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Soul S 35008 (B), January 1965
B-side of Shotgun
(Written by Willie Woods)
Tamla Motown TMG 509 (B), April 1965
B-side of Shotgun
(Released in the UK under license through EMI/Tamla Motown)
After the riveting, sweaty workout of the impossibly cool A-side, Shotgun, there now follows a perfect illustration of why Junior Walker and the All Stars were among Motown’s most frustrating artists. For every Shotgun, they give you a Hot Cha, and you never know which one to expect before you hit “play”.
In the years since these sides were recorded, many of them years which elapsed before I was even born, a series of greedy schlock merchants have given me what a therapist might call “Saxophone Issues”. As with everything that’s cool and powerful about Sixties soul music (see also: loud, melismatic vocals, syncopated grooves, wandering bass), the saxophone has been co-opted by those who would use its power for evil, lavishing its sound onto their bloated, meandering productions to provide instant jazz or blues “cred”, the dollar signs in their eyes gleaming bigger than their talents. So intertwined is this sort of queasy Kenny G, Lily Was Here kind of guff with the sound of the sax for me that even a super-cool record like Shotgun has to work extra hard to win me over, to defeat a lifetime of cultural signifiers that set off alarm bells in my head.
It’s no fun, then, to encounter a record like Hot Cha, which lives up to every lazy pre-conceived stereotype I had about saxophone solos. It’s the theme music to the Devil’s own dinner party, and I hate it.
This is a buttery, boring midtempo instrumental, based around a short verse/chorus loop played over and over again, which gets very repetitive very fast, and Junior’s sax (he doesn’t sing on this one) extemporising as much as he can within that structure. He doesn’t exactly struggle against the tight straps, though – you can tell it’s hard work, the All Stars perspiring through their shiny suits and satin bow ties under the hot stage lights, but they’re happy enough to be doing this, which sounds like the background music for a supper club slow dance.
Some of that isn’t Junior Walker’s fault – he’s very good at what he does with the sax here, getting all around his range, and there are a couple of surprising, freewheeling moments (in the second half especially) where he pushes it all the way to the squealing top or growling bottom of the register which grab the attention. (Attention which should have started to wander, if you’re anything like me, which suggests Junior knew he was making a boring record and needed to liven up proceedings.)
But that somehow makes it worse, because now it isn’t even useful as dinner party music – which makes you wonder who Hot Cha was meant to please at all. And then you remember, of course, it was made to please Junior Walker, and nobody else, and the great man had a quite breathtaking lack of quality control.
Motown had precious few virtuoso musicians who were also “name” recording artists as opposed to studio players, and so it’s not a problem that they often encountered, but I think the root of the issue is that because Junior was such a great sax player (and he was, let’s be absolutely clear on that point), and because the sax is a difficult instrument to master, it became all too easy to confuse the buzz of accomplishment of having done something really well, and the buzz of accomplishment of having made a good record. Not being a musician myself, I couldn’t say for sure, but I’d guess the wailing, wandering sax part on Hot Cha is almost as difficult, maybe as difficult, to pull off as the sax solo on Shotgun, which may have tricked everyone involved into thinking it was also just as worthwhile.
It isn’t.
That Motown could so readily pair one of Junior Walker’s best records with one of his worst makes me wonder if it’s just me, whether I’m just out of touch; I can’t imagine what fans at the time would have thought, flipping over Shotgun and wiping the sweat from their brows only to find this sorry excuse for hotel lobby muzak (or at least that’s the way it starts. Actually, the way it really starts is another kick in the teeth: for the briefest time, the intro sounds just like the Temptations’ Ain’t Too Proud To Beg, and so I dislike this even more for cruelly raising my hopes like that. But I digress.) By the time Junior livens things up in the second half, I’d have expected most people to have pulled it off and put Shotgun back on again.
