This album is an unplugged, jam like sing-a-long which became an influential album in Delaney and Bonnie’s career.
It is sometimes credited as the first “unplugged” album, and it may be the first entire unplugged album.
I shall explain …
The first unplugged album in part was, I suspect, the “Elvis (NBC TV Special)” album from 1968
It had twenty or so minutes of Elvis sitting around with others reminiscing and playing songs.
Did this have an impact on Delaney & Bonnie?
I can’t say though Delaney’s pedigree (southern) and his fondness for Elvis (as evidence by the Elvis songs he has covered) suggest it may have. Further the Elvis album went to #8 in the US charts in 1968, so it was well known and it was considered to be a return to form by the public and fellow musicians.
The other influence on “Motel Shot” I suspect was Bob Dylan and the Band’s “The Basement Tapes”.
That album, with its stripped back old world sound was recorded in 1968 but released in1975 and was floating around in great numbers as a bootleg. It was particularly influential on musicians who passed it around and got off on it, taking the Americana, and stripped back sound and using in their own music.
The Band would become particularly influential in their southern roots Americana rock affecting all kinds of musicians looking backwards rather than forwards (or, is backwards, forwards?)
George Harrison, The Byrds, Eric Clapton, Elton John, The Kinks and many others were influenced by The Band and Dylan’s take on Americana.
It had an impromptu loose down home jam feel though eighteen or so musicians would make for one crowded room. Okay, they weren’t there all at once but there is no denying that when the friends that join you for your singalong include Gram Parsons, John Hartford, Leon Russell, Bobby Keys, Joe Cocker, Clarence White, Dave Mason, Bobby Whitlock, and Duane Allman it’s going to be interesting.
They are all southerners of wanna-be southerners and is clear that a down home loose sound is what is aimed for.
The songs are all traditionals, old songs or new songs written in an “old” sound in mind.
They hand together incredibly well.
However, atheists and agnostics beware. Amongst the traditional country folk and blues there is, inevitably, white and black gospel … and quite a bit of it either in the subject matter of the song or in the feel of the music.
The music clearly shows where rock ‘n’ roll came from and that it was neither exclusively white nor black.
The album's title refers to the impromptu, late-night, jam sessions by touring musicians when on the road. Bonnie (apparently) later claimed the entire album (originally) was recorded in a single four hour session at engineer Bruce Botnick's L.A. home. So, not quite the motel shot but still not a recording studio. (Apparently) that record was shelved when Delaney had a falling out with Elektra records, the label he was on, so he and Bonnie ended up doing it over again, but in a recording studio for his new label, Atco.
It may not be as spontaneous as it could have been it is still plenty loose and very playful.
The instruments are all acoustic and some of the songs are pretty rough and ragged (with Bonnie even rawer than normal), but that is the records raison d'être, and that results are an organic soul that makes the music attractive. There are no virtuosic showboat displays, it's all about the songs and performances (it is the antithesis to something like “Sgt Peppers”). It is as if it wants to engage and invite listeners to become a part of the music and the community.
The sense of fun is palatable even if you aren’t into what they are doing.
But how much you like this depends on how much you like trad folk, blues, country, Americana.
So, either you will get this and tap your foot, bob your head and sing a long …
or
… think it is a collection of drunken demos by a big group of country rock musicians slumming it.
Produced by Delaney (his musical fingerprints are everywhere over the album).
Tracks (best in italics)
Side One
- Where the Soul Never Dies – (Traditional) – stomping, gospel boogie
- Will the Circle Be Unbroken – (A. P. Carter) – a song from 1907 popularised by the Carter family in 1935. Nothing says the “south” quite like this song. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_the_Circle_Be_Unbroken%3F
- Rock of Ages – (Traditional) – an old hymn (dating back to 1763 is its earliest version). It is over familiar to anyone who has seen a movie set in the south or Midwest. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_of_Ages_(Christian_hymn)
- Long Road Ahead – (Delaney Bramlett, Bonnie Bramlett, Carl Radle) – definitely more contemporary but with the soul of an old man
- Faded Love – (Bob Wills, Johnnie Wills) – a big country hit (#8 US) for Bob Wills in 1950. Elvis released it on his seminal “Elvis Country” album from 1970. It has been done by everyone. This version is suitably mournful. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faded_Love
- Talkin' about Jesus – (Traditional) – another traditional gospel and a church revival stomper. It will make atheists tap their feet.
