Booker T. & the MG's


Band members                             Related acts

  line up 1 (1962-)65

- Steve Cropper -- guitar

- Al Jackson (RIP 1975) -- drums, percussion

- Booker T. Jones -- vocals, keyboards

- Lewie Steinberg -- bass

 

  line up 2 (1965-77)

- Steve Cropper -- guitar

NEW - Donald 'Duck' Dunn (RIP 2012)-- bass (replaced 

  Lewie Steinberg)

- Al Jackson (RIP 1975) -- drums, percussion

- Booker T. Jones -- vocals, keyboards

 

  line up 3 (1977) 

- Steve Cropper -- guitar

- Donald 'Duck' Dunn (RIP) -- bass

NEW - Willie Hall -- drums, percussion (replaced Al Jackson)

- Booker T. Jones -- vocals, keyboards

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Cropper (solo efforts)

- Cropper, Steve (Albert King and Pops Staples

- Booker T. Jones (solo efforts)

- Booker T. and Priscilla

- The M.G.'s (Donald 'Duck' Dunn and Al Jackson)

 

 

 

 


 

Genre: soul

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  Green Onions

Company: Stax

Catalog: S 701

Year: 1965

Country/State: Memphis, Tennessee

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG

Comments: --

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 1755

Price: $35.00

 

 

Funny, but the title track is one of my first musical memories.  I can distinctly remember hearing the song while being wheeled around by my parents in an shopping cart in an Army commissary.   Here I am five decades later and the song still resonates with me.   


"Green Onions" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Green Onions (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones -  Steve Cropper -  Al Jackson - Lewis Steinberg) - 2:45

I'm not what sure I can possible add to the conversation.  Simply an all-time classic slice of music.   One of the few songs I could put on a tape loop and play over and over and over without getting tired of it.

- 1962's 'Green Onions' b/w 'Behave Yourself' (Stax catalog number S-127)

There are dozens of 'Green Onion' clips online, but one of the best is from a 1966 Shindig performances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar-Z_l907DY   Almost as good is this performance featuring Daryl Hall and his Live From Daryl's House band:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h5N4k2l3Hg    rating: ***** stars

2.) Rinky Dink (instrumental)    (David Clowney - Paul Winley) - 2:39

Dave "Baby" Cortez had the original hit and there's was nothing more than a throwaway cover, but so what ?  Powered by Jones' Hammond M-1 (don;t think he was playing a B-3 at this point in time),, this just drips early-'60s vibe.   rating: *** stars

3.) I Got a Woman (instrumental)   (Ray Charles) -  3:32

No reason for them to have wasted time and energy on this one.   Nothing can compare to the Ray Charles original.   rating: ** stars

4.) Mo' Onions (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones -  Steve Cropper -  Al Jackson - Lewis Steinberg) - 2:50

Perhaps not the most subtle follow-on you've ever heard ...  'Mo' Onions' really wasn't that different from the earlier 'Green Onions'; the melody slowed down and given a bluesier,somewhat less dynamic reading.  The thing was the basic riff was so strong, this one came off as okay.  Not great, but okay.  .   rating: *** stars

5.) Twist and Shout  (instrumental)   (Phil Medley - Bert Russell) - 2:09

Another garage classic given a Stax overhaul.   Mindless fun that actually got better after a couple of cold brews.   Nice showcase for Cropper's instantly recognizable lead guitar.  Nobody plays the way he does.   rating: *** stars

6.) Behave Yourself (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones -  Steve Cropper -  Al Jackson - Lewis Steinberg) - 2:45

Booker T. and company at their bluesiest.   Killer tune.     The tune was the original 'Green Onion' 'B' side.   rating: **** stars

 

(side 2)

1.) Stranger On the Shore   (Acker Bilk) - 2:18

2.) Lonely Avenue   (Doc Pomus) - 3:25

3.) One Who Really Loves You   (Smokey Robinson) - 2;22

4.) You Can't Sit Down   (Dee Clark - Kal Mann - Cornell Mildrow) - 2:46

5.) A WOman, A Lover, a Friend   (Sidney Wyche) - 3:15

6.) Comin' Home Baby   (Bob Dorough - Ben Tucker) - 3:09

 

 

 

 

Green Onions is the debut album by Booker T. & the M.G.s, released on Stax Records in October 1962. It reached number 33 on the Pop Albums chart in the month of its release. The title single had been a huge hit worldwide and was covered by dozens of artists, including the Blues Brothers (featuring guitarist Steve Cropper), the Ventures, Al Kooper, the Shadows, Mongo Santamaría, Roy Buchanan (also featuring Steve Cropper and Jan Hammer), Count Basie and many others.

Three previous Stax LPs - two by the Mar-Keys, one by Carla Thomas - had been issued on Atlantic Records. Green Onions was the first album released on the Stax label proper. It was also Stax's first charting album, peaking at number 33 on the Billboard 200.[2] The album features only instrumental songs and features Steve Cropper playing a Fender Telecaster.[3]

 

Personnel[edit]

Green Onions U.S. Pop Albums Chart 33
"Green Onions" U.S. Billboard Hot 100 3
"Green Onions" U.S. Billboard R&B Singles 1
"Mo' Onions" U.S. Billboard Hot 100 97
"Mo' Onions" U.S. Billboard R&B Singles 97

 

 

There's not a note or a nuance out of place anywhere on this record, which featured 35 of the most exciting minutes of instrumental music in any category that one could purchase in 1962 (and it's no slouch multiple decades out, either). "I Got a Woman" is the single best indicator of how superb this record is and this band was -- listening to this track, it's easy to forget that the song ever had lyrics or ever needed them, Booker T. Jones' organ and Steve Cropper's guitar serving as more-than-adequate substitutes for any singer. Their version of "Twist and Shout" is every bit as satisfying. Even "Mo' Onions," an effort to repeat the success of "Green Onions," doesn't repeat anything from the earlier track except the tempo, and Jones and Cropper both come up with fresh sounds within the same framework. "Behave Yourself" is a beautifully wrought piece of organ-based blues that gives Jones a chance to show off some surprisingly nimble-fingered playing, while "Stranger on the Shore" is transformed into a piece of prime soul music in the group's hands. Just when it seems like the album has turned in all of the surprises in repertory that it could reasonably deliver, it ends with "Comin' Home Baby," a killer jazz piece on which Steve Cropper gets to shine, his guitar suddenly animated around Jones' playing, his quietly trilled notes at the crescendo some of the most elegant guitar heard on an R&B record up to that time.

Collapse ↑

 

 

 

This is what happens when a group of guys have an unexpected monster smash hit. In 1962, while in the studio jamming, a seventeen year old prodigy named Booker T. Jones, a twenty-one year old guitarist named Steve Cropper, and a couple of veterans of the Memphis music scene came up with something that Stax Records president Jim Stewart deemed good enough for release. Needing a B-side, Cropper suggested working up something Jones had been playing around with some time earlier. What was supposed to be a B-side excited Cropper, and local DJs quickly began to flip the "Behave Yourself" single to the other side, and "Green Onions" began to create quite a stir. Quickly, the sides were reversed, and "Green Onions", with it's groovin' riff, Booker T.'s funky organ lines, and cutting edge guitar bursts courtesy of Cropper became Stax's biggest hit at the time, reaching number three on the national Pop charts and topping the R&B charts. The group, now billing themselves as Booker T. & the MGs (Memphis Group), released this solid, if unspectacular instrumental album later that year.

