Walker was either born Autry DeWalt II or re-christened such following an earlier name, Oscar G. Mixon, on June 14, 1931. Although he mastered the crawl and the toddle, "Junior Walker" got that moniker not from frequent roaming but from his father, Roosevelt Walker. Still, after his family moved from Blytheville, Arkansas to South Bend, Indiana, people started noticing his special rhythms. In his new home, he could pursue his lifelong specialty: music. With his trusty tenor saxophone, Junior Walker blew through high school and nearby R&B and jazz clubs with the Jumping Jacks.
Yet he wasn't so focused on a straight-ahead path that he couldn't stop and appreciate others' talents, including those of organist Fred Patton and, later, blues guitarist Willie Woods.
After the rotating door of sidemen got its first spin, Junior Walker took the lead and served as the axis of what would become his signature band.
Having gigged in upper Indiana and lower Michigan, Walker settled down in the latter state. Late-1950s Battle Creek was the birthplace of what would officially be known as Jr. Walker and the All Stars: Woods, organist Vic Thomas, and Tony Washington on drums.
Here comes the inevitable Hitsville connection! Singer Johnny Bristol watched Jr. Walker and the All Stars during an El Grotto club performance. After wiping the sizzling grease off his brow, he told pal Harvey Fuqua about the band.
In 1961, Harvey the label hired the squealing saxophonist and his rip-roaring rhythm section. Records like "Cleo's Mood" established their promise before Motown acquired Harvey's roster and, in 1964, the band, which still featured Woods, Thomas, and Washington with Walker.
Jack Douglas, then James Graves, later took Washington's drum seat. It was the 1965 lineup of Walker, Thomas, Graves, and Woods that rode "Shotgun" to the top of the charts.
If Junior Walker had thought he could foresee his professional course, then Motown had found a way to catch him off guard. A vocalist's no-show for "Shotgun" had forced horn man Walker to lay the vocal track. To his bewilderment, Motown had kept it.
Whether he wanted it or not, the country would know him as singer-saxophonist Junior Walker.
Nonetheless, soul-selling was a good thing for Jr. Walker and the All Stars. They stuck to their forte--R&B instrumentals--and made some noise with originals like "Shake and Fingerpop" as well as in-house covers like "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)." (For the band's mainly Motown discography, click here.) Graves went lickety-split in '66. Hits like "(I'm a) Road Runner" kept the group running on high-octane fuel. After a series of boogie-able party tunes, it was, perhaps, time to dribble syrup into the frying pan.
Doesn't sound appealing? Junior Walker wasn't enthused about the ballad "What Does It Take (to Win Your Love)" himself. Though he'd continued to insert vocals on his records, he didn't want to really, you know, carry a sweet tune!
Producers Bristol and Fuqua prevailed in the studio, as did Jr. Walker and the All Stars on the charts. As far as Top 5ers went, that 1969 song and their first Motown hit were poles apart. Pieces like "Gotta Hold on to This Feeling" and "Hip City, Pt. 1" and "Pt. 2" maintained their stylistic seesaw.
The band had gotten a late start at Motown compared to other acts. But that didn't delay its fading Pop-ularity in the 1970s. Thankfully, the R&B market hadn't shrugged it off. And regardless of commercial clout, Jr. Walker and the All Stars' raucous soul influenced many grateful funkmeisters that decade.
In the mid-to-late '70s, Junior Walker tried his horn at solo works with producer Brian Holland (Hot Shot), and then on Norman Whitfield's self-named label (Back Street Boogie). Still, by 1981, the world had found other musical idols.
That year heralded another unexpected turn. A band he didn't know from a genre he hadn't tried convinced him to guest-play on one of its songs. So, after one listen and with one take, he did. That improvised solo, during the refrain of Foreigner's "Urgent," was so outstanding that it brought Walker a new concert standard as well as a nice fee. As if he really did Blow the House Down at Motown, that 1983 album signified the end of Junior Walker's recording days.
So what did he do for the next decade? What he did second-best (if singing didn't count): He walked, or rather, roamed the globe, touring with his All Stars or his own junior, Autry DeWalt III, on drums.
Those were the '80s and '90s. Part of the latter, anyway: Cancer struck Junior Walker in 1993. Reportedly, as time went on, he had trouble with not only performing, but also walking.
On November 23, 1995, the disease extinguished the All Stars' leading light.
Walker's side men have kept the party going. Death has taken key members, like James Graves as early as 1967, and Willie Woods 30 years later from lung cancer.
