Just got in from watching the documentary ‘Muscle Shoals’ at the London Sundance Film Festival. I haven’t read anything post on the forum about this movie, but I confidently predict that all visitors to the Soulful Detroit Forum will hugely enjoy this film.
At the heart of the film is the story of Rick Hall, and his drive and unrelenting search for perfection in the music he wanted to create in the Muscle Shoals area. The founder of Fame studios cuts an impressive figure throughout the movie, and he relates how he hired in The Swampers and started to make hit records, his first being Arthur Alexander and “You’d Better Move On”. From there on, numerous hit records emerged, featuring R&B / soul artists like Wilson Picket, Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, Clarence Carter, Candi Staton and Etta James. Many other artists were attracted by the sound that Fame and The Swampers created, and there was an influx of artists from other genres, such as The Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan and even the Osmonds. The movie covers the painful split which occurred when The Swampers left Rick and Fame and set up their own studio with the encouragement of Jerry Wexler.
I am sure many of the forum members know all of the above very well , but this film is remarkable in many ways. Original footage, great soundtrack, contemporary artists' interviews, the musicians and the photography make nigh on 2 hour movie a real treat. Don’t miss it!!!!
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