History
The city is one of four municipalities known as the Quad Cities, the others being Florence, Alabama, Sheffield, Alabama and Tuscumbia, Alabama. Muscle Shoals is known for recording many hit songs from the 1960s through today at FAME Studios, where Aretha Franklin recorded many of her signature works, and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio which developed work for Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and countless others. While the music from the area is often referred to as the "Muscle Shoals Sound", all four of the Quad Cities have significantly contributed to the area's impressive musical history. Without question, Muscle Shoals is among the world's most unassuming "music capitals" in that it remains unspoiled by the music industry. It can be said that the same attraction that artists such as Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and The Rolling Stones felt to the area remains intact today. The famed southern hospitality is still present and, at first glance, one may assume that everyone in residence is a part-time songwriter or musician. The community's contribution to American popular music during the 1960s, 70s and 80s is staggering, and the tradition continues to the present day.
A number of artists have made successful pilgrimages to Muscle Shoals in an effort to escape the limelight and write/record their signature works. Both FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios are still in operation in the city. While famous for classic recordings from Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers, recent hit songs such as "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood and "I Loved Her First" by Heartland continue the city's musical legacy.
Additionally, fans of Muscle Shoals Music frequently make trips to the area to visit local landmarks. While most of the city's esteemed recording studios are still active, the majority will allow tours with an appointment. Further, a number of Rock, R&B and Country music celebrities have homes in the serene, mountainous rural area surrounding Muscle Shoals (Tuscumbia) or riverside estates alongside the Tennessee River and often perform in area nightclubs, typically rehearsing new material to an audience of honest locals. Among the musical celebrities with homes in the area are George Strait, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.
The music written and recorded in Muscle Shoals is typically regarded as unique because of the frequent combination of soul/gospel, country and rock influences. During the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, the area was a hotbed of creative talent as both white and black artists worked side-by-side. While this "desegregation" of artists is usually praised for its innovation, it was nothing new for most artists in North Alabama. In fact, the common practice of white and black musicians working together in Muscle Shoals can be traced as far back as the 1930s, regardless of racial tensions elsewhere in the American South.
What is most unusual, musically speaking, about the area is the cross-pollination of musical styles that originated in Muscle Shoals. Black artists from the area (Arthur Alexander and James Carr being ideal examples) utilized White country music in their work and White artists from the Shoals frequently borrowed from blues/gospel influences of their Black contemporaries, creating a generous melting pot of music.
Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Records, lived in the area and directly related in his autobiography that Muscle Shoals (primarily radio station WLAY (AM), which played both "white" and "black" music on its playlist) influenced his merging of these sounds at Sun Records with Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash.
Muscle Shoals remains a fascinating study of American music and today is at once a landmark and distinguished contributor to popular recordings.
[edit] Recording artists
A partial list of artists who have recorded in Muscle Shoals[4]:
[edit] Pop, Rock, Soul and Jazz
Andy Williams
Aretha Franklin
Art Garfunkel (solo)
Arthur Alexander
B. W. Stevenson
Bettye LaVette
Billy Swan
Billy Vera and the Beaters
Bob Dylan
Bob Seger
Boz Scaggs
Canned Heat
Carlos Santana
Cat Stevens
Cher
Clarence Carter
Dorothy Moore
Dr. Hook
Duane Allman
Eric Clapton
Etta James
Glenn Frey
Helen Reddy
Issac Hayes
Jason Isbell
James & Bobby Purify
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jimmy Buffett
Joan Baez
Joe Cocker
Joe Tex
Johnny Rivers
Jose Feliciano
Julian Lennon
Kim Carnes
Laura Nyro
Leon Russell
Linda Ronstadt
Lulu
Luther Ingram
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Mary MacGregor
Mel and Tim
Melissa Etheridge
Millie Jackson
Orleans
Ray Reach
Otis Redding
Patti Austin
Paul Anka
Paul Davis
Paul Simon (solo)
Percy Sledge
Phoebe Snow
R.B. Greaves
Ray Stevens
Rod Stewart
Simon and Garfunkel (duo)
The Allman Brothers Band
The Osmonds
The Rolling Stones
The Sanford-Townsend Band
The Staple Singers
Tim Sharpton
Tom Jones
Tony Orlando
Travis Wammack
Widespread Panic
Wilson Pickett
[edit] Country
Alabama
Amazing Rhythm Aces
Blackhawk
Donna Fargo
Eddie Rabbit
Faith Hill
Jerry Reed
John Michael Montgomery
Johnny Paycheck
Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers
Mac Davis
Marie Osmond
Reba McEntire
Ronnie Milsap
Shenandoah
The Forester Sisters
The Oak Ridge Boys
Willie Nelson
[edit] Songs associated with the "Muscle Shoals Sound"
A partial list of songs recorded or written in Muscle Shoals or featuring artists from the area. This is, by no means, a complete discography of Muscle Shoals music, as there are literally thousands of songs to be cataloged.