But surviving Motown originals Thomas and Washington and musicians like saxophonist Kenny Walker and percussionist Acklee King have known not to give it up as part of "Jr Walkers Allstar Band" (note the official, legal name without some punctuation).
The singing--of praises--has continued with the group's 2002 induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "Shotgun."
Silence is especially disturbing if the music that once filled it was so lively. So go ahead, pop in and turn up that Jr. Walker and the All Stars record. No surprises, no new twists. Just some of the most pleasurably blistering foot-stompers on this end of the soul griddle.
(http://www.soullyoldies.com/jr-walker-and-the-all-stars.html)
Home Cookin'
Jr. Walker & The All Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I need home, home cookin', yeah!
It's said, a woman's place
Is in the kitchen
But in the kitchen, you are a flop
Them meals that you been fixin'
They ain't nothin' but yesterday's slop
An I like, yo' wiggly walk
I like yo' baby talk, yeah!
You're neat, the way you look
But you ain't nothin'
If you can't cook
I need home, home cookin', yeah!
I need home, home cookin', yeah!
Hot! I sweat all day
I rush back home, to see what you cookin'
Your beans are burned
You've ruined my place
And in the mirror, I find you lookin'
Now, I like sweet candied yams
And I like homemade ham-hocks
Instead of study, how you look
You oughta study
Yo' mama's cookbook
(sax & instrumental)
If you want a soul man
Get to rattlin', them pots and pans
I need home, home cookin'
I need home, home cookin'
Yeah!
Hot gravy
That pot roast
That pickled beets
And sugared toast
I like yo' wiggly walk, yeah!
An I like yo' way a-talkin'
And you look neat, the way you look
But you ain't nothin'
If you can't cook
I need home, home cookin'
I'm in the mood
For soul food
I said, home, home cookin'.
The song "Home Cookin'" by Jr. Walker & the All Stars is all about the importance of good food and the need for home cooking. The lyrics talk about how a woman's place is in the kitchen and how important it is for her to know how to cook well. The singer talks about how he loves his woman's wiggly walk and baby talk, but it's her cooking that really makes him satisfied.
The lyrics are presented in a humorous way, with the singer talking about how he rushes home after sweating all day to see what his woman is cooking. He is disappointed to find that she has burned the beans and ruined his place. The singer then describes some of his favorite dishes, like sweet candied yams and homemade ham hocks. He even suggests that if you want to find a soul man, you should start rattling those pots and pans.
Line by Line Meaning
I need home, home cookin', yeah!
The singer needs a home-cooked meal.
It's said, a woman's place
People often say that a woman's place is in the kitchen.
Is in the kitchen
The belief is that women should be cooking in the kitchen.
But in the kitchen, you are a flop
Despite being in the kitchen, the woman is not a good cook.
Them meals that you been fixin'
The meals that the woman has been making.
They ain't nothin' but yesterday's slop
The meals are not good; they are like leftovers.
An I like, yo' wiggly walk
The singer likes the woman's walk.
I like yo' baby talk, yeah!
The singer likes the way the woman talks like a baby.
You're neat, the way you look
The singer thinks the woman looks neat.
But you ain't nothin'
Despite her looks and walk, the woman is not worth much.
If you can't cook
The value of a woman is measured by her ability to cook.
Hot! I sweat all day
The singer worked hard all day and is hot from it.
I rush back home, to see what you cookin'
The singer is excited to see what the woman is cooking.
Your beans are burned
The beans she cooked are burnt.
You've ruined my place
She also messed up the house.
And in the mirror, I find you lookin'
The singer sees the woman's reflection and is disappointed.
Now, I like sweet candied yams
The singer likes sweet yams with sugar and spices.
And I like homemade ham-hocks
The singer likes homemade ham-hocks (smoked pork leg).
Instead of study, how you look
The woman should focus on studying how to cook rather than her looks.
You oughta study
The woman should learn how to cook.
Yo' mama's cookbook
She should study her mother's cookbook to learn how to cook.
If you want a soul man
If the woman wants a soulmate.
Get to rattlin', them pots and pans
She needs to start cooking to attract a soulmate.
I'm in the mood
The singer is in the mood for soul food.
For soul food
The singer wants to eat traditional Southern African American cuisine.
I said, home, home cookin'.
The singer reiterates his desire for home-cooked food.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDDIE WILLIS, HENRY COSBY, MELVIN MOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ms.booklover2676
I need home, home cookin', yeah!
