In 1965, Steinberg was replaced by Donald "Duck" Dunn, who played with the group until his death in 2012. Al Jackson, Jr. was murdered in 1975, after which Dunn, Cropper and Jones reunited on numerous occasions using various drummers, including Willie Hall, Anton Fig, Steve Jordan and Steve Potts.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2008, and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2012.
Having two white members (Cropper and Dunn), Booker T. & the M.G.'s was one of the first racially integrated rock groups, at a time when soul music and the Memphis music scene in particular were generally considered the preserve of black culture.
Formed in 1962 in Memphis, Tennessee, Booker T and the MG's ("MG" officially stood for "Memphis Group", and is usually punctuated correctly on LP covers as "M.G.") became one of the most important soul outfits in the history of music. They were indispensable as the house band for Stax Records, backing many rising artists (Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Albert King, and many others), but it was the MGs themselves that put Stax on the map with such singles as "Green Onions", which reached number three on the Pop Charts, and "Hip Hug-Her", which reached number six on the Pop Charts.
The group consisted of four core members: Booker T. Jones on keyboards and organ (as well as many other instruments), Steve Cropper on guitar, Al Jackson Jr. on drums, and Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass. Cropper and Dunn were originally in the first house band for Stax, The Mar-Keys, and later were part of the Blues Brothers, both in the band and in the movie. Various others added horns and other instruments, and a young Isaac Hayes covered the keys on at least one session.
Not only were they blazing new trails with their funky instrumental soul music, but also with their integration of races, as two of them were white (Donald "Duck" Dunn and Steve Cropper) and two of them were black (Booker T. Jones and Al Jackson), which was very unusual for 1962.
In 2007 the documentary Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story was released, with interviews and footage in which Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Wayne Jackson and Donald Duck Dunn are interviewed about the history and successes of Stax, among many others Stax' people.
Donald Duck Dunn died in his sleep at age 70 on Sunday, May 13, 2012.
Lewie Steinberg died on July 21, 2016 in Memphis at the age of 82.
(2) As the house band at Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee, Booker T. & the MG's may have been the single greatest factor in the lasting value of that label's soul music, not to mention Southern soul as a whole. Their tight, impeccable grooves could be heard on classic hits by Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Carla Thomas, Albert King, and Sam & Dave, and for that reason alone, they would deserve their subsequent induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But in addition to their formidable skills as a house band, on their own they were one of the top instrumental outfits of the rock era, cutting classics like "Green Onions," "Time Is Tight," and "Hang 'em High."
The anchors of the Booker T. sound were Steve Cropper, whose slicing, economic riffs influenced many other guitar players, and Booker T. Jones himself, who provided much of the groove with his floating organ lines. In 1960, Jones started working as a session man for Stax, where he met Cropper. Cropper had been in the Mar-Keys, famous for the 1961 instrumental hit "Last Night," which laid out the prototype for much of the MG's (and indeed Memphis soul's) sound with its organ-sax-guitar combo. With the addition of drummer Al Jackson and bassist Lewis Steinberg, they became Booker T. & the MG's. Within a couple years, Steinberg was replaced permanently by Donald "Duck" Dunn, who, like Cropper, had also played with the Mar-Keys.
The band's first and biggest hit, "Green Onions" (a number three single in 1962), came about by accident. Jamming in the studio while fruitlessly waiting for Billy Lee Riley to show up for a session, they came up with a classic minor-key, bluesy soul instrumental, distinguished by its nervous organ bounce and ferocious bursts of guitar. For the next five years, they'd have trouble recapturing its commercial success, though the standard of their records remained fairly high, and Stax's dependence upon them as the house band ensured a decent living.
In the late '60s, the MG's really hit their stride with "Hip Hug-Her," "Groovin'," "Soul-Limbo," "Hang 'em High," and "Time Is Tight," all of which were Top 40 charters between 1967 and 1969. Since the presence of black and white musicians made them a biracial band, the MG's set a somewhat under-appreciated example of both how integrated, self-contained bands could succeed, and how both black and white musicians could play funky soul music. As is the case with most instrumental rock bands, their singles contained their best material, and the band's music is now best appreciated via anthologies. But their albums were far from inconsequential, and occasionally veered into ambitious territory (they did an entire instrumental version of the Beatles' Abbey Road, which they titled McLemore Avenue in honor of the location of Stax's studios).
Though they'd become established stars by the end of the decade, the group began finding it difficult to work together, not so much because of personnel problems, but because of logistical difficulties. Cropper was often playing sessions in Los Angeles, and Jones was often absent from Memphis while he finished his music studies at Indiana University. The band decided to break up in 1971, but were working on a reunion album in 1975 when Al Jackson was tragically shot and killed in his Memphis home by a burglar. The remaining members were active as recording artists and session musicians in the following years, with Cropper and Dunn joining the Blues Brothers for a stint in the late '70s.
