In 1969, a quartet of musicians who had backed up countless hits at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, decided to go it on their own. They founded the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, which immediately became a hot spot for artists of all stripes.
Videos by American Songwriter
While soul and R&B artists made prodigious use of the studio, rock acts and singer-songwriters found it to their liking as well. These four albums wouldn’t have been the same without the songs recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.
‘Sticky Fingers’ by The Rolling Stones
Coming off the massive success of their albums Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed, The Rolling Stones were at the height of their powers when they stopped by Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in late 1969. Over the course of three days, they laid down three songs. Two of those songs, “Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses”, would be highlights of the band’s 1971 album Sticky Fingers. While the Stones mostly handled the playing themselves on the tracks, there’s no doubt that the studio’s soulful, sweaty vibes worked their way into the finished products. Folks had to wait a little while to hear it all, however. Record company squabbles forced the Stones to sit on the songs for more than a year.
‘There Goes Rhymin’ Simon’ by Paul Simon
The title of Paul Simon’s 1973 album was apropos. He hopped around America (and even to England) to make There Goes Rhymin’ Simon. His desire for distinct sounds from track to track drove his decision. For the album’s two hit singles, “Kodachrome” and “Loves Me Like A Rock”, Simon hit Muscle Shoals Sound and made the most of the experience. Both of the songs utilize the studio’s standout rhythm section (bassist David Hood and drummer Roger Hawkins). They and the other players (including the brilliant vocalists The Dixie Hummingbirds on “Loves Me Like A Rock”) helped to create a looseness not often associated with Simon’s sound. Both songs hit the US Top 5 to catapult the album to major success.
‘Stranger In Town’ by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
Most casual rock and roll fans know that Bob Seger found stardom in the mid-70s at around the same time that he formed the Silver Bullet Band as his live support system. But fewer folks might realize that Seger split his studio time between recording with the Silver Bullet Band and taking stints in Alabama to work with the Muscle Shoals Sound musicians. Case in point: his standout 1978 album Stranger In Town. Among the songs bearing the Muscle Shoals stamp were the legendary raver “Old Time Rock And Roll” and the swooning ballad “We’ve Got Tonite”. Seger would continue this arrangement into the 80s. It gave his records some Alabama soul to go along with the Detroit grit.
‘Slow Train Coming’ by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan’s conversion to Christianity gained most of the headlines when he released his 1979 album Slow Train Coming. He imbued the songs on the record with his newfound beliefs. Although the words were often powerful, the LP largely shines because it’s one of Dylan’s best-recorded albums. That came courtesy of producer Jerry Wexler working at Muscle Shoals Sound. Dylan also put together a brilliant band, including ringers like Mark Knopfler and Muscle Shoals vets such as keyboardist Barry Beckett. You can hear the stunning results on tracks like “Slow Train” and “Precious Angel”, as the musicians rise up to properly answer every one of Dylan’s tantalizing turns of phrase.
Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.