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Time Is Tight: My Life, Note by Note Hardcover – October 29, 2019
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From Booker T. Jones's earliest years in segregated Memphis, music was the driving force in his life. While he worked paper routes and played gigs in local nightclubs to pay for lessons and support his family, Jones, on the side, was also recording sessions in what became the famous Stax Studios-all while still in high school. Not long after, he would form the genre-defining group Booker T. and the MGs, whose recordings went on to sell millions of copies, win a place in Rolling Stone's list of top 500 songs of all time, and help forge collaborations with some of the era's most influential artists, including Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Sam & Dave.
Nearly five decades later, Jones's influence continues to help define the music industry, but only now is he ready to tell his remarkable life story. Time is Tight is the deeply moving account of how Jones balanced the brutality of the segregationist South with the loving support of his family and community, all while transforming a burgeoning studio into a musical mecca.
Culminating with a definitive account into the inner workings of the Stax label, as well as a fascinating portrait of working with many of the era's most legendary performers-Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and Tom Jones, among them-this extraordinary memoir promises to become a landmark moment in the history of Southern Soul.
- Print length352 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherLittle, Brown and Company
- Publication dateOctober 29, 2019
- Dimensions6.25 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches
- ISBN-100316485608
- ISBN-13978-0316485609
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Booker T. Jones composed some of the finest music of the last century, and now he's given us one of the finest music books of this one."―Wall Street Journal
"Wonderfully perceptive, generous, and open-hearted memoir."―New York Journal of Books
"Vivid and thoughtful."―Memphis Flyer
"A fun, revealing look into [Jones's] life and creative process."―News & Record
"Booker T. is a great producer, a great musician, and a great friend. Those three 'greats' together pretty much let you know how I feel about Booker. He and I worked together on many projects, all were fun-just like this book, which is as joyful to read as Booker's music is to listen to."―Willie Nelson
"Booker T. will forever be known as the Booker T. from Booker T. and the MGs. But this book reveals so much more of the man."―Bob Dylan
"Booker is simply one of the tenderest-hearted people I've ever met and I'm so honored to have ever been in his company. This beautiful memoir is a near perfect reflection of the man I would walk a million miles for: engaging, unforgettable, and deeply creative."―SinéadO'Connor
"Booker, we love you and your genius ability to touch people's hearts with your organ, your music, and now your writing."―Narada Michael Walden
"The contributions by Booker T. Jones to American Popular Music are immeasurable. In Time is Tight, Booker digs deep into his soul, revealing much about the extraordinary music he has made over nearly six decades with artists as diverse as Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Bill Withers, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Willie Nelson and, of course, Booker T. and the MG's. In between stories of musical greatness, the readers learns much about Booker's personal life and, in the process, the depth of his humanity. Intelligent and articulate to a fault, Time is Tight is one of the finest autobiographies that I have ever read."―Rob Bowman
"I have come to view Booker T and the MGs (the Mixed Group) as one of the backbones of American popular music, and if you listen to how Booker T Jones works that Hammond B3 organ on those classic songs, you realize he is playing his life, note for note. That's how it is in his memoir, Time Is Tight: With every page he strikes a heartfelt chord as he candidly reveals his life before and during his years at Stax Records, an era of racism and segregation that defined the city of Memphis, Tennessee and America. This book brings to light the honesty, grit, and integrity he displayed in his musical brilliance for more than six decades, a soundtrack of pure genius that transcends the human soul. I dare you to put this book down once you start reading it."―AlBell, former owner Stax Records, former President of The Motown Records Group
"Time Is Tight is a whirlwind tour through Booker's incredible journey from his humble beginnings in Memphis through his tenure backing up the likes of Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Albert King and Carla Thomas to his blossoming as an acclaimed producer and songwriter. Told with heart and soul and interspersed with loving memories of his wonderful family and talented cohorts. The story is also rife with the turbulent times he has lived through from the King assassination, the fall of Stax and Al Jackson's murder. Through it all, Booker narrates with his intelligence and wit as we travel back and forth through these amazing life and times. Absolutely one of the most engaging and engrossing memoirs I have ever read."
―Patterson Hood, writer, musician, and member of Drive by Truckers
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Little, Brown and Company; First Edition (October 29, 2019)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 352 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0316485608
- ISBN-13 : 978-0316485609
- Item Weight : 1.35 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #474,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #90 in R&B & Soul
- #4,312 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies
- #14,617 in Memoirs (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book an excellent read with great stories and interesting life details. They also find the content very informative. However, some find the writing and content choices confusing and the shifting narrative confusing.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book an excellent read.
"It's great. You get to know the man, the music and all the people in his world...." Read more
"...Beyond that, the book is a masterpiece!Of course, it doesn't hurt that I am one of Mr. Jones' biggest fans." Read more
"This is one of the best memoirs I've ever read; I truly am enjoying it and would highly recommend it!..." Read more
"Great book. Very informative especially for those that want to have a better understanding of the impact of Stax Records and Booker T &. the MG's." Read more
Customers find the storyline great, with interesting life details. They also say the author is an interesting guy.
"...I got more than just a music recollection, Mr Jones stories about life are relatable, form love, relationships and just living." Read more
"The story of Booker T's life is fascinating, and his musical journey is interesting and impressive...." Read more
"...Great stories about his college days, as a budding musician, and then as an accomplished one, every step of the way...." Read more
"...What kind of a decision was that? There is a good story buried in this book...." Read more
Customers find the book very informative, fascinating, and draws them into each place. They also say the author's writing style is great.