I need home, home cookin', yeah!
It's said, a woman's place
Is in the kitchen
But in the kitchen, you are a flop
Them meals that you been fixin'
They ain't nothin' but yesterday's slop
An I like, yo' wiggly walk
I like yo' baby talk, yeah!
You're neat, the way you look
But you ain't nothin'
If you can't cook
I need home, home cookin', yeah!
I need home, home cookin', yeah!
Hot! I sweat all day
I rush back home, to see what you cookin'
Your beans are burned
You've ruined my place
And in the mirror, I find you lookin'
Now, I like sweet candied yams
And I like homemade ham-hocks
Instead of study, how you look
You oughta study
Yo' mama's cookbook
If you want a soul man
Get to rattlin', them pots and pans
I need home, home cookin'
I need home, home cookin'
Yeah!
Hot gravy
That pot roast
That pickled beets
And sugared toast
I like yo' wiggly walk, yeah!
An I like yo' way a-talkin'
And you look neat, the way you look
But you ain't nothin'
If you can't cook
I need home, home cookin'
I'm in the mood
For soul food
I said, home, home cookin'.
@davidmehnert9641
As Junior well knew, I'd like to think, the degreasing process is especially important. . . .
* * *
"These are the Alps. . . My Hand. Hold. Concentrate."
---James Merrill
DEFINITIONS
We have tried, in this book, to use ordinary American cooking terms familiar to anyone who has been around a kitchen, but we list a few definitions here to avoid possible misunderstanding.
BASTE, "arroser"
To spoon melted butter, fat, or liquid over foods.
BEAT, "fouetter"
To mix foods or liquids thoroughly and vigorously with a spoon, fork, or whip, or an electric beater. When you beat, train yourself to use your lower-arm and wrist muscles; if you beat from your shoulder you will tire quickly.
BLANCH, "blanchir"
To plunge food into boiling water and to boil it until it has softened, or wilted, or is partially or fully cooked. Food is also blanched to remove too strong a taste, such as for cabbage or onions, or for the removal of the salty, smoky taste of bacon.
BLEND, "mélanger"
To mix foods together in a less vigorous way than by beating, usually with a fork, spoon, or spatula.
BOIL, "bouillir"
Liquid is technically at the boil when it is seething, rolling, and sending up bubbles. But in practice there are slow, medium, and fast boils. A very slow boil, when the liquid is hardly moving except for a bubble at one point, is called to simmer, "mijoter". An even slower boil with no bubble, only the barest movement on the surface of the liquid, is called "to shiver" ("frémir"), and is used for poaching fish or other delicate foods.
BRAISE, "braiser"
To brown foods in fat, then cook them in a covered casserole with a small amount of liquid. We have also used the term for vegetables cooked in butter in a covered casserole, as there is no English equivalent for "étuver".
COAT A SPOON, "napper la cuillère"
This term is used to indicate the thickness of a sauce, and it seems the only way to describe it. A spoon dipped into a cream soup and withdrawn would be coated with a thin film of soup. Dipped into a sauce destined to cover food, the spoon would emerge with a fairly thick coating.
DEGLAZE, "déglacer"
After meat has been roasted or sautéed, and the pan degreased, liquid is poured into the pan and all the flavorful coagulated cooking juices are scraped into it as it simmers. This is an important step in the preparation of all meat sauces from the simplest to the most elaborate, for the deglaze becomes part of the sauce, incorporating into it some of the flavor of the meat. Thus sauce and meat are a logical complement to each other.
DEGREASE, "dégraisser"
To remove accumulated fat from the surface of hot liquids.
SAUCES, SOUPS, and STOCKS
To remove accumulated fat from the surface of a sauce, soup, or stock which is simmering, use a long-handled spoon and draw it over the surface, dipping up a thin layer of fat. It is not necessary to remove all the fat at this time.
When the cooking is done, remove all the fat. If the liquid is still hot, let it settle for 5 minutes so the fat will rise to the surface. then spoon it off, tipping the pot or kettle so that a heavier fat deposit will collect at one side and can more easily be removed. When you have taken up as much as you can--- it is never a quick process--- draw strips of paper towels over the surface until the last floating fat globules have been blotted up.
It is easier, of course, to chill the liquid, for then the fat congeals on the surface and can be scraped off.
