A Tribute to Sounds Out of the South

Memphis may be the city that first comes to mind when you think of great ‘60s soul music centers, but it’s a different Southern locale that gave birth to such classics as Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman” and Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You).”

Those are just two of the 18 songs in Rhino Records’ new “The Muscle Shoals Sound” album, a salute to the Alabama region where such other hits as Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally,” Arthur Conley’s “Sweet Soul Music” and Clarence Carter’s “Patches” were recorded.

There was such a soulful, seductive feel to the best of the Muscle Shoals records that the region’s studios, musicians and/or producers eventually became a lure for a wide variety of pop-rock artists, including the Rolling Stones, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson.

The colorful story of the Muscle Shoals scene, as told in Randy Poe’s liner notes for the new compilation, began in 1959. That’s when Rick Hall, who operated a studio in a former tobacco warehouse, was introduced to a local singer named Arthur Alexander, who had a song called “You Better Move On.”

The tune, released by Dot Records, became a Top 40 pop hit in 1962 and was later recorded by the Rolling Stones.

Hall had another hit in 1964 with Jimmy Hughes’ “Steal Away,” but the biggest breakthrough for Muscle Shoals was probably Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman,” which was recorded in 1966 at a rival studio owned by disc jockey and producer Quinn Ivy. The record was No. 1 on both the pop and R&B; charts.

Though various musicians--including the late guitarist Duane Allman and keyboardist Spooner Oldham--played on the 18 recordings in the Rhino package, the rhythm section that is most identified with the Muscle Shoals scene consisted of guitarist Jimmy Johnson, drummer Roger Hawkins, bassist David Hood and keyboardist Barry Beckett.

To provide a complete picture of the Muscle Shoals contribution to modern pop, an album would have to include some of the tracks by the various pop-rock artists (including the Stones’ “Brown Sugar”), but this collection gives us the foundation of the region’s rich musical legacy.