Air Supply - Even The Nights Are Better
Alabama - Old Flame
Alicia Bridges - I Love The Nightlife
All 4 One - I Swear
Angela Hacker - Total Loss
Aretha Franklin - Baby Baby Baby (Since You Been Gone)
Aretha Franklin - Chain Of Fools
Aretha Franklin - Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man (The Way That I Love You)
Aretha Franklin - Respect
Aretha Franklin - Think
Arthur Alexander - Anna (Go With Him)
Arthur Alexander - Sally Sue Brown
Arthur Alexander - You Better Move On
Arthur Conley - Sweet Soul Music
Barbara Mandrell - Angel In Your Arms
Barbara Streisand - Woman In Love
Beatles - Anna (Go With Him)
Beatles - Soldier Of Love
Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart
Billy Swan - I Can Help
Blackhawk - I Sure Can Smell The Rain
Blackhawk - Like There Ain't No Yesterday
Bob Dylan - Gotta Serve Somebody
Bob Seger - Night Moves
Bob Seger - Old Time Rock N Roll
Bobbie Gentry - Fancy
Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces - Searching For My Love
Bobby Womack - Harry Hippie
Bobby Womack - That's The Way I Feel 'Bout 'Cha
Bobby Womack - Woman's Gotta Have It
Box Tops - Cry Like A Baby
Box Tops - The Letter
Boz Scaggs - Loan Me A Dime
Brooks & Dunn - Hillbilly Deluxe
Candi Staton - I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart (Than A Young Man's Fool)
Candi Staton - Young Hearts Run Free
Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats
Clarence Carter - Patches
Clarence Carter - Slip Away
Clarence Carter - Too Weak To Fight
Commodores - Machine Gun
Conway Twitty - I Was The First
Conway Twitty - She's Got A Single Thing In Mind
Craig Morgan - That's What I Love About Sunday
Cry of Love - Peace Pipe
Darryl Worley - Have You Forgotten?
Dave Dudley - Six Days On The Road
David Alan Coe - Now I Lay Me Down To Cheat
Denise LaSalle - Fast Hands And Dirty Mind
Derek and the Dominos - Layla
Derek and the Dominos - Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?
Dire Straits - Lady Writer
Dixie Chicks - Once You've Loved Somebody
Don Covay - I Was Checking Out, She Was Checking In
Donnie Fritts - Muscle Shoals
Dorothy Moore - Misty Blue
Dr. Hook - When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman
Dramatics - Be My Girl
Dramatics - I'm Going By (The Stars In Your Eyes)
Dusty Springfield - Breakfast In Bed
Earl Thomas Conley - Holding Her And Loving You
Eddie Hinton - Uncloudy Days
Eddie Rabbit - Suspicions
Elton John - Philadelphia Freedom
Emmylou Harris - I'm Too Far Gone
Emmylou Harris - One Of These Days
Emotions - If You Think It...
