Listen: Home Cookin’ / Jr. Walker & The All Stars
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It’s shocking how few Top 10′s Jr. Walker & The All Stars had, only two. ‘Shotgun’ went to #4 during February ’65 , then ‘What Does It Take’ again peaked at #4 in May ’69 via a noticeable about face in sound, but the switch up didn’t help in the long run. He never hit the Top 10 again.

‘Home Cookin”(#19 RnB/#42 Pop), released just prior to ‘What Does It Take’, was the last in a series of singles, starting in ’65, that were pretty much all similar in groove and tempo. Seems everyone took for granted his sound. Those releases between ‘Shotgun’ and ‘Home Cookin”, eleven to be exact, all mid charted, got a lot of play and served as an acceptable soundtrack to Motown, almost like wallpaper.

For all the championing he received in the UK, not many consistent sales followed. In fact, Jr. Walker & The All Stars never had a Top 10 there, and only two from that five year run even charted, ‘How Sweet It Is’ and a re-released ‘Road Runner’.

Well they missed out on ‘Home Cookin”.

As always, throw in a food lyric and I’m hooked. This sounds especially good in the jukebox.