The MG's got back into the spotlight in early 1992, when they were the house band for an extravagant Bob Dylan tribute at Madison Square Garden. More significantly, in 1993 they served as the backup band for a Neil Young tour, one which brought both them (and Young) high critical marks. The following year, they released a comeback album, arranged in much the style of their vintage '60s sides, which proved that their instrumental skills were still intact. Like most such efforts, though, it ultimately failed to re-create the spark and spontaneity it so obviously wanted to achieve. Jones continued with his own musical output through the following decades, often lending his instrumental skills to other artists and occasionally issuing his own albums, such as the 2009 solo effort Potato Hole. Bassist Dunn, intermittently active with festival and tour appearances after the turn of the millennium, had been touring with Cropper and Eddie Floyd in Japan during May 2012 when he died in his sleep in a Tokyo hotel. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi
Let's Wait Awhile
Booker T. & the MG's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's something I think that you should know
It's not that I shouldn't really love you
Let's take it slow
When we get to know each other
And we're both feeling much stronger
Then let's try to talk it over
Let's wait awhile longer
Let's wait awhile
Before it's too late
Let's wait awhile
Before we go too far
Remember that special night
When all of the stars were shining bright
We made our first endeavor to stay together
We made our very first promise
To love, to share, and be real honest
But on that very first night
It wasn't quite right
Let's wait awhile
Before it's too late
Let's wait awhile
Our love will be great
Let's wait awhile
Before we go too far
I didn't really know not to let all my feelings show
To save some for later so our love can be greater
You said you would always love me
Remember I said the same thing to you
You don't have to be frightened with my love
Because, I'll never give up on you
Let's wait awhile
Ah well before it's too late
You know you can't rush love, love
Let's wait awhile
(Ooh hoo hoo)
Before it's too late
(Let's wait awhile)
Wait awhile
(Our love will be great)
Let's wait awhile
(Wait awhile, ooh)
Before we go too far, oh, oh, ooh
Let's wait awhile
(Let's just take our time)
Before it's too late
(Let's wait awhile)
Your love's so good
(Our love will be great)
We shouldn't rush in
(Let's wait awhile)
Slow it down
(Before we go too far)
Ooh
La da lee de da da de de de, da da da da la da
La da lee de da da de de de, da da da da la da da
La da lee de da da de de de
I promise, I'll be worth the wait
The song "Let's Wait Awhile" by Booker T. & the MG's is all about taking one's time in a romantic relationship. The song is written from the perspective of someone who is in love but wants to take things slow. The first verse sets the tone of the song by acknowledging that there is something the singer wants to say, but that they think it's important to take it slow. The chorus reinforces this idea, stating that they need to wait before going too far.
The second verse is a reflection on a special night when the couple first made a promise to love and be honest with each other. However, even on that night, things weren't quite right. This verse emphasizes that sometimes it's better to take one's time and wait for the right moment.
The final verse is a reassurance to the person the singer is in love with, assuring them that they don't need to be afraid of the singer's love because they will never give up on them. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the importance of waiting before rushing into things.
Line by Line Meaning
There's something I want to tell you
I need to have a serious conversation with you
There's something I think that you should know
I need you to be aware of something important
It's not that I shouldn't really love you
I have feelings for you, but we need to take things slow
Let's take it slow
We need to proceed with caution
When we get to know each other
Once we have a better understanding of one another
And we're both feeling much stronger
Once we have developed a deeper connection
Then let's try to talk it over
We can discuss our feelings and where we want this relationship to go
Let's wait awhile longer
We need more time before we make any big decisions
Before it's too late
We don't want to jeopardize what we have by moving too quickly
Our love will be great
If we wait and take things slow, our love will be stronger in the end
Remember that special night
I remember the moment we decided to be together
When all of the stars were shining bright
It was a beautiful, memorable night
We made our first endeavor to stay together
That was the moment we decided to commit to each other
We made our very first promise
We promised to love each other honestly
To love, to share, and be real honest
We promised to be there for each other and communicate truthfully
But on that very first night
Although it was a special moment, things didn't feel quite right
I didn't really know not to let all my feelings show
I showed too much of myself too soon
To save some for later so our love can be greater
We need to take things slowly so that our relationship can be strong in the long run
You said you would always love me
You promised to always be there for me
Remember I said the same thing to you
I made the same promise to you
You don't have to be frightened with my love
You don't need to be scared of my feelings for you
Because, I'll never give up on you
I'm committed to you and our relationship
You know you can't rush love, love
We need to take our time with this
I promise, I'll be worth the wait
I'm committed to making this work and being a good partner to you
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Samuel Harris, Janet Damita Jo Jackson, Melanie Renee Andrews, Terry Steven Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind