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MP3 Willie Walker & The Butanes - Memphisapolis
13 MP3 Songs
BLUES: Rhythm & Blues, BLUES: Blues Vocals
Details:
WILLIE WALKER HAS LIVED IN MINNEAPOLIS FOR OVER FORTY YEARS, BUT IT’S STILL MEMPHIS YOU HEAR WHEN HE SINGS.
Willie began life on a path followed by many soul singers: born in Mississippi and reared in Memphis, specifically in the LeMoyne Garden projects around the corner from the movie theater destined to become Stax studios. His school friends included many about to make their mark on Soul music: labelmate Louis Williams (The Ovations,) the Wiggins brothers, Spencer (Goldwax) and Percy (Atlantic,) Maurice White (Earth, Wind & Fire) and Dave Porter (who, along with Isaac Hayes, wrote Soul Man and Your Good Thing Is About To End among many others.)
Initially too shy to sing in church, at age fifteen Willie joined the Redemption Harmonizers, a gospel sextet that included Roosevelt Jameson (That’s How Strong My Love Is). The group traveled south to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida and north to Missouri, Illinois and, eventually, to Minnesota. After making the trip three times in one year Willie grew tired of riding so far with so many in the car and he decided to stay in Minneapolis with the help of one of the other singers’ brother-in-law’s father, James Mabon.
Mr. Mabon put the young Mr. Walker to work in his tailor shop and in his Gospel group, the Royal Jubileers. A chance meeting in a laundromat led Willie to sing R&B with the Val-Dons, a Minneapolis group described as “Little Richard meets the El Dorados.” Although homesick at times Willie refused to return to Memphis until established in Minneapolis. He eventually went back to visit his friends and family on vacation and ran into Roosevelt Jameson who quickly helped him sign a Goldwax recording contract. A few days later Willie recorded his first 45 - Ticket To Ride/There Goes My Used To Be (Goldwax 329).
Left without a label after the demise of Goldwax, Willie worked at a variety of jobs in Minneapolis while performing most evenings. An interest by Curtis Mayfield was squelched when he learned Willie was still under contract to Goldwax. Good friend and celebrated songwriter George Jackson used Willie on demo recordings and tried to get him a record deal but the right situation never materialized. Willie did not have a new release under his own name until his self-titled CD in 2002.
It was 2001’s The Goldwax Story (Kent 203) that rekindled interest in Willie’s career. Soul fans around the world wondered what had become of the singer and easily found him in Minneapolis, singing often and working hard to support his family as he has always done. With the help of Colin Dilnot and One On One records Willie Walker and the Butanes released Right Where I Belong in 2004 to great critical acclaim.
In 2005 The Butanes began performing every Wednesday at the Eagles #34 (2507 25th Street, Minneapolis) with Willie Walker as special guest vocalist. It is a place to hear Willie sing material ranging from his old hits to the newest unreleased songs, have a cold beer and enjoy life. It also ensures that Willie and The Butanes stay connected at least once a week.
You hold in your hands Willie’s second collaboration with The Butanes and work has already started on the next. A performance at the 2005 Blues Estafette in Utrecht, the Netherlands, whetted Willie’s appetite for travel and he is eager to perform more frequently. But, no matter how far from home the music takes Willie Walker and The Butanes, they will always carry a piece of Memphisapolis with them.
Thanks For Being There,
Curtis Obeda
June 2006
•A slice of absolutely timeless soul music to gladden the heart...2006 or 1966, this is what soul music is all about for me and I rather suspect you too. - a ‘star pick’
David Cole - In The Basement magazine (UK)
•It’s another slab of classic gritty Southern soul, the stuff that’s as tough as it is romantic...“What’s It Take?” gets the album off to a great start, and “Real Love” is easily the best Al Green song of the year
Tom Surowicz - StarTribune (US)
•‘Memphisapolis’ has to be in the running for my pick of 2006. Yes indeed, I never thought that soul records of this quality were being cut nowadays, I though the magic touch had been lost somewhere back in the 1960s along with Beatle wigs, black and white television and real leather footballs with laces. It contains elements of all the great Memphis studios, and summons up the spirit of Otis Redding, Al Green and all those other giants who recorded in the Bluff City in the heyday of real soul music. A sure fire winner for Messrs Walker and Obeda...
