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
When Something is Wrong With My Baby
Booker T. & the MG's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something is wrong with me
If I know she's worried
Then I would feel that same old misery
We've been through so much together
We spoke as one and that's what makes it better
Something is wrong with me
Just what she means to me now
Oh you just oh you just wouldn't understand
And the people say oh they say she's no good
Oh but she's my woman
And I know I'm her man
If she's got a problem oh yeah yeah
Oh I know I'm gonna have to help her solve it
When something is wrong with my baby
Something is wrong with me
If something is wrong with my baby
Something is wrong with me
The lyrics of Booker T. & the MG's's song "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby" are a testament to the depth of love and connection between two people. The singer expresses the idea that he is so intertwined with his lover that when she is upset, he feels that same pain as well. He has such a deep understanding of her that he knows when she is worried, and he can't help but feel the same old misery. The two have been through so much together that they have formed a bond that allows them to speak as one, which in turn makes their relationship better.
To the singer, his lover means the world to him, but he knows that others may judge her harshly. Despite what anyone says, he knows that she is his woman and that he is her man. If she has a problem, he will be there for her, ready to help her solve it. The song is a beautiful testament to the strength and depth of love between two people who have been through so much together.
Line by Line Meaning
When something is wrong with my baby
If my significant other is upset or not feeling well, it deeply affects me as well.
Something is wrong with me
I can't be my true self if my partner is not okay, so I must do what I can to help and support them.
If I know she's worried
If I notice that she's feeling anxious or upset about something, it affects me just as much as it does her.
Then I would feel that same old misery
If I sense that my partner is in distress, I experience a similar sadness or discomfort myself.
We've been through so much together
My partner and I have faced many challenges and difficult times together.
We spoke as one and that's what makes it better
By communicating openly and honestly with each other, we are able to solve problems together and overcome obstacles.
Just what she means to me now
I value my relationship with my partner and deeply care for her.
Oh you just oh you just wouldn't understand
It's hard for others to comprehend the depth of my feelings for my partner and the importance of our relationship.
And the people say oh they say she's no good
Others may criticize or judge my partner, but I know her true worth and value as a person.
Oh but she's my woman
Regardless of what others may say or think, my partner is mine and I am proud of our relationship.
And I know I'm her man
I am committed to being a supportive and caring partner for my significant other.
If she's got a problem oh yeah yeah
If my partner is struggling with something, I am ready and willing to help her find a solution.
Oh I know I'm gonna have to help her solve it
As her partner, I am responsible for supporting her and helping her through difficult times.
If something is wrong with my baby
If anything is troubling my partner, it affects me deeply and I feel the need to do something to help.
Something is wrong with me
I can't be content or at ease if my partner is not doing well, so it's important that we work through any problems together.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVID PORTER, ISAAC HAYES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Benn
GOD
That magnificent Hammond B3 & the amazing band .
One of the best ever groups of all time.
Sonofrest1
Booker T. & the MGs sure could sit back in that pocket. Beautiful, track, thanks for posting it!
Donaldo Guerrero
In fact, Booker T & The mg’s used to play with sam and dave. Anyway this is an awesome version