[18] The first night they recorded You Gotta Move; the second night, Brown Sugar, the third, Wild Horses. The original group hired by Hall in the early 1960s was Norbert Putnam, David Briggs, and Jerry Carrigan who created hit records that brought recognition and stature to this unknown and out-of-the-way studio. Mick Jagger wrote three verses on a stenographer's pad on the spot for "Brown Sugar" which made number 490 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 top songs ever recorded. The very first recording at Fame, written and sang by Arthur Alexander, " You better move on" was a world-class hit! [4] Rick Hall's financial success from "You Better Move On" gave him the capital to secure land in Muscle Shoals City where in 1962 he built a first-rate studio at 603 Avalon Avenue patterned after Owen Bradley's in Nashville. But the film points to … Hit after hit poured out of FAME, and after the Swampers jumped ship in 1969 to open their own Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, more hits followed with them. From Aretha Franklin to Lynyrd Skynyrd, via the Rolling Stones, the spellbinding music of this always engaging documentary has plenty for everyone. And they've been known to pick a song or two New members were Freeman Brown (drums), Jesse Boyce (bass), Junior Lowe (guitar), Clayton Ivey (keyboard) and a 4 man brass section. [15] During this first session with the Swampers, "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You", Franklin's husband at the time, Ted White, who had been cordial at first, became belligerent. Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, Rick Hall brought black and white together to create music for the generations. Less than a month later, The Swampers were in New York recording "Respect", Aretha's first hit that held the number one R&B spot for eight weeks and was number one on the pop charts for two weeks. The replacement musicians were initially called "the Second FAME Gang" but were later nicknamed "The Swampers".[8]. [11] They continued to operate there until 1985 when they closed the business. In its original state it was much too slow and had a honky-tonk piano sound. By all means, see the Muscle Shoals documentary will give you many insights into the ‘Muscle Shoals Sound.’ Muscle Shoals Sound Studios Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. "[17] They also trademarked the name "The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section". [11] With no firm job offer, Beckett moved his family from Florida to Muscle Shoals and was eventually hired. "Click through the above photo gallery to view images from the "Muscle Shoals" film. May 2, 2019 - Explore Richardrthomas's board "Muscle shoals documentary" on Pinterest. [18] Wexler was horrified. So unter anderem One of Hall's first protégés was an African American bellhop at the Sheffield Hotel named Arthur Alexander who had written some songs. [4] They left the following day. The Muscle Shoals, “Swampers”. Expand submenu Visit Collapse submenu Visit The end credits acknowledge how many musicians who contributed to the famous "Muscle Shoals sound" couldn't fit into a two-hour film ... of the Swampers says modestly. 'Sing the counts, Wilson', I suggested. His rhythm section (piano, bass and drums) was Briggs, Putnam, and Carrigan. The very first recording at Fame, written and sang by Arthur Alexander, " You better move on" was a world-class hit! The group closed the Jackson Highway studio in 1979, moving the operation to 1000 Alabama Avenue. Helmed by first-timed director Greg "Freddy" Camalier, the 111-minute "Muscle Shoals" depicts the story of Alabama recording studios FAME and Muscle Shoals Sound, where artists ranging from Aretha Franklin ("I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)") to The Rolling Stones ("Brown Sugar") recorded high-water tracks. We had some idea about the musical influence of Muscle Shoals and the FAME and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio but really didn’t fully understand it until we watched this documentary… And deceptively simple sonic sorcery. m_gallery_creation_date = "Wednesday, October 02, 2013, 4:22 PM"; From this point, the studio began turning out hits such as Leon Russell's "Tight Rope", the Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There" and Paul Simon's "Kodachrome". In fact, they appeared on over 500 recordings, including 75 gold and platinum hits, and developed what people began calling, “The Muscle Shoals Sound.”. Only locals would know that because the towns melded together. [3] He had partnered with Rick Hall and Billy Sherrill to create "SPAR" (an acronym for Stafford Publishing And Recording). David Hood suggested the name, "Muscle Shoals Sound" and they all laughed. Comments. It was a just a commercial building that had been adapted for studio use."