ZE SHOP

1984's Evacuate Your Seats was heralded as the first "funk" album to be created using samplers and sequenced material. Junie Morrison's dance/funk hybrid features the Top 10 dance-floor hit « Tease Me » and others including « Techno Freqs » and « Stick It In ». Tracks from this ground-breaking project are now available to download, at the Junie Store.

Once described by none other than George Clinton as « the most phenomenal musician on the planet, » Walter « Junie » Morrison recorded several albums of his own but made his mark assembling some of the biggest funk extravaganzas of the 1970s and '80s, from the Ohio Players' first number one R&B hit ("The Funky Worm") to Funkadelic's One Nation Under a Groove to Clinton's own Computer Games. A multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, producer, and arranger, Morrison came from Dayton, OH, and debuted with hometown heroes the Ohio Players on 1971's Pain LP. He also appeared on 1973's Ecstacy and constructed their 1974 hit "The Funky Worm" (virtually by himself), then gained his own contract with Westbound. Within two years, he'd released three albums: 1975's When We Do and Freeze were followed by Suzie Super Groupie in 1976. Morrison joined the P-Funk machine shortly after, appearing on most of the conglomeration's work from 1978 until 1981. He also recorded LPs for Columbia (1980's Bread Alone) and Island (1984's Evacuate Your Seats), and was a frequent contributor to Clinton's solo releases and those by the P-Funk All Stars.

John Bush, All Music Guide

Walter "Junie" Morrison was one of funk's most eccentric personalities. Blessed with both a warped sense of humor and uncanny musical ability, Morrison utilized both during a long career in which he was a major contributor to the Ohio Players and Parliament-Funkadelic. Junie's affiliation with the Players dates back to the 60's, when he joined as the group was undergoing a change in its roster.  Even in a democratic group like the Players, Junie came to dominate the band with his songwriting, singing, and strong keyboard skills. The success of "Funky Worm," a number one single in 1973, brought Junie's talents to the forefront, as he played the irresistible hook and played the Funky Granny narrator.   With the Players, he also contributed instrumentals like "Walt's First Trip" that hinted at his appreciation of rock music.

When the Ohio Players left Westbound to record for Mercury, Junie decided to stay and launch his solo career.  Indulged with creative control by the label, Junie turned out three typically adventurous LPs in a span of about two years. If there were any doubts as to his creativity, they were answered with quirky, sometimes bizarre songs like "Suzie Thunder Tussy," "Tight Rope," and "Johnny Carson Samba."  As fiercely funky as the records were, they had relatively little impact on the charts, suggesting perhaps that he worked best within an organized environment.

Such an opportunity came in 1977, when he was invited to join P-Funk. Right away, he took advantage of the security that came with working with one of the country's biggest acts and had a great influence on One Nation Under A Groove.   Co-writing almost each song on the LP, many attributed the album's success to the freshness that Junie brought to the band. Junie was on board for many of P-Funk's biggest hits, including the massive "Knee Deep," which he created virtually single-handedly.

In 1980, he resumed his solo projects.  Bread Alone is the most acclaimed record of his second solo tenure, pleasant funk-pop with that unique Junie twist. He followed that with Junie 5 and Evacuate Your Seats. Since the 80s, Junie has kept an active schedule, relocating to London and working with George Clinton, Mica Paris, and Soul II Soul among others.  He also formed a record company, Akashic.  Previously unreleased songs he recorded while a member of P-Funk appeared on Clinton's Family Series compilations.