Eric Clapton - I've Got A Rock N Roll Heart
Eric Clapton - Please Be With Me
Etta James - Amost Persuaded
Etta James - I'd Rather Go Blind
Etta James - Tell Mama
Forester Sisters - Mama's Never Seen Those Eyes
Forester Sisters - Men
Gary Nichols - I Can't Love You Anymore
George Jones - If You Can Touch Her At All
George Strait - You Know Me Better Than That
Glenn Frey - Smuggler's Blues
Grateful Dead - Alabama Getaway
Grateful Dead - Franklin's Tower
Grateful Dead - Mr. Charlie
Grateful Dead - Sugar Magnolia
Grateful Dead - Tennessee Jed
Grateful Dead - Truckin'
Gregg Allman - I'm No Angel
Hank Williams Jr. - That's How They Do It In Dixie
Heartland - I Loved Her First
Herbie Mann - Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty
Highwaymen - Silver Stallion
Hot - Angel In Your Arms
James & Bobby Purify - I'm Your Puppet
James Brown - It's Too Funky In Here
James Brown - Regrets
James Carr - The Dark End Of The Street
Janie Fricke - Tell Me A Lie
Jerry Lee Lewis - A Damn Good Country Song
Jerry Lee Lewis - You're All Too Ugly Tonight
Jerry Reed - She Got The Goldmine, I Got The Shaft
Jimmy Buffett - Bama Breeze
Jimmy Buffett - Coconut Telegraph
Jimmy Buffett - Growing Older But Not Up
Jimmy Buffett - It's My Job
Jimmy Cliff - Sitting In Limbo
Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come
Jimmy Hughes - Steal Away
Joan Baez - Rainbow Road
Joe Cocker - High Time We Went
Joe Simon - Let's Do It Over
Joe Tex - Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)
John Lennon & Elton John - Whatever Gets You Thru The Night
John Michael Montgomery - I Swear
Johnnie Taylor - Disco Lady
Johnnie Taylor - Running Out Of Lies
Joss Stone - Victim Of A Foolish Heart
Julian Lennon - Too Late For Goodbyes
Julian Lennon - Valotte
Kenny Chesney - Back Where I Come From
Kris Kristofferson - Border Lord
Kris Kristofferson - The Pilgrim
Laura Lee - Dirty Man
Leann Rimes - The Heart Never Forgets
Leblanc & Carr - Falling
Leon Russell - Stranger In A Strange Land
Leon Russell - Tight Rope
Little Richard - Greenwood, Mississippi
Loleatta Holloway - Love Sensation
Lonestar - I'm Already There
Loretta Lynn - Somewhere Someone's Fallin' In Love
Lou Rawls - Dead End Street
Lou Rawls - Love's A Hurtin' Thing
Lou Rawls - Your Good Thing (Is About To End)
Louvin Brothers - Cash On The Barrel Head
Louvin Brothers - I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby
Luther Ingram - If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Wanna Be Right)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Ballad Of Curtis Loew
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme Three Steps
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
Mac Davis - Baby, Don't Get Hooked On Me
Mel and Tim - Starting All Over Again
Millie Jackson - A House For Sale
Millie Jackson - Bad Risk
Millie Jackson - If You're Not Back In Love By Monday
Millie Jackson - Letter Full Of Tears
Millie Jackson - Lovin' Your Good Thing Away
Neal McCoy - Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On
Oak Ridge Boys - American Made
Oak Ridge Boys - Bobbie Sue
Osmonds - Down By The Lazy River
Otis Redding - You Left The Water Running
Patti LaBelle - Dreamer
Paul Anka - You're Having My Baby
Paul Kelly - Stealin' In The Name Of The Lord
Paul Simon - Kodachrome
Paul Simon - Loves Me Like A Rock
Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years
Paul Simon - Take Me To The Mardi Gras
Percy Sledge - Sweet And Tender Love
Percy Sledge - Take Time To Know Her
Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman
Phish - Fast Enough For You
Phish - It's Ice
Phish - Maze
Phish - Mound
Phish - My Friend, My Friend
Phish - Silent In The Morning
R.B. Greaves - Take A Letter, Maria
Randy Travis - Is It Still Over?
