Shotgun (Junior Walker & the All Stars song)
{{For|other media using the same title|Shotgun (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Shotgun
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Junior Walker & the All Stars
| album = Shotgun
| B-side = Hot Cha
| released = {{Start date|1965|02|13}}
| recorded = 1964
| studio = Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A), Detroit, Michigan
| genre =
- R&B{{cite book|first=Dave|last=Marsh|title=The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made|url=https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Heart_Of_Rock_Soul.html?id=5t5DYDniSHEC|date=1989|publisher=Plume|isbn=0-452-26305-0|page=382}}
- funk
| length = 2:54
| label = Soul
| writer = Autry DeWalt {{a.k.a.}} Junior Walker
| producer = Berry Gordy, Lawrence Horn
| prev_title = Satan's Blues
| prev_year = 1964
| next_title = Do the Boomerang
| next_year = 1965
}}
"Shotgun" is a song written and performed by American soul musician Junior Walker that the singer-songwriter recorded with his group the All Stars. Called a "dance tune",
{{Cite encyclopedia
| last1 = Huey
| first1 = Steve
| last2 = Hamilton
| first2 = Andrew
| year = 2003
| title = Junior Walker
| editor-last = Bogdanov
| editor-first = Vladimir
| editor-link = Vladimir Bogdanov (editor)
| editor-last2 = Bush
| editor-first2 = John
| editor-link2 = Vladimir Bogdanov (editor)
| editor-last3 = Woodstra
| editor-first3 = Chris
| editor-last4 = Erlewine
| editor-first4 = Stephen Thomas
| editor-link4 = Stephen Thomas Erlewine
| encyclopedia = All Music Guide to R&B and Soul
| location = San Francisco
| publisher = Backbeat Books
| isbn = 0-87930-744-7
| page = 721
}} it was produced by Berry Gordy Jr. and Lawrence Horn.{{cite book |title= The Billboard Book of Number One Rhythm & Blues Hits|last=White |first=Adam |last2=Bronson |first2=Fred |author-link2=Fred Bronson |year=1993 |publisher=Billboard Books |location=New York City|page=3|isbn=}} Gordy's Soul Records, a Motown Records subsidiary, issued it as a single in 1965. It reached number 1 on the U.S. R&B Singles chart for four non-consecutive weeks and peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=607}} In Canada, the song reached number 26.{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.5704.pdf| title=RPM Top 40 Singles - March 15, 1965}}
In 2002, the 1964 recording of the song by credited to the full band Junior Walker & the All Stars on Soul Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.{{Cite web | title=GRAMMY Hall Of Fame {{!}} Hall of Fame Artists {{!}} GRAMMY.com | url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#s | access-date=2024-12-29 | website=www.grammy.com}}
Recording
"Shotgun" was Walker's debut as a vocalist{{snd}}when the singer who was hired to perform at the recording session did not show up, Walker stood in. Rather than re-record the vocal at a later date, producer Gordy decided to keep Walker's take, much to the latter's surprise.
The song opens with the sound of a shotgun blast and a drum roll, with the verses alternating between Walker's vocals and tenor saxophone fills. It does not employ the typical progression, but remains on one chord throughout.
{{Cite book
| last = Ross
| first = Alex
| author-link = Alex Ross
| year = 2007
| title = The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century
| location = New York City
| publisher = Picador
| isbn = 978-0-312-42771-9
| page = 553
}}
Personnel
- Junior Walker – lead vocals, tenor saxophone
- Willie Woods – lead guitar, harmony vocals
- Eddie Willis – rhythm guitar
- James Jamerson – bass
- Johnny Griffith – Hammond organ
- Victor Thomas – keyboards
- Jack Ashford – tambourine
- Benny Benjamin, Richard "Pistol" Allen, or Larrie Londin - drums{{cite web|first=Brad|last=Schlueter|url=http://www.drummagazine.com/lessons/print/the-greatest-grooves-of-rb-and-soul|title=The Greatest Grooves of R&B and Soul|work=DRUM! Magazine|date=December 2007|accessdate=19 August 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111033742/http://www.drummagazine.com/lessons/print/the-greatest-grooves-of-rb-and-soul|archivedate=11 January 2014}}{{cite web|first=Geoff |last=Nicholls |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-larrie-londin-1549935.html|title= Obituary: Larrie Londin|newspaper=The Independent|date= September 7, 1992|accessdate= 19 August 2012}}
Performances and renditions
In his biography, Robbie Robertson recalled an early performance of the song:
{{Blockquote|Junior Walker and the All Stars were a very different Motown act—raw, sax-blowing energy in all league all its own. A four piece unit, they sounded like eight. When the guitar player fell to his knees on "Shotgun", Junior Walker tore the roof off the joint.
{{Cite book
| last = Robertson
| first = Robbie
| author-link = Robbie Robertson
| year = 2016
| title = Testimony: A Memoir
| location = New York City
| publisher = Crown Archetype
| isbn = 978-0307889805
| at = eBook
}}}}
In July 1965, Jimi Hendrix, who was then touring with Little Richard, made his first television appearance performing the song. With Richard's backup band and vocalists Buddy and Stacy, he was filmed for Nashville's Channel 5 Night Train show.
{{Cite book
| last1 = McDermott
| first1 = John
| last2 = Kramer
| first2 = Eddie
| author-link2 = Eddie Kramer
| last3 = Cox
| first3 = Billy
| author-link3 = Billy Cox
| title = Ultimate Hendrix
| location = San Francisco
| publisher = Backbeat Books
| year = 2009
| isbn = 978-0-87930-938-1
| page = 13
}} In 1966, the Norwegian R&B group Public Enemies performed the song in the film Hurra for Andersens. Their version reached number 7 on Radio Luxembourg's Top 20 Chart.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}} A version by Vanilla Fudge reached number 59 in Canada in 1969.{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.6051.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - March 10, 1969}}
See also
{{Portal|1960s|United States}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Junior Walker}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shotgun (Junior Walker and the All Stars song)}}
Category:Song recordings produced by Berry Gordy
Category:Songs written by Junior Walker
{{1960s-R&B-song-stub}}