Booker T. And The MG's

[Jazz Kat]

Thoughts? Fav tracks?

[JSngry]

"Time Is Tight".

[Big Al]

Green Onions!

[Jazz Kat]

Allright, they're two biggest hits. What do you think of them as musicians and a band?

[ghost of miles]

Love 'em as a band--only here to pass along an anecdote. Don Glass, a longtime WFIU station exec/program creator, came here to IU in the mid-1960s to teach at the School of Music. In one of his classes was a quiet, sharp-dressed African-American student who was always out of town for long weekends... Don, immersed in the world of classical, didn't know who the guy was till later. Said guy was Booker T., and he was away on the weekends gigging and recording for Stax.

Fave track: "Chinese Checkers."

Edited April 5, 2005 by ghost of miles

[JSngry]

Great musicians. House rhythm section for Stax for so many years, and the results speak for themselves.

[Alexander]

  ghost of miles said:

Fave track: "Chinese Checkers."

"Your move! Ow!"

[Harold_Z]

Yeah - great band and great rhythm section.

I espescially dug their 2nd lp - "Soul Dressing"

[Stereojack]

  Harold_Z said:

I especially dug their 2nd lp - "Soul Dressing"

I was gonna name this one but Harold Z beat me to it!

As an rhythm section, these guys are the best. Always economical, always in the groove.

[DatDere]

This record ("Melting Pot") is awesome, especially the funky title track.

[Alexander]

The MGs version of "Abbey Road" is a kick..."McLemore Avenue!"

[king ubu]

  Big Al said:

Green Onions!

oh HELL YEAH!

and that cover is so cool, too:

my only disc of theirs so far, but there's some stuff on some compilations, too... not music I listen to all that often, but when I do, I love it!

[king ubu]

Seems this is the hammond he recorded "Green Onions" on:

source

[Jazz Kat]

I find that when they do originals it's really tight, and groovin. The little more corny side of them comes when they do covers. (JUST BARELY) The Christmas album, In The Christmas Spirit was just recorded too low. Other than that, my favorite non jazz band. Melting Pot, awesome! Their version of Something, beats the Beatles' version ANY DAY OF THE WEEK! Their whole bag is great. Absolutely love them. Steve Cropper, blues virtuoso! Al Jackson, tightest non show drummer in the world, rather painful death. I wonder what Jimmy Smith thought of Booker.

[danasgoodstuff]

I may actually prefer them doing covers, slightly, but there's really no need to choose. some favorites: Sing a Simple Song, which is actually a sort of Sly medley since they work in bit of other songs of his; "dear James Medley" from the Mar-Keys Memphis Sound (Mar Keys= MGs + horns by this point); and for an original Bootleg. I kinda like the naive-ness of their earlier work... And if y'all haven't heard any of the originally unissued stuffs thats come out more recently, check their version of Dock of the Bay!

[Jazz Kat]

Really, what albums are they being released on?

Their version of Something is a cover, and great! I can do without the handclaps though. Mrs Robinson is killer!

[Noj]

I've always considered Booker T. & The MG's in a similar vein as The Meters--they keep it simple, and groove their asses off.

My favorite tune is "Bootleg." I dig their version of "Summertime" too.

[mikeweil]

Well, the Meters in a way expanded on the innovations of Booker T. & the MGs - Hip Hug Her was one of my first LPs - I still have it - and I almost wore that one out - but when I discovered the Meters I found them a little too reserved from then on.

[mikeweil]

[AfricaBrass]

I enjoyed the track, Hip Hug Her, in the movie Barfly.

My favorite Booker T & the M.G.'s is the early stuff and I too prefer their originals.

Alexander beat me to the punch, but I dig McLemore Ave. - I've loved that album for years.

I'm really into Steve Cropper's guitar playing. I love his style.

[mikeweil]

... and I loved "Heads or Tails", the flip side of "Melting Pot".

[Jazz Kat]

And "Born Under a bad Sign", done by Clapton Bruce and Baker.

[7/4]

  AfricaBrass said:

I enjoyed the track, Hip Hug Her, in the movie Barfly.

Bukowski.

[AfricaBrass]

  7/4 said:

  AfricaBrass said:

I enjoyed the track, Hip Hug Her, in the movie Barfly. 

Bukowski.

Exactly!

[danasgoodstuff]

Jazz Kat:

sorry to not reply sooner. "sing a simple Song" is on The Booker T Set, "Boot-Leg" on various greatest Hits things, and "Dock of the Bay" only on the box set or the 1000 Volts of Stax import VA collection. I think if their "Dock of the Bay" was issued as a single and/or used in a movie it could be a major hit...