The 100 Greatest Bands of all time - #88  Booker T. & the M.G.s

They were the architects of Southern Soul music; Drummer Al Jackson, Jr., bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn, guitarist Steve Cropper, and organist Booker T. Jones. As the house band for Stax records in Memphis, these four guys played on hits by luminaries like Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Johnnie Taylor, Albert King, and many others. Besides their own instrumental hits, they played on dozens of hit records for other artists. “Soul Man”, “Try a Little Tenderness”, “Who’s Making Love”, and “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” are only a few examples of their work for Stax artists. The Stax/Volt sound was hugely influential on popular music to come and it would not have been the same without the magic that these guys made.

The classic Green Onions. One of the great instrumentals of rock history.

Behave Yourself was the b-side to Green Onions, but was supposed to be the A-side. The DJs preferred playing Green Onions, so it was switched.

Booker T can really play that organ.

Nice cover of the Rascals' hit Groovin'.

Good one! They've been using this as the theme song for cricket over in the UK for years.

and we conclude our look at Booker T. & the M.G.s with Time is Tight. You might know the name, but you definitely know the tune.