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.

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.

Ben E. King: Stand by Me

Singer/songwriter Ben E. King is one of the best performers of the smooth soul singer set. King, who was born Benjamin Earl Nelson in Henderson, North Carolina, in 1938, got his start in music with a revamped version of the Drifters, in 1958.

As the lead singer of this new incarnation of the Drifters, King lent his velvet pipes to the hits, “There Goes My Baby,” (which he co-wrote) “Save the Last Dance for Me,” and “This Magic Moment.”

Due to a contract dispute with Drifters manager George Treadwell, King left the group and embarked on a solo career in 1960. King would soon find solo success with a number of classic hits including the Phil Spector-produced “Spanish Harlem” and “Stand by Me.” Both of these songs are among the finest pop records made in the decade. King would score a number of lesser hits in the early Sixties with the songs, “Young Boy Blues,” I (Who Have Nothing),” and “Hear Comes the Night.”

King’s classic hits can be found on the compilations, “Stand By Me-The Best of Ben E. King and Ben E, King and the Drifters” (1986), “Stand By Me (The Ultimate Collection” (1987), and “Anthology” (1993).

The Animals: Animalism

The Animals, lead by singer, Eric Burdon, were part of the British invasion of the Sixties. The Animals were among the finest of the blues-based rock bands to emerge from Britain in the Sixties.

Burdon, organist Alan Price and drummer John Steel started out in a Newcastle band called the Kansas City Five. In 1962, with the additions of guitarist Hilton Valentine and bassist Chas Chandler, the band eventually became known as the Animals.

The band landed a regular gig at the Crawdaddy Club in London. Record producer Mickie Most got them signed to EMI on the strength of their live performances, and the label released their first singles, “Baby Let Me Take You Home” and “House of the Rising Sun,” in 1964. The latter song would become a huge hit and transform the band into one of the leading acts of the British Invasion.

The Animals continued recording a slew of hits throughout the Sixties with, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” “We Got to Get Out Of This Place,” “When I Was Young,” “Monterrey,” and Sky Pilot.”

After recording several excellent albums, starting with their fine debut release, “The Animals” (1964) the band broke-up in 1969.

Among their best albums are the classics, “The Animals on Tour,” (1965) “Animalization” (1966) and “Animalism” (1966), and “Animalisms” (1966).

Al Green: Call Me

Al Green is a southern soul singer from Forrest City, Arkansas who embodies the smoother and sweeter side of soul music which in the hands of the likes of James Brown, Ray Charles and Otis Redding was a far grittier genre. Green’s songs tell tales of true love and extol the virtues of fidelity. His biggest hit, “Let’s Stay Together,” is a primary example Green’s brand of sweet soul.

Green would become one of the biggest soul stars of the Seventies with a steady string of hits which included, “I Can’t Get Next to You,” “Tired of Being Alone,” “Let’s Stay Together,” “I’m Still in Love with You,” and “Call Me.” Green’s hits were recorded for Hi Records in Memphis under the deft direction of producer Willie Mitchell.

Green’s best albums include, “Green is Blues” (1969), “Al Green Gets Next to You” (1970), “Let’s Stay Together” (1972), “I’m Still in Love with You” (1972), and “Call Me” (1973).

Jackie Wilson Lonely Teardrops

Jackie Wilson was among the first soul singers who followed in Ray Charles footsteps after Charles created the music in the mid-Fifties. Wilson, also known as “Mr. Excitement,” for his ebullient performing style, was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1934. Wilson was a boxer and gymnast prior to the start of his music career. Wilson was known for his temperamental nature and willingness to use his boxing skills.

Wilson originally came to prominence in 1953, as a member of the vocal R&B group, Billy Ward and the Dominoes as a replacement for Clyde McPhatter who had left the group to form the Drifters. Wilson would serve as the Dominoes lead singer for the next three years. Upon leaving the Dominoes, Wilson soon found solo success with the hit single, “Reet Petite,” in 1957.

Throughout the remainder of the Fifties and Sixties, Wilson recorded numerous R&B hits and the occasional pop hit. Wilson’s biggest pop hit came in 1958 with “Lonely Teardrops.” In 1967, Wilson would again score a huge hit with the song, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.”

Wilson’s best studio albums include “Soul Time” (1965), “Whispers” (1966), and “Higher and Higher” (1967). His best compilations include “The Jackie Wilson Story” (1983) and “The Very Best of Jackie Wilson” (1987). Wilson died in 1984.

James Brown Albums and History

James Brown, born in Macon, Georgia, in 1938 was known by a number of titles including “The Godfather of Soul,” “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business,” “Soul Brother Number One,” and “Mr. Dynamite.” Brown is considered one of the most influential figures in the history of American popular music. In addition to being a major figure in the creation of funk music, Brown was a businessman and an inspirational leader in the American civil rights movement.

A number of musicians spent time in his back-up bands before finding success as solo artists including, Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker, and Hank Ballard. Brown is frequently cited as an influence by hip hop artists, and he may be the single most sampled artist by hip hop producers.

