Shoot Your Shot

Recorded at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit with Jr. Walker & the All Stars and Motown session musicians; the original 1966 release paired it with “Road Runner” on the single. The track was produced by Berry Gordy Jr. and Lawrence Horn. It served as the B-side to “(I’m a) Road Runner,” part of the run of lean, driving Motown singles that made Jr. Walker & the All Stars a distinctive act on the Soul label. The song’s placement on the classic Shotgun era recordings kept it in circulation with the band’s best-known material. “Shoot Your Shot” remained one of the group’s signature album tracks and later became a source for samples and references in other records, including prominent hip-hop usage. Its sharp saxophone hook and shouted vocal fragments kept it recognizable well beyond its original run.