Ray Charles - We Had It All
Reba McEntire - He Gets That From Me
Reba McEntire - One Honest Heart
Ricky Skaggs - Country Boy
Ricky Van Shelton - I Am A Simple Man
Rod Stewart - I Don't Wanna Talk About It
Rod Stewart - Sailing
Rod Stewart - The First Cut Is The Deepest
Rod Stewart - Tonight's The Night
Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar
Rolling Stones - Wild Horses
Rolling Stones - You Better Move On
Rolling Stones - You Got To Move
Ronnie Milsap - There's No Gettin' Over Me
Ruth Brown - Can't Stand A Broke Man
Sanford-Townsend Band - Smoke From A Distant Fire
Sawyer Brown - Thank God For You
Sawyer Brown - The Walk
Shenandoah - I Wanna Be Loved Like That
Shenandoah - Sunday In The South
Shenandoah - The Church On Cumberland Road
Shenandoah - The Moon Over Georgia
Simon & Garfunkel - My Little Town
Solomon Burke - Proud Mary
Solomon Burke - Someone To Love Me
Solomon Burke - Take Me As I Am
Soul Children - The Sweeter He Is
Staple Singers - Heavy Makes You Happy
Staple Singers - I'll Take You There
Staple Singers - Respect Yourself
Steve Wariner - Lonely Women Make Good Lovers
Supremes - Bend A Little
Sweet Inspirations - Sweet Inspiration
T. Graham Brown - Don't Go To Strangers
T. Graham Brown - Memphis Women And Chicken
Tanya Tucker - What's Your Mama's Name?
Temptations - Glass House
Temptations - Happy People
Temptations - Memories
The Dells - Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation
The Kendals - Teach Me To Cheat
Tony Joe White - On The Return To Muscle Shoals
Tony Joe White - Polk Salad Annie
Traffic - Light Up Or Leave Me Alone
Traffic - The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys
Traffic - Uninspired
Travis Tritt - Now I've Seen It All
Travis Tritt - You Really Wouldn't Want Me That Way
Travis Wammack - Scratchy
Van Morrison - A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues
Van Morrison - Meet Me In The Indian Summer
Waylon Jennings - Ladies Love Outlaws
Wham! - Careless Whisper
Widespread Panic - Pickin Up The Pieces
William Bell - I Forgot To Be Your Lover
William Bell - My Whole World Is Falling Down
Willie Nelson - Bloody Mary Morning
Willie Nelson - If You Can Touch Her At All
Willie Nelson - It's Not Supposed To Be That Way
Willie Nelson - Pretend I Never Happened"
Wilson Pickett - Land Of 1,000 Dances
Wilson Pickett - Mustang Sally
[edit] Muscle Shoals music trivia
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
Sister city Florence, Alabama is frequently referred to as "the birthplace of the Blues". W.C. Handy was born in Florence and is generally regarded as the "Father of the Blues". Every year since 1982, the W. C. Handy Music Festival is held in the Florence / Sheffield / Muscle Shoals area, featuring blues, jazz, country, gospel, rock music and R & B. The roster of jazz musicians, known as the "Festival All-Stars," or as the W. C. Handy Jazz All-Stars, includes noted musicians from all over the United States, such as guitarist Mundell Lowe, drummer Bill Goodwin, pianist / vocalist Johnny O'Neal, vibraphonist Chuck Redd, pianist / vocalist Ray Reach, flutist Holly Hofmann and many others.
Rolling Stone editor David Fricke wrote that if one wanted to play a single recording that would "epitomize and encapsulate the famed Muscle Shoals Sound", that record would be "I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers.
Upon hearing "I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers, American songwriter Paul Simon phoned his manager and asked him to arrange a recording session with the musicians who had performed this song. Simon was surprised to be told that he would have to travel to Muscle Shoals to work with the artists. After arriving in the small town, he was introduced to the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section ("The Swampers") who had recorded this song with Mavis Staples. Expecting black musicians (the original Rhythm Section consists only of white musicians), and assuming that he had been introduced to the office staff, Simon politely asked to "meet the band". Once things were sorted out, Simon cut a number of tracks with the group including "Loves Me Like A Rock", "Kodachrome" and "Still Crazy After All These Years". The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section is often mistaken as being made up of black musicians because of their association with several classic R&B recordings.