But maybe it’s just me. For me, and I appreciate this might not apply for everyone, there are major differences between this and the topisde, a vast, yawning ocean-sized gap that makes one super-cool and one super-lame, and the obvious skill and proficiency with which Hot Cha has been assembled doesn’t make me like it any more. Less Hitsville or Soulsville, this is more like Dullsville USA. Please don’t do this again, Junior.
MOTOWN JUNKIES VERDICT
(I’ve had MY say, now it’s your turn. Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment, or click the thumbs at the bottom there. Dissent is encouraged!)
You’re reading Motown Junkies, an attempt to review every Motown A- and B-side ever released. Click on the “previous” and “next” buttons below to go back and forth through the catalogue, or visit the Master Index for a full list of reviews so far.
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While I completely agree with your assessment, I think it’s helpful to bear in mind that this is a B-side, and it wasn’t uncommon in those days (even at Motown, as we’ve seen) to put absolute drek on the flip side, because a) some confused radio programmers might start plugging the flip side and split airplay with the A side, and b) few record buyers turn the disc over and listen to it anyway. Phil Spector did this a lot with his 45 releases. Having said that, of course, it’s been true countless times that Motown did often release a high-quality B side to accompany the A-side, to the point where it wasn’t abundantly clear which side was intended to be the hit (I’m thinking of “What’s the Matter With You Baby,” which I never heard in 1964 because the local radio station was playing “Once Upon a Time”).
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It doesn’t annoy me to the degree it does you, but it isn’t particularly memorable, and certainly isn’t great. Additionally, the slapped-face wake up that is “Tune Up” is right around the next corner, and by the end of the year the re-issued “Cleo’s Mood” will get the exposure from Motown that Harvey Records couldn’t afford. Either of those -or both- would throw shade on something like “Hot Cha”.
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And “Cleo’s Back” and “Ain’t It The Truth” put it to shame. Does anyone here know who Cleo was? Was she Junior Walker’s girlfriend?
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I’m wondering if perhaps it’s primarily the quasi-mambo drum part that makes “Hot Cha” sound to you like “hotel lobby muzak” or “dinner party music.” For a different perspective on this song, you might want to check out what the late guitarist Roy Buchanan did with it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JGSPqINXvk. The groove is slightly different, with more of a straight rock feel. It’s very possible that you might still hate it, though.
Your critique is thoughtful and well-written, as always, but my view of this song is very different from yours. I like it, but I suppose I hear Jr.’s recording somewhat as a jumping-off point rather than strictly for what it is in itself. I should note that I’m a musician. When I hear instrumental pop/rock/R&B recordings like this one, I start thinking things like “This would be a fun chord progression/groove to jam on,” so I’m kind of hearing endless different potential versions of the song in my head. If I were at a blues/rock jam and wanted to pull out something a little different from the usual 12-bar blues, I could see bringing in something like “Hot Cha” as a fresh alternative, as well as for the “cool points” it would garner as an obscure Motown B-side!
On the other hand, If I were regarding this recording of “Hot Cha” as an artifact frozen in amber, like a classic pop record such as “Baby Love” or “My Girl” – where if even a single note were changed, it would no longer be the same record – then sure, I would acknowledge that it could be improved in one or more aspects.
Your brilliant blog, which I return to frequently in eager anticipation of every new record review, sometimes serves as a reminder to me that musicians and non-musicians listen differently, with different criteria and expectations. I do value your perspective, even if I might feel sorry that for you the word “saxophone” apparently conjures up something like the hook in George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” rather than the sublime brilliance of Charlie Parker or John Coltrane!
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Hello! Are you new here? Welcome. My visits here have been a little infrequent lately due to some health issues I am dealing with. Wow! A real musician! What do you play? My older brother plays alto sax and is quite good. I’ve fooled around with the piano & singing over the years. I appreciate “real jazz” but confess a liking to some smooth jazz. I know I know! Shame on me! Do you like Grover Washington Jr (as you may know he did record for Motown for a period of time). Have a great day! Oh yeah… we were talking about “Hot Cha”. I guess I am one of the very few who really like this song.
