In the annals of soul music, few instrumental tracks are as instantly recognizable and enduring as “Green Onions” by Booker T. and the MGs. This iconic tune, with its infectious organ riff and tight, groovy rhythm, wasn’t just a hit song; it was a defining moment for Stax Records and a cornerstone of the Memphis soul sound. But the story behind “Green Onions” is as compelling as the music itself, a tale of serendipity, a barber’s advice, and a group of young musicians who stumbled upon magic in a makeshift studio.
PayoffSong.com Logo – A Jukebox representing A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs Podcast
This is the story of how a Western Swing fiddle player inadvertently laid the groundwork for one of the most important soul music labels in history, and how a jam session born out of a cancelled recording turned into the legendary “Green Onions Song.”
From Fiddles to Fortune: The Genesis of Stax Records
Our story begins in Memphis, Tennessee, with Jim Stewart, a man whose musical aspirations were initially rooted in the twang of country and Western Swing. A part-time fiddle player influenced by the legendary Bob Wills, Stewart found himself working at a bank to make ends meet, his musical dreams taking a backseat to financial realities. However, the allure of the music industry, the possibility of striking gold like a local boy named Elvis, still flickered within him.
Fate, as it often does, intervened in the form of a barber. Erwin Ellis, another country fiddle enthusiast, owned a small record label called Erwin Records. While Erwin Records itself wasn’t commercially successful, Ellis understood the inner workings of the music business and shared his insights with Stewart during a haircut. Ellis revealed the secret to sustainable income: music publishing. Owning the rights to a song, not just the recording, was where the real money lay. Every radio play, every cover version, generated revenue without further investment.
This revelation resonated deeply with Stewart, the financially savvy banker with a musical heart. He gathered a few musically inclined friends, pooled together a modest sum, and launched Satellite Records in 1958. Their initial ventures, however, were far from stellar. Early releases, like Fred Byler’s “Blue Roses” and Don Willis’s rockabilly track “Boppin’ High School Baby,” failed to gain traction. Distribution woes and a lack of industry know-how threatened to sink Satellite Records before it even had a chance to launch.
Just as hope seemed to dwindle, three crucial events breathed new life into Stewart’s dream. First, a new barber, also musically inclined, offered his storage space as a studio and the potential of recording his singing daughter. Second, the arrival of Chips Moman, a seasoned young guitarist and producer, brought much-needed expertise and studio savvy. Moman, who had played with rockabilly artists and even spent time as a session musician in California, possessed the production skills Satellite desperately needed.
The third pivotal event was the involvement of Estelle Axton, Jim Stewart’s sister. A sharp businesswoman with a passion for music, Estelle saw the potential in Satellite Records. She bought out Stewart’s reluctant partners, invested in proper recording equipment, and brought her business acumen to the fledgling label. With Moman’s help, they set up shop in the barber’s storage space, and Satellite Records was reborn, determined to make a real impact.
From Satellite to Stax: Finding Their Sound and a New Home
Satellite Records, under Estelle and Jim’s guidance and with Moman’s production skills, began to find its footing. Their first “real” release, “Fool in Love” by the Vel-Tones, a black vocal group, gained local airplay and even distribution through Mercury, bringing in a small profit. However, the Brunswick studio location proved inconvenient for musicians, and the constant train noise was disruptive. Moreover, the looming prospect of recording the barber’s daughter wasn’t exactly inspiring.
Inspired by the success of Hi Records, another Memphis label that utilized a converted cinema as a studio, Satellite Records sought a new home. They found an abandoned cinema on East McLemore Avenue, closer to the heart of Memphis and more accessible to local musicians. This move proved to be transformative in more ways than one.
Estelle Axton, ever the entrepreneur, transformed the cinema’s lobby into a record shop. This wasn’t just any record store; it became a hub for the local Black community, a place where teenagers could hang out, listen to music all day, and discover new sounds. Estelle’s intimate knowledge of her customers’ tastes, fueled by her loyalty card program, provided invaluable market research for the record label operating in the back. The record shop and studio became symbiotic, each feeding the other.
Simultaneously, Charles Axton, Estelle’s son, was forging his own path in music. He joined an all-white band called the Royal Spades, a group with a penchant for R&B music. Charles, despite limited experience, convinced them to add a horn section, offering his services on tenor saxophone. The band, later renamed The Mar-Keys, became a crucial part of the Stax sound, and Charles, despite initial skepticism, found his place within the family business.
The combination of the new studio, Estelle’s record shop insights, and the emergence of The Mar-Keys set the stage for Stax Records to truly take off. They also gained a valuable ally in Rufus Thomas, a prominent figure in Memphis’s Black entertainment scene. Thomas, a popular DJ, comedian, and recording artist with a hit record on Sun Records under his belt (“Bear Cat”), saw the potential in Satellite Records and offered to record with them.
