Songfacts®:

• Booker T. & The M.G.'s were the house band at Stax Records in Memphis, but were also a band in their own right, releasing their instrumental covers and compositions. In 1962, they had a big hit with "Green Onions," but they were more in demand as a backing band for the likes of Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. In the first few years after "Green Onions," when they did get time to record their own material, it was often based on that song, resulting in minor hits like "Chinese Checkers" (#78) and "Tic-Tac-Toe" (#109).
  
  In 1965, Donald "Duck" Dunn replaced Lewie Steinberg on bass, and their sound changed. "Hip Hug-Her," the title track to their 1967 album, got them back into the Top 40, climbing to #37. Their next single, a cover of "Groovin'" by The Young Rascals, went to #21.
• The lead instrument on this one is a Hammond B-3 organ played by Booker T. Jones.
• The title is a play on "hip hugger," a style of jeans tight in the waist that flare out at the bottom. They hit on the title after Booker T. Jones suggested "Pedal Pushers," a style of jeans that stop at the calf. Pedal pushers were out of style, so the group's guitarist, Steve Cropper, nixed it. Booker countered with "Hip Huggers," and Cropper said, "That's fine... if I can change the spelling."