Side Two
- Come On In My Kitchen – (Robert Johnson) – a Robert Johnson blues song from 1937. It has been well covered, especially in the late 60s early to mid-70s and was done as part of a medley on Delaney and Bonnie’s “To Bonnie from Delaney” from 1970. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come_On_in_My_Kitchen
- Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go) – (Chuck Willis) – a rhythm and blues from Chuck Willis 1953 (#6 US R&B). A soulful blues take from Bonnie.
- Never Ending Song of Love – (Delaney Bramlett) – This original became well covered in country pop. The New Seekers had a #2 England, #1 Ireland hit with it in 1971. It is undeniably catchy.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Ending_Song_of_Love
- Sing My Way Home – (Delaney Bramlett) – a trippy country rock. Quite wonderful
- Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad – (Traditional, Delaney Bramlett) – this is a trad blues done by everyone (including Woody Guthrie) and was also done as part of a medley on “To Bonnie from Delaney”. This works quite a gentle laid back groove.
- Lonesome and a Long Way from Home – (Delaney Bramlett, Bonnie Bramlett, Leon Russell) – a down home stroll which is more instrumental than vocal, but incredibly evocative.
And …
A motel shot that works in my den! … I'm keeping it.
Chart Action
US
Singles
1971 Never Ending Song of Love #13
Album
1971 #65
England
nothing
Other
Australia
Singles
1971 Never Ending Song of Love #13
Sounds
Where the Soul Never Dies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY-XKMzULIo&list=PL94gOvpr5yt2s5TxB4d4c9h8Y5B0LXgsm
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvpw6bw_BUQ&t=0s&index=3&list=PL94gOvpr5yt2s5TxB4d4c9h8Y5B0LXgsm
Talkin' about Jesus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbqlMjnt3Yw
Never Ending Song of Love
mp3 attached
Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g18PbEHPMms&t=0s&index=12&list=PL94gOvpr5yt2s5TxB4d4c9h8Y5B0LXgsm
Others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir2eAEhtXvE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aazChqk4U-c
Review
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motel_Shot
http://badcatrecords.com/BadCat/DELANEYbonnie.htm
https://www.allmusic.com/album/motel-shot-mw0000738488
https://jonjeffblogs.wordpress.com/2014/10/12/oldnew-albums-delaney-bonnies-motel-shot/
http://therisingstorm.net/delaney-bonnie-friends-motel-shot/
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/motel-shot-expanded-edition-by-doug-collette.php
http://deathvalleyradio.org/reviews/motel_shot.html
https://lightintheattic.net/releases/3590-motel-shot-expanded
https://www.dustygroove.com/item/594630
Bio
http://badcatrecords.com/BadCat/DELANEYbonnie.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaney_%26_Bonnie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaney_Bramlett
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnie_Bramlett
Website
http://www.bonniebramlett.com/
Trivia
- Personnel: Delaney Bramlett – guitar, vocals, arranger / Bonnie Bramlett – vocals / Duane Allman – slide guitar (tracks S2S1, S2 S4-5) / Ben Benay – guitar / Kenny Gradney – bass guitar / John Hartford – banjo, fiddle / Eddie James – guitar / Jim Keltner – drums / Bobby Keys – saxophone / Dave Mason – guitar / Gram Parsons – guitar, vocals / Carl Radle – bass guitar / Joe Cocker – backing vocals on S1 S1, S1S6 / Leon Russell – piano, keyboards, vocals / Clarence White – guitar, vocals / Bobby Whitlock – vocals / Jay York – backing vocals / Johnny Bramlett – Samsonite Briefcase
- Bruce Botnick, at whose home the sessions took place was the engineer for The Doors.
- In the liner notes, Delaney Bramlett dedicates the album to "My mom who sang alto." Bonnie Bramlett wrote "If this album can make one person feel half of what I felt on this session, then I am happy. It is to all of you with love."
- Thomas makes an important observation about Delaney & Bonnie’s place in music history. “Clapton and Harrison heard their music, and it turned them around. If you were to do one of those old-style Pete Frame Rock Family Trees,” he says, “they’d be right at the root of a big one.” He describes Delaney & Bonnie & Friends as the “godfathers and mothers” of the musical collective and scene that would spawn Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen. “Dave Mason hung out with these guys, and then some of the ‘& Friends’ became Eric Clapton’s back-up band: bassist Carl Radle, Bobby Whitlock, Jim Gordon… and then of course many of them went on to Derek and the Dominos. It was a very creative and tumultuous time.” http://www.goldminemag.com/articles/delaney-bonnie-shot
