(I’m a) Road Runner


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"(I'm a) Road Runner" is a hit song by Junior Walker & the Allstars, and was the title track of the successful 1966 album Road Runner. Written by the team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, it was released on the Tamla (Motown) label in 1966 and reached number 20 in the U.S. and in 1969 number 12 in the UK.[1][2]

Background

Walker plays the distinctive tenor saxophone solo, backed by Mike Terry on baritone saxophone with Willie Woods on guitar.[3] During the recording, it was discovered that Walker could play the song in only two keys. So Walker sang in a key that he could not play, and after being recorded, the saxophone track was sped up to match.[4]

The pictorial single sleeve used a running bird similar to the Road Runner cartoon character.

Personnel

Junior Walker & the Allstars

Additional personnel

Chart history

Chart (1966) Peak
position
U.K. Singles Chart[6] 12
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[7] 20
U.S. Billboard Top Selling R&B Singles[8] 4

Later versions

References

  1. ^ AllMusic.com
  2. ^ HDH Records
  3. ^ "WBSS Media-Willie Woods".
  4. ^ Brian's Weekly Sleevenotes from BBC Radio 2's "Sounds of the Sixties" broadcast 5 July 2014.
  5. ^ The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 6: 1966 [liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records
  6. ^ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 893.
  8. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 607.