"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."
Bonnie Bramlett, from the liner notes
Released in 1971, Motel Shot is the fifth album recorded by soul singers Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett. Designed to recreate for listeners an informal jam session of the sort touring musicians would engage in to unwind, similarly to the oft-bootlegged Million Dollar Quartet sessions. Motel Shot features high-profile guests - Delaney & Bonnie and Friends had a LOT of friends in the pop community - playing acoustic takes, mostly of old standards. Seven of the twelve tracks are covers and four of those are religious hymns. The album's concept prefigured MTV Unplugged by nearly two decades, serving as the Trope Maker for the Unplugged Version.
Tracklist:
Side One
- "Where the Soul Never Dies" - 3:24
- "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" - 2:42
- "Rock of Ages" - 2:17
- "Long Road Ahead" - 3:25
- "Faded Love" - 4:03
- "Talkin' about Jesus" - 6:51
Side Two
- "Come on in My Kitchen" - 2:41
- "Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go)" - 3:54
- "Never Ending Song of Love" - 3:20
- "Sing My Way Home" - 4:02
- "Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad" - 5:12
- "Lonesome and a Long Way from Home" - 3:55
I've got a neverending list of tropes, from now on, that's all I wanna do...
- Concept Album: A motel room jam session in album form.
- Cover Version: Most of the album.
- "Where The Soul Never Dies", "Will The Circle Be Unbroken?", "Rock Of Ages", and "Talkin' Bout Jesus" are traditional hymns
- "Come On In My Kitchen" by Robert Johnson
- "Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go)" by Chuck Willis
- "Faded Love" by Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys, famous at the time in a cover version by Elvis Presley on Elvis Country
- "Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad" is a traditional song of unknown origin
-
Cut Song: "The Gift Of Love", which had appeared on the couple's "Accept No Substitute". This version later appeared on the Duane Allman Boxed Set "Skydog". - Everything Is an Instrument: To contribute to the "motel room jam" feel, the backing band used empty suitcases for percussion.
- Minimalistic Cover Art: Just a photo of the door to a motel room.
- New Sound Album: See the introduction to this article.
- Rearrange the Song: "Come On In My Kitchen", originally a one-chord blues, is played here with the "Key To The Highway" progression. Apparently, Three Chords and the Truth was too elaborate for Robert Johnson.
- Silly Love Songs: "Neverending Song Of Love"
- Special Guest: Leon Russell, Joe Cocker, Stephen Stills, Dave Mason, and Duane Allman all guest on the record.
- Unplugged Version: Trope Maker
