Back Up Train is Al Green's debut album, released in 1967 on the Hot Line Music Journal label. It was recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, and produced by Wille Schoemig, though Green also contributed uncredited production. The album was not commercially successful at the time, leading Green to work as a nightclub singer.
The record shows an early soul style, influenced by the rhythm and blues of the era, but lacking the sophistication that would characterize his later work with Hi Records. The title track, "Back Up Train", was the most notable single, but it failed to chart. After this failure, Green joined the soul group The Soul Mates.
The album was reissued in 1972 by Bell Records, capitalizing on the success Green had achieved with Hi Records. Despite its initial lack of impact, Back Up Train is considered a rarity among collectors and a document of Al Green's early career.