The legendary muscle shoals studio defined the sound of southern soul before becoming one of the goto studios for the biggest names in music. Carla jean whitley author of muscle shoals sound studio. We are all in this together and the stories of our music will soothe our souls. Many of those are thanks to muscle shoals sound studio and the muscle shoals rhythm section, dubbed the swampers. Mick jagger, left, and keith richards are depicted in a photo from the rolling stones december 1969 recording session at muscle shoals sound studio in sheffield. An estimated four hundred gold records have been recorded in the muscle shoals area. One of the reasons for the towns notoriety is the muscle shoals sound studio.
Not long after, the city of muscle shoals became known as the hit recording capital of the world. Fame was the foundation that produced muscle shoals sound studio, the nutthouse and sundrop sound at single lock recordsstudios that gave a voice to artists like driveby truckers, jason isbell and the 400 unit and john paul white. Muscle shoals ebook written by laura flynn tapia, yoshie lewis. In 1969, after a split with hall, the swamperswho were now working with jerry wexler, a partner in atlantic recordsopened the rival muscle shoals sound studio, where the staple singers, paul. Muscle shoals sound studios label releases discogs. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading muscle shoals sound studio. Thanks in part to the muscle shoals documentary and the beats by dr. Among the first were the rolling stones, who in 1969. A journey to the crossroads of rock n roll and too hot to handle. The muscle shoals sound finally gets its due the new york times. An estimated four hundred gold records have been recorde. Historic markers around town show where important music events took place. In an obscure northwest corner of alabama, a littleknown piece of music history is up for sale. The musical legacy of the recordings made at the studio rivals the sounds of detroit, memphis, and philadelphia.
Muscle shoals sound studio by carla jean whitley isbn. Director greg camaliers great documentary muscle shoals, the story of a small town with a big sound, has a moment when the phenomenal output of the new studio set up by guitarist jimmy johnson. They included the records listed above, which also share something else in common. Visit the studios with the muscle shoals sound studio tour in sheffield alabama or the muscle shoals vip music tours the. Inside muscle shoals, the legendary studio that gave aretha. Dre foundation, these studios have been restored for visitors. Muscle shoals sound, sheffield, alabama they were called the swampers. The muscle shoals sound studio, muscle shoals, alabama. Whitley cohosted and produced the triple take podcast, and is the author of three books, birmingham beer. Jan 03, 2018 rick hall, the producer who forged the southern soul style known as the muscle shoals sound, died on tuesday at his home in muscle shoals, ala. Muscle shoals sound studio an estimated four hundred gold records have been recorded in the muscle shoals area.
Author event with carla jean whitley, author of muscle shoals. Fame florence alabama music enterprises studios is a recording studio located at 603 east avalon avenue in muscle shoals, alabama, an area of northern alabama known as the shoals. The jackson highway location is a museum during the day and a working, recording studio in the evenings. Under the spiritual influence of the singing river as native americans called it, the music of muscle shoals is some of the most important and resonant of all time. It is located along the tennessee river in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, the population of muscle shoals was,146.
The legendary muscle shoals studio defined the sound of southern soul before becoming one of the goto studios for the biggest. Rick hall made music history when he founded fame recording studios, the first professional recording studio in the entire state of alabama. Muscle shoals sound studio is a recording studio in sheffield, alabama formed in 1969 by four. From its establishment in 1969 by the muscle shoals rhythm section msrs until the mid1980s, the muscle shoals sound studios msss in sheffield, colbert county, was one of the most soughtafter recording studios in the nation.
Muscle shoals sound studio carla jean whitley inkstained. Many of those are thanks to muscle shoals sound studio and the muscle shoals rhythm. Fame studio musicians referred to as the muscle shoals rhythm section gained notoriety as a result of the studios success and are part of the legacy of the muscle shoals sound. Located on the banks of the tennessee river, muscle shoals, alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of the most creative. Since the 1960s, the city has been known for music. Aug 17, 2018 artists in search of the mythical muscle shoals sound flocked to the new studio. Towards the end of her short history of the muscle shoals sound studio. Muscle shoals by laura flynn tapia, yoshie lewis books.
One of the anthems of the civil rights movement was respect yourself by the staple singers, recorded at muscle shoals sound studio released in october of 1971 on the stax label. Fame was the foundation that produced muscle shoals sound studio, the nutthouse and sundrop sound at single lock records studios that gave a voice to artists like driveby truckers, jason isbell and the 400 unit and john paul white. Among the first were the rolling stones, who in 1969, on their first american tour in four years, stopped off. Jul 22, 2014 muscle shoals sound studio paperback how the swampers changed american music. We will be sharing some of our favorite videos, books and interviews associated with muscle shoals sound and the muscle shoals music scene while we are closed for the covid19 outbreak. Muscle shoals is the largest city in colbert county, alabama, united states. Today, both locations of muscle shoals sound studios are open daily for public tours. Read muscle shoals sound studio how the swampers changed american music by carla jean whitley available from rakuten kobo.
Aug 19, 2018 director greg camaliers great documentary muscle shoals, the story of a small town with a big sound, has a moment when the phenomenal output of the new studio set up by guitarist jimmy johnson. Barry beckett keyboards, roger hawkins drums, jimmy johnson 4 guitar and david hood bass they became known as the muscle shoals. Sep 20, 2003 in an obscure northwest corner of alabama, a littleknown piece of music history is up for sale. However, he has focused much of his research and writing about the muscle shoals recording studio, people from alabama in all genres of music and americans in the southern gospel music field, chiefly from the southeastern region of the. They produced hit records that shaped the national and international history of popular music. Visit the studios with the muscle shoals sound studio tour in sheffield alabama or the muscle shoals vip music tours. Muscle shoals research florence, al muscle shoals gold. Muscle shoals artistic roots learning adventures pbs. As a sound engineer and producer, hall and his rhythm section, the swampers, were a group of talented session musicians that created a unique sound hard to duplicate anywhere else in the world. Located on the banks of the tennessee river, muscle shoals, alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of the most creative and defiant music in american history. Inside muscle shoals, the legendary studio that gave. They began working together at rick halls fame studio in muscle shoals, alabama where they became wel.
