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
The Christmas Song
Booker T. & the MG's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times, many ways
Merry Christmas to you!
The Christmas Song by Booker T. & the MG's is a musical representation of the festive season, complete with all the hallmarks of Christmas. The song begins by vividly describing the perfect winter's night with chestnuts roasting on an open fire and Jack Frost nipping at your nose. The image of people being bundled up like Eskimos takes us deeper into the feeling of December tranquility. As the music progresses, we hear the sound of carolers singing in harmony, and this is evidence that Christmas is in full swing. As the song continues, we find out that everyone, including the excited children with their eyes aglow, knows that Santa Claus is on his way, and it is the perfect opportunity to sit back, relax and embrace the joy, love and spirit of giving that comes with the season.
The chorus "Although it's been said many times, many ways Merry Christmas to you," is a simple gesture, but it carries a much deeper meaning. These words remind us to appreciate what we have and to cherish the precious moments spent with loved ones. The song's simplicity, combined with its peaceful melody, makes it a perfect addition to any holiday playlist.
Line by Line Meaning
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
The merriment of the season is in full swing as golden chestnuts are roasting over the open flame
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
The weather is crisp and chilly, enough for Jack Frost to leave a tingly feeling on your nose
Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir
The joyful hymns of the Yuletide are being sung by a choir, filling the air with festive cheer
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
People are wrapped up cozily in layers of warm clothes just like the way the Eskimos do to protect themselves from the cold.
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Two of the essential ingredients to make the holiday season bright include having a delicious turkey and the mistletoe which is a symbol of love and romance.
Help to make the season bright
These things add sparkle to the already shining and bright festival of Christmas
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
Young children with their bright and shiny eyes brimming with excitement and anticipation, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the big man himself, Santa Claus
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.
They find it hard to contain their joy and happiness and wait eagerly to welcome the generous Santa in the night that follows.
They know that Santa's on his way
The children are positively certain that Santa Claus is on his way and they anticipate his arrival with glee.
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
Santa Claus has a multitude of toys and gifts loaded on his sleigh to be given out to the children, thus classifying him as the epitome of jolly.
And every mother's child is gonna spy
Every child without exception is anxiously keeping an eye out, to catch a glimpse of Santa and his reindeer flying in, borne through the dark night sky.
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
Doubts crop up in the minds of the children - will they get to witness the magical, wondrous reindeer who possess the gift of flying?
And so I'm offering this simple phrase
In light of all this festive joy and cheer, I would like to share this humble and minimalistic thought.
To kids from one to ninety-two
May this simple message be conveyed to everyone from the tiniest of tots to the oldest of aged individuals.
Although it's been said many times, many ways
It may have been spoken a million times in a million different ways
Merry Christmas to you!
The message is universal and stands the test of time, as it wishes everyone a very, very Merry Christmas.
Lyrics © Ceylon Records, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mel Torme, Robert Wells
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind