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Another famous and highly influential house band was the Stax/Volt outfit Booker T. & the M.G.'s. The original members were Booker T. Jones (organ, piano), Steve Cropper (guitar), Lewie Steinberg (bass), and Al Jackson Jr. (drums). Later Steinberg was replaced by Donald “Duck” Dunn. As the house band they were augmented by The Memphis Horns ( also known as the Mar-Keys, a name sometimes used for all six members) whose main members were Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love. At times Jones would be away attending Indiana University and Stax writer and producer Isaac Hayes would fill in on keyboards. Hayes and his song writing partner David Porter played an intragal part in creating the 'Memphis sound'.

Another interesting thing about these guys is that they were a racially integrated group in a southern city during the Civil Rights era.

Stax/Volt artists like Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas and Wilson Pickett all benefited from this group. The hits are to numerous to mention.

The M.G.'s were also a solo recording act. Their biggest hit, 'Green Onions' became the template for Southern Soul and R and B sound. They were widely copied and admired. Croppers' reverb drench guitar and Jones' spooky organ playing are awesome.



'Soul Man' by Sam and Dave features this house band in all its' power and glory. The quartet, along with the Mar-Keys horn section exemplifies that 'Memphis Sound'. Dunns' bass line and those horns. Yea. I know it had a huge impact on my musical tastes as a teenager.