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I find it quite pleasant myself. In the words of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: “Mostly harmless”.
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I’m sorry you have such an adversarial relationship with the sax but I suspect it’s more than just the crap that’s used on commercial recordings. You don’t seem to have much of a fondness for jazz (primarily a sax -based music) of any stripe which is a bit surprising but perhaps understandable considering the era you came of age.
That said, your assessment of “Hot Cha” is pretty spot on. It’s never resonated for me either (other than having a great title to which the music has never lived up to.) I remember when I bought the Shotgun single and went to play the flip it was a major disappointment. It’s a bit of a damp squib stacked up against the A side. And over the years I’ve never warmed up to the track. I don’t skip it if I’m playing an album but I don’t seek it out either.
That said Walker made up for it with some pretty great flips including the follow-upa “Tune Up” (Do The Boomerang) and “Cleo’s Back” (Shake And Fingerpop).
Incidentally, a lot of jazz guys (especially those associated with the avant-garde) really like and respect Walker. A friend and I put on concerts of that music and my wife and I usually have the band over for a preconcert dinner. If I put a Junior Walker comp on, people a) always smile and nod b) always recognize who it is and c) the good vibes are elevated a couple of notches.
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Assuming that you are listening to something other than Motown, for a refresher in the sax, a way to get to love it again, is (opinion) to go listen to some King Curtis. Much of his stuff sounds like clichés or even parodies now, but he invented that style and sound and it still rocks. I am sort of glad that I don’t have a copy of this Jr. Walker side so that I don’t have to go home and suffer through it. I saw Jr. Walker & the All-stars in about 1970 or 1971 and was surprised that they were using 2 drummers – who played like mirror images (except that one was not left handed) for the whole set. It sounded great, but was a little redundant.
As I remember it, the song writer of the B-side of a 45 got the same royalties – at least from record sales, as did the author of the A-side. That might not be a factor here, but it is another thing to look at when trying to figure B-side strategy. eek
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That’s right, and a good point which may explain why this was chosen – Willie Woods was one of the All-Stars, so maybe Junior and/or Motown were spreading the wealth.
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I enjoyed reading your opinion! It was very entertaining and amusing. Many of the points that you pointed out were somewhat true but overall I think you can’t relate or judge the content if you’re not a musician. You may as well tackle brain surgery next. Something else i’m sure you’re not qualified to do.
As I stated earlier, some of your reasoning for your opinions are agreeable, but for the most part, you’re out in left field. Please keep in mind the type of music you are listening to and the era.
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Leaving aside that I think I’ve already covered this in past reviews (and this review specifically), would anyone else prefer there to be no more entries on Motown Junkies until I’ve mastered the saxophone*? Let me know!
* (what with it being, y’know, quite unlikely and all.)
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Nixon – I hope you didn’t misunderstand what I said previously. We all have our prejudices. (I could list mine but won’t bore you.) And I actually understand your aversion to the saxophone, especially since (I presume) you grew up in the 80s and 90s. The way the saxophone was portrayed, especially in popular music during that period, is hideous.
I think you did a terrific and perceptive write up of Hot Cha. And I don’t think you have to be a musician to write well about music. I’m not and have been writing, reviewing and interviewing musicians for over 30 years. (Whether or not I write well about it, I leave that up to others.)
I can however play feeble and mediocre piano and could probably clear a room in less than three minutes. OK, for my next number……..
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Not at all – I very much enjoyed reading it, but even if I didn’t, the site says “dissent is encouraged” and I mean it. Anything up to and including “Nixon is a tone-deaf lackwit whose ears should be confiscated forthwith for the good of mankind” will be freely published. As long as you’re questioning my opinions and not my sincerity, then have at it.