[17]. m_gallery_json = "https://blog.al.com/photogallery/4462/13512423.json"; David Hood bassist of the famous Muscle Shoals house band The Swampers … [11] The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section created more than 50 hits at this studio. The group closed the Jackson Highway studio in 1979, moving the operation to 1000 Alabama Avenue. The replacement musicians were Barry Beckett, Roger Hawkins, David Hood and Jimmy Johnson; initially called "the Second FAME Gang" but widely known by the nickname "The Swampers". After an hour of this, nothing was gelling. More and more business from established artists then came to the Swampers, replacing the lost Atlantic business. All rights reserved (About Us). [28], Group of American studio musicians playing soul, R&B, rock and roll and country, based in the city of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Making Love (At the Dark End of the Street), Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra, "The Swampers :: Main Street Lawrenceburg Tennessee", "Fame Records to reissue Jimmy Hughes collection", "National Register of Historic Places: Florence, Alabama Music Enterprises (FAME) Recording Studios", "The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section: Artist Biography", "Alabama Music Hall of Fame/1995 Inductees/Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section/Bio", "Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section: Jimmy Johnson", "Muscle Shoals Sound Studio: How the Swampers Changed American Music (book review)", "Barry Beckett, 66, Muscle Shoals Musician", "Swampers guitarist talks classic Aretha Franklin sessions", "Inside Muscle Shoals, the legendary studio that gave Aretha Franklin her breakthrough hit", "Aretha to The Black Keys: The Muscle Shoals Story", "Naa Na Na Na Naa: How the West Coast Eastside sound changed rock & roll", "Kid Rock, Keith Richards Help Induct Crickets, Muscle Shoals into Musicians Hall of Fame", "Legendary Muscle Shoals Horns reunite for CD release", "History Lesson: Boulder International Film Festival", The Alabama Music Hall of Fame Entry for the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muscle_Shoals_Rhythm_Section&oldid=999457874, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 10 January 2021, at 08:00. Andrew Dansby. Stephen produced the critically-acclaimed Muscle Shoals documentary which premiered to a standing ovation at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013. The joke was that the new studio, technically was in Sheffield, not Muscle Shoals. [3] The song, "You Better Move On" rose to number 24 on Billboard's Hot 100 in March, 1962, and two years later cover versions were recorded by both The Hollies and The Rolling Stones. [4] Muscle Shoals is one of four towns in northwest Alabama clustered along the Tennessee River; the others are Florence, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. Muscle Shoals is an excellent documentary on the iconic Fame Recording Studio located in Muscle Shoals, AL. See more ideas about muscle shoals, muscle shoals documentary, muscle shoals alabama. This film is the story of the so-called Muscle Shoals Sound. Die Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (MSRS) alias The Swampers – unter diesen beiden Namen war die Band bekannt – gehörten zu den ersten Musikern, die ein eigenes Tonstudio und im Gefolge davon einen eigenen Musikverlag und eine eigene Produktionsfirma besaßen. Muscle Shoals is an excellent documentary on the iconic Fame Recording Studio located in Muscle Shoals, AL. [25] In 2019, the original Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section including Norbert Putnam, David Briggs, Jerry Carrigan, Terry Thompson, Earl "Peanut" Montgomery, Joe South and Reggie Young was inducted; also The Muscle Shoals Horn Section:[26] Aaron Brown, Harrison Calloway, Ronny Eades, Charles Rose, and Harvey Thompson. Muscle Shoals takes up but a speck on a road map of the northwestern corner of Alabama, with a population that hovers around 13,000. Lord, they get me off so much m_gallery_pagetype = "embed"; [11], Keyboard player Barry Beckett knew nothing about Muscle Shoals in 1967, but was hired on a session there, James and Bobby Purify's "I'm Your Puppet". Finally they had a hit single with "Take a Letter Maria" by R.B. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. [18] They had been assured that the planned recording session could be kept secret. At first you had to go to Park City, Utah's Sundance Film Festival to see it; then then it came to the University of North Alabama's George Lindsey UNA Film Festival; then there was a special Florence screening followed by a stage-melting all-star jam featuring Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard and Civil Wars' John Paul White; then there was a limited theater release in markets including New York, Chicago, Nashville, Miami and Atlanta; then it became available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and video on demand; then it screened in Decatur; then Huntsville; then Huntsville again in place of a buzzed-about band's show; then it hit DVD; then PBS aired it. [2] The Swampers subsequently recorded, produced, or engineered classic hits by Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Leon Russell, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rod Stewart, Bob Seger and The Staple Singers. [8], In 1969, after a financial dispute, the Swampers broke away from Rick Hall and FAME to purchase a tiny studio with burlap-covered walls at 3614 Jackson Highway. All of these artists came to town for the in-house talent, called The Swampers. [3] They resigned as a group to pursue independent careers in Nashville, and Hall was without his hit-making rhythm section. [22] It was not part of Chris Kenner's own original 1962 recording. Muscle Shoals for their film “Gimme Shelter.” • Director Greg Camalier helped a friend