As could be expected, they weren't really able to recreate the hit single's magic, and besides that title track, the rest of the album comes across today as sounding pretty dated. This album should not be bought to familiarize listeners with Booker T. & the MGs. Cropper, Jones, drummer Al Jackson, Jr., and later Donald "Duck" Dunn (who would replace original bassist Lewie Steinberg) are widely considered to be the tightest, most soulful, and versatile band of all time. They would go on to be the house band at Stax, playing behind Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Albert King, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Taylor, Rufus and Carla Thomas, and more. They provided the blueprint for Soul music, and set a standard of excellence that nobody since has come close to meeting. On their own, they released over a dozen brilliant singles, and several terrific albums.
However, other than the timeless title track, there is nothing on the album that is a "must hear". And "Green Onions" can be found on MGs compilations, box sets, and countless soundtracks. Make no mistake about it though, the album, for what it is, is quite good. This isn't a garage band rushing to sell an album cause they had a hit. Lewie Steinberg was very accomplished, and Al Jackson, though just a few years older than Steve Cropper, had been playing in his father's Jazz/Swing band since he was five years old! And as well as Cropper's groundbreaking work on the title cut, the young white guitarist showed himself to be equally adept at both Blues and Jazz. His playing is both simple and sophisticated, with the underlying element being taste. And Booker T. Jones played like no seventeen year old kid. This being said, there is no real reason to recommend this album, unless you are already familiar with the MGs' greatness, and you want to hear everything they recorded.
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51 of 58 people found the following review helpful
on April 2, 2000
"Green Onions" is a great song--a song that sounds thrilling no matter how many times you've heard it. Unfortunately, the "Green Onions" album isn't nearly as exciting and gets kind of tiring after a listen or two. This was the MG's first album and was recorded after the 45 of "Green Onions" hit the top of the charts. The inventiveness and fire evident on the "Green Onions" single is just about impossible to find on the other tracks of this album, though. If you were thinking of getting this so you could hear "Green Onions"--well, don't do it. Pick up "The Very Best of" on Rhino. It has "Green Onions" and about 17 other songs that are just as thrilling. Then, if you want to have more MG's material, pick up "Hip Hug-Her" or "Soul Limbo" or the "Time is Tight" Box set. This album is one that only completists will want.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
"Green Onions" was the first Lp record by Stax studio musician Booker T. Jones and his three partners-in-(musical)crime released after their hit single "Green Onions". Like most albums of the 1960s, it contains both the A and B sides of the single ("Behave Yourself" was originally to be the "A" side with "Onions" on the reverse) and a bunch of covers (hits for other artists). The 12 tracks on the issued 1962 release include nine of those covers , with two Ray Charles songs, (Mr.) Acker Bilk's "Stranger on the Shore", and Phil Upchurch's "You Can't Sit Down" among them.

For those who know the group from their later albums, you'll find out in the new liner notes written by Rob Bowman (an expert on Stax's history) that bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn was not with the band at the time this album was released. Lewis Steinberg - the original member is here.

For this remastered release, Concord Music Group (which owns the Stax catalog now) added two "bonus tracks" - live recordings from a 1965 Stax Revue in Los Angeles (previously released on another Stax CD) which features Dunn on bass. Both are repeated songs. "Green Onions" is the first; "Can't Sit Down" is the second (but the live version clocks in at nearly five minutes - almost twice the length of the studio recording.

The original liner notes from 1962 are also reprinted in the enclosed 12-page booklet.

You can hear the remastered sound once you get half-way into "Mo Onions" (the only other original composition) when Steve Croppers guitar kicks in. Nice!

If you don't have the original. This is worth picking up.

I hope you found this review both informative and helpful.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
VINE VOICEon September 6, 2012
This seminal Stax album has been released by Concord as part of its Stax Re-Masters release - apart from the inclusion of the original album sleeve with the Stax logo - and 2 live tracks which are awful in their sound quality - this mono album does not sound very much different from the Bill Inglot remastered version on the Atlantic/Atco Remasters series in the 1990s. Five stars for the timeless music - 1 star to Concord for bothering to re-reelease it.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
on September 1, 2005
Despite the magic of the title tune, this album shows signs of having been rushed out as a cash-in. The choice of material is poor, and the interpretations are somewhat uncertain. If you must own 'Green Onions' (the tune), get it on a compilation, and spend your Booker T & the MGs budget on one of the later albums (which are utterly brilliant...).
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Released Monday 3 September 2012 in the UK (22 July 2012 in the USA) - Concord Music Group, Inc 0888072339606 is release number eight in the 2011/2012 "STAX REMASTERS" CD Series and breaks down as follows (43:48 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 12 are the album "Green Onions" - released October 1962 in the USA on Stax Records ST-701 [Mono] and July 1964 in the UK on London HA-K 8182 [Mono].

Tracks 13 and 14 are BONUS TRACKS - "Green Onions (Live)" and "Can't Sit Down (Live)" which first appeared on the 1992 CD "Funky Broadway: Stax Review Live At The 5/4 Ballroom" (previously unreleased tracks at that time).

The new 12-page booklet has very knowledgeable and affectionate liner notes by ROB BOWMAN - the LP's artwork on the front and rear of the booklet (including Bob Altshuler's original 1962 LP liner notes) - session details, Stax Records release info and reissue credits. But once again the big news is the NEWLY REMASTERED SOUND...

I've reviewed all the other titles in the "Stax Remasters" series (see list below) and duly raved about the fabulous sound quality on them - especially after years of lacklustre reissues in jewel cases and repro digipaks. Well this is the same. 24-bit remastered from the first generation tapes at JOE TARANTINO Mastering in Berkeley, California - the audio quality is meaty - especially of course on the slinky organ of Booker T Jones and the guitar-chopping of Steve Cropper.

Named after a vegetable that plagued American gardens in the summertime and played by a group named after a British Sports car - the 7" single "Green Onions" was a bona-fide monster. Originally issued in the USA on Volt 101 - it was quickly withdrawn and reissued on Stax 127 with the languid "Behave Yourself" as its classy B-side. It hit the US charts in August 1962 and made Number 1 R&B and Number 3 Pop. But not only is "Green Onions" absolute classic 60t's Soul - it has to rank as one the greatest instrumentals ever issued - its cool still intact a full 50 years after it blew everyone away and brought dancefloors to life all over the world.

I wish I could say the rest of the album lives up to that high - it doesn't. The covers of The Beatles "Twist And Shout", Acker Bilk's "Stranger On A Shore" and Ray Charles' "Lonely Avenue" are not great - but things pick up considerably with their plucky version of Phil Upchurch's "Can't Sit Down" with fantastic sound quality on Cropper's guitar and Al Jackson's drums. The same applies to their cover of Jackie Wilson's "A Woman, A Lover, A Friend" - with Duck Dunn's bass having a warm sound. The identikit "Mo' Onions" was issued as a 45 in 1963 on Stax 142 and has been a fan favourite ever since (and a big moment in their live shows). It sounds fantastic here. The only real plonkers for me are the two live versions, which hardly warrant the word 'bonus' in my book.

Speaking of 'disappointment' - for fans this is a very good release - better sound and better presentation (even if the supposed extras are dogs). But it has to be said that since the initial flurry of "Stax Remasters" in 2011 which promised a new coming for this fabulous Soul/Funk label (see list below) - 2012 has seen only 2 reissues - Albert King and this? And iconic or not - "Green Onions" is a rather obvious, safe and boring reissue.

To sum up - despite those naff live additions - you do get better sound than that Rhino reissue nearly 20 years ago - improved packaging and a value-for-money pricetag. Recommended...

And please Concord Music? Let's have some Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, Soul Children, The Emotions, William Bell, Little Milton, Margie Joseph, Isaac Hayes, Judy Clay, Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett and more of The Staples Singers too...

