Booker T. & The M.G.s ‎– Green Onions

INCLUDES 2 BONUS TRACKS

Few rhythm sections have become as famous as Booker T. & The M.G.s. As the Funk Brothers were to Motown, so Booker T. & The M.G.s were to the Stax/Volt labels, playing on countless R&B and soul hits during the 1960s. The band helped define the spare, punchy sound of Memphis soul music. By contrast to Motown’s orchestrated, pop-soul records, the Stax approach was lean, economical and deeply groove-oriented.

By 1962, guitarist Steve Cropper, organist Booker T. Jones and bassist Lewis Steinberg were established session musicians at the Stax/Volt labels. All three musicians were present at a recording date for the rockabilly singer Billy Lee Riley (of “Flying Saucers Rock ‘n’ Roll” fame). The session also included drummer Al Jackson, Jr., with whom Steinberg had played in the house band at Memphis’ Plantation Inn. The four rhythm-section sidemen cut the hit song “Green Onions” at that same session, and the band Booker T. & The M.G.s was formed.

Available again on vinyl, this quintessential collector’s edition includes Booker T. & The M.G.s’ outstanding debut LP, Green Onions (originally released by Stax in 1962), which is widely regarded as one of the great cornerstones of soul and R&B. This is the material that helped define the sound of Memphis soul. In addition to this masterpiece, we have included 2 bonus tracks performed by The Mar-Keys – a group of excellent studio session musicians from Memphis, featuring Steve Cropper, Booker T. Jones and Al Jackson, Jr., among others, before they became Booker T. & The M.G.s.

PERSONNEL:

BOOKER T. & THE M.G.s:
Booker T. Jones – organ
STEVE CROPPER – electric guitar
LEWIS STEINBERG – bass
AL JACKSON, Jr – drums

Recorded by Jim Stewart in Memphis, Tennessee, June-August 1962.

Except “Squint-Eye” and “Sit Still”, performed by The Mar-Keys:
Steve Cropper, Charlie Freeman (guitar), Donald “Duck” Dunn (bass) Charles “Packy” Axton (tenor saxophone), Don Nix (baritone sax)
Wayne Jackson (trumpet), Booker T. Jones (organ), Al Jackson, Jr. (drums).
Recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, 1962.

SIDE A:

01. GREEN ONIONS
02. RINKY-DINK
03. I GOT A WOMAN
04. MO’ ONIONS
05. TWIST AND SHOUT
06. BEHAVE YOURSELF
07. SQUINT-EYE – (by The Mar-Keys) *

SIDE B:

01. STRANGER ON THE SHORE
02. LONELY AVENUE
03. ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU
04. CAN’T SIT DOWN
05. A WOMAN, A LOVER, A FRIEND
06. COMIN’ HOME BABY
07. SIT STILL – (by The Mar-Keys) *

* Bonus tracks