Today’s Music Video Monday salutes a group of Memphis legends.
Booker T. Jones closed out the Beale Street Music Festival Blues Tent last night with nearly 90 minutes of perfection. Battling that bane of all outdoor music festivals, bass bleeding from the next stage, the Lifetime Achievement Grammy winner led his band through a tour of songs from his five decade career—”Hip Hug-Her”, “Born Under A Bad Sign”, “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”—with some of the artist’s personal favorites like “Summertime”, “Purple Rain” and “Hey Ya” thrown in for good measure. Here’s a short clip I filmed from the back of the packed Blues Tent of Jones and company playing the song he wrote in 1962 that he claims his still his favorite to this day, “Green Onions”.
Music Video Monday: Booker T. and the MGs (2)
You can read my interview with the genius of Memphis soul in this week’s Memphis Flyer Music Issue cover story. Booker T. closed his set with the stirring live arrangement of the classic “Time Is Tight” that he used to wow audiences with in the 1960s. Here he is in 1970 with Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn, and Alan Jackson Jr. bringing the house down as the guys from Creedence Clearwater Revival look on in awe.
Music Video Monday: Booker T. and the MGs
If you would like to see your music video on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