PS: titles in the "STAX REMASTERS" series are (all reviewed):
1. Green Onions - BOOKER T. & THE M.G.S (1962)
2. McLemore Avenue - BOOKER T. & THE M.G.S (1970)
3. Woman To Woman - SHIRLEY BROWN (1975)
4. Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get - THE DRAMATICS (1972)
5. I'll Play The Blues For You - ALBERT KING (1972)
6. Be Altitude: Respect Yourself - THE STAPLE SINGERS (1972)
7. Taylored In Silk - JOHNNIE TAYLOR (1973)
8. Do The Funky Chicken - RUFUS THOMAS (1970)
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
on November 21, 2010
This by far is one of the most underrated Booker T albums of all time, sure it only contains two of Booker Ts top hits which are Green Onions and Mo' Onions, but it also contains a lot of bluesy, pre-funk jams that inspired Booker T and the MGs to continue recording. Before Green Onions Booker T and the MGs were a blues band that would play blues riffs like Behave Yourself and a lot of the riffs were slow and churchy sounding. I think this album shows the MGs for the truly diverse music geniuses they were. They could play slow, soulful blues that fit the nightclub scenes in the 60s, as well as play up-beat, funky grooves like the fast paced Green Onions. I have both this and the very best of Booker T and the MGs on my itunes and feel like having both these CDs gives me the best variety of their songs from their older blues riffs, to their more modern funk. Only two of the songs on this CD are on the very best of Booker T, so you aren't losing much by getting both. Sure it isn't the greatest Booker T album, or it doesn't quite rock as hard as their later albums like Hip Hug Her, but it still is filled with just as much soul and has the distinguishable Booker T organ sound. In my opinion it is a must own for any soul/Booker T fan just for the early hard to find recordings.
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11 of 16 people found the following review helpful
You KNOW the three original compositions are, in Dave Marsh's words, "what happens when the best backing group ever decides it's time to step up front and be noticed." (You probably also know how badly underrated is "Mo' Onions" - particularly Steve Cropper's ever-so-understated guitar break; the greatest soul rhythm guitarist of them all before Teenie Hodges came of age could flat play the blues without breaking a sweat or letting the string-bending joyboys intimidate him...the man's middle name was "Taste".) You also know that most of the rest is the kind of filler you used to hear (and cringe upon) at the local skating rink. But if you've got even half the sense of humour as the guys who cut it, this album isn't all that bad. In fact, they actually make "Lonely Avenue" (the classic Ray Charles cut from Pomus-Shuman) work. As album makers, Booker T. and the M.G.s in due course began living up to their classic singles and then some, and would someone PLEASE remind the nimrod from the critic's review at the head of the page that with the horns they were the MAR-KEYS, and not the BAR-KAYS (which was an entirely different band, both before and after they bought it with Otis Redding in that plane crash...)
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9 of 13 people found the following review helpful
on March 2, 2000
"Green Onions" was originally recorded as the B-side to what was intended as their debut single, "Behave Yourself," but ended up reaching #1 in the R&B charts and becoming Booker T. & The MG's most famous tune. This album was quickly assembled around those two songs to capitalize on the success of the million-selling single. Along with a follow-up jam, "Mo' Onions," they recorded nine mediocre covers of previous hits by Ray Charles, the Isley Brothers, Jackie Wilson, and Acker Bilt. I'd recommend this album only if you don't plan on investing in the wonderful "Time Is Tight" box set, which contains the best tracks off this disc, the three originals.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
on August 21, 2012
Booker T. & The M.G.s' 1962 debut LP couldn't possibly live up to the invention and excitement of its title single, but it doesn't have to, as even without the catchy hooks of their hits, the band's soul grooves cut deep. With only three originals ("Green Onions," the cooler variation, "Mo' Onions," and the exquisite late-night organ blues, "Behave Yourself"), the Stax house band was left to pull together cover songs from a wide variety of sources. They give instrumental hits by Dave "Baby" Cortez ("Rinky-Dink") and Phil Upchurch ("Can't Sit Down") solid shots of Memphis soul, and though Acker Bilk's "Stranger on the Shore" could be the last slow dance of the evening in a restaurant's cocktail lounge, Steve Cropper's guitar still manages to add some flavor. More impressive are his chops on Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman" and Jones' soulful chords and lightning-fast single notes on "Lonely Avenue." The original track lineup closes with a wonderful take on the jazz tune "Comin' Home Baby," with both Jones and Cropper shining brightly. The 2012 reissue includes a 12-page booklet featuring full-panel front- and back-cover shots, Bob Altshuler's original liners and new notes from Rob Bowman. Also included are hot live takes of "Green Onions" and "Can't Sit Down," recorded in stereo in 1965 and originally released on Funky Broadway: Stax Revue Live at the 5/4 Ballroom. Though Booker T. & The M.G.s are best known for their hits (e.g., The Very Best Of) and the Stax singles they powered for others, their original albums hold many lesser-known charms that will delight `60s soul fans. [©2012 Hyperbolium]
I have the Bill Inglot remaster from the original mono tapes, which is essentially the same as this one, minus the bonus live tracks. From what other reviewers have said, the difference in sound is negligible and if you are looking for nostalgia to replace your old vinyl LP, which is probably worn down to center by now, then either is a good choice I am sure. For the uninitiated, there are some rank reviews here with a lot of helpful votes. Truthfully, yes the album music can be labeled as “dated” or if you are really not in the mood maybe “tiring”, and honestly you are not going to whip this out and play it incessantly. What it is, however, is one of the classic albums which is the ancestor of 70’s soul and Motown. Perhaps a dinosaur, but not entirely without listening merit and having the properties of being enjoyable. Some of these backhanded glory reviews which tout the greatness of Booker T & The MG’s, and Green Onions the single, make this album sound like dentist office music. Had I ever had a dentist who would play this while I was in the chair, I might have been a much better patient. So read these reviews with a modicum of speculation. If you are a “musicologist” this is a needful thing. If you love a variety of styles, including instrumental work, and want to try out the historical trend-setters, this is a needful thing. And if you revel in 60’s classic sounds, this is a definite needful thing. I loved it as a youth and it was one of the few things I could actually play with my parents in the room.

Now, some say that Green Onions is just about the only worthy track on the album. A diamond in a field of otherwise disposable music. Excuse me? Okay, after having “grown up”, by the time I was in college, yes, Rinky Dink, the cover of Ray Charles’ I Got A Woman, and maybe Twist & Shout (covered by EVERYBODY in the 60’s, including The Beatles), come off a bit corny, but…

The original comps here: Green Onions, Mo’ Onions (written for the album to add…well…more onions), and the stellar Behave Yourself, all three are worth the price of admission alone. These three on side one of the original album provided the glue to hold it together over the rough spots. Side two of the original album (tracks 7-12) were/are the more consistent sequence, with maybe (stress maybe) Smokey Robinson’s One Who Really Loves You as being the weak point. However, Doc Pomus’ Lonely Avenue has always been my personal favorite over and above even the great Green Onions. It is bluesy, it is a centerpiece of the technical fingering and musical abilities of all members of the group and shines like a beacon on the album, with fantastic exchanges between Steve on guitar, Booker T on keys, and Lewie on bass, while Al just sits in the driver’s seat setting that rhythm syncopay… Mr. Acker Bilk released another stupendous classic album the year before, Stranger On The Shore, an instrumental only, clarinet lead “easy listening” (today’s label) gem which is still in my favorites, is my wife’s absolute favorite ever, and still holds its water today. Booker T’s cover of Stranger On The Shore is a beautiful faithful but with keys replacing wind, cover that rivals the original single in cool. Dee Clark’s Can’t Sit Down is a great rocker, footstompin’ and still has polish that would look good on a Steely Dan album. The final closers, both blues laden masterpieces, A Woman A Lover A Friend, and Comin Home Baby, are fuel for the fight in claiming GREEN ONIONS, the album, deserves a lot more respect than to be called “kind of tiring after a listen or two” or “rushed out as a cash-in”.

I decided to write this review after deciding to review POTATO HOLE after it has grown on me steadily for 5 years. Together, they are the only Booker T’s in my collection, even though I have loved his work on countless albums by countless artists I love. They represent the two ends of the Booker T spectrum and I would not hesitate to recommend both to anyone who enjoys music, whether it be rock, soul/R&B, or any other genre. Bear in mind that there was only one GREEN ONIONS, even by Booker T himself. This is a standalone work that inspired Al Kooper and in turn was inspirational in the creation of Blood Sweat & Tears, the power blues rock movement of the Supersessions, was a revered favorite album of countless legends from Lennon/McCartney to Isaac Hayes and Quincy Jones, Neil Young, and of course The Roots.

Everyone should have a piece of music history in their collection, and this IS one of the great moments in music history, warts and all.
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I was 14 when this album was released in the Fall of 1962, and it was not only the title song that grabbed my attention. The music on every track was incredibly compelling because most of what was considered 'rock' back in that era was pretty sentimental, pop-oriented stuff. This soulful, exciting music had crossed over from R&B into the mainstream.

At the time of this review there are no sound samples on this CD product page to reinforce what I am saying. However, there are on the MP3 version at Green Onions [Stax Remasters]. Give those a listen. Then compare these tracks to any other songs that made it into the Billboard Top 100 for 1962. The title song, Green Onions peaked at #3, but ranked at 53, with Sam Cooke's Having a Party and Ray Charles' You Don't Know Me as ranking neighbors. While Cooke and Charles were icons in their own right their songs sound positively sedate compared to most of them on this album. And if you look at some of the others that charted in 1962 you will truly see (or hear) what I mean because Burl Ives, Henry Mancini and The Four Seasons also charted close to Green Onions. Ironically, Acker Bilk's Stranger on the Shore that is covered on this album charted Number 1 on the Billboard Top 100 for Bilk in 1962.

While this is Booker T and the MGs' inaugural album it is also the first that Stax released independently of Atlantic Records. More importantly, this is the personnel does NOT include Donald Duck Dunn on bass. He would not join the group until 1965 when he replaced bassist Lewie Steinberg (who is on double bass on this album.) Dunn is on the two live bonus tracks on this album.

The album was recorded in June through August, 1962 and released in October of that year. Booker T. Jones is on organ (but also credited with some guitar, bass and other keyboard work), Steve Cropper is on guitar, backed by Lewie Steinberg on double bass and the great Al Jackson jr. on drums.

