Junior Walker came up with the Sax solo for Urgent?

[Michael]

Hi Johnny,

I was going back and doing some searching in the blog of previous things posted there and came across the cool info. you put under “Favorite Saxophone Solos” and you mentioned that it was Junior Walker who originally came up with the solo on Urgent? Now that I didn’t know! You mentioned there that you got to see him play live? That must have been a real treat 🙂 Didn’t he pass away in the 1990s from cancer? Wish he was still around today! I looked on youtube for some raw footage of him playing the solo and I couldn’t find anything.

Favorite Saxophone Solos?

[john]

Not sure when he passed. Yes, he was the one who recorded that solo on the original version of Urgent. He played in Vancouver and I did go see him and he performed his own version of Urgent, it was awesome. He could really scream out those altissimo notes, that was one of his signatures.

[Michael]

I found his release of Urgent on Amazon mp3–that’s pretty cool! I had no idea he was the one that did this first; did he sell the rights to the song to Foreigner 4?
I think a Saxophone instrumental of Junior Walker’s version would be pretty cool to say the least!

http://www.amazon.com/Urgent/dp/B0059T3AB8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429200243&sr=8-1&keywords=Junior+Walker+Urgent+Mp3

[john]

No, I guess I said it wrong… Urgent was written and released first by Foreigner. They hired Jr Walker to play the sax solo on the original recording session. Because the song was such a big hit and Jr was directly involved with it by playing such an important sax solo he also recorded it and played it at his own live shows. I mean, think of it… this was the 80’s and he hadn’t had a hit since the late 60’s or so?

[Michael]

Ok, I understood it wrong LOL What was the name of their Sax player in this video? I think that this Sax solo has got to be one of the greatest solos of all time–certainly one of the most popular….even though it’s been over 30 years ago. Funny thing is, when I listen to this solo, the ‘bread and butter’ of this solo is what your Killer Blues ebook is all about. It’s amazing to learn that all of these great solos are played with so few notes. Right now I’m in the middle of it, breaking down the Brown Sugar Sax solo and learning it and I couldn’t help but think of this solo. My Flutter tongue is getting a little better…but it’s been challenging. In a solo like “Urgent” or “Brown Sugar” I don’t think that just growling into the Sax would quite cut it.

[john]

yes exactly right. this solo, brown sugar and all those on that blog post I made…that’s why I made it, to make the point that all these great solos many of use probably grew up hearing only use the 5 note pentatonic scale. Throw in a couple sceamin altissimo notes and you have a rock solo.
It worked for Jr Walker, Clarence Clemens, Bobby Keys….

[Ady Clegg]

Wonder if you have heard the ‘Tom Gimbel’ work on the Foreigner track ‘Urgent’, I would say it’s as good, if not better than Junior Walkers’ classic.

[Michael]

Hi Ady,
Thanks for sharing that video–that’s a good one for sure. Last year, our member Jake Sitterly posted this video of those guys playing live at a concert…he was in the 3rd row from them; cool experience to say the least 🙂 With Johnny’s Altissimo course, the high notes are very playable…the flutter tongue is not quite so easy! I checked out on Amazon MP3 a version of this entire song that Junior Walker did of this song too…could make a pretty cool Saxophone Cover to do?
http://www.amazon.com/Urgent/dp/B0059T3AB8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439770205&sr=8-1&keywords=Junior+Walker+and+the+All+Stars+Urgent

[john]

I will have this one available for download very soon. would have had it done already but have been very busy with other projects this summer. but hang in there cause I wanna do it note-for-note for you guys to learn so keep workin on those altissimo notes!

[Michael]

You’re gonna release this one soon?!? OH MAN…..I’m smiling already 🙂 I have no problems hitting the Altissimo notes, there’s Altissimo G# in the 5th Octave and Altissimo F# in the 4th Octave (for Tenor, it would be in A Major, wouldn’t it?) it’s the flutter tongue. It’s gotten better for me, but it’s just really tough to pull off nice and clean. I know it may sound crazy for you to hear me say that that Altissimo notes that high are not a problem for me anymore…but it’s true! It’s CRAZY for me when I hear myself say that, but it has become a reality for me with your Altissimo course. I just don’t know what else to say to you other than THANK YOU for everything you’ve done in helping us learn to play the Saxophone. I gotta say….the tuner has proven to be a HUGE help, SO GLAD to have gotten it. A440 hz videos just weren’t good enough for me ears, with the tuner I can see with my eyes if it’s in tune and this is already doing wonders to my ear training. I was pushing the MP in too far.I know what you mean about busy with other Summer projects…we’ll be ready to move into our new house very soon and I’ve had so many guys over doing so much work to it, but everything inside the house is virtually brand new. Then there’s the fun of having inspectors coming over and inspecting the house to see if anything within the next 5 years may go sour, then there’s permits with the city, putting the fence up..the list goes on and on. I’ve got quite a bit of your stuff done, both Alto and Tenor, and will start uploading them as soon as I can, hopefully here in about 2 weeks?
Speaking about Altissimo, I posted a question for you in the Altissimo category of your forum about a week ago and just put a little comment there again so that you can find it, check it out when time permits. I also e-mailed you some sheet music for “The Pink Panther” that a member gave me to see if all the notes are correct…take a look at it when you can…no rush at all. If it’s good to go then I’ll re-do it. We also learned with our software how to change the background behind us to make it look like I’m somewhere else, will have some fun with it 🙂 Still learning a lot about our software.

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