the music hasn't died here
BUSINESS CONTINUES TO FLOURISH AT FAME RECORDING STUDIOS IN THE ACCLAIMED MUSCLE SHOALS, ALABAMA, YEARS AFTER IT FOUND, WELL, FAME.
by john simpson
To say Muscle Shoals is important is an understatement. The gravity of what happened there during the 1950s and on is still felt today. That gritty, deeply bellowing sound that became known as the Muscle Shoals sound set in motion the creation of a legend. But what does that mean now? The golden age of music has passed, and the top songs on the radio are so shallow that the only way to make a hit is to sing about shaking a butt around. How does a place like Muscle Shoals keep its relevance in days like today? How can music with a soul last when there is less focus on artistic value and more on superficial sounds?
Well, even though it seems like Muscle Shoals would be completely benched by today’s music business, it manages to stay in the game. How? The documentary helped. The Muscle Shoals documentary is an award-winning film that was released in 2013. The documentary shed some light on an entire corner of music history that was unknown to younger generations. However, that revival of a reputation was only to the pop culture sphere. Musicians have never overlooked Muscle Shoals.
“Nine times out of ten, artists come to us to record,” said John Gifford, sound engineer at the legendary FAME Recording Studios.
The artists coming to them are what keeps FAME famous. Recently, Tuscaloosa-based band CBDB recorded an EP, or extended play recording, there. EPs are too long to be singles and too short to be full albums. Gifford was one of the people responsible for that. He got CBDB in the studio for one day and turned out an incredible EP that has been well-received amongst fans.
At only 29, Gifford has worked at FAME for six years and believes in the music he is making. Gifford strives to keep it different and not get stuck in one genre. That mixture is part of the reason Muscle Shoals is still so valued — it is not just an area associated with one band or one genre, it’s all over the place.
Another person keeping Muscle Shoals alive is Jimmy Nutt, who owns Nutthouse Recording Studios. Nutt is a transplant from Austin, Texas, but he has done his fair share of recording in the town.
One of the Shoals area’s finest musicians right now is Jason Isbell, formerly of the Drive-By Truckers. Nutt is responsible for Isbell’s first three studio albums that helped catapult him to stardom. Nutt is also working on a project with another young artist named Dylan Leblanc.
Being a transplant to an area as established as Muscle Shoals is no easy task. It took Nutt a while to build up the clientele that he has now. He said that while some years he has been more fortunate than others, work in the Shoals is steady for Nutthouse.
That steady stream of work is a sign of the times for Muscle Shoals. The revival in the area has brought the work back with it. Also, having great artists like Jason Isbell and young artists like CBDB record and leave their mark on the town is helping bring it back as well.
Author and journalist Carla Jean Whitley wrote a book on the Muscle Shoals Sound Recording Studio. The book chronicles the past of Muscle Shoals and how it got to where it is today. It focuses on the impact that the Swampers, the legendary group of studio musicians, had on the area. Yet the most interesting thing is what the book says at the end.
Rock superstars The Black Keys recently recorded there, and Dr. Dre and his company Beats just purchased the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Names that big spending time in a small Alabama town is proof of the significance that the town has on music and the reputation at hand.
Recording music is no easy task. Nutt just received a Grammy for the work he did with bluegrass group The Steeldrivers. Nutt said his focus is never on a particular sound, but rather what the artist wants.
“Making a great-sounding record is challenging, period,” Nutt said. “Whether it’s here, Nashville or L.A. or wherever.”
In Muscle Shoals, the challenging part of the job is truly what matters. The sound engineers and studio managers in Muscle Shoals believe in what they are doing and where they are taking the next chapter of Muscle Shoals. With that passion and devotion to keeping the music real, it will continue to grow and prosper for years to come.
As Nutt said, “Muscle Shoals has always been known as a recording town, and I think there will always be people coming here to record and cut records.”
Well, even though it seems like Muscle Shoals would be completely benched by today’s music business, it manages to stay in the game. How? The documentary helped. The Muscle Shoals documentary is an award-winning film that was released in 2013. The documentary shed some light on an entire corner of music history that was unknown to younger generations. However, that revival of a reputation was only to the pop culture sphere. Musicians have never overlooked Muscle Shoals.
“Nine times out of ten, artists come to us to record,” said John Gifford, sound engineer at the legendary FAME Recording Studios.
The artists coming to them are what keeps FAME famous. Recently, Tuscaloosa-based band CBDB recorded an EP, or extended play recording, there. EPs are too long to be singles and too short to be full albums. Gifford was one of the people responsible for that. He got CBDB in the studio for one day and turned out an incredible EP that has been well-received amongst fans.
At only 29, Gifford has worked at FAME for six years and believes in the music he is making. Gifford strives to keep it different and not get stuck in one genre. That mixture is part of the reason Muscle Shoals is still so valued — it is not just an area associated with one band or one genre, it’s all over the place.
Another person keeping Muscle Shoals alive is Jimmy Nutt, who owns Nutthouse Recording Studios. Nutt is a transplant from Austin, Texas, but he has done his fair share of recording in the town.
One of the Shoals area’s finest musicians right now is Jason Isbell, formerly of the Drive-By Truckers. Nutt is responsible for Isbell’s first three studio albums that helped catapult him to stardom. Nutt is also working on a project with another young artist named Dylan Leblanc.
Being a transplant to an area as established as Muscle Shoals is no easy task. It took Nutt a while to build up the clientele that he has now. He said that while some years he has been more fortunate than others, work in the Shoals is steady for Nutthouse.
That steady stream of work is a sign of the times for Muscle Shoals. The revival in the area has brought the work back with it. Also, having great artists like Jason Isbell and young artists like CBDB record and leave their mark on the town is helping bring it back as well.
Author and journalist Carla Jean Whitley wrote a book on the Muscle Shoals Sound Recording Studio. The book chronicles the past of Muscle Shoals and how it got to where it is today. It focuses on the impact that the Swampers, the legendary group of studio musicians, had on the area. Yet the most interesting thing is what the book says at the end.
Rock superstars The Black Keys recently recorded there, and Dr. Dre and his company Beats just purchased the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Names that big spending time in a small Alabama town is proof of the significance that the town has on music and the reputation at hand.
Recording music is no easy task. Nutt just received a Grammy for the work he did with bluegrass group The Steeldrivers. Nutt said his focus is never on a particular sound, but rather what the artist wants.
“Making a great-sounding record is challenging, period,” Nutt said. “Whether it’s here, Nashville or L.A. or wherever.”
In Muscle Shoals, the challenging part of the job is truly what matters. The sound engineers and studio managers in Muscle Shoals believe in what they are doing and where they are taking the next chapter of Muscle Shoals. With that passion and devotion to keeping the music real, it will continue to grow and prosper for years to come.
As Nutt said, “Muscle Shoals has always been known as a recording town, and I think there will always be people coming here to record and cut records.”