Booker T and the M.G.’s: Green Onions

Booker T and the M.G.’s was the house band for Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee, and as such they appeared on virtually every single that Stax released during its heyday in the Sixties and early Seventies. The band can be heard backing Stax’s star vocalists on recordings by Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, Carla Thomas and others. 

As one of the most influential instrumental ensembles in American music, Booker T. and the M.G.’s pioneered the sparse, groove-heavy blueprint of the Southern soul sound. Operating out of the legendary Satellite studio in Memphis, this trailblazing, racially integrated quartet defined an era of cross-cultural musical collaboration during a time of intense social civil rights struggles. Their signature blend of interlocking rhythm patterns, driving bass lines, and piercing organ melodies became an indelible hallmark of twentieth-century popular culture. 

The band consisted of Booker T. Jones on organ/piano, Steve Cropper on guitar, Donald “Duck” Dunn on bass, and Al Jackson on drums. This versatile and talented ensemble was equally comfortable providing accompaniment for blues or ballads, rock, or R&B. In addition to providing Stax singers with a backing band, they released instrumental singles under their own name, including “Groovin,” Hip Hug Her,” “Time is Tight,” and their biggest hit, “Green Onions.” 

With the addition of the Memphis horns, the band also recorded instrumental tracks as the “Mar-Keys.” 

In the early eighties, the surviving members of the band, Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn, were members of Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi’s Blues Brothers band and were featured in the movie “The Blues Brothers.” They returned with Ackroyd in “Blues Brothers 2000.” 

The band recorded several fine studio albums in the Sixties, including "Green Onions" (1962), "Soul Dressing" (1965), and "Hip Hug Her" (1967), but "The Best of Booker T and the M.G.'s" (1968) may be all you require. 

Essential Album Review: Green Onions (1962) 

This sensational debut studio album stands as a definitive cornerstone of instrumental rhythm and blues. Built around the spontaneous genius of its title track, the record perfectly showcases the band's tight, minimalist approach to rhythm. Jones’s Hammond M-3 organ work provides a swirling, gritty texture that pairs seamlessly with Cropper's sharp, economic guitar stabs. It remains a timeless audio masterclass in groove and constraint. 

• Released: October 1962 
• Label: Stax Records 
• Producer: Jim Stewart 
• Core Personnel: Booker T. Jones (Organ), Steve Cropper (Guitar), Lewie Steinberg (Bass), Al Jackson Jr. (Drums) 
• Key Tracks: "Green Onions", "Behave Yourself", "Mo' Onions" 

Essential Album Review: Hip Hug-Her (1967) 

Marking a crucial evolutionary point in the ensemble's discography, this mid-1960s release captures the definitive lineup operating at the absolute peak of their collaborative powers. With Donald "Duck" Dunn fully locked in on bass, the rhythm section achieves an unparalleled level of syncopation. The tracking features a brilliant mixture of tight original grooves and soulful, transformed interpretations of contemporary pop and R&B hits. 

• Released: June 1967 
• Label: Stax Records 
• Producer: Jim Stewart 
• Core Personnel: Booker T. Jones (Organ), Steve Cropper (Guitar), Donald "Duck" Dunn (Bass), Al Jackson Jr. (Drums) 
• Key Tracks: "Hip Hug-Her", "Groovin'", "Slim Jenkin's Place" 

Essential Compilation Review: The Best of Booker T. & the M.G.'s (1968) 

For listeners seeking a comprehensive gateway into the definitive architecture of the Memphis soul sound, this landmark 1968 compilation is unmatched. The collection neatly aggregates the band's most influential instrumental hits alongside essential tracks that shaped the Stax legacy. It serves as an indispensable historical audio capsule, preserving the timeless, rhythmically precise tracks that soundtracked a generation. 

• Released: 1968 
• Label: Atlantic Records / Stax Records 
• Producer: Jim Stewart, Staff 
• Core Personnel: Booker T. Jones (Organ), Steve Cropper (Guitar), Donald "Duck" Dunn (Bass), Al Jackson Jr. (Drums) 
• Key Tracks: "Time Is Tight", "Green Onions", "Boot-Leg" 

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