Booker T. And The MG's - Songs

ABOUT

Booker T. & The MG's were a highly acclaimed and influential R&B/soul instrumental group that became famous during the 1960s. Best known for the bluesy soul standard, "Green Onions" (1962), other classics include the Latin-flavored "Soul-Limbo" (1968) and the laid-back yet funky "Time Is Tight" (1969).

Formed in 1962 in Memphis, Tennessee at Stax Records by session keyboardist Booker T. Jones, the original lineup also consisted of fellow session musicians Steve Cropper (guitar), drummer Al Jackson Jr. (November 27, 1935 - October 1, 1975), and bassist Lewie Steinberg (September 13, 1933 - July 21, 2016) who was replaced in 1965 by Donald "Duck" Dunn (November 24, 1941 - May 13, 2012). As the house band for Stax, Booker T. & The MG's were instrumental in defining the sound of Southern and Memphis soul, and they can be heard on hundreds of recordings by such artists as Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Johnnie Taylor, and Bill Withers.

Booker T. & The MG's made their debut as recording artists in 1962 with "Green Onions," which topped the R&B charts and made the Pop/Rock Top 5. This smash, which soon after went gold and became the group's signature song, was followed by a long string of instrumental hits through 1971 on both charts that include "Boot-Leg" (1965), "Hip Hug-Her" (1967), "Slim Jenkin's Place" (1967), "Soul-Limbo" (1968), "Hang 'Em High" (1968), "Time Is Tight" (1969), and "Melting Pot" (1971). Other hits include instrumental covers of such then-popular songs as The Young Rascals' "Groovin'" (1967), Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" (1969), and The Beatles' "Something" (1970).

Booker T. & The MG's first disbanded in 1971, with several reunions through 1977. Although an album was planned in mid 1975, this project was shelved after the murder of Jackson later that year by a home intruder. The surviving members remained active as session musicians, and Cropper and Dunn joined The Blues Brothers during the late 1970s and appeared in the same-named 1980 film. Booker T. & The MG's reformed many years later in 1992 and continued to perform and record actively before finally splitting for good in 2012 after the passing of Dunn. Booker T. Jones has remained active to the present day.

Booker T. & The MG's were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1992), the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum (2008), the Memphis Music Hall of Fame (2012), and the Blues Hall of Fame (2019). "Green Onions" was given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999 and added to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2012, and this iconic song has also been featured in "American Graffiti" (1973) and various other movie soundtracks over the years.

LINKS

MERCHANDISE

Disclosure: The following links will take you to various online merchants outside of allbutforgottenoldies.net that sell recordings and other merchandise for the performing artist featured on this page. Please note that these are referral or affiliate links from which allbutforgottenoldies.net may receive, at no additional cost to you, a commission if you should make any purchases through them.

SONGS

To listen to a song clip, click any song title that has a speaker icon. This will take you to a list of links to CD and/or MP3 product pages from one or more online merchants that have sound samples.

Booker T. And The MG's

Jump to:
Previous Artist | Next Artist