Booker T. And The MG's

"Green Onions" is a hit soul instrumental recorded in 1962 by Booker T. & the M.G.'s. The tune is a 12-bar blues with a rippling Hammond organ line. Originally issued on the Volt 102 subsidiary of Stax Records in May 1962 as the B-side to "Behave Yourself", it was quickly reissued as the A-side of Stax 127; it also appeared on the album Green Onions.^[1] The guitar used by guitarist Steve Cropper on "Green Onions", as was all of The M.G.'s instrumentals, was a Fender Telecaster.^[3] According to guitarist Steve Cropper, the name is not a marijuana reference, rather it is named after the Green Badger's^{[clarification needed]} cat, Green Onions, whose way of walking inspired the riff.^[4] Although, according to Songfacts.com, the song was named by Booker T. Jones stating that when asked by Jim Stewart what he'd name the song, Booker T. Jones replied "Green Onions." "Why 'Green Onions'?" Jim asked. Booker T: "Because that is the nastiest thing I can think of and it's something you throw away."^[5] The song is in chromatic-minor with an open fifth as tonic chord.^[6]



From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia