The Foote Files: Green Onions
THE FOOTE FILES (CBSDFW.COM) — This has to be the #1 all-time rock/R&B instrumental ever!
Booker T. Jones, born Nov. 12, 1944 in Memphis, Tennessee, formed one of the early rock-and-roll/R&B interracial groups, called "The MG's" or "Memphis Group." Other original members included: Steve Cropper (guitar), Duck Dunn (bass) and Al Jackson (drums). Jones was the group's keyboardist. This group was definitely a Southern/Memphis style of soul, and they were the house band for Stax Records in Memphis.
The group charted seven times from 1962-1969. Three songs charted in the Top 10. But their most successful song remains "Green Onions." Many talk-radio stations have used this song as "bumper" music in-and-out of their talk programming segments. It was a #1 R&B hit and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Some 57 years later, it remains a familiar song to many people. The song is two minutes and 52 seconds in length on the Stax Records label and was written and produced by Jones, Cropper, Lewie Steinberg and Al Jackson Jr.