move from the U.S. east coast to New Mexico. The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section closed the original on Jackson Highway in April, 1979, and moved to a new studio at 1000 Alabama Avenue in nearby Sheffield. [4] Wexler told a different story, and stated, "After dozens of abortive attempts, I came up with an idea. [16], The Stones were there three days, spending most of their time in the studio engineered by Swamper Jimmy Johnson. The arrangement built communally. Cogbill put Vaseline on his fingertips and delivered the lick they had been hoping for. [21], The now-famous bass lick that followed was actually a second count off, and took trials by three bass players to find something extraordinary. After Allie and Greg began dating about two years ago, Greg got her to watch the 2013 documentary film "Muscle Shoals," about the Shoals area's rich studio legacy. Beckett left Alabama in 1982 to move to Nashville where he became A&R man for Warner Music Group. Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of America's most creative and defiant music. The song reached number two on the Hot 100 and was certified gold. Documentary about the recording studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Rent $4.99 Buy $12.99 Once you select Rent you'll have 14 days to start watching the movie and 48 hours to finish it. [9] They appeared on the cover of Cher's 1969 album 3614 Jackson Highway. They pick me up when I'm feeling blue m_gallery_id = "13512423"; They sold it to their longtime friend Tommy Couch, owner of Malaco Records, based in Jackson, Mississippi. Director Freddie Camalier and producer Stephen Badger had been working on the film … [13], During the 1990s and later, the group continued working as a studio band, often with Clayton Ivey on keyboards, for artists including Gregg Allman (All Night All Stars), T. Graham Brown, Jimmy Buffett, Melissa Etheridge, John Hiatt, the Oak Ridge Boys, Johnny Paycheck, Etta James, and Joe Louis Walker.[8]. On the many hit records out of Muscle Shoals, there were many incidences where other musicians would join or substitute, including Chips Moman (guitar), Junior Lowe (guitar) Dan Penn, Tommy Cogbill, Pete Carr (guitar), Spooner Oldham (organ and piano)[4], According to music writer Carla Jean Whitley, more than a few people were surprised to learn that the musicians backing many notable black artists were white. Roger Hawkins, a member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (also known as the Swampers), is just one among the many musicians captured in this documentary about the famous town. Der sich einstellende Erfolg ließ immer mehr Künstler in diesem Studio aufnehmen, auch solche aus dem Rockbereich. The list of artists who enlisted The Swampers and/or Rick Hall to bring that Muscle Shoals sound is astounding. ", The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, individually or as a group have been associated with more than 500 recordings, including 75 gold and platinum hits. Due to their funky, soulful, Southern “swamp” sound, they got the nickname, “The Swampers.”. The film explores the environment that gave rise to widely acknowledged American music, especially in the 1960s and the 1970s. [10] In 1964, drummer Roger Hawkins was hired. Muscle Shoals is a documentary feature film about FAME and Muscle Shoals Studios. They asked themselves, "What are we going to call this place?" The Swampers were talented musicians whose rhythmic backing helped create the signature Muscle Shoals sound and attracted other talented artists from all over the world. Feb 12, 2018 - MSS/3614 & FAME Muscle Shoals Sound Studios 3614 Jackson Highway Sheffield, Al Fame Recording Studio 603 East Avalon Ave Muscle Shoals, Al . A documentary that celebrates Rick Hall, the founder of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and the signature sound he developed in songs such as "I'll Take You There", "Brown Sugar", and "When a Man Loves a Woman". The musicians would listen out on the porch to make final judgement on finished songs. [4] In Muscle Shoals and other Southern studios, the process was quite different. When the Swampers refused, Atlantic called their loan on the new equipment. Feb 12, 2018 - MSS/3614 & FAME Muscle Shoals Sound Studios 3614 Jackson Highway Sheffield, Al Fame Recording Studio 603 East Avalon Ave Muscle Shoals, Al . Hall said, "When you hear that record today, you can tell that everybody was feeding off the enthusiasm of everybody else in that room".[4]. [11] The New York Times called the Muscle Shoals sound "indigenous American music, a distinctly Southern amalgamation of rhythm & blues, soul, and country music". Rick Hall sardonically said "The Rolling Stones thought they were cutting at FAME". See more ideas about muscle shoals, muscle shoals sound studio, shoals. Muscle Shoals and the Swampers; Muscle Shoals and the Swampers. On October 29th 2013. The musicians rarely read music, and usually nothing was written in advance; it was called a "head session"[21], As an example, in the Muscle Shoals recording of Wilson Pickett's classic hit, "Land of 1000 Dances" Jerry Wexler chose the song– it was to be a cover version of a song by Chris Kenner. Hall was a demanding taskmaster and his recording session required 30 or 40 takes to get the rhythm tracks he wanted. 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