#booker t. & the m.g.’s

[duffertube]

Stax Records Presents

Booker T. & The M.G.'s

1. Green Onions (live) (Album Version)

2. Time Is Tight (Single Version)

3. Soul Limbo

4. Hang 'Em High

5. Something (Single Version)

6. Soul Clap '69 (Single Version)

7. Fuquawi

8. Tic Tac Toe (Album Version - Alternate version)

9. Over Easy

10. Mrs. Robinson (Instrumental)

11. When Something Is Wrong With My Baby

12. Good Groove

13. Gimme Some Lovin'

14. Boot-Leg (live) (Album Version)

15. Melting Pot

Source: Internet Archive

[musickickztoo]

Donald "Duck" Dunn 

November 24, 1941 – May 13, 2012

[krispyweiss]

OM.G.’s: Booker T. is 8-T

HBD to the OG M.G.: Booker T. Jones turns 80 today.

Born Nov. 12, 1944, in Memphis, Jones - sans surname - is the namesake leader of the M.G.’s, best known for their signature instrumental “Green Onions” and as the house band for Stax Records.

With the M.G.’s - guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn and drummer Al Jackson Jr. - Booker T. recorded with Otis Redding, Albert King, Bill Withers, Sam and Dave and others in the 1960s.

The musicians received renewed exposure as the house band in “The Blues Brothers” and the band is enshrined in the Rock and Roll, Musicians, Memphis Music and Blues halls of fame.

In the 21st century, Jones has recorded with Neil Young, Elton John and Leon Russell and others. He still plays occasionally with a different set of M.G.’s and his featured appearances in 2023’s “Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90” were among the film’s highlights.

11/12/24

[1001albumsrated]

#32: Booker T. & the M.G.'s - Green Onions (1962)

Genre(s): RnB, Soul, Funk, Rock

This one's a pretty big deal. It's one of the rare non-jazz/non-classical instrumental albums to really do well and cause some impact. This group was the outlet for original material from members of Stax's house band, the Mar-Keys. As such, these guys have played on an impossible to quantify number of classic records (session musicians typically went uncredited in those days, despite often being a driving creative force behind the music). The title track was a big hit, which is a tough thing to achieve as an instrumental group in the pop sphere. And more importantly, it's a real fun listen.

One thing that sets Green Onions apart from a lot of instrumental music for me is the amount of structure and restraint shown across the album. For the most part the songs are songs first, rather than beds for jamming or improvisation. And while there are plenty of great solos to go around, the album spends a fair amount of time in verse/chorus mode, with the organ typically taking over "vocals". The solos always feel well-placed, intentional, and more than anything else lyrical. In fact, the fluidity of the playing on this album almost makes you forget that some of these tunes ever had vocals in the first place and weren't originally just written to be instrumentals. I Got a Woman is a highlight (and arguably the best track on the record), as is their version of Twist and Shout.

My only real complaint about this album (and get used to hearing this as we drift further into the 60s) is that most tracks end in fade-outs. While this can be a valid songwriting strategy in rare situations, 99% of the time it's just lazy songwriting. Choosing how to end a song is one of the hardest parts about writing one, and fade-outs are the ultimate cop out of the task. "Yeah man, let's just jam at the end and let the engineer figure out when to cut it off" or "Yeah let's just repeat the chorus some more, idk" are both lame non-choices. It feels more excusable on instrumental albums, but I'm going to hold them to task here anyways. Sometimes it's a situation where the band simply has more material than will fit on a single record and a few minutes need to be chopped, but again, a more adept songwriter will be aware of this limitation and know how to work around it.

Frankly it's a minor gripe in this case, but it's a personal pet peeve of mine so I had to at least soapbox a bit about it. Anyways, aside from that this album is excellent, and furthermore a very unique listen compared to most other albums of this era. This is an easy Yes for me on the MUST-o-meter.

I listened to this in hi-res on Qobuz, like most albums I don't own. I passed up a very nice audiophile pressing of this a while back, probably should have grabbed it, but oh well I suppose. Also, if you want to hear an excellent modern iteration on this sound, I highly recommend the album Baked, Broiled & Fried by Cookin' on 3 Burners (mostly instrumental aside from one or two guest vocalists, also features a killer version of Feel Good Inc).

Next time, we're dipping into the beginnings of bossa nova with Jazz Samba by Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz!

[omegaplus]

# 4,334

Otis Redding & Carla Thomas: “Tramp” German 7″ (1967)

Omega WUSB spun Otis Redding & Carla Thomas’ lead-off single from their duet covers album King & Queen (1967) for one of last Summer’s bonus one-hour shows. We can’t think of a nastier song from the Sixties and Thomas really took Redding to the trash in a take from Lowell Fulsom’s 1967 original (which was originally a solo). Putting more chips on the stack were producer Isaac Hayes and The Booker T & The M.G.’s who became the backing band for this #2 single on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles and #26 out of the Hot 100. This was one of ten songs that comprised King & Queen which took only six days to record and that album hit #5 on Billboards Hot R&B Albums chart.