This music may sound tame by today's standards, but was not only ground breaking when released, it was also influential too.
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One thing you can count on with musicians such as Booker T Jones,Steve Cropper,Al Jackson and Donald "Duck" Dunn is that all of them are extremely talented people. Their ability to maintain their trademark instrumental precision with extremely soulful licks and exchanges is now well renowned. Many bands have since attempted,to varrying levels of success to approximate this approch and in the 60's the sound served this band so well that they became the main Stax house band during that era while making remarkable singles under their own name. Of course the title track and it's shadow "Mo Onions" are by all accounts the strongest general tunes on this album;songs that people who may not even know the name of the band will recognize and that encompassess the very best in their precision based instrumental bluesy soul music. One thing that's important to mention is this album was recorded in 1962 and at that time (with the possible exception of Ray Charles) even artists such as James Brown were not so much thinking in terms of album oriented music as much utilizing the long playing medium to collect together singles into collections that sounded cohesive even if they really weren't. And so as the case with this album. Considering that Stax hadn't been around too many years before this was released there's some similarities to an earlier Stax band known as The Mar Keys so on likeminded tunes such as "Rinky-Dink" which as that band had done used the idea of precision and melody together. It's a bit stiff than the usually fairly loose approch the MG's had,and I need to add there is a difference between precision and loosness. A similar situation occurs on other interpretations of songs such as "Twist And Shout" and "Lonely Avenue" although the secular gospel wail of "I Got A Woman" comes across a lot better as they let loose a lot more rhythmically. "Behave Yourself" and "Stranger On The Shore" do a bit better overall due to the fact they showcase a slower,more forboding blusiness that allows the soul of their musicianship to shine through to a greater degree. Even though this isn't their first album it probably isn't the place to begin appreciating the MG's music. For most other reviewers are right:the band packed it's trademark punch more on singles so a well assembled compilation such as the recent Booker T. & The MG'S :The Definitive Soul Collection but for those who have such a collection and want to investigate the spirit of their music in it's original context this isn't a bad place to go actually.
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on April 20, 2007
This may not be worthy of 4 stars but its nearer that than 3 for me. These guys were the backing band in the sixties for the Stax/Volt labels. Most of the records you hear by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave etc had these guys playing, and theres a good reason for that, they are very good musicians.

Everybody knows 'Green Onions', it remains a classic instrumental, apparently made-up in the studio. The cover of 'I Got A Woman' motors along, propelled by some infectious drumming from Al Jackson. A change of pace for track 6 gives the guys to show off their blues playing on 'Behave Yourself'. This is a lovely slow blues, which builds up a head of steam and gives Booker T a chance to show off his Hammond playing.

Their are really only two reasons not to buy this album. Firstly the tracks are all instrumentals, so theres no point buying this if you like to listen to lyrics. Secondly the Hammond Organ sound Booker T uses a lot of the time does sound a little dated now (especially on 'Stranger on the Shore') and its used on most of the tracks. However contrary to the previous reviewers I found this to be an enjoyable album in its own right regardless of what the group did later in their career.
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on August 23, 2012
I LOVED hearing Green Onions on the car radio as a kid! We had just inherited my Grandma's old '48 Studebaker, and it was just then that Green Onions was always on the radio as my dad drove around (I was in 5th grade). It was such a cool sound, and song, and became almost part of the old car, and really was the theme of those months when it was up on the charts. Funny, I NEVER knew the name of that song until VERY recently! I just knew it was something by Booker T and M.G.s (and what a cool name for a group!) So yes, get this CD to get that song, and welcome to the world of finding out what the rest of that old albumn sounded like. Doesn't sizzle like G.O., but cetainly worth putting on when you are relaxing in the garden or on the porch, and don't want to stare at computer screens or TVs.
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on November 21, 2012
This is just to dispute the customer reviews that write this 1962 album off as being useless save for the title song. It's listenable through all 12 tracks, and at least half of those will embed themselves in your memory as deeply as "Green Onions" if you give them chance. This is a band that was subtle even when it was showing off its formidable chops. The slow, bluesy takes on songs like Doc Pomus' "Lonely Avenue" and Ben Tucker's "Comin' Home, Baby" are wee-hours classics. These guys were so good, they even make "Stranger on the Shore" sound sexy.
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on September 17, 2013
VERY GOOD ALBUM. i LOVE JAZZ. BOOKER T. & MGS ARE VERY GOOD. MANY TIMES I BE LISTING TO THIS ALBUM WHILE I AM DRIVING, AND PASS MY STOP.
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on August 5, 2013
I always liked Booker T and the Mg's. Glad I bought this CD. Great to listen to while driving or workong around the house.
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on July 27, 2013
I was very happy to have the opportunity to purchase it as I didn't really know it was available. I have played it dozens of times since I received it. I purchased two of them so I could give one as a gift. The recipient will have to be someone who appreciates and loves it as much as I do!
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on April 12, 2013
I like this album very much, it reminds me of my younger years, cruzing the roads of our town listing to some great music

 

bought this CD for my husband and he just loves it. Sound quality is so much
better today than it was back in the day.
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on May 12, 2007
I love this CD!!! It transports me back to 1962 and I listen to the music of the Green Onions all of the time now. I have it in my CD player in the car, and as far as I am concerned, this music is the absolute best way to usher in Summer of '07.
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on January 9, 2013
Anyone who is looking for the true 60s Memphis sound should grab this CD as soon as possible. They don't come any bigger or better than this group. Great selections from this seller, and will continue to seek future purchases from them.
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on April 14, 2015
Obviously the title track of this LP is enshrined forever in music history, but I'm a big fan of the lesser known numbers like "Rinky Dink" too. Greatest studio band ever? Yes!
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on November 29, 2013
One of the Hottest recordings ever made. It's an Up Beat Delightful beat that elates your persona. A Classic by Booker T. & The MG's. I have all of them.
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on April 7, 2013
My boyfriend was talking about this one day when I was browsing Amazon. I went back another day and bought it for him. He loves it--great gift!!
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on July 15, 2012
Booker T is more than just Green Onions. This guy kicks that B-3 into action. If you're into classic oldies, this has to be in your collection.
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on February 17, 2013
Got this for my dad for father's day simply for the song green onions. which is really the best song on this album, but well worth the buy!
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on May 8, 2014
Oldies but goodies still live on. You know Green Onions when you hear it. Makes a great ring tone too!
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on March 3, 2014
If you love jazz u will love this. Booker T. makes you want to dance. There is music for everyone.

 

 

 

“So, Jake, you’re out, you’re free, you’re rehabilitated. What’s next? What’s happenin’? What you gonna do? You got the money you owe us, motherfucker?”—Willie ‘Too Big’ Hall, The Blues Brothers

Do you not get it, lads? The Irish are the blacks of Europe. And Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland. And the Northside Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin. So say it once, say it loud: I’m black and I’m proud.—Jimmy Rabbitte, The Commitments

I’m from the South Side of Chicago. The Mason-Dixon line makes a dramatic run north of here. I grew up about five miles from some of the worst ghettos in America, but it may have well been on another planet for as much as it affected me or my peers. Race motivated families to move to Evergreen Park, Oak Lawn and Mount Greenwood. These were “safe havens”—places you could raise a white family without worrying about a black family moving in down the block.

The sanctioned segregation of the South Side took root under the first Mayor Daley. He split the South Side in half with the Dan Ryan Expressway and built the wall of public housing towers, which would later give Chicago an international black eye. Blacks lived on the east side of the Ryan, whites on the west. History judges these moves as examples of Daley’s racism. The man was no saint, but his moves were based on politics, not race. Whites were Daley’s base, and he needed to keep them in the city.

By 1965, Daley’s official policies and the white establishment’s unofficial policies drew Dr. King’s attention to Chicago. Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) wanted to use Chicago and Daley as an example of the kind of institutional racism prevalent throughout the urban north.

King moved into a slum on the West Side, and the SCLC organized with other local civil rights organizations to hold a series of marches into predominantly white neighborhoods. White residents greeted a Dr. King march through Marquette Park on the South Side with a torrent of bottles, bricks and stones—one of which hit King. These experiences would lead King later to claim he never faced a more virulent form of racism anywhere than in Chicago. This coming from a man accustomed to the Southern racism of attack dogs and power hoses. Such was the place where I grew up.