Joe, for the record, I wasn’t offended by your comment so much as amused – I strongly disagree with the assertion there’s any such thing as being “qualified” to give your opinion on whether you like a record. (Or, for that matter, that anyone’s entirely subjective opinion, including yours or mine, is somehow more valid than anyone else’s, including mine or yours, but I’m not getting into this again). I also don’t think musicians make music solely for the benefit of other musicians (as seems to be the logical conclusion of that line of reasoning), but I totally accept musicians and non-musicians will respond differently to the same stimuli (and players of different individual instruments, for that matter).
As I said (or tried to say!) in the review, this actually could explain a lot – I do wonder if musical proficiency, or any kind of proficiency, can blind you into thinking your creation is worthwhile because it was difficult to make. I don’t know for sure, because I’m not a musician, but I don’t think that disqualifies me from asking the question.
**(Edited for clarity – the “blinded by difficulty” thing was meant to refer to the person who made the record, not other proficient but uninvolved musicians listening to it, though of course it might still apply in that instance for all I know.)**
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I’m enjoying the discussion…but just for the record, “Hot Cha” is not “difficult” – not by a long shot! 🙂 And (not that you were suggesting this) music doesn’t necessarily have to be difficult or complex to be enjoyed by musicians. I enjoy both music that is simple (like “Hot Cha”) and music that is complex.
Again, I think something as simple as a different drum part might make “Hot Cha” a better record – perhaps a much better one. Perhaps this is the primary difference in this instance between how a musician and a non-musician might hear this performance; a musician might have the imagination to “adjust” the arrangement in his or her mind to make it more appealing, whereas a non-musician responds to exactly what he or she is hearing. Both equally valid approaches, IMHO.
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You could say the same about any other field of art. I know whether or not I like the “Angel of the North”, for instance, but ultimately my knowledge of how difficult it was to create is irrelevant to my appreciation.
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Mrmxyztplk, 144man: I’ve amended my comment above slightly since you posted these responses, because I realised the last paragraph was still ambiguous – apologies if that was what you were specifically replying to.
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I think that one can have and share an opinion on something based on how he is affected by it without being an expert on it’s ins and outs, and how it came to be. How someone feels about something is genuine. One needn’t be an expert on something to give an opinion as to how it affects him. The reviewer never claimed to be an expert on how instrumental music is created.
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Is the right answer.
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A 3????? Wow! Am I the only one here who likes this song? I really enjoy it, though I understand why people might not like it that much. I’m not much of a dancer, but this song seems like something you could do a modified shag or swing step to. Maybe after boogi-ing to “Shotgun” Motown felt as though people might want a more relaxed number to dance to.
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I like “Hot Cha” a LOT! I’d give it a “7”. I like it better than “Shotgun”. That doesn’t mean I like all Junior Walker’s instrumentals better than his vocals (although I do like most of his instrumentals very much). I also like several of his vocals better than “Shotgun” It seems, Landini, based on several of the ratings on this website, that my taste in music is a LOT more similar to yours than to Nixon’s.
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Wow, for some reason I just saw this. Wow! That is a honor to have similar musical tastes as you. Great minds I guess? Ha ha ha ! Best!
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Hey you’re not the only one who likes it, I like it too!
It’s just very different than Shotgun, but I like listening to the whole Shotgun Lp at once so it’s a different context.
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Different Strokes for different Folks Back in the Day hot cha became a slow Instrumental that I played when I was Spinning the tunes D.J shows during weddings etc.it is one of the few back then in that day the last generation could enjoy as well as jr.walker fans (A MOTOWN RECORD!) old folks along with young kids!! and do slow dance too!! can you still do the Cha Cha dance?? I Felt that It should of got a bit higher mark especially in my opinion a bit higher than the the reviewers marks on this one! after all it is not as bad as it was MADE out to be!!!it was a good Instrumental slow romantic dance tune! But to each,His own in this case !!!In my opinion I would place this at a 5 or round about!!!!!