[mywifeleftme]

295: Booker T. & the M.G.'s // Melting Pot

Melting Pot Booker T. & the M.G.'s 1970, Stax

Generally thought to be the best LP by the legendary instrumental soul combo Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Melting Pot has the pros and cons of any record of its ilk. On the good side: You have the opportunity to hear the band behind some of the greatest soul singers of all time truly get their teeth into a groove and work it out like nobody’s business, resulting in a clearing house of deeply funky breakbeats, keyboard vamps, chicken scratch licks, and smoky vibes that put a strut into, like, filing your taxes or drying the dishes. Both sides open with eight-minute jams that showcase the fourpiece’s earthy chemistry and pack more fireworks than a ponderous Zeppelin voyage of twice the duration. The title track is the obvious classic here, but don’t sleep on the “Frankenstein”-esque “Chicken Pox” or the peculiar shake of “Fuquawi.”

The downside is that, great as the band is, unless you are an aspiring soul musician this does feel more like (extremely cool) mood music than something you’re going to listen to intently for a full forty minutes. The titles of the songs sound like the names you give to riff ideas (“L.A. Jazz Song”; “Hi Ride”), and without a vocalist to lend singalong hooks or sweatbucket emotion, the songs frequently have a meandering quality. On my first listens to songs like “Back Home” and “Chicken Pox” I could’ve sworn I was listening to instrumental takes on familiar Stax singles whose titles hung teasingly out of reach. The album also ends with the peculiar “Sunny Monday,” a bit of orchestrated Procul Harum-esque pseudo prog complete with strummy Ren Faire acoustic guitar that reminds you there were white guys in this band from the beginning.

On balance though, Melting Pot catches one of the greatest R&B bands to ever do it chopping it up at a sizzling temperature. It’s a very-nice-to-have for appreciators of the classic Stax sound, and an essential for real heads.

295/365

[soundgrammar]

Steve Cropper

[music-tourney]

Here are all 72 songs we are entering in the tournament

Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles

Somebody to Love by Jefferson Airplane

Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues

Sweet Caroline By Neil Diamond

All along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix

Pinball Wizard by The Who

House of the Rising Sun by the Animals

California Dreamin’ by The Mama's and the Papa's

People are strange by the Doors

Paint it Black by The Rolling Stones

Mrs. Robinson By Simon and Garfunkel

Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Good vibrations by the Beach Boys

What a wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

21st Century Schizoid Man By King Crimson

Space Oddity by David Bowie

You really got me by the Kinks

Spirit in the Sky By Norman Greenbaum

Respect by Aretha Franklin

Feeling Good by Nina Simone

I'm a Believer by The Monkees

White Room by Cream

Piece of my Heart By Big Brother and the Holding Company

Season of the Witch by Donovan

Like a rolling stone by Bob Dylan

Be my Baby by the Ronettes

Son of a Preacher man by Dusty Springfield

She's not there by the Zombies

Complication by the Monks

Heroin by the Velvet Underground

Ain't Too Proud for Beggin by the Temptations

I want you back by The Jackson 5

Alice's Restaurant Massacree by Arlo Guthrie

Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison

Eight Miles High by the Byrds

Come A little bit Closer by Jay and the Americans

So Long Mom (A song for World War III) by Tom Lehrer

Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash

Suite: Judy Blue Eyes by Cosby, Stills and Nash

Change is gonna come by Sam Cooke

You Can't Hurry Love by the Supremes

Happy Together by the Turtles

Tainted Love by Gloria Jones

Dream a Little Dream of Me by Mama Cass

Maybe This Time by Liza Minnelli

Don't Rain on My Parade by Barbra Streisand

Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter, Paul and Mary

Good Times, Bad Times by Led Zeppelin

Ain't no mountain high enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

This boots are made for walking by Nancy Sinatra

Sitting by the dock of the bay by Otis Redmond

Cactus tree by Joni Mitchell

Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells

I Got You (I Feel Good) by James Brown

Georgia on My Mind by Ray Charles

River Deep Mountain High by Ike and Tina Turner

My Way by Frank Sinatra

For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield

Fire by Arthur Brown

Blackberry Way by the move

The Girl From Ipanema by Stan Getz And Joāo Gilberto

Can't take my eyes off you - Frankie valli

Green onions by Booker T. & The M.G.’s

Stand by Me by Ben E. King

Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows By Lesley Gore

Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett

Wichita Lineman by Glen Campbell

I Say a Little Prayer by Dionne Warwick

Aquarius (Let the Sunshine In) by the 5th Dimension

The Impossible Dream by Jim Nabors

Return to sender by Elvis Presley

It's not Unusual by Tom Jones

[musickickztoo]

Booker T. Jones *November 12, 1944

[krispyweiss]

Song Review: Steve Cropper & the Midnight Hour feat. Brian May - “Too Much Stress”

“Too Much Stress” has a lot of cooks. But it doesn’t really cook.