Phil Wight - Blues & Rhythm (UK)
•Soul like it used to be done, one part church, one part barbecue, one part groove-dripping sweat.
Mike Elias - Electric Fetus Weekly E-Mailer (US)
•KNOCKOUT album! one of the very best “southern-soul” album in new millennium, super deep vocals with tight back band! this is “must” if old “Goldwax” sound is your kind.
Keisuke Yamada - https://www.tradebit.com (JP)
•Walker has a voice of pure wool, scratchy and warm, and he rubs it over a set of all-original songs by guitarist Curtis Obeda. “Exactly Like Me” is an especial standout
Peter Scholtes - City Pages (US)
•2 things which drew me to investing in the last CD are here again - Willie’s voice and Curt’s songs both of which make this CD album of the year already - no one surpassed them in 2004 and they are back in 2006 with an album which is going to be hard for anyone to beat again.
Colin Dilnot - In Dangerous Rhythm Blog (UK)
•[A] gritty slab of raw, sweaty aural pleasure
Dylann DeAnna - https://www.tradebit.com (US)
•Curt and Willie have once more come up with an impressive rootsy record. There are many songs that should put a party in full swing and fill dance floors.
Heikki Suosalo - Soul Express (FIN)
•Our own Memphis-reared soul singer, Walker recorded for the Goldwax label in the ‘60s and remained a hidden Twin Cities treasure for four decades. He reemerged with the Butanes’ help in 2004 via the moving CD “Right Where I Belong,” a local critics favorite that year.
The follow-up is even better. Horn-blazing, hard-grooving tracks such as “Sweet (The Yeah, Yeah Song)” and “The Last Time” offer pure Stax voltage. Ballads such as “Real Love” and “I Won’t Be Lonely” -- all written by Butanes frontman Curt Obeda -- will nail your heart to the floor. The guys also branched out on a couple of country-soul gems, including “The Dream for Me,” which rivals Solomon Burke’s great new CD, “Nashville.”
Unless Burke finally returns on tour, I’ll count these guys as the sweetest soul music you’ll hear in a local music venue this year. And yes, I was at Rev. Al’s show.
Chris Riemenschneider - StarTribune (US)
•[Willie’s] voice has all the earthy grit of the great soul singers, a sound connected to the hard living of the streets crossed with the joyous celebration of the church, where so many of that style’s artists started. Backed by the Butanes, a punchy bunch led by guitarist Curtis Obeda (who also happened to write all the songs here), Walker has found his dream team of players. So much of rhythm & blues is the perfect marriage of singer and band (think Stax, Duke, Seasaint, Muscle Shoals or any other celebrated studio group), and it’s clear Willie Walker is in the middle of a very sweet scene indeed. So for those who once upon a time might have scoured record stores for O.V. Wright singles, or prided themselves on their Goldwax 45s collection, have faith, because this is a disc to keep that spirit alive. Get it while you can.
Bill Bentley - Encino Sun (US)
•Much has been made about the Rev. Al Green’s return to secular music but even though I’m a huge Green fan, this CD by the ex-Memphis, now-Minneapolis soul singer tops either of Green’s recent comebacks. In fact, this is a solid-gold soul collection, with crisp horns, passionate vocals and a sweatingly delectable vintage sound. Dig the determination in “I’ll Get to You,” one of the many highlights.
Jon Bream - StarTribune (US)
•I can’t wait.
Bill Wax
Proprietor of Low-Fi’s Bar and Pool Hall
Bluesville - XM Satellite Radio (US)
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