My father owns a small business in the Marquette Park area. From an early age, I followed him to accounts in neighborhoods that recently suffered white flight. I learned early on to respect these black and Hispanic owners of small businesses as I would my white elders. These same lessons were also learned at home. Instead of learning to fear blacks, I became fascinated with their culture. I read biographies of Dr. King, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and the works of Richard Wright and James Baldwin. I tuned into the urban and college stations that played hip-hop and studied the lyrics of Chuck D.

At 14, my brother gave me a pile of CDs. Amongst these were albums by the Neville Brothers, The Band,  the Rolling Stones, and Booker T. & the MGs. My life changed. Born a music nut, I now began to connect the dots of America’s recent history with its pop music. I fell in love with the romantic early days of rock, when whites and blacks listened to the same music. With Exile on Main Street  as my guide, I pointed my time machine toward the past. And I discovered the wonder of Memphis, Tennessee.

In the 1950s, Memphis was as segregated as any city in the country. But even the most strict societal restrictions could not prevent the commingling of cultures. Memphis was the home of WDIA, the first ‘race’ radio station in the country. WDIA employed black DJs, including B.B. King and Rufus Thomas.

WDIA screamed like a siren down the Mississippi Delta, letting black musicians know not only that here was a outlet for them, but also that their peers were making money at this up North. WDIA exposed white audiences to rhythm & blues. These ‘country’ whites began to frequent black West Memphis nightclubs like the Plantation Inn.

At these clubs, racial barriers fell away and an understanding grew. Racism leaves only victims, and over this both the white and black musician could bond. This mix of country and R & B would make Memphis and, in particular, two new record labels, the petri dish for new musical strains.

Sam Phillips opened Sun Records in Memphis in 1952. Phillips quickly gained credibility amongst Memphis musicians as an open-minded white who fostered new talent. This reputation led an 18-year-old from nearby Tupelo into Sun’s studio to record a demo. That teenager was Elvis Presley, and the rest is rock ‘n’ roll history.

The other label issued its first singles in 1959, and in 1960 bought a rickety old theater in the black part of Memphis. The label changed its name to Stax Records, a combination of the last names of the white brother and sister owners (Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton). Unbeknownst to those two, they placed their new offices on a goldmine of local talent. Stax would be where the sound of soul music as we know it was created. The architects of that sound was an instrumental group named Booker T. & the MGs. And in 1962, they would release the greatest single of all time

Green Onions" is an instrumental R&B hit recorded in 1962 by Booker T. & the M.G.'s. The tune is a 12-bar blues with a rippling Hammond M3 organ line. The guitarist Steve Cropper used a Fender Telecaster on "Green Onions" as he did on all of The M.G.'s instrumentals.  The track was issued originally in May 1962 on the Volt 102 subsidiary of Stax Records as the B-side to "Behave Yourself"; it was quickly reissued as the A-side of Stax 127, and it also appeared on the album Green Onions.  According to Steve Cropper, the name is not a marijuana reference; rather, the track is named after the Green Badger's cat, Green Onions, whose way of walking inspired the riff.  Songfacts.com, however, ascribes the track's title to Booker T. Jones. When asked by Jim Stewart what he'd named his track, Songfacts reports, Jones replied "Green Onions." "'Why "Green Onions"?' Jim asked. Booker T: 'Because that is the nastiest thing I can think of and it's something you throw away.'" On a Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! broadcast on June 24, 2013, host Peter Sagal asked Booker T. why his song was called, "Green Onions". Booker T. said, "The bass player thought it was so funky, he wanted to call it, 'Funky Onions', but they thought that was too low-class, so we used 'Green Onions' instead." "Green Onions" entered the Billboard Hot 100 the week ending August 11, 1962 and peaked at No. 3 the week ending September 29, 1962. The single also made it to No. 1 on the soul singles chart, for four non consecutive weeks: an unusual occurrence in that it fell in and out of top spot three times.On the UK Singles Chart it first appeared December 15, 1979 at #74, it then hit its highest position on January 26, 1980 at #7, it then left the charts on March 1, 1980 at #51, and ended up staying on the charts for a total of 12 weeks

"Green Onions" is an instrumental R&B hit recorded in 1962 by Booker T. & the M.G.'s. The tune is a 12-bar blues with a rippling Hammond M3 organ line. The guitarist Steve Cropper used a Fender Telecaster on "Green Onions" as he did on all of The M.G.'s instrumentals.[4] The track was issued originally in May 1962 on the Volt 102 subsidiary of Stax Records as the B-side to "Behave Yourself"; it was quickly reissued as the A-side of Stax 127, and it also appeared on the album Green Onions.[1] According to Steve Cropper, the name is not a marijuana reference; rather, the track is named after the Green Badger's cat, Green Onions, whose way of walking inspired the riff.[5] Songfacts.com, however, ascribes the track's title to Booker T. Jones. When asked by Jim Stewart what he'd named his track, Songfacts reports, Jones replied "Green Onions." "'Why "Green Onions"?' Jim asked. Booker T: 'Because that is the nastiest thing I can think of and it's something you throw away.'"[6]

On a Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! broadcast on June 24, 2013, host Peter Sagal asked Booker T. why his song was called, "Green Onions". Booker T. said, "The bass player thought it was so funky, he wanted to call it, 'Funky Onions', but they thought that was too low-class, so we used 'Green Onions' instead."

 

"Green Onions" entered the Billboard Hot 100 the week ending August 11, 1962 and peaked at No. 3 the week ending September 29, 1962. The single also made it to No. 1 on the soul singles chart, for four non-consecutive weeks: an unusual occurrence in that it fell in and out of top spot three times.[7] On the UK Singles Chart it first appeared December 15, 1979 at #74; it then hit its highest position on January 26, 1980 at #7, then left the charts on March 1, 1980 at #51, and ended up staying on the charts for a total of 12 weeks.[8]

Similar recordings[edit]

"Green Onions" is remarkably similar in style and chord progression to John Lee Hooker's later recording "Onions", which appears on his 1963 album, The Big Soul of John Lee Hooker,[9] although on that LP the songwriting credit was to John L. Hooker, not Jones/Cropper/Steinberg/Jackson.[10]

Booker T & the M.G.s released a continuation of "Green Onions" titled "Mo' Onions" on the album Green Onions on November 1962 and later released it as a single in February 1964 and reached #97 on both the R&B Singles and Billboard Hot 100 charts.[11]

Sonny Boy Williamson's 1963 recording "Help Me" was based on "Green Onions" and features Willie Dixon performing an upright bass riff very similar to the riff in "Green Onions" performed by Lewie Steinberg.[12]

Legacy[edit]

"Green Onions" was ranked No. 183 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. The track is currently ranked as the 85th greatest track of all time, as well as the best track of 1962, by Acclaimed Music.[13] British rhythm and blues singer Georgie Fame credited the single with being a main influence on his switch from piano to Hammond organ.

In 1999 "Green Onions" was given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.[14]

In 2012 it was added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry list of "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important" American sound recordings.[15]

In popular culture[edit]

"Green Onions" has been used extensively in radio, television, film and advertising, such as in the films American Graffiti, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, The Flamingo Kid, Get Shorty, Happy Gilmore, Houseguest, The Sandlot, Glory Road and A Single Man. It played during a season one episode of the popular TV series, Prison Break and in several episodes of another popular TV series, Heartbeat. The song was also featured on the soundtrack to Quadrophenia. It was used in the menu screen and various cutscenes in EA's game Skate. The song is prominently used in the TNT comedy-drama series Memphis Beat. It was also featured in X-Men: First Class and was used in a commercial for the animated movie Chicken Run. It was also used in a promo for the first season of the HBO drama series The Sopranos. The track is used as the opening and closing song of Classic 21 Sixties each weekday on Belgian radio. "Green Onions" was used in the "Bar Mitzvah Hustle" episode of American Dad! The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim played the song at Angel Stadium when the opposing team's starting lineup was being announced. An instrumental that sounded similar to "Green Onions" was used in Ed, Edd n Eddy, in the episode "Pop Goes the Ed" and other subsequent episodes. In the TV series Supernatural, Season 2, Episode 19, "Folsom Prison Blues", "Green Onions" plays as the brothers are sent to the Green River County Detention Center in Arkansas. The track is featured in video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, on the in-game radio station Master Sounds 98.3. The song plays as part of the area music loop in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure park in Anaheim, California, which opened in 2012. The song is also heard in the Hellas World Home Video logo from Greece. An episode of BBC's Top Gear used this during a segment called "Quaint My Ride" where Jeremy modifies the inside of a Mercedes-Benz to resemble the inside of his house. The track also appears in commercials for the drug Viagra. The opening riffs (on a loop) were also used as station identification music during regular programming for KETC out of St. Louis, Missouri before the switch to DTV transition in the United States.