The lead single from Steve Cropper’s forthcoming (Aug. 23) Friendlytown finds the M.G. supported by the Midnight Hour with Billy F. Gibbons and features Brian May on guitar and vocals. But it’s an uptempo mish-mash of guitar solos, Queenly backgrounds and silly lyrics delivered by May:

I’m behind, I must confess/my apologies/too much stress/too much stress/just to keep my head straight/takes all my power/life is coming at me/like, 100 miles per hour, he sings.

Full of talent though it may be, “Too Much Stress” is an empty vessel of a track.

Grade card: Steve Cropper & the Midnight Hour feat. Brian May - “Too Much Stress” - C-

7/1/24

[undergroundrockpress]

Atlanta International Pop Festival, July 4–5, 1969.

Lineup :

Blood, Sweat & Tears / Booker T. & the M.G.'s / The Butterfield Blues Band / Canned Heat / Chicago Transit Authority / Joe Cocker / Creedence Clearwater Revival / The Dave Brubeck Trio w/ Gerry Mulligan / Delaney and Bonnie and Friends / Grand Funk Railroad / Ian & Sylvia / Tommy James and the Shondells / Janis Joplin / Al Kooper / Led Zeppelin / Pacific Gas & Electric / Johnny Rivers / Spirit / The Staple Singers / Sweetwater / Ten Wheel Drive / Johnny Winter.

[qrfit]

Happy Holidays!

From, our house to yours!

💚🎄❤️

[farmerbebop]

I'll be back at my mom's house in two days so let me say Merry Christmas to all of you now.

Be free, you prisoners.

Be seeing you.

Reference: In the Christmas Spirit - Booker T. & the M.G.'s

[flamingostalker]

Curious about the oldies songs on your playlists 👀👀👀👀👀

hiiiii!!👋😎 so for thorin's playlist I have:

Johnny Cash- 25 Minutes to Go, Daddy Sang Bass, and My Treasure (which partially inspired the fic i started WHICH I WILL FINISH SOON!! affirmations!!!)

Nina Simone- Plain Gold Ring (def need to add some more but fighting the Gremlin in my brain that tells me to add Be My Husband to every single playlist)

(and then so sorry beloved readers i will be including 70s in this definition)

Fleetwood Mac- Gold Dust Woman

Steely Dan - Dirty Work

Booker T & the M.G.'s - Green Onions (still working on adding more stax music on here. i think it has that jam-like quality but with fun funk undertones i think thorin would enjoy)

Link to Thorin Playlist🕺

for fîli i have:

Dolly Parton - Dumb Blonde (need more dolly on this playlist tbh i think a lot of her songs about homesickness fit him)

Mahalia Jackson - Summertime/Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child (her version of summertime is the best one not sorry)

(also def still working on his as well. I feel like he need more soul yknow. catch his ass listening to otis redding and al green in the middle of the night. he's just a little guy and hes got so much yearning in his heart and he grew up listening to thorin's stax collection)

Link to Fîli Playlist🔪

[kickmag]

Watch HBO Docuseries Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. Trailer

Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. is an HBO original documentary about the record label that helped shape the course of American music in the '60s and '70s. Jamila Wignot is the producer and director of the four-part series which is a production of Laylow Pictures and White Horse Pictures in association with Concord Originals, Polygram Entertainment, and Warner Music Entertainment. Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Johnnie Taylor, Booker T. & The M.G.'s and Wilson Pickett are some of the artists who called Stax home.

Jim Stewart and his sister Estelle Axton founded the label in 1957 as Satellite Records. By 1961 the name was changed to Stax. Rufus Thomas and his daughter Carla created the label's first regional hit with "Cause I Love You" in 1961. Otis Redding put Stax in the national spotlight in the early '60s thanks to "These Arms Of Mine" and "Respect" which Aretha Franklin made her own. At the height of the label's success, their artists commemorated the Watts Rebellion by playing the 1972 Wattstax benefit concert. 

The label's story is told through archival footage and insight from the founders, singer Carla Thomas, Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Stax’s director of publicity; David Porter, Booker T. Jones, Stax singer and songwriter; Sam Moore, and more. Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. will debut on Monday, May 20th at 9 PM ET on HBO with the first two episodes.  Episodes three and four will air the next day at the same time.