In terms of hit singles, Booker T. & The MG’s were in a
relatively slow period when I first got into music in 1965: after reaching #3
in 1962 with their classic “Green Onions”, they didn’t have another national
top 20 hit until 1968’s “Soul-Limbo”. For some reason, however, even their
least successful singles managed to get airplay on Harrisburg’s WFEC, and once
I heard them I was hooked. Over the next few years, I bought (and still own)
five of their LPs, including a Best-Of collection. Of course, when they weren’t
recording and releasing their own music, they backed up nearly every Memphis
soul singer of the era, including Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, and Otis
Redding (most notably his take on the old chestnut “Try
A Little Tenderness”).
Favorite Tracks:
Green Onions
Soul-Limbo
Hang ‘Em High
Soul Dressing
Slum Baby
Groovin’
My Sweet Potato
Slim Jenkin’s Place
Time Is Tight
Speaking of 1965, here is the Billboard Top 10 from this week in that year:
ReplyDelete1 EVE OF DESTRUCTION –•– Barry McGuire (Dunhill)
2 HANG ON SLOOPY –•– The McCoys (Bang)
3 YOU WERE ON MY MIND –•– We Five (A&M)
4 CATCH US IF YOU CAN –•– The Dave Clark Five (Epic)
5 HELP! –•– The Beatles (Capitol)
6 THE “IN” CROWD –•– The Ramsey Lewis Trio (Argo)
7 LIKE A ROLLING STONE –•– Bob Dylan (Columbia)
8 IT AIN’T ME BABE –•– The Turtles (White Whale)
9 HEART FULL OF SOUL –•– The Yardbirds (Epic)
10 LAUGH AT ME –•– Sonny (Atco)
September '65 is when I really started getting into music, so I remember all of these well, although I'm not sure Heart Full Of Soul or Laugh At Me made it all the way into the top 10 at Harrisburg's WFEC.
DeleteFor some reason, I seem to hear Eve Of Destruction a lot these days ...