Booker T. & the M.G.'s were an American instrumental R&B/funk band that was influential in shaping the sound of Southern soul and Memphis soul. The original members of the group were Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper (guitar), Lewie Steinberg (bass), and Al Jackson Jr. (drums). In the 1960s, as members of the Mar-Keys, the rotating slate of musicians that served as the house band of Stax Records, they played on hundreds of recordings by artists including Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Bill Withers, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor and Albert King. They also released instrumental records under their own name, including the 1962 hit single "Green Onions". As originators of the unique Stax sound, the group was one of the most prolific, respected, and imitated of its era.
Booker Taliaferro Jones Jr. is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Donald "Duck" Dunn was an American bass guitarist, session musician, record producer, and songwriter. Dunn was notable for his 1960s recordings with Booker T. & the M.G.'s and as a session bassist for Stax Records. At Stax, Dunn played on thousands of records, including hits by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Taylor, Albert King, Bill Withers, Elvis Presley, and many others. In 1992, he was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Booker T. & the M.G.'s. In 2017, he was ranked 40th on Bass Player magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time".
The Mar-Keys, formed in 1958, were an American studio session band for Stax Records, in Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1960s. As the first house band for the label, their backing music formed the foundation for the early 1960s Stax sound.
The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration is a live double-album release in recognition of Bob Dylan's 30 years as a recording artist. Recorded on October 16, 1992, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, it captures most of the concert, which featured many artists performing classic Dylan songs, before ending with three songs from Dylan himself.
Anton Fig is a South African session drummer, perhaps best known as the drummer and second-in-command for Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band. David Letterman, for whom the band served as house band on his late-night talk shows, often referred to Fig as "Anton Zip" or "Buddy Rich Jr." Fig is also well known for his work with Kiss, Ace Frehley and Joe Bonamassa.
"How Many More Times" is the ninth and final track on English rock band Led Zeppelin's 1969 debut album Led Zeppelin. The song is credited in the album liner to Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham, but Robert Plant was later added to the ASCAP credits.
The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads, simply referred to as Soul Ballads or Sings Soul Ballads, is the second studio album by American soul singer-songwriter Otis Redding, released in 1965. The album was one of the first issued by Volt Records, a sub-label of Stax Records, and Redding's first on the new label. Like Redding's debut Pain in My Heart (1964), Soul Ballads features both soul classics and originals written by Redding and other Stax Records recording artists. The recording sessions took place at the Stax studios in Memphis. The album features a stereo mix made by engineer Tom Dowd, replacing the early mono mix.
Made in America is the third album by The Blues Brothers. The second live album by the band, it was released in December 1980 as a followup to their hit film released that year, The Blues Brothers. To support the film, the band embarked on a 22 dates tour in North America, culminating with seven dates at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles. Keyboardist and musical director Paul Shaffer, sax player Tom Scott and drummer Steve Jordan, who were absent in the film and the soundtrack due to scheduling conflicts, reprised their roles as full-fledged band members. Drummer Willie Hall was let go but the band decided to retain Murphy Dunne, who had replaced Shaffer in the film, as additional keyboards player. Session man Jeff Mironov was brought in to provide additional guitar for the record.
Best of the Blues Brothers is the fourth and final Blues Brothers album released before John Belushi's death in 1982. It is the first compilation album by the band and it was released by Atlantic Records on November 30, 1981. Along with tracks from the first three albums, Briefcase Full of Blues, The Blues Brothers: Music from the Soundtrack and Made in America, it includes unreleased live versions of "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love", "Rubber Biscuit", and a new song, "Expressway to Your Heart". The album was remixed by Steve Jordan and Donald “Duck” Dunn. Belushi’s wife, Judith Jacklin, designed the sleeve.
Blues Brothers 2000: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is a soundtrack album that features the Blues Brothers. It is a soundtrack album to the 1998 film, Blues Brothers 2000, the sequel to the 1980 film, The Blues Brothers.
Red, White & Blues is the eighth album by The Blues Brothers, released in 1992. It is their first studio album, other than the soundtracks from the movies The Blues Brothers (1980) and Blues Brothers 2000 (1999). It is also the only album that contains original material, such as "Red, White & Blues", "Take You and Show You" and "Can't Play the Blues ". The album was recorded at the Power Station studio in New York. Original band member Tom Malone had left the band the year before to join the Gil Evans orchestra and was replaced by Birch Johnson.
Soul Dressing is the second album by the Southern soul band Booker T. & the M.G.'s, released in 1965. It was their final album with bassist Lewie Steinberg, who was replaced by Donald "Duck" Dunn.
And Now! is the third studio album by the Southern soul band Booker T. & the M.G.'s, released in November 1966. It is notable as the first M.G.'s album featuring bassist Duck Dunn on every track. “My Sweet Potato” was the only track released as a single, with “Booker-Loo” as its B-side. “Summertime” was released in 1967 as the B-side to the song “Hip Hug-Her”.
Back to Back is a live album by the Mar-Keys and Booker T & the M.G.'s, released on Stax Records in 1967. It features both groups playing live on the Stax/Volt package tour of Europe. The album peaked at number 98 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States.
Melting Pot is a 1971 studio album recorded by Booker T. & the M.G.'s for Stax Records. It is the last album to feature the group's classic lineup of Jones, Cropper, Dunn, and Jackson and the first of their albums to contain longer, jam-oriented compositions.
Dancin' wid da Blues Brothers is the fifth album by The Blues Brothers. It is a rare official Atlantic mini LP compiling seven tracks from previous albums, including four tracks taken from The Blues Brothers: Music from the Soundtrack album, two tracks from the Briefcase Full of Blues album, and one track from the Made in America album.
The MG's is a 1973 instrumental album recorded by the MG's for Stax Records, but by 1973, leader/keyboardist Booker T. Jones and guitarist Steve Cropper were both estranged from Stax and residing full-time in Los Angeles, so remaining members Donald "Duck" Dunn and Al Jackson, Jr. recruited Bobby Manuel and Carson Whitsett to replace Cropper and Jones respectively.
Hold On, I'm Comin' is the 1966 debut album by Atlantic Records soul duo Sam & Dave, issued on the Atlantic-distributed Stax label in 1966.
Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding is a 1993 four compact disc compilation album by American soul singer-songwriter Otis Redding. The first three discs focus on studio material recorded for Stax records. These recordings are all original mono single or LP mixes. Three pre-Stax recordings and a demo recorded at Muscle Shoals are also included. The fourth disc, labeled "The Ultimate Live Otis Redding Show" was compiled from various live sources in an attempt to gather "the best version" of every song Otis ever recorded live and is mixed in stereo. The 100-page booklet includes testimonials from musicians and individuals from Redding's life, essays, a photo album, track listings, discographies, personnel and recording information.
