Booker T. & The MGs
Though best remembered for their vibrant instrumental hits "Green Onions" and "Time Is Tight" Booker T. & The MGs (Memphis Group) played a vital role in 60's Soul.
In the '50s and '60s there were several small but successful labels that specialized in a particular sound. Sun Records - Rockabilly, Chess - Blues, Atlantic - R&B and Stax (later Stax-Volt) - Soul.
Booker T. & The MGs started as the Stax house band working recording sessions for countless Soul and Blues acts including Otis Redding, Albert King and the Mar-Keys. Booker T. Jones arrived at the label as a sax player. But his multi-instrumental talents finally landed him on keyboards - namely the Hammond organ. Unlike the sharp sounding, portable Vox organ that most groups used, the Hammond was more like a piece of furniture. A Vox organ had fast action and played like the keyboard equivalent of a Fender guitar. A Hammond played like a piano. It had an austere sound, more suitable for church than as a Rock 'n' Roll tool. But Booker T. could coax the most intoxicating Blues-based riffs from his Hammond.
The MGs had legendary guitarist Steve Cropper. The rhythm section was Lewis Steinberg (bass) and Al Jackson Jr. (drums). During a session Stax owner Jim Stewart heard the group doing "Behave Yourself" and wanted to release it. Fine. But as sometimes happens, DJs passed on "Behave Yourself" and flipped the record over to play the B-side, "Green Onions." The boogie organ, sharp guitar and propelling rhythm were unstoppable. Stax released the song as an A-side in late '62 and saw it rise to #3 on the pop charts. In '64, Steinberg was tossed out for being late to one too many sessions and the seminal bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn stepped in. Booker T. & The MGs released a series of instrumentals with modest success. In '69, the group reached #6 with another organ driven groove "Time Is Tight" which was from Booker T.'s score for the film Up Tight.
The "Hip Hugger" album shows Booker T. & The MGs playing with a captivating confidence and real swagger. Even though the title track barely grazed the Top 40 in '67 they know they're damn good and they've got the chops to prove it. The original "Green Onions" album is more basic, straight-ahead Rock/R&B/Soul. "McLemore Avenue" has the group covering The Beatles' "Abbey Road" album.