Green Onions

[Derek Mowbray]

I was listening to Sounds of The Sixties this morning and a version of Green Onions was played by Count Basie ,afterwards Brian Mathews said it also had been recorded by The Ventures and The Shadows. I have not heard of a Shadows recording of Green Onions,have I missed it. is it on one of The Polydor albums I did not buy them all as I thought some of them were not all that good ,so was Brian Mathews right.

[Iain Purdon]

I didn't hear the programme but there was an EMI album called "Back to Back", a compilation of recordings by the Shadows and the Ventures. It included [i][Green Onions/i] by the Ventures. Maybe that's what Brian Matthew was on about?

[JimN]

I reckon that either Brian - or one of his researchers - has simply misremembered the fact that The Shadows recorded Time Is Tight (which is a better piece of music than Green Onions).

[Iain Purdon]

You heard correctly, Derek.

I have just listened to the programme on the BBC iPlayer. After playing the number, Brian Matthew talked about other artistes as well as Booker T & the MGs who had also done it:

" … Green Onions has been recorded in many different versions including those by The Ventures, The Shadows, Al Cooper and Mongo Santamaria but the outstanding one we just played was by the Count Basie Orchestra, made in 1967… "

The whole programme is here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0606bpm and the Green Onions section is at 1 hour 44 mins.

If you wish to challenge it (!), the producer is Phil Swern, BBC Radio 2, London W1A 1AA.

Hope this helps - Iain

[iefje]

In 1991, there were the releases "Greatest Guitar Hits Vol.1" and "Greatest Guitar Hits Vol.2", fourteen tracks each. On the first album, twelve of the fourteen tracks were by Brian Bennett and on the second album, seven of the fourteen tracks. "Green Onions" was featured on the second album and Cliff Hall played the keyboards. The nineteen tracks were credited to Brian Bennett, but I think the overall project was Warren's. The line-up was as follows:

Mark Griffiths - Lead and rhythm guitars
Warren Bennett - Bass guitar
Brian Bennett - Drums and percussion
Cliff Hall - Keyboards
Nick Payne - Saxophone

Some other tracks featured here, not recorded by The Shadows are: "Red River Rock", "Let There Be Drums", "Beatnik Fly" and "Chariot".

[Iain Purdon]

Yes, and Warren Bennett & Friends did Green Onions at Shadowmania in 2011. It's a great number but I wouldn't call it a Guitar Hit!

[Moderne]

A couple of other spurious Shads/Booker T links... When Jet was a guest presenter on Sounds of the Sixties on Radio 2 on a Saturday morning around 1987 he picked Slim Jenkins' Place as one of his favourite 60s records. Also, I remember a Record Collector review of Shades of Rock which described The Shadows' performance on it as "...Booker T and the MGs for the home counties"!!

[Stan666]

Thanks Ivo for the information,

I've those two CDs featuring Brian but never hear them so much. Do you have more information about themes and personnel?

Thanks

Miquel