Hall changed the course of popular music history in the early 1960s when he opened his fame recording studios in the tiny town of muscle shoals, ala. Although a great deal has been written about muscle shoals sound studio and fame, neither studio s history had been captured in a book. A heady history of brewing in the magic city, muscle shoals sound studio. Writerphotographer bill jarnigan, who lives in the region around muscle shoals in florence, al, writes about a variety of subjects. Barry beckett keyboards, roger hawkins drums, jimmy johnson 4 guitar and david hood bass they became known as. Its about rick hall, the founder of fame studios in alabama, which is credited with developing the muscle shoals sound. They began working together at rick halls fame studio in muscle shoals, alabama where they became wellrenowned in the recording industry. Apr 21, 2014 muscle shoals premieres on pbs independent lens on april 21, 2014. Jun 29, 2015 not long after, the city of muscle shoals became known as the hit recording capital of the world.
The muscle shoals sound finally gets its due the new. Muscle shoals was regarded as the hit recording capital of the world. Muscle shoals sound studio opened in early 1969 by the muscle shoals rhythm section also known as the swampers david hood on bass, jimmy. The muscle shoals sound studio was formed in sheffield, alabama, in 1969 when a group of four session musicians called the swampers decided to leave the nearby fame studios in muscle shoals to. The day aretha franklin found her sound and a bunch of men. The muscle shoals sound studio was a recording mecca for rhythm and blues, rock and pop artists in. Together, the two towns comprise half of north alabamas quad cities. Greg allman, bono, clarence carter, mick jagger, etta james, alicia keys, keith richards. Oct 15, 2011 the original muscle shoals sound studio 19691978 and its successor 19781990s turned out hundreds of nationally charted singles. Jul 22, 2015 the muscle shoals sound finally gets its due.
This is the story of legendary record producer rick hall and his historic role in the development of the worldfamous muscle shoals sound. Carla jean whitley is a writer, editor and teacher based in birmingham, alabama, where she is managing editor. Nouveau studio muscle shoals sound a sheffield, alabama. Muscle shoals sound studio is a recording studio in sheffield, alabama formed in 1969 by four session musicians called the muscle shoals rhythm section and affectionately called the swampers who had left rick halls nearby fame studios in muscle shoals to create their own recording facility. While fending off a budding rivalry in the muscle shoals heyday with muscle shoals sound studio, which was formed by the swampers and would find huge success of its own, hall maintained confidence. Muscle shoals sound studio 3614 jackson highway sheffield, al 35660. How the swampers changed american music kindle edition by whitley, carla jean. Artists in search of the mythical muscle shoals sound flocked to the new studio. Feel free to share some of your favorites with us as well. A music fans guide to muscle shoals this is my south. For additional information on the muscle shoals sound studio, see randy mcnutts guitar towns.
Rick hall, the producer who forged the southern soul style known as the muscle shoals sound, died on tuesday at his home in muscle shoals, ala. Muscle shoals sound studio opened in early 1969 by the muscle shoals rhythm section also known as the swampers david hood on bass, jimmy johnson on rhythm guitar, roger hawkins on drums, and barry beckett on keys. Sep 04, 2014 parnassus books is thrilled to welcome carla jean whitley for a discussion and signing of her new book, muscle shoals sound studio. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read muscle shoals. An illustrated encyclopedia of america recording studios of the twentieth century. The man from muscle shoals tells the story of legendary record producer rick hall and his historic role in the development of the worldfamous muscle shoals sound. Fame was the foundation that produced muscle shoals sound studio, the nutthouse and. Remembering rick hall and the musical alchemy of fame studios. How the swampers changed american music whitley, carla. She is a freelance writer whose work frequently appears in bookpage, lonely planet, birmingham magazine and other publications.
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. The group closed the jackson highway studio in 1979, moving the operation to alabama avenue. Author event with carla jean whitley, author of muscle. Muscle shoals sound studio ebook by carla jean whitley. The original muscle shoals sound studio is actually located in a cramped building in nearby sheffield. The tennessee river provides one natural boundary on its meandering, 652mile run from knoxville, tennessee, to the ohio river outside paducah, kentucky.
Though small and distant from the main recording locations of the american music industry, fame has produced many hit records and was instrumental in what came to be. How the swampers changed american music and balancing act. The quartets members initially began working under contract during the mid60s at fame studio in. The alabama avenue location is open as a museum and a concert hall offers scheduled musical and historical events. Published july 22nd 2014 by history press sc first published june 17th 2014. The muscle shoals sound created at fame is often associated with the rival muscle shoals sound studio founded in 1969 by the swampers after an acrimonious split with hall. This book provides an overall view of the studio and its history. Initially they worked for rick hall, the founder of fame studios and they are recognized. The muscle shoals sound studio, muscle shoals, alabama contributor names highsmith, carol m. Both the city and the florencemuscle shoals metropolitan area including four cities in colbert and lauderdale. The day aretha franklin found her sound and a bunch of. Muscle shoals sound studios encyclopedia of alabama. Title the muscle shoals sound studio, muscle shoals, alabama contributor names highsmith, carol m.
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