BOOKER T. & THE M.G.s-GREEN ONIONS-UK RARE ORIG. 1st PRESS MONO LONDON LP-1964

	£		20
	$		27

BOOKER T. & THE M.G.s - GREEN ONIONS - UK RARE ORIGINAL 1st PRESS MONO LONDON LP - 1964

Booker T. & The M.G.’s Album

“Green Onions”

MONO

Released on the LONDON Record Label

American Series

Recorded by STAX, New York

MADE IN ENGLAND

Recording first published 1964

HA-K.8182

Matrix:

AML-2556-3A

AML-2557-1A

“The chain of events leading up to a hit recording is long and often unpredictable.  Sometimes, however, a record comes along that immediately takes off as a smash seller without appearing to require any planning or effort at all, as if the public were only waiting for the record to be released.  Such was the case with Green Onions.  Suddenly, and with amazing speed, everyone was asking at their favourite record store for Green Onions.  But the success of Green Onions involves much more than could be seen by the casual observer.  Especially since before the appearance of Green Onions, Booker T. & The M.G.s were unknown outside of music circles in Memphis, Tenn.

Booker T. Jones (his full name) musical talents became apparent at a very early age.  By the time he entered high school, Booker was already a semi-professional, and quickly recognized as the most talented musician in his school.  He was appointed director of the school band for four years, and in addition, organized the school dance orchestra which played for proms throughout the Mid-South.  In the classroom, he concentrated on the studies of music theory and harmony.

Booker’s multiple activities earned him a coveted honour, that of being listed in the student’s “Who’s Who of American High Schools.”  Booker’s first instrument was the string bass, but he soon switched to the organ, for which listeners of popular music can be grateful.  It is the wonderful beat and bluesy sound that Booker extracts from the organ which made Green Onions one of the big instrumentals this year.

Booker came to the attention of recording executive Jim Stewart in Memphis, and while still in high school, he worked as a staff musician for Stax Records, appearing as sideman on many recording dates for that label.  It became obvious that one day Booker would be ready to record under his own name and several months later Booker’s first recording session was set, and at that first date Booker recorded Green Onions.  The rest is record history.

The next step was for booker to record a long playing album, enabling him to “stretch out” and bring his own way of playing to a variety of tunes.  Interestingly enough, two of the selections have been recorded successfully by other instrumentalists.  Mr. Acker Bilk’s Stranger On The Shore, which was a giant hit by the clarinettist, is one of these.  Comin’ Home Baby has attracted a great deal of attention because of jazz flautist Herbie Mann’s recording of the number.

Booker has also included another slice of Green Onions in a new tune which he wrote especially for the album, Mo’ Onions, as well as an original down-home blues, Behave Yourself.

For everyone who has been mystified by the billing used by Booker T. & The M.G.s, the explanation is quite simple.  “MG” stands for Memphis Group.  There is no guarantee that the wave of publicity Booker T. has kicked off for Green Onions will increase the consumption of that potent vegetable, on the other hand, it is certain that more and more people will be digging Booker T.’s Green Onion sound.”

Bob Altshuler

The Track List is as follows:

SIDE ONE

                                                             1.    GREEN ONIONS (By Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Al Jackson & Lewis Steinberg)

                                                             2.    RINKY-DINK (By David Clowney & Paul Winley)

                                                             3.    I GOT A WOMAN (By Ray Charles)

                                                             4.    MO’ ONIONS (By Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Al Jackson & Lewis Steinberg)

                                                             5.    TWIST AND SHOUT (By Phil Medley & Bert Russell)

                                                             6.    BEHAVE YOURSELF (By Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Al Jackson & Lewis Steinberg)

SIDE TWO

                                                              1.    STRANGER ON THE SHORE (By Acker Bilk & Robert Mellin)

                                                              2.    LONELY AVENUE (By Doc Pomus)

                                                              3.    ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU (By William Robinson)

                                                              4.    I CAN’T SIT DOWN (By Dee Clark & Cornell Muldrow)

                                                              5.    A WOMAN, A LOVER, A FRIEND (By Sid Wyche)

                                                              6.    COMIN’ HOME BABY (By Ben Tucker)

Supervision: Jim Stewart

The LP is in Good Condition with some surface marks and surface scratches

It plays well

The Sleeve is in Good Condition with some scuffing, laminate creasing and slight record rim outline, and on the back there is a small sticker stuck centre top

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