2021 SONG DRAFT- ROUND 2 PICK 12- QUINN MADDUX SELECTS- ‘TIME IS TIGHT’- BOOKER T. AND THE M.G.’S

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Booker T. & The M.G.'s – Time Is Tight (1969, Vinyl) - Discogs

2021 Song Draft- Round 2 Pick 12- Quinn Maddux selects- ‘Time Is Tight’- Booker T. And The M.G.’s.

Time is Tight – Booker T and the MG’s

Album: Up Tight

Written by: Booker T. Jones, Al Jackson, Jr., Steve Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn

Time: 3:14/4:55

This review comes with a little caveat and a small rant. With this group of people selecting songs, I would bet that most know Booker T and the MG’s. To those that do not, take a few moments to do a search for Stax Records and the Memphis music scene in the 1960s. Take a look at a picture of Booker T and the MG’s. There are two black dudes and two white dudes. They were one of the first racially integrated musical groups.

But you know what – their race DOES NOT MATTER. This was 4 guys that could jam. They helped Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, and even the Blues Brothers achieve their sounds. I cannot believe that it has been more than 50 years and we are still dealing with race baiting and jerks and aholes that are trying to divide our country on race. DON’T BE THAT GUY. Look at what happens when we don’t give a crap about creating division, but instead focus on doing awesome things.

Booker T and the MG’s were a studio band in Memphis. If you were a singer and needed a band, here was your horse.

There are two versions of this song. The 3:14 was released as a single in 1969 and is a slower version. The longer (4:55) version is played at a faster tempo than the single version, and features an extended introduction and an instrumental ‘breakdown’ section, neither of which were included in the single version.

This song is what I call ‘ticket music’ as in if I am driving and this song comes up on the playlist I am likely going to drive a little faster and if there is a law enforcement officer around, I am likely getting pulled over.

15 responses to “2021 SONG DRAFT- ROUND 2 PICK 12- QUINN MADDUX SELECTS- ‘TIME IS TIGHT’- BOOKER T. AND THE M.G.’S”

  2. Agreed on we should be so far beyond that racial BS that the overlords like to keep going so the underlings will be at each other’s throats instead of paying attention to their domination, exploitation, and destruction of the planet.

    This song is familiar to me and it’s a danged good jam. The instruments mesh so well together. I like how the drummer plays it and the way the melody shifts around. Of course the smooth of Booker T’s groove is what makes it come together. Nice choice and nice write-up.

  3. Good groove to that one for sure. Just saw Booker T interviewed on ‘ This is Pop’ a few nights back. He was talking about working with Willie Nelson back in 70s when they rented places by each other in Cal. Seems a cool guy

    • right – that was the record they were talking about. Great example of not only ignoring race to work together but ignoring “genres” – country hick Willie, Memphis R&B dude Booker work together to put out a great retro “standards” kind of record. Glad they got to do it and got it out – the record company was pretty skeptical I guess.

  7. This is an all around great song. As many have said, it has a great “groove” to it.

    When I was in high school, our band director always told us that music was the universal language – and it is true. Music SHOULD bring us together. I agree with you 100% on race. People seem to forget that there is ONE race – the HUMAN race. These guys always spoke highly of one another. Color never factors in to their respect or opinions of each other. I saw an interview one time of Stevie Ray Vaughn and the interviewer asked him how it felt to be the “first white artist” to win some blues award. He kind of blew it off and basically said, “Color doesn’t have anything to do with it – it’s all about the music.”

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