues start?..Paulo xxx

[uptight]

I've always known it to be Bristol. Great tune!

[motown01]

I second the album reissues request. Let's get these albums on CD!! [[The ones that haven't already been released)

[jboy88]

Before I learned it was Johnny, I thought it was Willie Woods! He sang the chorus with JR. on Shotgun and likely several others!

[tomato tom]

Lets start the fight! I have the UK twfers SHOTGUN/SOUL SESSION & ROADRUNNER/HOME COOKIN plus GREATEST HITS on U.S. They are the only original JR albums I have, or know of on CD. He has such a wonderful musical legacy, its CRIMINAL, his other albums are not available on CD..Paulo xxx

[marv2]

Is Johnny Bristol singing along with Jr. Walker on What Does It Take [[To Win Your Love)? I was listening to the karaoke vocal-only track recently and it sounds an awful lot like him - I used to think it was Jr. Walker over-dubbed twice.

Yes that was Johnny Bristol singing along with Jr. Walker on "What Does It Take.......To Win Your Love". Johnny confirmed this himself years ago. I remember this record being played like forever on the radio after it's initial release in 1969!

[motownjohnny]

Paulo, I have both of the UK CD twfers you mention, as well as "Gotta Hold On To This feeling" and "Jnr Walker & The All Stars Live" also on CD. As far as I'm aware there have been to date no other Jr. Walker albums officially issued on CD. The "Live" album, while using the artwork of the first live album issued on Soul 705 in September 1967, is in fact the live album issued on vinyl as Soul 725 in May 1970.

I'm totally with you on calling for a release of a remaster issue of all his albums on CD, perhaps something along the lines of the format adopted for the recent Marvelettes album reissues with single and bonus tracks being thrown in as extra tracks. His product and talent has for far too long been undervalued and unrecognised. It's time to correct this oversight.

[motown01]

I agree. Moody Junior and Smooth are both outstanding albums that should be on CD.

[jack020]

How about this one:
Nothing But Soul: Singles 1962-1983

~ Junior Walker

[uptight]

I still need that one, jack020. But that compilation was released in the early 1990s, wasn't it?

[Nothing But Soul]

By my count, Motown released 10 albums by Junior Walker on the Soul label in the U.S. during the seventies. I honestly can't understand why none of these albums [[other than "Gotta Hold On To This Feeling" and "Live", which were both briefly available on CD) have been reissued on CD. Other more obscure artists have had their albums reissued on CD. Motown would not have kept releasing product by Junior in the 70's if it wasn't selling.

[texassoul]

In case you haven't heard it, Buddy Miles does a very nice version of "What Does It Take". Have a listen:

Buddy Miles - What Does It Take http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZmgMhz-UgM

[mowest]

Excellent version, texassoul. Thanks so much for posting!

[texassoul]

Excellent version, texassoul. Thanks so much for posting!

So glad you enjoyed it!

[MIKEW-UK]

texassoul, great version, thx for posting! .... should we also recognise the California Raisins contribution to Buddy's performance? cheers, Mike

[texassoul]

texassoul, great version, thx for posting! .... should we also recognise the California Raisins contribution to Buddy's performance? cheers, Mike

Mike: I didn't mention the Raisins as I thought no one would take the song seriously!!

[MIKEW-UK]

I concur....despite the raisins' adverts, a lot of the tracks were seriously good! cheers

[MIKEW-UK]

Just putting the Hearts Of Stone album "Stop the World: We Wanna Get" on ipod, and there is an excellent version of What Does It Take, I'll upload it to this thread tomorrow in case anyone's interested in hearing it....

[texassoul]

Yes, please Mike! I look forward to hearing it. Thank you.

[MIKEW-UK]

Hearts Of Stone What Does It Take

I like this version very much, it replaces Jr's saxophone with vocals, and it works well. Three guys sing the main song, and one augments it in a call and response fashion; nice strings too. Jr's version is to my mind still the best, but this song works well with this treatment

http://mikew-uk.podomatic.com/entry/...09_09_35-07_00

Here they are doing doowop http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1qEGJtOuoA

And Funk..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzoSqBrPGek

And ballad...... Rainy Night In Georgia http://mikew-uk.podomatic.com/entry/...09_34_39-07_00

[texassoul]

Thanks for posting this choon, What Does It Take, Mike. I like it alot!!

[Kraig Diesel]

@Mikew, OMG that sounds wonderful...any chance we may get to hear the entire album [[i know im stretching it, lol)

[jobeterob]

Buddy Miles can sing better than Junior all right........but I would still take Junior's version of this song over any other.

There are some songs that can be redone dozens of times but they'll never sound like the original Stop in the Name of Love, Dancing in the Street, My Girl or What Does it Takes.