I worked at Fantasy RECORDS studios and my first day there my boss says to me go to the keyboard room and help Booker ! I knock on the door and here is Booker T Jones and he was the nicest man on the face of the earth I helped him hook up some gear and headed back to the tech shop and thought man what a trip I work with Booker T Jones!
It is difficult to play simple(yeah I know it sounds paradox). But in fact, the simple includes the beauty(and this can apply to everything). Have a good day!
I really like this version of Green Onions. It some how makes the song even cooler. The lo-fi sound quality with it being a 60s live recording just gives it something. Also, the way they played it faster and extended it with more improvisation. Not to mention how cool they look playing it and of course that sound of the hammond organ. Awesome.
Yes love this version and agree with the other comments. Makes me so envious of those who witnessed them live. One of the greatest grooves made even greater. A funky monster jam accented by the intensifying pace of Jackson/ Dunn, freedom to improvise and Booker’s staccato intro & majestic phrasing, Cropper’s soloing. Legendary.
Wow, yes, I hear it so clearly now that you mention it. Ray no doubt listened to his share of Booker T.. John his share of Duck, and Robbie his share of Steve. Great ear and observation, man.
The vid finished - I scrolled down reading the comments and suddenly became aware that my foot was still tapping in time to AJ's drum beat . Music gets inside your mind and body . I don't know how , it just does . Otherwise , well - as already said , you have cold water .....
Everything about this is so cool, the bass players intensity, the bewilderment on some of the audiences faces, that gorgeous Tele, massive Marshalls and that Hammond riding on top. Doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious.
I'm born in 1940. You figure age out. A cousin owned a Chicago joint called The Blue Note. I saw so many great jazz groups in the 50's {yes I liked jazz in my teens} and 60's
@@albundy643 There are ways and there are ways, I personally listen and watch with absolute focus on the stage when I'm at a live gig, don't want to miss anything. Now some folks have said I need to get more into it, but what do they know? (Btw I sing in a band - although not professionally - and I know perfectly well how much effort it takes from everyone involved to get a band to really work as an entity, but also how great it is when we're really in the zone. But I don't need to dance to feel that. Just different ways of enjoying music.)
Instrumentally, this song stuck out from anything else to those who actually listened to the music back in 62. This is thinly disguised jazz presented as rock and roll, and no one at that time was putting out popular music with more integrity. I was grovin on this a a 16 year old in 62, learning to play the drums, it hooked me on blues jazz forever, and at the time I didn't know what I was listening to, I just knew it was good.
Yeah I'm of a similar age, and I remember hearing it on the radio over here in the UK then, I'd never heard anything like it, all the kids at school were raving about the Beatles (they were good - hahah) but I kept going on about Green Onions which they'd never heard, to the point where they got sick of me talking about it. And it was difficult to buy obscure records from the US in those days, had to order it from my local record shop - still got that 45 to this day - and the B-side, Behave Yourself, is a masterclass in Hammond organ playing, real bluesy.
Same here. How lucky was I to see both Cropper and Dunn here in Toronto at a jazz festival about 12?years ago in a field venue downtown.. a free event and people strolling casually in the warm night air chatting and sipping drinks. I went around saying do you know who these musicians are? Lots of tourists etc from USA . When I told them they sat up straight and went to reverent mode pretty quick. Anyway my grandson looks exactly like Booker T. So there!
This is pure gold, one of those rare times that you see any 4 musicians at their very best, all at the same time, all in mental tune with themselves and the others, so so sharp and perfect. A very rare thing.
Duck was basically a self taught bassist, which means he didn't copy anyone else. He laid down lines that other bass players are still copying today because they were so good.
Donald Duck.. He's in the movie the blues brothers.. his appearance is different, tho because at that point in his career he grew out his beard that he would continue to wear for the rest of his life. He's the guy smoking his pipe while playing bass in the concert scenes. So is Steve Cropper, the guitarist. They both played in the Blues Brothers band and were in the movie.
Even if was a kid growing up in Memphis, still one of favorite songs of any genre. Now, I'm a Methodist minister and still in my top 5 of any genre. Planning on it being played at my funeral.
I saw them live in 1968, but was already a fan well before that. They were so tight! Very versatile as well; backing up so many performers both live, and in the studio.