 

 

 

 


Genre: soul

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  And Now!

Company: Stax

Catalog: S 711

Year: 1966

Country/State: Memphis, Tennessee

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG

Comments: mono pressing

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 1316

Price: $30.00

 

Booker T. & the MG's third studio album, "And Now!" was notable for a change in personnel - bassist Lewie Steinberg replaced by Donald "Duck" Dunn.  While the previous collection,1965's "Soul Dressing" had highlighted original material, this time out the band was content to go with a collection heavy on cover material.   With the exception of two band-penned tracks ('My Sweet Potato' and 'Soul Jam'),  the other ten tracks were all covers - okay Cropper co-wrote 'In the Midnight Hour'.   While that may not have sounded promising, Booker T. Jones and company were smart enough to select an eclectic collection of outside material that lent itself to being Stax-ified.   Among the biggest surprises was their cool remake of George and Ira Gershwin's classic 'Summertime'; a taunt remake of The 5 Royales' 'Think', and  what amounted to a remake of 'Green Onions' via their cover of Rudy Toombs' 'One Mint Julep'.   Was it their most original, or inspiring collection ?  Nah, but it was still fresh and enjoyable.   

 

"And Now" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) My Sweet Potato (instrumental)    (Steve Cropper - Al Jackson - Booker T. Jones) - 2:40

Showcasing Jones' wonderful piano, 'My Sweet Potato' found the band shifting directions towards something out of the Ramsey Lewis Quartet catalog - kind of a soul-jazz vibe.  Not to criticize the tune in any fashion since this one was first-rate.   Stax also tapped the song as a single:

 

  

- 1966's 'My Sweet Potato' b/w 'Booker Loo' (Stax catalog number 45-196)    rating: **** stars

2.) Jericho (instrumental)  (traditional - arranged by Steve Cropper - Duck Dunn - Al Jackson - Booker T. Jones) -  2:30

Surprisingly enjoyable cover with Jones' Hammond B3 taking the spotlight.

3.) No Matter What Shape (instrumental)    (Granville - Burland) - 2:50

So the T-Bones version is the one most folks know, though I have to admit that I'm quite fond of this Stax-ified cover of the tune.   Lots of nice Jones Hammond B3 moves and Steve Cropper adds his usual tasteful fills throughout.    rating: **** stars

4.) One Mint Julep (instrumental)   (Rudy Toombs) - 2:45

I guess you can't be sued for plagiarizing yourself, which is probably a good thing since 'One Mint Julep' sounds very much like the earlier 'Green Onions' with a bit of The Stones 'Satisfaction' thrown in for good measure.   'Course that's such a great tune that most folks will find this work hearing.  Moreover, Cropper turns in a wonderful solo on the tune.   rating: **** stars

5.) In the Midnight Hour (instrumental)   (Steve Crooper - Wilson Pickett) - 2:50

Okay, Cropper may have co-written the song with Wilson Pickett, but Pickett owns the tune and as good as their instrumental cover was, there was no way you were going to forget Pickett's version.   rating: *** stars

6.) Summertime (instrumental)   (George Gershwin - Ira Gershwin - Dubose Heyward) - 4:35

I can remember being dumbfounded by their smooth and silky cover of this tune.  I can remember thinking this was one of the covers they must have done to pad out the running time.  Well that may have been true, but this has to be one of the best covers ever done - imagine a mix of Pink Floyd psych and blues moves.   Unlike any other Gershwin cover you've heard.   YouTube has an interesting 1991 live performance of the tune (Anton Fig on drums):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od5WdxsRCt0    rating: **** stars

 

(side 2)

1.) Working In the Coal Mine  (instrumental)   (Allen Toussaint0 - 2:40

Another cover that wasn't going to make your forget the original - in this case Lee Dorsey.   That said All Jackson stole the show on this one.   rating: *** stars

2.) Don't Mess Up a Good Thing (instrumental)    (Oliver Sain) - 2:20

Nice bubbly cover of the Oliver Sain tune with Jones and Cropper sharing the spotlight this time out.  The band just sounded like they were having fun recording the tune.    rating: **** stars

3.) Think (instrumental)    (Lowman Pauling) - 2:53

Nice cover of the The 5 Royales hit.  Probably the album's "toughest" sounding performance.   rating: **** stars

4.) Tabooo  (instrumental)   (Bob Russell - Margarita Lecuona) - 4:20

Written in the early 1940s, the original tune had kind of a tropical feel to it, though this version loses most of that vibe in favor of a Memphis flavor.   rating: *** stars

5.) Soul Jam (instrumental)       (Steve Cropper - Duck Dunn - Al Jackson - Booker T. Jones) - 3:00

The album' s second group-penned original, based on the title you would have expected a throwaway tune, but this was actually quite impressive with Jones showcasing his effortless style on the Hammond B3.   Probably would have been a good choice for a follow-on single.  rating: **** stars

6.) Sentimental Journey (instrumental)    (Les Brown - Ben Homer - Bud Green) - 3:10

The album's first major disappointment - sluggish and forgettable.  rating: ** stars

 

 

 

 


Genre: soul

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  In the Christmas Spirit

Company: Stax

Catalog: S 713

Year: 1966

Country/State: Memphis, Tennessee

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: mono pressing; minor edge wear along bottom seam; DJ stamp on inner label

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 4525

Price: $20.00

 

1966's "Booker T. & the MG's In the Christmas Spirit" won't change your life in any manner, but it's weird enough to be worth checking into.  An all-instrumental set, the group works their way through a dozen well known Christmas efforts, injecting them with some patented Memphis Group moves - Jones' organ and Cropper's guitar add an interesting spice to tracks such as 'Silver Bells' and 'Merry Christmas Baby'.

 

"In the Christmas Spirit" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Jingle Bells (instrumental)   (traditional arranged by Booker T. & the MG's) - 2:32

2.) Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (instrumental)    (Coots - Gillespie) - 2:25

3.) Winter Wonderland (instrumental)    (Bernard - Smith) - 2:05

4.) White Christmas (instrumental)    (Irving Berlin) - 2:59

5.) The Christmas Song (instrumental)    (Torme  Wells) - 3:15

6.) Silver Bells (instrumental)   (Livignston - Evans) - 2:28

 

(side 2)

1.) Merry Christmas Baby (instrumental)   (Baxter - Moore) - 3:10

2.) Blue Christmas (instrumental)    (Hayes - Johnson) - 3:06

3.) Sweet Little Jesus Boy (instrumental)   (MacGimsey) - 2:47

4.) Silent Night   (traditional arranged by Booker T. & the MG's) - 3:17

5.) We Three Kings (instrumental)   (traditional arranged by Booker T. & the MG's)) - 2:30

6.) We Wish You a Merry Christmas (instrumental)    (traditional arranged by Booker T. & the MG's) - 2:30

 

 

 


Genre: soul

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Hip Hug-Her

Company: Stax

Catalog: S 717

Year: 1967

Country/State: Memphis, Tennessee

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: promo sticker on cover

Available: 2

Catalog ID: 4400

Price: $15.00

It's hard to pick my favorite Booker T. & the MG's album, but this one's definitely in the running.  Their second release with bassist Donald 'Duck 'Dunn in the lineup, 1967's "Hip Hug-Her" doesn't stray far from the group's patented formula.  Like earlier releases it offers up a mix of originals and popular covers, but this time around the group's running on all cylinders, turning in a set that with the possible exception of a stale cover of Bobby Hebb's 'Sunny', doesn't have any real filler. My personal favorites are all group originals, including the monster title track, 'Soul Sanction' and 'Double or Nothing'.  Memphis soul simply didn't get much better than this!   (This must be an early pressing off the album since the cover includes a promo sticker showing the album contains 'Slim Jenkin's Place', but the track listing shows the song as being entitled 'Slim Jenkin's Joint'.  Inspired by the name of a restaurant located near the Stax Studios, in the wake of complaints that the song title was too suggestive, latter pressing listed the song as 'Juke Jenkin's Place'.)

