Bob Dylan (center), discussing a song with his backup vocalists, was among the rock luminaries who recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound in the 1970s. (Dick Cooper) There is a reason we have the metaphor “That is music to my ears.” It represents the joy and even excitement that something stirs inside of you—much the same way that music can invoke a spirit of joy and an excited mood. I, myself, love music! I turn it on when I wake up. I cannot drive anywhere until I have the proper playlist on. And although I have not been blessed with an angelic voice, I cannot help singing in the shower. I know I am not the only one who feels this way. For example, I can hardly pass a person on campus on the way to class who does not have a pair of headphones in their ear.
Music is powerful. It can lift you up or it can bring you down. It makes you move. When the right song comes on at a wedding, celebration, or party people head to the dance floor or at the very least tap their foot. Music is also very spiritually significant. Countless verses in the Bible urge the reader or speak of singing praises to God. In Psalm 9:2 David says, “I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” And according to the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, music is the universal language. When we hear music in another language, even though we may not understand the words (if there are any) we can still identify that it is music. It becomes part of our identity and shapes who we are.
Alabama has a rich musical history that people may not be aware of. Until a couple of years ago, I wasn’t aware of it either. At one point in time, Muscle Shoals, Ala. was home to a prominent record studio. The Muscle Shoals Sound Studios (MSSS) was founded in 1969 by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (MSRS) after they broke away from FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises) Recording Studios. MSSS was located in a small brick building at 3614 Jackson Highway in Sheffield, Colbert County. If that address sounds familiar, it might be because it is also the title of Cher’s sixth album which was recorded there. Over the next decade and a half, many famous artists would travel to Muscle Shoals to record with MSRS. Musicians such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson, Art Garfunkel, and James Brown are just a few of the world-renowned artists who made music at 3614 Jackson Highway. Bob Dylan and Etta James, as well as many other performers, were able to take advantage of the advanced technology of the new studio when MSSS moved to 1000 Alabama Avenue.
Over the next twenty years (starting in 1985) the studio was sold to Malaco Records and then Cypress Moon Productions Inc. In 1999 the original MSSS building was bought by Noel Webster. In 2006 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Muscle Shoals Music Foundation bought the renovated building from Webster in 2013 and made further restorations. It is now open as a tourist attraction with plans to continue music recording.
If you are interested in an in-depth look at the MSSS’s history, check out “Creating ‘The Muscle Shoals Sound’” feature in Alabama Heritage, issue 114.
You can purchase a download of the feature article here.
Alabama has a rich musical history that people may not be aware of. Until a couple of years ago, I wasn’t aware of it either. At one point in time, Muscle Shoals, Ala. was home to a prominent record studio. The Muscle Shoals Sound Studios (MSSS) was founded in 1969 by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (MSRS) after they broke away from FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises) Recording Studios. MSSS was located in a small brick building at 3614 Jackson Highway in Sheffield, Colbert County. If that address sounds familiar, it might be because it is also the title of Cher’s sixth album which was recorded there. Over the next decade and a half, many famous artists would travel to Muscle Shoals to record with MSRS. Musicians such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson, Art Garfunkel, and James Brown are just a few of the world-renowned artists who made music at 3614 Jackson Highway. Bob Dylan and Etta James, as well as many other performers, were able to take advantage of the advanced technology of the new studio when MSSS moved to 1000 Alabama Avenue.
Over the next twenty years (starting in 1985) the studio was sold to Malaco Records and then Cypress Moon Productions Inc. In 1999 the original MSSS building was bought by Noel Webster. In 2006 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Muscle Shoals Music Foundation bought the renovated building from Webster in 2013 and made further restorations. It is now open as a tourist attraction with plans to continue music recording.
If you are interested in an in-depth look at the MSSS’s history, check out “Creating ‘The Muscle Shoals Sound’” feature in Alabama Heritage, issue 114.
You can purchase a download of the feature article here.
 | AuthorDanielle Castille is a senior majoring in public relations from Birmingham, Alabama. She plans on pursuing a job in editing or publishing when she graduates in May 2017. |
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