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How about that! Gregory, It didn’t occur to me until I read your comment that the title “Hot Cha” is a pun – a play on “cha cha.” That explains the drum part, which I erroneously referred to in a previous comment as a “mambo.” Of course “hot cha” or “hotcha” is also a slang word in itself (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hotcha).
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After “Shotgun” and “Cleo’s Mood” my fave Walker record is the B-side to both the Harvey “Cleo’s Mood” and the later “What Does It Take…” You’ll get to it someday…
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Huh? These is easily a 7 to 7 1/2 based on danceability alone! This lit up many a dance floor when it was first released and found a life of its own at parties shortly after “Shotgun” had its run. In fact, i remember it being one of those “turntable” hits that Aretha Franklin always refers to. Plenty of spins but no independent sales of its own (which makes sense since every already had the a-side anyway).
Also, as you already know it is actually “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” that opens up like “Hot Cha” since the latter came first.
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Any of our listeners that were of at least of House Party age in 1965 AND KNEW HOW TO CHA-CHA would know the relevance of this song; I was not of age during this period but DJ’ing at oldies nights some 20-25 years later “Hot Cha” had no problem pulling a dance floor. Looking from the outside in, I learned that if you knew the dances of the time (Bop/Shag, Cha-Cha, etc.), The songs that were outside of my experience/taste level made more sense. “Hot Cha” wasn’t exactly a favorite of mine personally, but it surely was a friend of mine in a party scenario. I’d give it a 7 on legacy alone.
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Blah blah blah.
You were obviously never in the Town and Country Club in Donaldsonville Louisiana circa 1967 when The Boogie Kings took a break from playing Otis Redding and James Brown and played Hot Cha note for note. Jazz’s ass! That sh!t was soulful and we know soulful in South Louisiana.
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“You were obviously never in the Town and Country Club in Donaldsonville Louisiana circa 1967”
Yep, you got me – 12 years before I was born, and almost 5,000 miles away…
(Also, you can say “shit” here 🙂 )
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I absolutely adore both Shotgun and Hotcha. The latter is soulful and a precursor to Ame Cherie and Sweet Soul. It is, in fact, a great example of the sweeter side of soul which Junior increasingly turned his hand to in his later career – with mixed results
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Fascinating stuff. Hot Cha is the same tempo as Shotgun and Ain’t Too Proud to Beg and all three are very much rooted in the chachachá rhythm. And I think the sax playing is almost as good on Hot Cha. But I agree that Hot Cha feels flat. Obviously it’s missing the vocal, but the two hits have a heavy backbeat on both sides, while Hot Cha has the snare playing a Latin rhythm that winds up coinciding with only every other backbeat. But the biggest difference is the bass. Jamerson plays off of a non-Latin figure (XooX XXXX) on the two hits, but plays (if it’s him) a less aggressive (XooX XooX) doowoppish figure on Hot Cha. More than the part itself, it just seems that the whole rhythm section is playing with much less urgency on Hot Cha while Shotgun is spine-tinglingly urgent.
I still think Hot Cha (if you’re not A/Bing it with these other great tracks) is an acceptable soulful instrumental – nothing offensive – I mean … it’s not like one of the novelty or C&W sides we’ve had to suffer through. For me, the worst part is the intro – the cymbal sounds half-hearted and (in sharp contrast to Ain’t Too Proud) there are no hooks brought into sharp relief by the sparse intro texture.
I think the greatest value of Hot Cha is as an educational tool for understanding why and how Shotgun is such a great groove. The two are really so similar in so many ways to the A-side (almost the exact same tempo and subdivision structure), and yet Hot Cha sounds like a tame chachachá and Shotgun sounds like fire breathing funk.
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Of course liking Hotcha or not is a matter of taste. The single with Shotgun on the A side and Hotcha on the B side is just such a wonder pairing of the raunchier and softer soulful side of Mr Mixon! I love both sides so much I wear a gold “Shotgun” ring AND a gold “Hotcha” ring!
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