Memphis honored one of the finest musicians to ever play in that music mecca with a musical parade/funeral march down the iconic Beale Street Wednesday. Saxophones, drums and trumpets were played by musicians as they walked, marched and danced, paying homage to the late Donald “Duck” Dunn.
Perhaps best known for his Blues Brothers and Booker T. and The MG’s work, there was a lot more to “Duck” than those two acts. He provided the lower end on a string of R & B classics and stayed busy for decades as a highly sought after studio musician. We decided we’d like to honor him with a list of his musical achievements that we are calling “5 Decades Of Dunn”. Take a look at the list we’ve compiled, it’s really quite impressive, there were even some on there that we hadn’t realized that he played on.
Even more amazing was the little tidbit that Curtis Salgado shared with us. Salgado said Duck told him once that he hadn’t changed a string on his recording bass for 15 years and the only reason he did then was that he broke a string. Too funny!
Donald “Duck” Dunn died on May 13 while on tour with Steve Cropper in Japan.
FIVE DECADES OF DUNN
1960’s
Otis Redding (Pain in my heart, 1964)
Wilson Pickett (In the midnight hour, 1965)
Booker T & The MGs (Sould Dressing, 1965)
Otis Redding (Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads, 1965)
Mar-Keys (Great Memphis Sound, 1966)
Booker T & The MGs (In the Christmas Spirit, 1966)
Otis Redding (Otis blue, 1966)
Wilson Pickett (Exciting Wilson Pickett, 1966)
Otis Redding (Soul Album, 1966)
Booker T & The MGs (And Now… Booker T & The MGs, 1966)
Guitar Showdown at the Dusk ‘Til Dawn Blues Festival, 1966)
Eddie Floyd (Knock on wood, 1967)
Albert King (Born under a bad sign, 1967)
Otis Redding (Live in Europe, 1967)
The Mar-Keys/Booker T & The MGs (Back to Back, 1967)
Otis Redding & Carla Thomas (King & Queen, 1967)
Various Artists (Monterrey International Pop Festival, 1967)
Booker T & The MGs (Hip Hug-Her, 1967)
William Bell (Soul of a Bell, 1967)
Albert King (Blues for Elvis, 1968)
Otis Redding (Dock of the Bay, 1968)
Otis Redding (Immortal Otis Redding, 1968)
Various Artists (Soul Christmas, 1968)
Isaac Hayes (Presenting Isaac Hayes, 1968)
Booker T & The MGs (Uptight, 1968)
Booker T & The MGs (Best of Booker T & The MGs, 1968)
Booker T & The MGs (Doin’ Our Thing, 1968)
Booker T & The MGs (Soul Limbo, 1968)
The Staples Singers (Soul Folk in Action, 1968)
Johnnie Taylor (Who’s Making Love, 1968)
Booker T & The MGs (The Booker T. Set, 1969)
Albert King (King of the Blues Guitar, 1969)
Delaney & Bonnie (Home, 1969)
Mitch Ryder (The Detroit Memphis Experiment, 1969)
Muddy Waters (Fathers and sons, 1969)
Eddie Floyd (Rare Stamps, 1969)
Mavis Staples (Mavis Staples, 1969)
Otis Redding (Love Man, 1969)
1970’s
Booker T & The MGs (Mclemore Avenue, 1970)
Otis Redding (Tell the Truth, 1970)
Booker T & The MGs (Melting Pot, 1971)
David Porter (Victim of the Joke?: An Opera, 1971)
Rita Coolidge (Rita Coolidge, 1971)
Ronnie Hawkins (The Hawk, 1971)
Albert King (Lovejoy, 1971)
Freddie King (Getting Ready, 1971)
Herbie Mann (Push Push, 1971)
Don Nix (Living by the Days, 1971)
Bill Withers (Just as I Am, 1971)
Jesse Ed Davis (Ululu, 1972)
Rance Allen (Straight From the Heart, 1972)
Freddie King (Texas Cannonball, 1972)
Doug Clifford (Cosmo, 1972)
Mel & Tim (Starting All Over Again, 1972)
Elvis Presley (Raised On Rock/For Ol’ Times Sake, 1973)
