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Post by gremashlo on Jul 19, 2010 7:51:54 GMT -5
Booker T and the MGs were, for my money, the world’s greatest studio group and back-up band. For about six years, they WERE Stax/Volt Records, as they backed up the legendary labels artists, and even co-wrote and produced them, as guitarist god Steve Cropper did with Otis Redding. But, at times they decided to prove they were as good on their own as they were at Stax. Their biggest hit, “Green Onions” was a freakishly large fluke that gave them their notoriety, and they followed that by…not recording anything for four years (as themselves, that is—they were still the world’s best studio band).
In 1967, Booker T and the MG’s went back to the studio—by themselves—and recorded the album “Hip-Hug Her”, of which the title track was the biggest seller. Another single was an instrumental version of “Groovin’”, which stalled on the charts. “Groovin’” is rather pedestrian—cover versions always seemed to restrain the band—but it was the flipside that became immortal…“Slim Jenkin’s Place”.
What started off as a funky studio jam evolved and tightened into a call and response tour de force for the band…it is perfectly balanced—it starts with a stylish Booker T piano flourish, then suddenly Duck Dunn answers with a nasty bass line that seamlessly flows through the piece. Actually, it is Dunn’s song, as his bass is the lead throughout most of the song. Add in Cropper’s nasty guitar cuts, Al Jackson’s impeccable rock hard foundation drumming and a switch to a slashing organ for Booker T to answer Dunn, and you have a masterpiece of groove. All this for a flipside…
Of course, this was ignored for decades, until Ken Burns used it as background music for his “Baseball” mini-series…this served as the music for the Bob Gibson segment. Pure freaking genius. Suddenly baseball/music fans were rushing to their old MG’s albums, wondering just WHAT they had just heard. Of course, it turned out that I not only had the single, but two albums that the track appears. And had never played them. I've made up for that mea culpa since then.
(By the way, Slim Jenkins is/was a popular California nightclub owner...of such ways is immortality granted.)
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Post by Ken on Jul 19, 2010 15:51:33 GMT -5
A great tune!
I'm a big fan of Booker T and the guys. I have several 45's as well as Rhino's highly recommended by me Very Best of collection.
Back in high school we played "Green Onions" in the Junior stage band.
One thing I discovered about Booker T was what a great voice the guy has. I remember seeing Bob Dylan's Birthday concert on TV back around '94 where Booker, Duck Dunn and Steve Cropper were part of the "house band" and Booker sang one tune ( I forget which one) and it was excellent!
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Post by H2IZCOOL on Jul 19, 2010 21:29:43 GMT -5
I actually have the 45, Grem. Even though I don't know this for sure, seeing that the record debuted in the summer of '67. I probably bought it used about a year or two later at a juke box place in Bangor, Maine that sold records out of their juke boxes for 25 cents apiece; 5 for $1. That's where I bought all my 45s back in my grad school days. It was that juke box used record store that really pushed my record collecting from amaturish now and again to super serious. I'd bet that a third of my 45 collection probably came from that store.
Anyway, if I own the 45, I know I had to have listened to the flip side at least once, OCD type that I am. I would venture to say that listening to it again, just now, I enjoyed it a whole lot more now than then.
One other thing. "Slim Jenkins' Place" is not a bona fide B side. Checking on my trusty Whitburn (I have the whole Hot 100 edition through 1969), Groovin' peaked at #21, but "Slim" did get up to #70. More important, Slim hit the Hot 100 the week of 7/29/67, while Groovin' didn't hit the chart until a week later, 8/5/67. Slim may have started out as the "A" side.
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Post by m c dornan on Jul 19, 2010 21:56:30 GMT -5
Love Booker T & the MGs. Will give "Slim Jenkins Place" a listen when my conputer is fixed soon!
One of the disappointments about the "American Graffiti" soundtrack was how"Green Onions" was cut off before the end by Wolfman Jack. That's the only version I've got of the song.
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Post by gremashlo on Jul 20, 2010 6:52:14 GMT -5
I actually have the 45, Grem. Even though I don't know this for sure, seeing that the record debuted in the summer of '67. I probably bought it used about a year or two later at a juke box place in Bangor, Maine that sold records out of their juke boxes for 25 cents apiece; 5 for $1. That's where I bought all my 45s back in my grad school days. It was that juke box used record store that really pushed my record collecting from amaturish now and again to super serious. I'd bet that a third of my 45 collection probably came from that store. Anyway, if I own the 45, I know I had to have listened to the flip side at least once, OCD type that I am. I would venture to say that listening to it again, just now, I enjoyed it a whole lot more now than then. One other thing. "Slim Jenkins' Place" is not a bona fide B side. Checking on my trusty Whitburn (I have the whole Hot 100 edition through 1969), Groovin' peaked at #21, but "Slim" did get up to #70. More important, Slim hit the Hot 100 the week of 7/29/67, while Groovin' didn't hit the chart until a week later, 8/5/67. Slim may have started out as the "A" side. Well researched! And I am just jealous as HELL about the jukebox place...  |
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Post by H2IZCOOL on Jul 20, 2010 10:01:49 GMT -5
I actually have the 45, Grem. Even though I don't know this for sure, seeing that the record debuted in the summer of '67. I probably bought it used about a year or two later at a juke box place in Bangor, Maine that sold records out of their juke boxes for 25 cents apiece; 5 for $1. That's where I bought all my 45s back in my grad school days. It was that juke box used record store that really pushed my record collecting from amaturish now and again to super serious. I'd bet that a third of my 45 collection probably came from that store. Anyway, if I own the 45, I know I had to have listened to the flip side at least once, OCD type that I am. I would venture to say that listening to it again, just now, I enjoyed it a whole lot more now than then. One other thing. "Slim Jenkins' Place" is not a bona fide B side. Checking on my trusty Whitburn (I have the whole Hot 100 edition through 1969), Groovin' peaked at #21, but "Slim" did get up to #70. More important, Slim hit the Hot 100 the week of 7/29/67, while Groovin' didn't hit the chart until a week later, 8/5/67. Slim may have started out as the "A" side. Well researched! And I am just jealous as HELL about the jukebox place... I never found another juke box place like that again, no matter where I lived. Eventually, I found some used record stores as well as flea markets and yard sales, and they served the same purpose, but took more work - but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing; the hunt is what makes it fun. Of course today, a juke box store that sold old jukebox music, would probably have t sell used cds or maybe downloadable mp3 files - and these wouldn't be "used" in the real sense. I think the electronic age is slowly taking the joy out of collecting for people like you and me.  |
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Post by Dawn on Jul 20, 2010 11:18:57 GMT -5
Great song. It seems vaguely familiar, although I'm not sure where I would have heard it.
Years ago on oldies stations, you'd hear a fair amount of Booker T - "Green Onions," "Hang 'Em High," "Time is Tight" - but sadly, it seems like their music is becoming more and more forgotten.
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Post by gremashlo on Jul 20, 2010 19:50:27 GMT -5
Well researched! And I am just jealous as HELL about the jukebox place... I never found another juke box place like that again, no matter where I lived. Eventually, I found some used record stores as well as flea markets and yard sales, and they served the same purpose, but took more work - but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing; the hunt is what makes it fun. Of course today, a juke box store that sold old jukebox music, would probably have t sell used cds or maybe downloadable mp3 files - and these wouldn't be "used" in the real sense. I think the electronic age is slowly taking the joy out of collecting for people like you and me. The man whom I bought my jukebox from had a nice stash of 45's...but I was short on time, and it seemed that all he had was country. Eww. |
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