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
Soul Man
Booker T. & the MG's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Good lovin', I got a truck load
And when you get it, you got something
So don't worry, 'cause I'm coming
I'm a soul man, I'm a soul man
I'm a soul man, I'm a soul man, I've got it all
And I'll make it better each and every day
So honey, don't you fret
'Cause you ain't seen nothing yet
I'm a soul man, I'm a soul man, play it Steve
I'm a soul man, I'm a soul man
I was brought up on a side street, listen now
I learned how to love before I could eat
I was educated at Woodstock
When I start lovin', oh, I can't stop
I'm a soul man, I'm a soul man
I'm a soul man, I'm a soul man
Well, grab the rope and I'll pull you in
Give you hope and be your only boyfriend
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm talkin' about a soul man
I'm a soul man, and you're a soul man
I'm a soul man, oh no, soul man
I'm a soul man, and you're a soul man
The lyrics of Booker T. & the MG's song Soul Man is about a man who is confident in his abilities as a lover and a provider. He promises good loving and assures his partner not to worry because he's coming. The man is portrayed as a soulful and sincere person who has worked hard to achieve what he has. He learned to love before he could even eat, and he was educated at Woodstock. The song also mentions "grabbing the rope" and pulling his partner in, giving her hope, and being her only boyfriend. In the end, he proudly proclaims himself as a soul man.
The lyrics of the song are very upbeat, cheerful, and optimistic, portraying the man as a confident, hard-working person who's dedicated to his partner. The song has an infectious quality because of its melodic structure and catchy chorus that makes it easy to sing along. It's a classic soul song that captures the essence of the genre, and its lyrics are full of energy and positivity that resonates with listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Comin' to you on a dust road
I'm approaching you humbly, without any grandeur or pomp.
Good lovin', I got a truck load
I have a tremendous amount of love to give.
And when you get it, you got something
My love is precious and valuable.
So don't worry, 'cause I'm coming
Don't fret, my love is on its way.
I'm a soul man, I'm a soul man
I'm a man with deep emotions and feelings.
Got what I got the hard way
I had to work hard to attain what I have.
And I'll make it better each and every day
I'm committed to constantly improving myself and our relationship.
So honey, don't you fret
My love will endure and overcome any obstacles.
'Cause you ain't seen nothing yet
Our journey together is just beginning and there are great things to come.
I was brought up on a side street, listen now
I come from humble beginnings and understand the value of hard work and perseverance.
I learned how to love before I could eat
Love is a fundamental part of who I am and what drives me.
I was educated at Woodstock
I gained a deep appreciation for the power of music and its ability to connect people through shared experiences.
When I start lovin', oh, I can't stop
When I open myself up to love, it consumes me entirely.
Well, grab the rope and I'll pull you in
Take my hand and I'll lead you into a deep, meaningful connection.
Give you hope and be your only boyfriend
I will offer you comfort, companionship, and unwavering support.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Expressions of joy and excitement.
I'm talkin' about a soul man
I'm referring to someone with a deep sense of emotion and feeling.
Oh no, soul man
Confirmation of my identity as a soulful person.
And you're a soul man
Acknowledgment of the deep emotional connection between two individuals.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILLY STEINBERG, TOM KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
simonlilley
For people in the UK this song means only one thing. BBC TV and its cricket coverage. Sound of my youthful summers. Peter West introducing the 2nd day's play in the fourth test match from Headingley or similar.
Richard Creasey
Where they'd normally be showing old replays because rain had stopped play 😂, bloody English weather
Ken Vail
Well I learned something lol I knew nothing about that
Steven Knight
Spot on
djockeyj
Who knew a cowbell could bring so much joy to one person…
Whisker Whippers ™️
Will Lee is the man
Pen Fold
That's the magic of music
dennis jamieson
Amazing
dennis jamieson
Steve Cropper
Lee Robinson
I still think it needs more cowbell though. Hee Hee x