Jr. Walker & the All Stars - Self Titled ft. Stevie Wonder

[thomas96]

S6-742s1
This was released in the UK on Tamla-Motown but was unissued in the US. I've heard that test pressings were made and album covers were printed. I also believe that this is the last session recorded in Detroit and was produced by Clarence Paul. Can anyone confirm any of this information, or does anyone have links to any of the songs? The first two tracks feature Stevie Wonder on the harmonica, and I am dying to hear those.

Tracklist:

You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
All In Love Is Fair
Killing Me Softly With His Song
My Love
Boogie Down
I Ain't That Easy To Lose
Dancin' Like They Do On Soul Train
Break Down And Sing
Until You Come Back To Me [[That's What I'm Gonna Do)

[RossHolloway]

What year did this album come out in the UK? 72 or 73? Has anyone ever seen an actual physical copy of this or the cover art for this album?

I thought that Clarence Paul had left Motown sometime during the mid-60's? Did he return at a later point?

[thomas96]

Here's an ebay listing of the UK press.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jr-Walker-Th...item56551bf405

The UK press was released in '74, and I thought that Clarence left around '65-'66 but maybe I'm wrong, or maybe he came back. I don't have all the details though so I don't know.

[carole cucumber]

What year did this album come out in the UK? 72 or 73? Has anyone ever seen an actual physical copy of this or the cover art for this album?

I thought that Clarence Paul had left Motown sometime during the mid-60's? Did he return at a later point?

In the 1990' s at a record show I chanced upon a sealed copy of a Jr. Walker & the All Stars album that I had not remembered ever seeing before. [[I paid $5 for it). It proved to be the album in question. When I opened it at home, the record inside was not the a Jr. Walker album at all, but an unimpressive 12 inch disco single on an unfamiliar label. [[I'm not sure how that happened). I remember being disappointed at the time - not getting the album that was listed on the jacket.
Only later would I realize what a treasure I had found even without the proper album enclosed.
If you look here

S-747S1 - Sax Appeal - Jr. Walker [6/76] Feel Like Makin' Love/I Feel So Good/You Ain't No Ordinary Woman/Sax Appeal/Ego Tripping/All In Love Is Fair/Boogie Down/Until You Come Back To Me [[That's What I'm Gonna Do)

S6-748S1 - Whopper Bopper Show Stopper - Jr. Walker [10/76] Whopper Bopper Show Stopper/You Are The Sunshine Of My Life/You're On Fire/Leap And Peep/Don't Make No Plans//I Could Never Love Another [[After Loving You)/I Want You/Love Ain't Enough/My Love

you will note that a few of the titles, and those Thomas specifically asked about, re-appeared on subsequent releases.

And one of the songs from S6-742S1 not on other lp's did see release on the cd , ''Nothin' But Soul Jr. Walker and the All Stars The Singles 1962-1983''- part of the Motown Master Series- in 1994.

[thomas96]

In the 1990' s at a record show I chanced upon a sealed copy of a Jr. Walker & the All Stars album that I had not remembered ever seeing before. [[I paid $5 for it). It proved to be the album in question. When I opened it at home, the record inside was not the a Jr. Walker album at all, but an unimpressive 12 inch disco single on an unfamiliar label. [[I'm not sure how that happened). I remember being disappointed at the time - not getting the album that was listed on the jacket.
Only later would I realize what a treasure I had found even without the proper album enclosed.

Do you have any pictures of this? Is it on the SOUL label? What a find! Too bad it didn't come with the disc, but the jacket itself is definitely very rare if its one of the 'test' prints.

[JL2648]

S6-742s1
I also believe that this is the last session recorded in Detroit and was produced by Clarence Paul.

At Studio A or B in Detroit? I don't know if Studio B was still in action, c. 1972. Ralph would know, I'm sure. If memory serves the Motown Museum tour guide indicated the Commodores were the last to record at Studio A. I don't know his source of info.

Jeff

[carole cucumber]

Do you have any pictures of this? Is it on the SOUL label? What a find! Too bad it didn't come with the disc, but the jacket itself is definitely very rare if its one of the 'test' prints.

I don't have the album here ; it is tucked away in secure storage.
But yes, it was on the Soul label. The picture at BSN is accurate.

