Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Booker T. & the M.G.'s were an American instrumental soul band, known as Stax Records’ house band and for the 1962 hit “Green Onions.”
Green Onions: A 1962 instrumental by Booker T. & the M.G.'s, built around an instantly recognizable organ riff. Its riff, backbeat, and blues phrasing distill the band’s signature sound.
Stax Records: A Memphis record label that became a major center of Southern soul music. The band formed through Stax sessions and served as the label’s house group.
Isaac Hayes: An American soul singer, songwriter, pianist, and producer closely associated with Stax Records. He worked with the band on Stax recordings and became one of its labelmates’ major stars.
Soul music: A popular music genre that developed from African American gospel, rhythm and blues, and related traditions. The band’s instrumental records helped define the sound of 1960s soul.
Booker T. Jones: An American organist, pianist, songwriter, and producer who co-founded Booker T. & the M.G.'s. His Hammond organ lines supplied the band’s defining melodic voice.
Memphis soul: A style of soul music that developed in Memphis, Tennessee, especially during the 1960s and 1970s. The band’s studio work helped establish the city’s distinctive soul sound.
Eddie Floyd: An American soul singer and songwriter whose recordings appeared on Stax Records. The M.G.'s backed him on recordings including “Knock on Wood.”
Booker T. & the M.G.'s discography: The recorded albums and singles released by Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Its releases trace the band’s shift from a hit instrumental group to an influential album act.
Steve Cropper: An American guitarist, songwriter, and producer associated with Stax Records and Booker T. & the M.G.'s. His clipped guitar parts and economical fills shaped the group’s arrangements.
Chips Moman: An American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer who helped establish the Memphis recording scene. His American Studios became a nearby counterpart to the Stax recording operation.