Booker T & the MG's Complete Stax Singles Vol. 1 (1962-1967) coming in October

Description
With apologies to groups like The Meters, Bar-Kays, and Average White Band, when it comes to all-time great instrumental R&B bands, for most folks Booker T. & the MG's represent the gold standard. And with good reason…or, actually reasons! First of all, as the house band of the hallowed Stax label and studio, The MG's pretty much invented the sound of Southern soul, playing on records by everybody from Otis Redding to Wilson Pickett to Carla Thomas. Second, on their own as Booker T & the MG's, they came up with some of the most indelible instrumental jams of all time, including—but by no means limited to!—"Green Onions." And, third, each member of the band was an absolute monster on their instrument, to this day revered and copied by untold numbers of musicians. Indeed, by the time the mid '60s rolled around, bands on both sides of the Atlantic wanted to sound like Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Al Jackson, Jr, and Lewie Steinberg (replaced about halfway through this collection by the great Donald "Duck" Dunn). And what was that sound? Well, a typical MG's tune started from the bottom-up, resting on the rock-solid drumbeat of Jackson and the in-thepocket bass work of Steinberg and, later, Dunn, over which keyboardist Jones and guitarist Cropper traded slinky and/or stinging licks. But these cats weren't just riffhappy groove masters; Jones basically codified the classic Hammond organ sound and Cropper's guitar tone remains the Holy Grail of anyone who's ever picked up a Fender Telecaster. Together, they recorded 49 single sides for Stax under the name of Booker T. & the MG's, and you'll find the first 29 (yes, 29!) of 'em right here, released on a single CD or double-LP pressed in blue vinyl and limited to 1000 copies. As with all of our singles collections, we have very carefully vetted these songs to make sure they are the correct mono single versions, with mastering by Dan Hersch at d2 Mastering, and tape research and sourcing by Mike Johnson and Aaron Kannowski with help from Bill Inglot. Ed Osborne has contributed detailed notes and discographical information, too, and the set's produced by Real Gone's own Gordon Anderson. As for the music, it pretty much speaks for itself: 29 songs, 15 of which reached the charts, including, along with "Green Onions," such classics as "Boot-Leg," "Hip Hug-Her," and "My Sweet Potato." Get ready to get into the groove and stay there for a nice, long while!

Tracklist
1. Green Onions
2. Behave Yourself
3. Jellybread
4. Aw' Mercy
5. Home Grown
6. Big Train
7. Chinese Checkers
8. Plum-Nellie
9. Fannie Mae
10. Mo-Onions
11. Tic-Tac-Toe
12. Soul Dressing
13. MG Party
14. Can't Be Still
15. Terrible Thing
16. Boot-Leg
17. Outrage
18. Be My Lady
19. Red Beans and Rice
20. My Sweet Potato
21. Booker-Loo
22. Jingle Bells
23. Winter Wonderland
24. Hip Hug-Her
25. Summertime
26. Groovin'
27. Slim Jenkin's Place
28. Winter Snow
29. Silver Bells

CD
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WS2QW9Y/?tag=imwan-20

Vinyl
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WP73MJN/?tag=imwan-2

This looks cool and I really like these guys and instrumental music in general.

This is being released by Real Gone.

 

Maybe we will finally get the studio version of Red Beans And Rice instead of the live version which is usually included on compilations.

Quite a few of their single sides were not included on their albums.

 

If this thing is anywhere near as good on the sound as it was for the Vol. 1 of the Wilson Pickett singles collection they did, it will be a winner. I'm definitely in.

 

I have most of these songs on the great Stax/Volt box 1959-1968, but i'll probably get this because, well, we have to support our specialty labels, and you know the sound will be top-notch.

Question: I have the "Man And A Half" double CD. is the sound on that Real Gone singles collection a substantial improvement over it, or are the differences negligible?

 

Comparisons made within this thread : Wilson Pickett - Complete Atlantic Singles Vol. 1 is the new gold standard!

 

Anybody know if the blue vinyl double LP release is an all analog job?

 

Has the vinyl been delayed again?

 

Indeed it is the studio version! Worth getting for that alone!

 

How many of these tracks are dedicated mono mixes just for the 45 rpm record? I already have most of their albums. Anybody know?

 

How is Time is Tight not on here

 

This Vol. 1. and these are the early singles. I assume it will be on vol. 2

 

Correct. "Time Is Tight" was released in 1969, so it couldn't appear on a collection of singles from 1962-1967.

Hopefully, there will be a Volume 2.

 

I assume one is planned since this is titled The Complete Stax Singles: Volume 1 1962-1967

 

Ordered!

 

I bought the George Harrison Early Takes Volume 1 CD in 2012.

I and everyone else is waiting still for Volume 2.

So I have learned to not assume anything.

 

Planned and released are 2 different things. I assume one is planned or they wouldn't have called this one Volume 1, whether it is eventually released is another matter. The Small Faces Autumn Stone deluxe edition is a case in point. It was planned but is still not released. I think if a second volume wasn't planned they would called this one the Complete Early Singles or the Complete Stax/Atlantic Singles.

 

Very true.

I have to believe that the George Harrison estate planned more volumes too. But so far, they have been unreleased.

 

Real Gone releases include:

Ben E. King - The Complete Atco/Atlantic Singles Vol. 1: 1960-1966 (2015)
Wilson Pickett - Land of 1000 Dances - The Complete Atlantic Singles Vol. 1 (2016)
V/A - The Complete Loma Singles Vol. 1 (2017)

No second volumes have appeared... I guess sales were disappointing.

I'm still waiting on Petula Clark - The Complete Warner Brothers Singles. At least that set would have been a one-and-done release. (There should also be a Lesley Gore Singles set. But I've given up hope on that one.)

 

Uh-oh....

 

That's too bad, because that's where the 'new to me' tracks might be found. Maybe there will be a better chance of a Vol 2 of Booker T and the MG's.

 

A Volume 2 would entail material from the later STAX years (starting in 1968). That material is not owned by Atlantic Records (which own the early material, up to and including 1967).

I think CONCORD now owns the later material. So maybe this would affect the likelihood of a Volume 2 being issued or not by the REAL GONE label.

 

@John Fell thanks for starting this thread. Had no idea this was coming out. I just ordered the 2 LP Blue vinyl version from my local store for $35 and should get it this Thursday.

This looks like all of these songs are the original mono single versions. Do we know if this is AAA or with a digital step?

So glad I saw your thread!

 

Liner notes say that these are all the mono singles through 1967.

 

Always the best of soul with-Booker T.

 

Got my copy of the blue vinyl yesterday. Nice gatefold with inside liner notes, paper inner sleeves, but of course easy to fix. Vinyl 180G and if in to colored vinyl, the records do look nice.

As for as the sound, did they ever do a nice job! Glorious mono with excellent bottom end and clarity. I have never heard this awesome music sound this good before. Vinyl pressed as quiet as can be and you can really turn it up. I am assuming there was a digital step used (can anyone confirm) but I am a firm believer that if mastered properly, digital to vinyl can really sound incredible.

When I was picking this up along with the 4 new BN 80th titles at my local store, the owner looks at me and says, this really looks sweet, I should have brought it in to sell along with your special order of it, and of course I agreed. Looking forward to more feedback here.