‘Green Onions’ by Booker T. and the M.G.s

Back in the ’60s and ’70s it seemed like every garage band played this tune, or tried to, and it was frequently requested at club gigs, wedding receptions and the like.  Ironic that the biggest hit Booker T. and the M.G.s ever had was a throw-away instrumental quickly tossed together at the last minute to fill out an album. (Similar to The Champs biggest hit, ‘Tequila.’) 1962’s ‘Green Onions’ features the basic crew that backed up the great Stax-Volt soul singers of the ’60s like Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Sam & Dave: Booker T. Jones on keys, Steve Cropper on guitar, Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn on bass (although Lewie Steinberg plays bass on the original cut of ‘Green Onions’), and a variety of itinerant drummers, with Al Jackson Jr. providing the percussion on the original hit. The hard-driving ‘Onions’ riff inspired other blues/soul records, including Sonny Boy Williamson’s ‘Help Me’ in 1963. Here’s the original ‘Green Onions’ from 1962: