100 ESSENTIAL MUSCLE SHOALS SONGS #10 > 1. (Conclusion).

A Caffè ☕️Lattè Spotlight on:

 

THE 100 ESSENTIAL

MUSCLE SHOALS

SONGS

 

In the 1960s, a new approach to rhythm and blues and popular music was created by the fusion of the surrounds and the chemistry of talented session men. This deeper, grittier attitude to Southern Soul emerged from Alabama- to be precise- Muscle Shoals; a place renowned for its undeniable impact on some of music’s most legendary performers. Despite the civil rights struggles elsewhere in the U.S.A., colour was not an issue at Muscle Shoals. This freedom helped spawn some of the best moments in soul and pop music.

For the purposes of this list, the tracks had to have been recorded down in Alabama. In other words, here are 100 of the best tracks cut at Muscle Shoals:

 

The FAME Recording Studio became the epicentre of the Muscle Shoals sound. Rick Hall moved operations to 603 Avalon Avenue in that town of Alabama. Beginning in 1961, within its walls, he and the exceptional session musicians that gravitated there, changed music forever. Over subsequent decades, many recording acts from a myriad of genres and origins came to Muscle Shoals, hoping to soak up some of its unique sound.

first, it was the talent that was the in-house band at Fame Studios. They shaped the Muscle Shoals sound. Among them were: keyboard player Spooner Oldham, guitarist Jimmy Johnson, drummer Roger Hawkins, bassist David Hood and keyboardist Barry Beckett.

aretha franklin put Muscle Shoals on the map. She was crowned the Queen of Soul after cutting the classic “Respect”. Columbia had never put her vocals to effective use. She switched to Atlantic Records and magic was the result of her meeting with Alabama’s proficient session musicians.

many other musicians made the pilgrimage to Muscle Shoals, hoping to inject its unique sound into their own compositions. The acts as varied as Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Cher, Lulu, Paul Simon and Rod Stewart spanned the R&B, rock and pop genres.

even in his later years, Fame Studios and Rick Hall continued producing quality tracks, most notably in the country genre. The studio still functions and used to this day. Rick Hall died on January 2, 2018 in his Muscle Shoals residence. He was aged 85. From his austere beginnings, Hall turned an obscure location into one of the most important rock music history landmarks.

 

 

10 IT’S TOO FUNKY IN HERE James Brown

9 LAND OF 1000 DANCES Wilson Pickett

8 SWEET SOUL MUSIC Arthur Conley

9 CHAIN OF FOOLS Aretha Franklin

6 MUSTANG SALLY Wilson Picket                            

                                                      

 

5 I NEVER LOVED A MAN (THE WAY I LOVE YOU)

         Aretha Franklin

4 TELL MAMA Etta James

3 RESPECT YOURSELF The Staple Singers

2 WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN Percy Sledge  

1

RESPECT

Aretha Franklin

    

Listen to the 100 songs on the Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ViuwDPv5gpj4HvBkdAShC?si=c062b2791ab049ed&pt=76663dc18ea2b3a9edaf5a035dabc09c