[gordy_hunk]

I have the UK release of this. I've tried to sell it on ebay, but no interest at all. It is sad that Jr Walker's material doesn't seem to rate very highly.

[R. Mark Desjardins]

In my opinion, Jr. Walker was a consistent musician who kept a very low profile. I never had the chance to see him perform live, but my brother saw him at a club called Barrymore's in Ottawa, Canada and told he that Jr. blew the house down. I just finished reading "The Jr. Walker Story - The Man Behind The Sax" written by his son, Derek DeWalt and it goes a long way into explaining this complex man. Somewhat shocking and sad, but what a talent, and very much missed!

[nabob]

S-747S1 - Sax Appeal - Jr. Walker [6/76] Feel Like Makin' Love/I Feel So Good/You Ain't No Ordinary Woman/Sax Appeal/Ego Tripping/All In Love Is Fair/Boogie Down/Until You Come Back To Me [[That's What I'm Gonna Do)

S6-748S1 - Whopper Bopper Show Stopper - Jr. Walker [10/76] Whopper Bopper Show Stopper/You Are The Sunshine Of My Life/You're On Fire/Leap And Peep/Don't Make No Plans//I Could Never Love Another [[After Loving You)/I Want You/Love Ain't Enough/My Love

you will note that a few of the titles, and those Thomas specifically asked about, re-appeared on subsequent releases.

And one of the songs from S6-742S1 not on other lp's did see release on the cd , ''Nothin' But Soul Jr. Walker and the All Stars The Singles 1962-1983''- part of the Motown Master Series- in 1994.

Thanks for posting. As can be seen from the covers, several of the songs later appeared on the Sax Appeal and Whopper, Bopper albums. I especially enjoyed this album because the sound is so much like the Smooth Jazz format that came out of FM radio of the early 80s. This was different for Jr Walker.

Full size scans can be found at:
Front Cover: http://www.flickr.com/photos/2460803...in/photostream

Back Cover: http://www.flickr.com/photos/2460803...n/photostream/

[thomas96]

Thanks for posting. As can be seen from the covers, several of the songs later appeared on the Sax Appeal and Whopper, Bopper albums. I especially enjoyed this album because the sound is so much like the Smooth Jazz format that came out of FM radio of the early 80s. This was different for Jr Walker.

Full size scans can be found at:
Front Cover: http://www.flickr.com/photos/2460803...in/photostream

Back Cover: http://www.flickr.com/photos/2460803...n/photostream/

Thanks for those photos. I wonder why it was unissued it looks great on the Soul Label and they must've thought the songs were good enough because they released them on later albums.

[bankhousedave]

I had a French album years ago that had You are the Sunshine of My Life by Junior with Stevie on it. It was a collection of 'Motown Instrumentals' with Machine Gun, two tracks from the San Remo Strings, the Crusaders, the backing track from Papa Was a Rolling Stone and two bits from Rare Earth. The front cover had a graphic of a disco dancer and the back had a mockup studio session log. Not sure what became of it and never seen or heard of another one.

[jbpintus]

I had a French album years ago that had You are the Sunshine of My Life by Junior with Stevie on it. It was a collection of 'Motown Instrumentals' with Machine Gun, two tracks from the San Remo Strings, the Crusaders, the backing track from Papa Was a Rolling Stone and two bits from Rare Earth. The front cover had a graphic of a disco dancer and the back had a mockup studio session log. Not sure what became of it and never seen or heard of another one.

This is the French edition of the Motown instrumental lp on Natutal Ressources.
One if the first motown lps I've had when I was 2,5 years old :-)

By memory it contained :

Side 1 :
SAN REMO GOLDEN STRINGS - Hungry for love
JR WALKER - You are the sunshine if my life
COMMODORES - Rapid Fire
THE TEMPTATIONS - Papa was a rolling stone [[6 minutes instrumental)

Side 2:
SAN REMO GOLDEN STRINGS - Festival Time
JR WALKER AND THE ALL STARS - Cleo's back
THE CRUSADERS - Way back home
JERMAINE JACKSON - Ecuru [[extended version)
RARE EARTH - Get Ready [[edit of album version which segued the beginning till the tambourine came a few seconds before Pete starts to sing, with the bass solo part that occurred just after the single version has ended)

JB

[bankhousedave]

That's it JBP. I don't even know where I got my copy from. Maybe I bought it in France.