Stax pulled two singles from the album:

- 1967's 'Hip Hug-Her' b/w 'Summertime' (Stax catalog number 211)
- 1967's 'Groovin'' b/w 'Slim Jenkin's Place' (Stax catalog number 224)

"Hip Hug-Her" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Hip Hug-Her (instrumental)   (Steve Cropper - Duck Dunn - Al Jackson - Booker T. Jones) - 2:22

2.) Soul Sanction (instrumental)   (Steve Cropper - Duck Dunn - Al Jackson - Booker T. Jones) - 2:30

3.) Get Ready (instrumental)   (Smokey Robinson) - 2:45

4.) More (instrumental)   (Olivero - Ortolani) - 2:55

5.) Double or Nothing (instrumental)   (Steve Cropper - Duck Dunn - Al Jackson - Booker T. Jones) - 2:51

6.) Carnaby St. (instrumental)    (Steve Cropper - Duck Dunn - Al Jackson - Booker T. Jones) - 2:14

 

(side 2)

1.) Slim Jenkin's Joint (instrumental)   (Steve Cropper - Duck Dunn - Al Jackson - Booker T. Jones) - 2:25

2.) Pigmy (instrumental)   (Brown - Larkin - Swarm) - 3:55

3.) Groovin'  (instrumental)  (Eddie Brigatti - Felix Cavaliere) - 2:40

4.) Booker's Notion (instrumental)   (Steve Cropper - Duck Dunn - Al Jackson - Booker T. Jones) - 2:25

5.) Sunny (instrumental)   (Bobby Hebb) - 3:24

 

 


Genre: soul

Rating: ** (2 stars)

Title:  Doin' Our Thing

Company: Stax

Catalog: S 724

Year: 1968

Country/State: Memphis, Tennessee

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: small cut out hole top left corner

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 4403

Price: $15.00

The problem with a formula is that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  Unfortunately, the latter's the case for most of 1968's "Doin' Our Thing".  A now patented mix of originals and popular covers, judging by material such as their cover of Sonny and Cher's 'The Beat Goes On' and Bobbie Gentry's 'Ode To Billy Joe' the band seemed to be on automatic pilot for most of this set.  Among the few songs that generate any real enthusiasm are their cover of Willie Cobb's 'You Don't Love Me' and the originals 'I Can Dig It' and 'Blue On Green'.  Elsewhere this one's strictly Memphis elevator music.  (Anyone know why Stax chose to use such an old publicity photo for the back cover?)

 

"Doin' Our Thing" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) I Can Dig It   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Duck - Al Jackson Jr.) (instrumental) - 2:44

2.) Expressway (To Your Heart) (instrumental)   (Kenny Gamble - Leon Huff) - 3:00

3.) Doin' Our Thing   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Duck - Al Jackson Jr.) (instrumental) - 3:55

4.) You Don't Love Me (instrumental)   (WIllie Cobb) - 2:52

5.) Never My Love (instrumental)   (Don Addrissi - Dick Addrisi) - 2:45

6.) The Exodus Song (instrumental)   (Ernest Gold) - 2:35

 

(side 2)

1.) The Beat Goes On  (instrumental)  (Sonny Bono) - 2:32

2.) Ode To Billie Joe (instrumental)   (Bobbie Gentry) - 2:56

3.) Blue On Green   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Duck - Al Jackson Jr.) (instrumental) - 2:29

4.) You Keep me Hanging On (instrumental)   (Eddie Holland - Lamont Dozier - Brian Holland) - 4:47

5.) Let's Go Get Stoned (instrumental)   (Valerie Simpson - Nicholas Ashford - Joseph Armstead) - 2:51

 

 

 


Genre: soul

Rating: ** (2 stars)

Title:  The Booker T. Set

Company: Stax

Catalog: STS-2009

Year: 1969

Country/State: Memphis, Tennessee

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: minor ring and edge wear; original metallic foil cover

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 5042

Price: $8.00

 

 

If you were expecting to hear something completely different from the band's patented sound, then you probably had little interest in 1969's "The Booker T. Set".  Like the last couple of sets this one found the quartet taking on a series of popular pop and soul hits and subjecting them to a Memphis sound makeover.  The results were mixed with soul covers such as Cliff Nobles 'The Horse' and Sly Stone's 'Sing a Simple Song' lending themselves to the updates better than some of the pop material.  At the other extreme their cover of The Beatles' 'Michelle'  and Burt Bacharach's 'This Guy's In Love with You' were both pretty lame.  Highlights included their cover of The Supremes 'Love Child' (it took me a couple of spins to recognize the song), '' and ''.  Curiously Stax management tapped one of the lamer covers as a single, though it managed to go top 40 - 'Mrs. Robinson' b/w 'Soul Clap' (Stax catalog number STA-0037)  

 

A nice and enjoyable album in a background music fashion, but hardly a necessity for anyone other than hardcore fanatics. Dock it a star for the absence of much in the way of original material - one song Jones and Bell co-wrote with Eddie Floyd ('I've Never Found a Girl').  Still, propelled by the hit single the parent album sold well, hitting # 53.

 

"The Booker T. Set" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) The Horse (instrumental)   (Jesse James) - 2:45 

2.) Love Child (instrumental)   (Deke Richards - Pam Sawyer - Dean R. Taylor - Frank WIlson) - 3:02

3.) Sing a Simple Song (instrumental)   (H.S. Pepper - J. Watt - B. Feldman) - 3:33

4.) Lady Madonna (instrumental)   (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 3:32

5.) Mrs. Robinson (instrumental)   (Paul Simon) - 3:41

 

(side 2)

1.) This Guy's In Love with You (instrumental)   (Burt Bacharach) - 3:09

2.) Light My Fire (instrumental)   (Jim Morrison - Ray Manzarek - Densmore) - 4:18

3.) Michelle (instrumental)   (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 2:49

4.) You're All I Need To Get By (instrumental)   (Nickolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 3:54

5.) I've Never Found a Girl (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Eddie Floyd - Al Bell) - 2:49

6.) It's You Thing (instrumental)   (Ron Isley - O'Kelly Isley - Rudolph Isley) - 3:02

 

 

 


Genre: soul

Rating: * (1 star)

Title:  McLemore Avenue

Company: Stax

Catalog: STS-2027

Year: 1970

Country/State: Memphis, Tennessee

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: gatefold sleeve

Available: SOLD

Catalog ID: SOLD

Price: SOLD

 

Pulling a page out of the George Benson songbook, 1970's "McLemore Avenue" (named after the road outside of Stax Studios) was a shoddy track-for-track instrumental remake of the Beatles' "Abbey Road."   Ill conceived and hastily recorded, there was no reason to subject anyone to this, unless they had an inexplicable desire to hear tepid remakes of classic songs such as George Harrison's 'Something'.  Nice to know these guys were Beatles fans, but this was simply a quick way to screw the poor consumer out of a couple of bucks.  The set's sole highlight stemmed from the nifty parody of The Beatles "Abbey Road" cover. Justifiably a commercially failure, the album peaked at # 107. 

"McLemore Avenue" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End, Here Comes the Sun, Come Together   (John Lennon - Paul McCartney - George Harrison) - 15:46

 

(side 2)

1.) Something   (George Harrison) - 4:07 

2.) Sun King, Mean Mr. Mustard, Polythene Pam, She Came Through the Bathroom Window, I Want You, She's So Heavy   (J0hn Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 10:39


Genre: soul

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Booker T. & the M.G.'s  Greatest Hits

Company: Stax

Catalog: STS-2033 

Year: 1970

Country/State: Memphis, Tennessee

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: name stamped in inner label

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 4788

Price: $9.00

 

Given this was the group's second "best of" compilation, "Booker T. & the M.G.'s Greatest Hits" was surprisingly good.  With Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper and the rest of the band increasingly at odds with Stax management, the label apparently sensed the group's commercial viability was rapidly coming to an end.  Why not another hits album?   True, the collection covered much of the same ground as the earlier set, but added a couple of later era singles, including the Jones solo single "Johnny, I Love You". As such, not every one of these was a massive hit and there were some curious omissions, but you'll recognize the vast majority of the eleven tunes.