The Accidental Hit: “Green Onions” Emerges
Rufus Thomas brought not only his own talent but also his daughter, Carla Thomas, who possessed a remarkable voice. Their collaboration on “‘Cause I Love You” marked the first recording in the new McLemore Avenue studio. During the session, a last-minute addition was needed: a baritone saxophonist. Teenager David Porter, present at the session, remembered his Booker T. Washington High School classmate, Booker T. Jones, a multi-instrumentalist prodigy.
Porter famously pulled Jones out of class, and Jones, with a borrowed baritone sax, contributed to “‘Cause I Love You.” The track became a local hit, attracting the attention of Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records, a major player in the music industry. Atlantic offered a distribution deal, providing Satellite with much-needed resources and credibility.
Carla Thomas’s solo single, “Gee Whizz, Look at His Eyes,” further solidified Satellite’s success, reaching both R&B and pop charts. Satellite Records was building momentum, developing a roster of talent and a distinctive sound. Steve Cropper, working at the record shop, became a constant presence in the studio, contributing guitar and keyboards as needed. David Porter’s songwriting and vocal talents also became integral to the Stax sound.
It was The Mar-Keys, however, who delivered the instrumental breakthrough that truly put Satellite, soon to be Stax, on the map. “Last Night,” an instrumental track recorded in various sessions with shifting lineups, showcased the raw energy and burgeoning Stax groove. Despite initial doubts from Jim Stewart and Jerry Wexler, Estelle Axton championed the track, pushing for its release. Her instincts proved correct. “Last Night” became a massive hit, reaching number three on the pop charts and number two on the R&B charts.
The success of “Last Night” prompted a name change. Another label called Satellite Records, based in California, offered Jim Stewart the rights to the name. Stewart, who had never been fond of the name Satellite anyway, seized the opportunity. Satellite Records became Stax Records, a name derived from the first letters of Stewart and Axton.
Following “Last Night,” Stax continued to experiment with instrumentals. They launched a subsidiary label, Volt, and released “Burnt Biscuits” by The Triumphs, produced by Chips Moman. While not a major hit, it demonstrated Stax’s continued exploration of instrumental music. Moman also produced William Bell’s “You Don’t Miss Your Water,” a defining track in the emerging country-soul genre, before his departure from Stax due to disagreements with Estelle Axton and a desire for greater creative control.
After Moman’s exit, Stax faced a period of uncertainty. Jim Stewart and Steve Cropper took over production duties, navigating a mix of successes and missteps. Even Cropper, despite his immense talent, had his share of creative misses, as evidenced by the novelty country song “The Three Dogwoods.”
But amidst this transitional period, fate intervened once more, leading to the creation of “Green Onions.” Billy Lee Riley was booked for a session at Stax, but the session fell apart early, leaving the studio musicians – Steve Cropper, Booker T. Jones, Lewie Steinberg, and Al Jackson Jr. – with time on their hands. These four musicians, who would become the legendary MGs, began jamming on a blues riff. Jim Stewart, about to call it a day, overheard them and urged them to record what they were playing.
The result was “Behave Yourself,” a solid track, but they needed a B-side. Cropper recalled a catchy lick he and Booker had heard on the radio. They started improvising around that lick, developing it into a 12-bar instrumental. The track was raw, funky, and undeniably captivating. Lewie Steinberg, searching for a title that captured its essence, suggested “Green Onions,” inspired by the “funky” nature of onions. For the artist name, they chose Booker T. and the MGs, initially a playful reference to the MG sports car, later retrofitted to stand for Memphis Group or Mixed Group.
Booker T. and the MGs, the iconic soul instrumental band behind the Green Onions song.
“Green Onions” was released in 1962 and became an instant sensation. It soared to number one on the R&B charts and number three on the pop charts, becoming Stax’s biggest hit to date and an instrumental anthem for a generation. The impromptu jam session had birthed a timeless classic.
Booker T. and the MGs became the Stax house band, the rhythmic backbone for countless soul hits that emerged from the McLemore Avenue studio. Whether recording instrumentals under their own name or backing iconic vocalists like Otis Redding, they defined the Stax sound. Despite personnel changes over the years – Booker T. Jones’s temporary absence for university, Lewie Steinberg’s replacement by Duck Dunn – the MGs remained the heart of Stax Records, their music pulsating with raw emotion and undeniable groove.
And it all started with “Green Onions,” a song born from a cancelled session, a shared musical intuition, and the magic that happened when four young musicians plugged in and played, creating a soul classic that continues to resonate today.