James Brown was born in Barnwell, North Carolina, in 1933. He was born into abject poverty and was sent to live with an aunt. He dropped out of school in the seventh grade and began working odd jobs such as shoe shining and singing for the World War Two troops that were stationed at Camp Gordon near his aunt’s home. During this time, Brown taught himself to play the harmonica and received guitar lessons from the legendary bluesman, Tampa Red.

When he saw a film of the great jump blues master Louis Jordan performing his hit, “Caledonia,” Brown resolved to pursue a professional music career. However, when he was sixteen, Brown was charged with armed robbery and sent to a juvenile detention center. While serving a three-year sentence in a detention center, Brown became acquainted with Bobby Byrd, a future R&B star whose family arranged for Brown’s release from the center. After stints as a semi-professional baseball player and boxer, Brown focused his attention back on music.

In 1955, Brown joined his friend Bobby Bird as a member of Byrd’s singing group, the Avons. With Brown now a member, the Avons changed their name to the Flames and signed to Federal Records. Brown’s first recording, “Please. Please, Please” would come as a member of the Flames and present him as a soul singer of great depth and intensity.

Brown would record several more singles with the Flames during the Fifties, and the group would eventually become known as “James Brown and the Famous Flames.” Among thier big hits were the songs, “I’ll Go Crazy,” “Think,” “Lost Someone,” “Night Train,” and “Caledonia.” In 1965, Brown, in the opinion of many, would invent funk music with his hit, “Papa’s got a Brand New Bag.” For its recording, Brown told his band to “play it on the one,” transforming the traditional 2/4 beat heard in R&B recordings and giving the world something new.

Brown continued recording hit singles and albums consistently until the Nineties. Among Brown’s later hits were the songs, “I Got You (I Feel Good),” “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” “Licking Stick,” “Say it Loud-I’m Black and I’m Proud,” “Cold Sweat,” “Sex Machine,” and “Living in America.”

Brown died on Christmas Day, 2006, leaving behind him an awesome catalogue of recorded work.

Among Brown’s best studio albums and compilations are: “Please Please Please” (1956), “Live at the Apollo” (1963), “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” (1965), “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1966), “James Brown Live at the Garden” (1967), “I Can’t Stand Myself When You Touch Me” (1968), “Say it Loud-I’m Black and I’m Proud” (1969), “Sex Machine”(1970), “Revolution of the Mind” (1971), “The Payback” (1974), “Love Power Peace, Live at the Olympia, Paris1971” (1992), “James Brown Soul Classics” (1972), “Solid Gold 30 Golden Hits” (1977), “In the Jungle Groove” (1986), “Star Time” (1991), and “Gold” (2005)

Sam and Dave: Soul Men

Sam and Dave are perhaps the finest vocal duo in the history of soul music. The duo was part of Stax Records’ fine roster of soul recording artists. Sam Moore was born in Miami, Florida, in 1935, while his partner, Dave Prater, was born in Ocilla, Georgia, in 1937. The two men joined forces and formed Sam and Dave in 1961. At Stax records, the duo was supported on recordings by the Stax house band, Booker T and the MG’s, and was often provided with stellar songs by the songwriting team of Issac Hayes and David Porter.

After the duo had recorded a series of unsuccessful singles for Roulette Records, Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records sent them to Memphis, Tennessee, to try their luck with Stax. Between 1965 and 1968, Sam & Dave would establish themselves as the most exciting duo in soul music, scoring big hits with tunes such as “Hold On! I’m Comin’,” “Soul Man,” “Soothe Me,” “You Got Me Hummin’,” and “I Thank You.”

By the late Sixties, the duo’s waning commercial success and increasing in-fighting led to Sam & Dave splitting up in 1970.

Prater and Moore embarked on ill-fated solo careers before the first of many Sam & Dave reunions. The 1980 film, “The Blues Brothers,” which featured the Sam and Dave hits, “Soul Man” and “Soothe Me,” regenerated interest in the duo, but continuing conflict prevented the men from taking full advantage of their second chance at success.

During the Eighties, Prater actually hired another singer to pose as “Sam” and together they toured the country as Sam & Dave much to the frustration of Sam Moore. David Prater sadly died in a car accident in Georgia, in 1988, at the age of 50.

The duo recorded several superb albums for Atlantic/Stax including, “Hold On, I’m  Comin’” (1966), “Double Dynamite” (1966), “Soul Men” (1967), and “I Thank You” (1968).

Johnny Otis: R&B Pioneer

Otis was one of the most important artists in R&B history. He was a bandleader, promoter, vocalist, club owner, drummer, and producer, and he helped launch the careers of such R&B legends as Johnny Ace, The Robins, Little Esther, Etta James and many others. These singers recorded with his band and toured as part of his entourage. 

Most of Johnny Otis’ records were released as the “Johnny Otis Quintette” or “The Johnny Otis Show. Otis’s biggest hit was, “Willie and the Hand Jive,” a song which has been covered by scores of other artists.

That song and others are best heard on the compilation albums, “The Original Johnny Otis Show” (1978), and a number of other compilations of early rock and roll such as the terrific compilation featuring Otis and many others, “Loud, Fast and Out of Control: The Wild Sounds of ‘50s Rock” (1999).