ROASTS
To remove fat from a pan while the meat is still roasting, tilt the pan and scoop out the fat which collects in the corner. Use a bulb baster or a big spoon. It is never necessary to remove all the fat at this time, just the excess. This degreasing should be done quickly, so your oven will not cool. If you take a long time over it, add a few extra minutes to your total roasting figure.
After the roast has been taken from the pan, tilt the pan, then with a spoon or a bulb baster remove the fat that collects in one corner, but do not take up the browned juices, as these will go into your sauce. usually a tablespoon or two of fat is left in the pan; it will give body and flavor to the sauce.
Another method--- and this can be useful if you have lots of juice--- is to place a trayful of ice cubes in a sieve lined with 2 or 3 thicknesses of damp cheesecloth and set over a saucepan. Pour the fat and juices over the ice cubes; most of the fat will collect and congeal on the ice. As some of the ice will melt into the saucepan, rapidly boil down the juices to concentrate their flavor.
CASSEROLES
For stews, "daubes", and other foods which cook in a casserole, tip the casserole and the fat will collect at one side. Spoon it off, or suck it up with a bulb baster. Or strain off all the sauce into a pan, by placing the casserole cover askew and holding the casserole in both hands with your thumbs clamped to the cover while you pour out the liquid. Then degrease the sauce in the pan, and return the sauce to the casserole.
[New Edition Note: An efficient degreasing pitcher now exists: pour in the hot meat juices and let the fat rise to the surface. Pour out clear juices---the spout opening is at the bottom of the pitcher; stop when fat appears in the spout.]
DICE, "couper en dés"
To cut food into cubes the shape of dice, usually about 1/8 inch in size as illustrated on page 29.
FOLD, "incorporer"
To blend a fragile mixture, such as beaten egg whites, delicately into a heavier mixture, such as a soufflé base. This is described and illustrated in the Soufflé section on page 161. To fold also means to mix delicately without breaking or mashing, such as folding cooked artichoke hearts or brains into a sauce.
GRATINÉ
To brown the top of a sauced dish, usually under a hot broiler. A sprinkling of bread crumbs or grated cheese, and dots of butter, help to form a light brown covering ("gratin") over the sauce.
MACERATE, "macérer"; MARINATE, "mariner"
To place foods in a liquid so they will absorb flavor, give off flavor, or become more tender. Macerate is the term usually reserve for fruits, such as: cherries macerated in sugar and alcohol. Marinate is used for meats: beef marinated in red wine. A marinade is a pickle, brine, or souse, or a mixture of wine or vinegar, oil, and condiments.
MINCE, "hacher"
To chop foods very fine, as illustrated on page 27.
NAP, "napper"
To cover food with a sauce which is thick enough to adhere, but supple enough so that the outlines of the food are preserved.
POACH, "pocher"
Food submerged and cooked in a liquid that is barely simmering or shivering. The term can also be used poetically for such things as "chicken breasts poached in butter."
PURÉE, "réduire en purée"
To render solid foods into a mash, such as applesauce or mashed potatoes. This may be done in a mortar, a meat grinder, a food mil, an electric blender, or through a sieve.
REDUCE, "réduire"
To boil down a liquid, reducing it in quantity, and concentrating its taste. This is the most important step in saucemaking.
---Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck
MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING, 1961, pp. 11-13.
Alfred P. Knopf, Inc. A Borzoi Book;
Reprinted from new plates, October 1971.
@sugarlove
I can’t stop moving my body and grooving with it 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
@oliviajohnjohnolivia8142
This song makes me hungry.
@adriancalin8688
❤❤je walker one of the best sax
@jeffhouseye4827
James Jamerson absolutely fucking slays with his bassline on this song. what a beast!
@ViolaGirl2008
One of the coldest bass lines to ever be created! Period! They showing out on that percussion, too! Just perfect! This is real musicianship!
@smcilrath7940
I could not agree more with the comments. I love my wife's wiggly walk and her baby talk. but my family just stuffed themselves on my chicken and beans and rice and pickles. Funny lyrics. food and funk go together. This is the wonderful craziness that comes from giving James Jamerson three chords and saying "make it funky". Also, let's not forget about the tambourine. How many of us have had to live through a set when they gave somebody a tambourine because they thought "anybody can play it". Oh Lord.
@dalbyonemanband
Not just the bass, but the drummer! Love every ingredient!
@IzludeTingel
AND lead guitar!!
@its_me_dave
I see what you did there 👍😄
@bradleyscarton3931
2 drummers!