"...both as distance and time, and the way he's written it really draws you into each place...." Read more
"Great book. Very informative especially for those that want to have a better understanding of the impact of Stax Records and Booker T &. the MG's." Read more
"Great story . Lots of history and insight to the times I grew up in listening to Star artists" Read more
"Fascinating but flawed..." Read more
Customers find the musical content interesting, impressive, and captivating. They also say the life is fascinating and the creative process at Stax is captivating.
"This book is a fascinating insight into the musical development of the leader of my favorite band, Booker T & MGs!..." Read more
"...story of Booker T's life is fascinating, and his musical journey is interesting and impressive...." Read more
"...musical education both formal and informal and the creative process at Stax are captivating...." Read more
Customers find the writing and content choices confusing. They also mention that the book has a few typos and the shifting narrative is somewhat confusing.
"...but instead it jumps around in time and subject so much that it becomes confusing, especially early in the story." Read more
"...The book has a few typos, such as spelling Lansky Brothers as "Lanksy." And using "vice" when he means "vise."..." Read more
"...The book doesn't do him justice. The shifting narrative is somewhat confusing and he does some strange things, like explaining his songs with..." Read more
"Very disjointed writing..." Read more
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I couldn't put it down and finished it just in a day and a half.
I had no idea that Mr. Jones was a prodigy.
There is one glaring mistake which think is the fault of the publisher/Editor.
There is a reference to a passage of music which is called a 'Cadenza.'
("a virtuoso solo passage inserted into a movement in a concerto or other work, typically near the end.")
In the book, it was called a 'Credenza,' which is a piece of furniture.
(I was a proofreader, I am a musician)
Beyond that, the book is a masterpiece!
Of course, it doesn't hurt that I am one of Mr. Jones' biggest fans.
The book covers a lot ground, both as distance and time, and the way he's written it really draws you into each place. I feel like I've learned so much; about music, people, culture, history...I could easily ramble on, but I highly recommend checking this out! I hope he wins an award for it!! Thank you, Booker T!
After that I got tired of reading about bad marriages and music business ripoffs. Some interesting insight into a musical career that had more depth and importance than is fully understood. However, by the final third of the book I couldn't wait for it to be over. It's uneven.
Unlike others I did not have an issue with the non-linear approach to telling this history. I like the writing that really shared a history of small moments. I am glad I read this book it filled in some gaps for me, but overall, it didn't really go anyplace, or offer any real insights.
Top reviews from other countries
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Two related things infuriated me during the book, the first was his habit of referring to the MG's as his band. The band, even by Booker's own telling in the book, was named Booker T. &the MG's by Al Jackson as a courtesy to the youngest musician in the studio and also because he came up with the riff on the cut that became Green Onions, It wasn't because he was regarded as the leader of the band. If Steve Cropper had come up with it the band may well have been called Steve Cropper & the MG's. The song was, by the way, credited to all four musicians. I am not saying, of course, that Booker didn't make a massive contribution to the music produced by the band and I mean no disrespect to the great man. However, I have never thought of Booker as being the leader, I have never thought the band had a leader to be honest. From what I have always read, Al Jackson and Steve Cropper made such enormous contributions and had such strong personalities that the concept of a leader seems ridiculous. If anyone was the father figure in the band it was, in my humble opinion, Al Jackson due to his experience and impeccable taste. But that's just my opinion, for what it's worth.
The other, related, niggle was when he had the audacity to refer to Al Jackson as 'his drummer'. I nearly threw the book at the wall when I read that! It reminded me of the time Mick Jagger called Charlie Watts 'my drummer', Charlie Watts lamped him one and said don't you ever call me that again, then said you're my 'singer'.
It's seems clear from three or four comments within the book that Booker has certain issues with Steve Cropper although other than the Martin Luther King and the White House quotes he doesn't go into any details. His remark that when Cropper was unavailable for a live gig and was replaced by Charlie Freeman nobody really noticed could be countered by saying that the same was true when Booker wasn't available and was replaced by Isaac Hayes. Other than saying that Cropper worked hard producing Otis Redding's last mammoth session at Stax he says very little complementary about his contributions as a guitar player to the group's output. I found this a little strange considering Steve Cropper's massive reputation as a guitar player.
Those niggles apart, this is a wonderful book by a man who has made a massive contribution to contemporary music over the last sixty years. Buy this book!
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まずは日本人向けから。
・吉田拓郎と忌野清志郎とセッションした思い出が語られている。当時のブッカーはアメリカでは落ち目だったが、清志郎との共演辺りを境に運が向いて来たらしい。
・メンフィスを離れてロス・アンジェルスに行く時に最初に頼ったのがレオン・ラッセル(丁度ジョー・コッカーとのツアーが終わった頃)。レオンはその頃、自宅に猿を飼っていて、ブッカーは噛まれそうになる。
・オーティス・レディングの葬儀でオルガンを演奏する辺りが、やはり一番のヤマ場かな。
読みたくなったでしょう?
![](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/amazon-avatars-global/default._CR0,0,1024,1024_SX48_.png)
The racial currents, particularly in the southern States bear a disturbing resemblance to today’s situation.
![](https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/amazon-avatars-global/671b9ec0-2be1-4b51-b797-300c0bf6f1ed._CR0,0,462,462_SX48_.jpg)