Duane Allman, later of Allman Brothers Band fame, once pitched a tent and camped out in the parking lot of FAME studios in an effort to be near the recording sessions occurring there. He soon befriended the studio staff and Wilson Pickett (who was recording at FAME during this time). During a lunch break, Allman taught Pickett the Beatles song "Hey Jude". Duane and Wilson's version of the song was eventually recorded with Allman on lead guitar. Upon hearing the session, Pickett's label (Atlantic Records) asked who had played the guitar solos on the record. The staff responded with a hand-written note that read "some hippie cat who's been living in our parking lot." Shortly afterwards, Allman was offered a recording contract. Auditions for the Allman Brothers Band were later held at FAME Studios. Duane Allman loved the area and frequently returned to the Shoals for session work throughout his life.
When Bob Dylan announced to his record label that he intended to record Christian music, the initially dismayed label executives insisted that if he planned to pursue the project, he must, at least, record the work in Muscle Shoals as they felt it would provide the work "some much needed credibility" (Dylan was not previously known for his overtly religious pronouncements and many worried that his efforts would be satirical; recording in the Bible Belt, it was thought, might prevent a disaster). Dylan was happy to oblige the label and recorded not one but two genuine Christian albums in the Shoals. The resulting albums ("Slow Train Coming" and "Saved") were recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. While the records were, at first, received poorly by critics (perhaps because of their sincerity), they are today regarded as the birth of modern Christian Rock.
In the song "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, a verse states that "Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers/And they've been known to pick a song or two/Lord, they get me off so much/They pick me up when I'm feelin' blue". The "Swampers" were studio musicians who were available if backup was needed. They were given this name by Leon Russell, and several of their gold and platinum records read "To The Swampers". Lynyrd Skynyrd saw these awards when they recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, and later included it in the song as a tribute. By definition, a "Swamper" is a helper, such as a waitress or truck driver's assistant. The musicians were "hired guns", hence the nickname.
The "Swampers", also known as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, were recently inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. To celebrate their success, MSRS released a limited-edition compilation CD, sold through the Hall of Fame, containing ten instrumental tracks. The tracks include "Swampers", "Muscle Shoals", "3614 Jam", and "Inner Tube". The CD came with a special insert full of information about the members of MSRS.
The members of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section were Pete Carr (lead guitar), Jimmy Johnson (guitar), Roger Hawkins (drums), David Hood (bass), and Barry Beckett (keyboards).
More recently, Florence native, Patterson Hood, son of "Swamper", David Hood, has risen to fame in his own right as a member of the alternative rock group, Drive-By Truckers. The top-two finishing finalists on the 2007 season of country music singing competition Nashville Star, siblings Zac Hacker (second place) and Angela Hacker (winner), both hail from Muscle Shoals.
"Original Swamper" Jimmy Johnson recently recorded tracks for the debut album of up & coming Rock group KING KARMA at the legendary studio at 3614 Jackson Hwy, recently restored by Noel Webster.
The second Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, located at 1000 Alabama Avenue in Sheffield, closed its doors and now houses a movie production company.
The original Muscle Shoals Sound Studios building at 3614 Jackson Highway is now open daily for tours as a historic museum. It has been restored to its previous state, as it was in the 1970s with much of the original sound equipment and furniture.
Although Muscle Shoals has receded somewhat from its 1960s and 1970s status as "Hit Recording Capital of the World", (as a sign near the airport once read), it remains an important and enduring landmark location for the American recording industry.
The historical significance is so great that in May 2006, Shoals Music Magazine was founded to publicize the area’s musical history as well as its current and up-and-coming artists. It is believed to be the first magazine in Alabama to feature local music exclusively.
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