For the record: Personnel Booker T. & the M.G.s Booker T. Jones - Hammond organ Steve Cropper - guitar Donald Dunn - bass guitar Al Jackson Jr. - drums This is from an April 7 1967 Norwegian TV recording of the legendary Stax/Volt Revue European tour of that year. Other audio-only live recordings have popped up (England & France), but this is the sole studio video recording. Booker T and The M.G.'s opened and stood as the backing band for the entire show, augmented by The Mar-Keys on horns for the singers: Arthur Conley, Eddie Floyd, Sam & Dave and, fittingly last, Otis Redding. While back in '09 PBS ran a shortened version of the full-length DVD of the show (via the Stax/Volt Museum), neither have been uploaded to YT in their entirety. So, individual performances are out there, but you're gonna have to dig. Here's a taste w Otis n Sam & Dave. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kUk1WTAReyE.html Also, if you come upon vids w screaming audiences, that's likely the London show (lower quality - but rewarding nevertheless). Good luck & ENJOY!
This clip from same concert shows how many were really digging it but agree in this version they are ether dead or in shock ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_N8iF2vQlxw.htmlsi=vR_-Snl3GPAjYYKI Not 1962 as stated in heading I get the Back to The Future ref
When they started showing thae audience, I thought, "Ah, this is in Europe!" European fans, and jazz fans in general, listen to the music; they don't scream over it.
OMG!!! FFS!!!! What's with these boring fucks in the crowds from these days gone past it's like if they were banned from dancing or have no soul something, geeeeeeez lol
I believe this was the first or second song of the evening "revue" which Otis headlined with Lee Dorsey, Sam and Dave, Arthur Conley and Booker T (who played with everyone). Man, Al Jackson Jr was such a crazy tight drummer!
A Gift for Melissa "Absolute Perfect 500 late 50's early 60's" INME. INME has all music ever recorded on trillions of lists. Dive into the 500 which lasts seemingly eternal and then listen to other lists and get lost in the music. Enjoy!!!!!
Just read that BT & MGs appeared at the 1967 Monterrey Pop Festival. Did not know that. 50 years ago on 6/17/67. And they backed Otis Redding during his incredible performance at the Festival. Another interesting tidbit ... Green Onions was a hit in 1962, when Booker was only 17 or 18 years old.
1967. The audience realizes that they are witnessing the future. The look of shock on their faces says it all. They are looking at a band that time traveled back from the future to deliver the news. And here it is.
As good a song as this is, I dunno if it's exactly 'the future' in 1967. It definitely inspired a ton of great music to come, but in '67 you had psychadelia and avant garde firmly gripping their influence on rock, and the first seeds of what would become prog rock, heavy metal, punk, and even electronica were being planted in '66 and '67, so I wouldn't exactly call an instrumental 12 bar blues vamp, however influential it was, 'the future'.
In 63 I was playing in what we called "garage bands". ( just a bunch of kids banging around in the garage) Down the street from me in Ottawa Ontario Canada…. one saturday.. on top of the garage ( flat roof). I heard this sound.. it was green onions and they were "ELECTRIFIED". wow.. How was I to know that when I saw the blues brothers.. Steve and the Duck were part of my past.. wow.. Rock and roll never dies.
@@kathcordingley215 Al Jackson was Like a Buddy Rich who plays for the music, not to just show off his speed and amazing single and double-stroke rolls. All the same, they didn't call him "The Human Timekeeper" for nothing. Buddy Rich was amazing of course, but he was at his best soloing by himself.
@@thierryaugustine546 Yeah absolutely, goes half time, looks like he thought I'll just do something different for a change! Brilliant from start to finish.
bassist was going HAM, this oh so sublime - one of those "wish I was there moments" ... Marty McFly at his parent's 🏫 dance... rocking out! Faaaaar out, man.
This song brings back so many memories of my mama......dancing......I was 2 yrs old when it came out and I remember standing up against the wall just moving my little legs to the beat
I have loved this song for nearly 50 years I love the song I grew up with the song and it is the most perfect best instrumental ever recorded in the history of recorded music I love this song it is so perfect
Jose Trepat (Disc Jockey) Un tema excepcional, rozando la perfeccion. El mejor grupo del sello STAX, (Memphis) Booker T. Jones Steve Cooper Donald Duck Dunn Al Jackson. El glorioso año 1967,con sus "Cebollas verdes"- Green Onions"😢
This is why you want to be in a band. Has anything been cooler than this ever? 4 great musicians having fun and looking great. Also, Steve Cropper is the greatest guitarist. He never played a wrong note.
Also a great songwriter, arranger, and producer. Not to mention he could spot talent right away. Just a few notes of listening to Otis Redding in a makeshift audition told Cropper he had found a superstar.