MGs (The MGs, 1973)
Duane Allman (Anthology vol. 2, 1974)
Eddie Floyd (Soul Street, 1974)
Shirley Brown (Woman to Woman, 1974)
Muddy Waters (Muddy & The Wolf, 1974)
William Bell (William Bell, 1974)
John Prine (Common Sense, 1975)
Rance Allen (Soulful Experience, 1975)
Leon Russell (Will o’ The Wisp, 1975)
Rod Stewart (Atlantic crossing, 1975)
Joan Baez (Gulf winds, 1976)
Carol Grimes (Carol Grimes, 1976)
Richie Havens (End of the Beginning, 1976)
Chris Hillman (Slippin’ Away, 1976)
John Prine (Prime Prine, 1976)
Rod Stewart (A Night on the Town, 1976)
Leon Russell (Best Of Leon Russell, 1976)
Manhatten Transfer (Pastiche, 1976)
Mickey Thomas (As Long As You Love Me, 1976)
Sam & Dave (Back at ‘Cha!, 1976)
Ritchie Havens (End of the Beginning, 1976)
Keith Christmas (Stories from the Human Zoo, 1976)
Joan Baez (Blowing away, 1977)
Shirley Brown (Shirley Brown, 1977)
Roy Buchanan (Loading zone, 1977)
Mickey Thomas (As long as you love me, 1977)
Levon Helm (Levon Helm & The RCO All Stars, 1977)
Albert King (The pinch, 1977)
Diana Ross (Baby it’s me, 1977)
Manhattan Transfer (Pastiche, 1978)
Blues Brothers (Briefcase Full of Blues, 1978)
The Emotions (Sunshine, 1978)
Bruce Roberts (Bruce Roberts, 1978)
Billy Swan (Your OK, I’m OK, 1978)
Peter Frampton (Where I should be, 1979)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Damn The Torpedos, 1979)
Leo Sayer (Here, 1979)
1980’s
Steve Cropper (Playing my Thang, 1980)
Blues Brothers (Made In America, 1980)
Bob Dylan (Shot of love, 1981)
The Staple Singers (This Time Around, 1981)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Hard promises, 1981)
Stevie Nicks (Bella Donna, 1981)
Eric Clapton (Money and Cigarettes, 1983)
Eric Clapton (Behind the sun, 1985)
Wilson Pickett (Wilson Pickett’s Greatist Hits, 1985)
Albert King (Best of Albert King Vol 1, 1986)
Booker T & The MGs (Best of Booker T & The MGs, 1986)
Various Artists (Atlantic Blues, 1986)
Jimmy Buffett (Hot Water, 1988)
Eric Clapton (Crossroads, 1988)
Soundtrack (The Great Outdoors, 1988)
Soundtrack (Roadhouse, 1989)
1990’s
Legends Of Guitar (Electric Blues Vol.1, 1990)
Willie Dixon (The Chess Box, 1990)
Muddy Waters (Chess Box, 1990)
Stevie Nicks (Timespace: The Best of Stevie Nicks, 1991)
Johnnie Taylor (Who’s Making Love, 1991)
Various Artists (Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974, 1991)
Albert King (The Best of Albert King, Vol 1, 1991)
Booker T & The MGs (Hip Hug-Her, 1992)
Wilson Pickett (A Man and a Half: The Best of Wilson Pickett, 1992)
Booker T & The MGs (And Now… Booker T & The MGs, 1992)
Booker T & The MGs (Doin’ Our Thing, 1992)
Blues Brothers (Definitive Collection, 1992)
Roy Buchanan (Sweet Dreams: The Anthology, 1992)
William Bell (Little Something Extra, 1992)
Rufus Thomas (Can’t Get Away From This Dog, 1992)
Various Artists (Blues Masters Vol 1: Urban Blues, 1992)
Various Artists (Stax/Volt Review, Vol 3: Live In Europe – Hit The Road Stax, 1992)
Blues Masters Sampler (1993)
Otis Redding (Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding, 1993)
Bob Dylan (Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert, 1993)
Various Artists (The Complete Stax-Volt Soul Singles Vol 2: 1968-1971, 1993)
John Prine (Great Days: The John Prine Anthology, 1993)
Albert King (The Ultimate Collection, 1993)
Wilson Pickett (In the Midnight Hour, 1993)
Roy Buchanan (Guitar on Fire, 1993)
