Muscle Shoals

[Jefferson23]

About the Film

Located on the banks of the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of the most creative and defiant music in American history.

Under the spiritual influence of the "Singing River" as Native Americans called it, the music of Muscle Shoals is some of the most important and resonant of all time. "I'll Take You There," "Brown Sugar," "When a Man Loves a Woman," "I Never Loved a Man the Way That I Loved You," "Mustang Sally," "Tell Mama," "Kodachrome," and "Freebird" are just a few of the tens of thousands of tracks created there.

At its heart is Rick Hall, who founded FAME Studios. A musician himself, who overcame crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, Hall brought black and white musicians together — including during times when the state’s governor wanted "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever" — to create music that would last for generations while also giving birth to the unique Muscle Shoals sound, and the unheralded but crucial rhythm section, The Swampers.

While fending off a budding rivalry in the Muscle Shoals heyday with Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, which was formed by The Swampers and would find huge success of its own, Hall maintained confidence in his brand and in himself.

Freddy Camalier’s film brings in legendary artists including Aretha Franklin, Duane’s brother Gregg Allman, Bono, Clarence Carter, Jimmy Cliff, Mick Jagger, Alicia Keys, Keith Richards, Percy Sledge, Steve Winwood, and others, as well as archival interviews with the late Wilson Pickett and Etta James, all who bear witness to the magnetism and mystery of Muscle Shoals and why it remains a global influence today.


Making his directorial debut with Muscle Shoals, filmmaking is a deep-seated passion Greg “Freddy” Camalier is hoping and planning to pursue for the remainder of his life. A former musician who never attended film school, Camalier’s chance stopover on a road trip and fascination with the titular town’s music history led to him making the film Muscle Shoals. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

in full: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/muscle-shoals/film.html

[OKNancy]

1. I watched. The first hour and one-half was great

Couldn't get into the more modern stuff. "Southern rock" is not my thing.

[Jefferson23]

15. Me too, with the exception of Free Bird..the live track. The film was great though, wasn't it? Fun!

[2naSalit]

2. K&R

Bookmarked for a slow day. The only music I can access around this area is what I have in my recorded collection and what I can find online, unless it's classical - which I love but I also have a thing for other genre as well and need a good dose an a regular basis.

Thanks.

[Jefferson23]

16. You're welcome, enjoy!

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Really enjoyed the film!

I was working up in No. Ala about 20 years ago, visited the studio area. The building looks like an old dry cleaners or something, no way woud anyone suspect the massive impact it had on music.

[Hoyt]

5. Been there a couple of times, "dry cleaners" is apt. Pretty area.

[Jefferson23]

17. Lucky you..I am jealous...I've never been there, my loss. n/t

[annm4peace]

4. loved it!

I starting watching about 1/2 way so have to see it again. LOved it. I rented a documentary on STax records and didn't know I loved them also.

[pragmatic_dem]

6. I saw this, and it made me a bit sad... but not of nostalgia

because public broadcasting (PBS, NPR, et al) is catering (dare I say pandering?) to aging hipsters, a presumably wealthy demographic.

When PBS stations beg for money - it's the oldies they put on, safe, conservative. Even Austin City Limits - how many times can you watch a 50+ yr old cheap trick? Oh, boy.

Wine sipping millionaire cooking shows, wine sipping millionaire travel shows, rich white people at antiques roadshow, insufferable English soap operas about how hard life is being an aristocrat.

Even NPR, when not interrupting to pimp another tax shelt, er foundation or executive MBA program, is painfully careful not to make rich people uncomfortable or inconvenienced in anyway with real investigative reporting.

There is great music being made today. And there are political voices sharper and fresher than the uninspired, conservative leadership in both parties who show up like clockwork to have their boots shined by Charlie Rose.

We'll never see it because our public broadcasting system has been neutered into something safe for conservatives.

Shit, you can't just blame PBS, though - it's everywhere. Lady GaGa at SXSW? The largest "indie" music festival? Sure, she's talented, and popular, but damn, do we really need that at SXSW with so many others struggling to get noticed?

Yeah, I remember all the buzz about muscle shoals in 1970s, but it's the new stuff I am craving to know more about. If we are going to make forward progress, we need to take a few risks and support the next generation who will ultimately inherit the mess we've made.

[dixiegrrrrl]

11. You are looking for love in all the wrong places.

PBS and NPR went to the REader's Digest dark side some time ago.
Watching the same tired old shows being run every year for fund raising was downright embarrassing.
Yet another reason we cut the cord.
The next generation is using new media.
Youtube....Pirate Bay ( they WANT you to listen and download for free...they are using crowdfunding)
there are tons of sites online that talk about, and play, teh new stuff.

[pragmatic_dem]

13. lol - can't argue with that! Still a public broadcasting forum not on its knees in front of the

rich seems a necessary part of an informed democracy. Not everyone has the means or time to dig through internet for scraps of truth that the rich occasionally drop from their table.

[7wo7rees]

7. i thought it was great

They captured lightning in a bottle for a sound that lives today. It reminded me of Dave Grohl's odyssey to own the Sound City mixing board. I also recommend the doc about sound engineer Tom Dowd.

[OKNancy]

19. Oh, I saw that too. That was a great show.

[sammytko]

8. Loved it

Plan on watching it again

[Wilms]

9. ^

[okaawhatever]

10. I'll have to check that out. I was already aware of their music industry, and of course the Swampers

from Sweet Home Alabama lyrics.

[Snotcicles]

12. Saw it last night, it was excellent. Another really good, similar documentary is

" Standing in The Shadows of Motown " Being from this area this one sure brings it all back for me.
The Swampers and the Funk Brothers were the best.

[11 Bravo]

14. Thanks for not ignoring The Swampers, without a doubt one of the ...

finest group of rhythm section session players in American music history.

[Jefferson23]

18. Totally, yes. n/t

[BadGimp]

20. Totally Awesome - thx for posting!