Muscle Shoals Sound Studio

Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Original studios at 3614 Jackson Highway, Sheffield
Location:	3614 Jackson Hwy., Sheffield, Alabama
Coordinates:	34°46′4″N 87°40′26″W / 34.76778°N 87.67389°W / 34.76778; -87.67389Coordinates: 34°46′4″N 87°40′26″W / 34.76778°N 87.67389°W / 34.76778; -87.67389
Architectural style:	Early Commercial
Governing body:	Private
NRHP Reference#:	06000437 [1]
Added to NRHP:	June 02, 2006

New facilities for Muscle Shoals Sound off Alabama Avenue in Sheffield, Alabama.

The new facilities are now home to Cypress Moon Studios.

The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio was formed in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in 1969 when musicians Barry Beckett (keyboards), Roger Hawkins (drums), Jimmy Johnson (guitar) and David Hood (bass) (called The Swampers) left FAME Studios to create their own studio. The Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section, as they became known, was the first rhythm section to own its own studio and, eventually, its own publishing and production companies. The distinctive accompaniment and arrangements have been heard on a tremendous number of legendary recordings, including those from Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, and the Staple Singers amongst others. Many artists have recorded hit songs and complete albums at the studio.

The original rhythm section that broke away to create these studios first formed in 1967 and initially played sessions in New York and Nashville as well as on the famous FAME recordings. The initial successes led to the arrival of more mainstream rock and pop performers among them The Rolling Stones, Traffic, Elton John, Boz Scaggs, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Dr. Hook, Elkie Brooks, Millie Jackson and Julian Lennon.

The FAME studio, still using the Muscle Shoals Sound name, moved to new facilities off Alabama Avenue in Sheffield. These facilities are now home to Cypress Moon Studios.

The Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section, who recorded at the original Muscle Shoals Sound Studios are referred to as "the Swampers" in the lyrics of Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The original Muscle Shoals Sound Studios building is located at 3614 Jackson Highway and is listed on The National Register of Historic Places.^[1] Muscle Shoals Sound Studios is a Registered Trademark of Noel Webster U.S.P.T.O. Reg.NO. 3,391,981. It still operates as the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios and had success when The Black Keys album Brothers, recorded there in 2009 achieved Grammy success in 2011.

Selected recordings

Song	Artist	Date	Charting on US Pop chart [2]	Notes
3614 Jackson Highway	Cher	1969
"Take a Letter, Maria"	R.B. Greaves	August 19, 1969	#2
"Brown Sugar"	The Rolling Stones	December 2-4 1969 (Released 1971)	#1
"Wild Horses"	The Rolling Stones	December 2-4 1969 (Released 1971)	#28
"I'll Take You There"	The Staple Singers	1972	#1
Kodachrome	Paul Simon	1973	#2
"Loves Me Like a Rock"	Paul Simon	1973	#2
One More River to Cross	Canned Heat	1973
Atlantic Crossing	Rod Stewart	1974-1975 (Released 1975)
Breakaway	Art Garfunkel	1975
"Katmandu"	Bob Seger	1975	#43
"Night Moves"	Bob Seger	1976	#8
"Mainstreet"	Bob Seger	1976	#24 (in 1977)
izitso	Cat Stevens	1976	#7 (in 1977)
Street Survivors	Lynyrd Skynyrd	1977
"Old Time Rock and Roll"	Bob Seger	1978	#28 (in 1979)
Skynyrd's First: The Complete Muscle Shoals Album	Lynyrd Skynyrd	1971-1972 (Released 1978)
Strikes	Blackfoot	1979
"Gotta Serve Somebody"	Bob Dylan	1979	#24	1980 Grammy winner
Pleasure And Pain	Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show	1978
Sometimes You Win	Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show	1979
Valotte	Julian Lennon	1984	#9
Brothers	The Black Keys	2009 (Released 2010)		2011 Grammy winner

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
2. ^ Whitburn, Joel, Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, Billboard Publications, Inc. NY 1992

External links

• Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
• Cher 3614 Jackson Highway Home Page