"Booker T. & the M.G.'s Greatest Hits" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Hang Em High (instrumental) (Dominic Frontiere) - 3:53
2.) Eleanor Rigby (instrumental) (John Lennon - Paul McCarntey) - 3:34
3.) Soul Limbo (instrumental) (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Dunn - Al Jackson) - 2:23
4.) Over Easy (instrumental) (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Dunn - Al Jackson) - 4:05
5.) Mrs. Robinson (instrumental) (Paul Simon) - 3:38

(side 2)

1.) Something (instrumental) (George Harrison) - 3:38
2.) Time Is Tight (instrumental) (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Dunn - Al Jackson) - 3:14
3.) Johnny, I Love You (Booker T. Jones) - 3:00
4.) Heads Or Tails (instrumental) (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Dunn - Al Jackson) - 2:30
5.) Meditation (instrumental) (Booker T. Jones) - 3:59
6.) Hip Hug Her (instrumental) (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Dunn - Al Jackson) - 2:22

 

 

 



Genre: soul

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  Melting Pot

Company: Stax

Catalog: STS-2035

Year: 1971

Country/State: Memphis, Tennessee

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: still  in shrink wrap (opened)

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 2520

Price: $10.00

 

Best time to listen to: sunny July day with the top down, while your heading for the beach

Sadly this one gets most of its notoriety as the last studio release by the original lBooker T. and the M.G.'s line-up.  Shame since 1971's "Melting Pot" had so much going for it.   Recorded amidst what's best described as an M.G. mutiny against the Al Bell managed Stax organization, the self-produced album was largely recorded in New York.  For goodness sakes, The M.G.s recording in New York ...   What was the world coming too in 1971?   In spite of strained circumstances, the band's patented sound remained instantly recognizable, though there were some distinctive changes.  Exemplified by material like the title track, the album featured all original material, with the the group taking a stab at updating their sound, stretching out well beyond their earlier boundaries.  Maybe not quite a jam album, but pretty darned close with the band effortlessly mixing soul, blues, Gospel, and jazz into the grooves.  And the funny thing was this set was simply great - maybe the most consistent and enjoyable collection they'd ever recorded.  Perhaps because they'd reached a point where the no longer cared what Stax management thought.  Tunes like 'Back Home', 'Kind Easy Like'' and 'L.A. Jazz Song' sounded like music the four members always wanted to record for themselves - not what some Stax marketing consultant thought audiences wanted to hear.  A perfect example to put on when you're heading to the beach for a couple of days of summer vacation.

"Melting Pot" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Melting Pot (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Dunn - Al Jackson) - 8:15    rating: **** stars

I won't call it outright jazzy, but the title track certainly found the group moving in that direction.  That's not to say it wasn't tight as all and addictive. Stax released an edited version as a single:

- 1971's 'Melting Pot' b/w 'Kinda Easy Like' (Stax catalog number STA 0082) # 45 pop; # 21 R&B

   Not sure when or where it was recorded, but YouTube has a great clip of a reunited Booker T. and the MG's (with Danny Gottlieb replacing the late Al Jackson), performing the tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuyBlR_23gc 

2.) Back Home (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Dunn - Al Jackson) - 4:40   rating: **** stars

Booker T. and the boys showing off their blues-meets-Gospel prowess.   Simply dazzling.   

3.) Chicken Pox (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Dunn - Al Jackson) - 3:26   rating: **** stars

Anyone who didn't think these guys could get down and funky only needed to check out 'Chicken Pox'.  Simply blazing.   

4.) Fuquawi (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Dunn - Al Jackson) - 3:40   rating: **** stars

Not sure about the title, but kicked along by Jackson's impeccable drumming, Jones' always tasteful Hammond, and Cropper's instantly recognizable guitar, 'Fuquawi' was a blazing little rocker.  Sure, the native Indian touches sounded a bit cartoonish  and maybe not politically correct in this day and age, but it sure would have made a nice single.

(side 2)

1.) Kinda Easy Like (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Lewis Steinberg - Al Jackson) - 8:43   rating: **** stars

Probably the tune that bares the most resemblance to their earlier catalog - and that certainly was not meant as a criticism since this was one amazing performance.   Kudos to Dunn for his impeccable work ...  and when all four members kick in around the 1:40 mark this becomes a classic performance.  Always loved the "vocals" on this one - imagine what a group like The Free Design would have sounded like if they'd had this degree of inherent soulfullness in their DNA..

2.) Hi Ride (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Dunn - Al Jackson) - 2:36  rating: *** stars

Bouncy, but also the album's most forgettable tune ...

3.) L.A. Jazz Song (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Dunn - Al Jackson) - 4:18   rating: *** stars

Maybe a touch too cocktail jazzy for some folks, but Cropper's work was simply magnificent.   

4.) Sunny Monday (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Dunn - Al Jackson) - 4:35   rating: *** stars

I've always loved this one, but have to admit that Cropper sounded like he borrowed more than a bit of the melody from Mason Williams' 'Classical Gas'.   Not a bad source of inspiration.

 

 

 


Genre: soul

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Universal Language

Company: Asylum

Catalog: 7E-1093 

Year: 1977

Country/State: Memphis, Tennessee

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+

Comments: minor ring and edge wear; original inner sleeve

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 4787

Price: $9.00

Sessions for a reunion Booker T. and the M.G.s album actually started in 1975, but were derailed when drummer Al Jackson was shot and killed in his Memphis home by a burglar.  Two years later Steve Cropper, Donald Dunn, and Booker T. finally reunited with Willie Hall stepping in as replacement drummer.  Self-produced, 1977's "Universal Language" fell a little short of classic M.G.'s status, but had more than it's share of winning moments.  Propelled by Booker T Jones' instantly recognizable Hammond B-3 and Steve Cropper's stellar guitar, exemplified by tracks such as 'In Memphis' and 'Space Nuts' the band's sound remained largely intact.   The album was't perfect; on a couple of they attempted to update their sound with some ill advised synthesizers ('Sticky Stuff') and some Cropper voice box guitar effects on 'Grab Bag'.  Those touches were more startling than effective.  Perhaps not their quintessential release, but all told a nice comeback.  

 

"Universal Language" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Sticky Stuff (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Duck Dunn - Willie Hall) - 4:06   rating: *** stars

My only complaint with the funky 'Sticky Stuff' came from Jones' cheesy synthesizer washes.  I'm guessing these were pretty state of the art back in 1977, but the sound simply has aged well and today it sounds like something pulled from a bad porn film soundtrack.  The tune was muchbetter when Jones reverted to his tried and true Hammond B-3 moves.  Asylum tapped the tune as the leadoof single:

- 'Sticky Stuff' b/w 'Tie Stick' (Asylum catalog number E-45392)

2.) Grab Bag (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald duck Dunn - Willie Hall) - 4:34   rating: *** stars

Nice jamming rock tune with the emphasis on Hammond B-3 and Cropper's snarling guitar riff.  Like the previous tune, this one started to go off the rails when they tried to update their song - in this case Cropper introducing a lengthy voice box guitar solo.   His performance wasn't bad, but wouldn't you listen to Joe Walsh if you wanted to hear something along those lines?  The song was also tapped as a single:

- 'Grab Bag' b/w 'Reincarnation' (Asylum catalog number E-45424)

3.) Space Nuts (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald duck Dunn - Willie Hall) - 3:31    rating: *** stars

Hum, almost a ballad ...   One of the prettier melodies they recorded with some nice, blazing Crooper lead guitar keeping it from getting too sappy.

4.) Love Wheels (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald duck Dunn - Willie Hall) - 3:37  rating: **** stars

Not sure what to call this one - jazz-soul fusion?   Regardless, it was one of the album's standout performances with the Jones-Cropper team doing themselves proud.  Cropper turned in some of his prettiest moves on this one.

5.) Moto Cross (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald duck Dunn - Willie Hall) - 4:31  rating: ** stars

Sounding like it stitched together three separate tunes, including a quick nod to Mickey and Sylvia's 'Love Is Strange', 'Moto Cross' has always reminded me of something penned for a throwaway film soundtrack.   

 

(side 2)

1.) Last Tango In Memphis (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Duck Dunn - Willie Hall) - 5:26   rating: **** stars

Nothing more than speculation on my part, but given the band's unhappy relationship with Stax, perhaps this one was intended as a not-too-subtle swipe at the company ?  Regardless, showcasing Dunn's bass and Jones' Hammond B-3, it was a wonderfully smooth and slinky slice of M.G.'s-styled jazz-cum-soul.   Pretty melody that will stick in your head for a long time.

2.)  M.G.'s Salsa (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Duck Dunn - Willie Hall) - 5:29   rating: *** stars

In spite of the title, 'M.G.''s Salsa' didn't have much of a Latin flavor  - more of a cocktail jazz feel with plenty of what sounded like xylophone.  Pleasant, but not particularly memorable.

3.) Tie Stick (instrumental)   (Johnny Stevenson) - 5:01   rating: *** stars

The one cover tune, 'Tie Stick'  has always reminded me a bit of something out of The Young Holt Trio catalog.   Easy to paicture it on an adult contemporary station playlist.   Yeah, kind of bland ...

4.) Reincarnation (instrumental)   (Booker T. Jones - Steve Cropper - Donald Duck Dunn - Willie Hall) - 5:15   rating: *** stars

Hum, Booker T. and company delve into jazz-rock fusion ...   Different for them, but not exactly exciting.  

 

 

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