Jerry Lee Lewis (All Killer, No Filler: The Anthology, 1993)
Otis Redding (Otis Redding Sings Soul, 1993)
Ruby Johnson (I’ll Run Your Heart Away, 1993)
Freddy King (Hide Away: The Best of Freddy King)
Booker T & The MGs (The Very Best of Booker T & The MGs, 1994)
Booker T & The MGs (That’s the Way It Should Be, 1994)
The Original Soul Christmas (1994)
Various Artists (Texas Music, Vol 1: Postwar Blues Combos, 1994)
Manhatten Transfer (Pastiche, 1994)
Carla Thomas (Gee Whiz: The Best Of Carla Thomas, 1994)
Bill Withers (The Best Of Bill Withers, 1994)
Sam & Dave (The Very Best Of Same & Dave, 1995)
Various Artists (Blues Masters Vol 1-5, 1995)
Various Artists (Jingle Bell Jam: Jazz Christmas Classics, 1995)
Various Artists (Original Sould Christmas, 1995)
David Porter (Victim of the Joke?, 1995)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Playback, 1995)
Muddy Waters (Goodbye Newport Blues, 1995)
Tony Joe White (Lake Placid Blues, 1995)
The Soul Children (Soul Children/Best Of Two Worlds, 1995)
Levon Helm (Levon Helm & The RCO All-Stars, 1996)
Albert King (The Blues Don’t Change, 1996)
Rance Allen (Soulful Experience, 1996)
Freddie King (Getting Ready, 1996)
Taveres (Best of Taveres, 1996)
Various Artists (Mean Old World: The Blues from 1940 to 1994, 1996)
Carla Thomas (Love Means Carla Thomas/Memphis Queen, 1997)
Rance Allen (Let the Music Get Down in Your Soul, 1997)
John Fogerty (Blue Moon Swamp, 1997)
Yvonne Elliman (Best Of Yvonne Elliman, 1997)
Ray Charles (Genius & Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection, 1997)
The Blues Brothers (Blues Brothers & Friends: Live from House of Blues, 1997)
Tinsley Ellis (Fire it up, 1997)
Boz Scaggs (My Time: The Anthology 1969-1997, 1997)
Leon Russell (Retrospective, 1997)
William Bell (Bound to Happen, 1997)
Otis Redding (Dreams to Remember: The Otis Redding Anthology, 1998)
Stevie Nicks (Enchanted: The Works of Stevie Nicks, 1998)
Booker T & The MGs (Time Is Tight, 1998)
Soundtrack (Vampires, 1998)
Albert King (The Very Best of Albert King, 1999)
Eric Clapton (Clapton Chronicles: Best of 1981-1999, 1999)
Crosby Stills Nash & Young (Looking Forward, 1999)
The Soul Children (Genesis/Friction, 1999)
2000’s
The Blues Brothers (The Blues Brothers Complete, 2000)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Anthology: Through the Years, 2000)
Don Covay (Mercy, Mercy/Seesaw, 2000)
Eric Clapton (Money & Cigarettes, 2000)
Jerry Lee Lewis (Mercury Smashes… and Rockin’ Sessions, 2000)
Eric Clapton (Best Of Eric Clapton [Import Bonus Tracks], 2000)
Neil Young (Road Rock Vol 1: Friends & Relatives, 2000)
Johnnie Taylor (Lifetime, 2000)
Bill Withers (Lean on Me: The Best of Bill Withers, 2000)
Eric Clapton (Unplugged/Clapton Chronicles, 2001)
Freddie King (Ultimate Collection, 2001)
Freddie King (Texas Cannonball, 2002)
Mavis Staples (Only for the Lonely, 2002)
Albert King (Born Under a Bad Sign, 2002)
Neil Young (Are You Passionate?, 2002)
William Bell (Soul of a Bell, 2002)
Leo Sayer (Here, 2003)
Joan Baez (Complete A&M Recordings, 2003)
Booker T & The MGs (Soul Men, 2003)
Sountrack (Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: A Musical Journey, 2003)
Jerry Lee Lewis (Southern Roots: Boogie Woogie Country Man, 2004)
Various Artists (Soul Comes Home: Celebration of Stax Records, 2004)
John Fogerty (Blue Moon Swamp, 2004)
Richie Havens (Dreaming As One: The A&M Years, 2004)
