Sweet Home Alabama...some music history

Started by DigitalBuddha, April 15, 2014, 09:31:43 PM

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DigitalBuddha

April 15, 2014, 09:31:43 PM Last Edit: April 15, 2014, 09:35:32 PM by DigitalBuddha
Every wonder about the lyrics in "Sweet Home, Alabama" where LYNYRD SKYNYRD mentions.....

"Now Muscle Shoals has got The Swampers, And they've been known to pick a song or two."

Muscle Shoals is a recording studio in Alabama, and The Swampers were the studio's in house band that worked on a lot of albums for singers and other musicians recording in the studio, as well as doing local gigs.

The Swampers, one of the best-known groups of session musicians, crafted the Muscle Shoals Sound. They were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1995 for a Lifework Award for Non-Performing Achievement and into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2008 (the performers inducted into the latter were the four founding Swampers: Barry Beckett (keyboards), Roger Hawkins (drums), David Hood (bass), Jimmy Johnson (guitar), plus Pete Carr (guitar), Spooner Oldham (organist), Albert S. Lowe Jr., Clayton Ivey, Randy McCormick, and Will McFarlane). The nickname "The Swampers" was given to the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section by singer/songwriter Leon Russell, who recorded with them.

They have appeared on more than 75 gold and platinum hits.  Not exactly a light weight!



See - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_Shoals_Rhythm_Section

This is the original building, and inside of the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsL5___UQ44

Check out - http://www.musicheritageofthesouth.com/

The 'Lynyrd Skynyrd' Crash - http://www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/LynyrdSkynyrd-N55VM.htm

"Sweet Home Alabama" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHsDa9_HSlA

Big wheels keep on turning
Carry me home to see my kin
Singing songs about the Southland
I miss Alabamy once again
And I think its a sin, yes

Well I heard mister Young sing about her
Well, I heard ole Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don't need him around anyhow

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you

In Birmingham they love the gov' nor (boo, boo, boo)
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you?
Tell the truth

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you
Here I come Alabama

Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
And they've been known to pick a song or two
Lord they get me off so much
They pick me up when I'm feeling blue
Now how about you?

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you

Sweet home Alabama
Oh sweet home baby
Where the skies are so blue
And the guv'nor's true
Sweet Home Alabama
Lordy
Lord, I'm coming home to you
Yea, yea Montgomery's got the answer

Caesar dude

#1
April 16, 2014, 01:57:47 AM
Yeah dude...BBC 3 has a lot of late night 70's music documentaries on. This has been mentioned a few times over the last few months...

We're spoiled here! Have you heard of "The old grey whistle test"? It was a late night BBC 2 programme in the 70's ...they showcased all sorts of prog rock and contempary music. It was the MTV of it's age...way way beyond Top of the pops! BBC 3 show lots of these!

In fact in 1978 when I was in High school doing music as an O level...(I played trumpet) the head of music insisted we watched it...yeah cool! I was 14 and my parents wanted me in bed at 8..OGWT started at 10! No videos in those days! :)

I sometimes caught the repeats on the weekends when the olds were in the pub! :)

Peace
Love is like a butterfly it goes where it pleases and it pleases where it goes. :)

DigitalBuddha

#2
April 16, 2014, 02:19:30 AM
I'll Youtube "The old grey whistle test" and see what I can find. Sounds interesting, C dude.

Caesar dude

#3
April 16, 2014, 02:42:23 AM
Love is like a butterfly it goes where it pleases and it pleases where it goes. :)

Stumblin Stumbleweed

#5
April 16, 2014, 05:15:18 AM
There shoiuld be plenty of The Old Grey Whistle Test videos out there in Internetland.
By the time I got interested in that stuff, the BBC had dropped "The Old Grey" from the title.
Great range of music, almost none of it from the popular mainstream.
I think there are some DVDs too, in case you feel like expending some bones or clams or whatever you call them.
What the fuck are you talking about?

BikerDude

#6
April 16, 2014, 03:30:18 PM
There's a documentary specifically about Muscle Shoals studio.....
https://www.magpictures.com/muscleshoals/


Out here we are all his children

DigitalBuddha

#8
April 16, 2014, 09:56:00 PM
Quote from: BikerDude on April 16, 2014, 03:30:18 PM
There's a documentary specifically about Muscle Shoals studio.....
https://www.magpictures.com/muscleshoals/


Great find, BD!

Captain Will

#9
April 16, 2014, 10:24:27 PM
Well this dude is certainly surprised to see this particular topic in the forums. 

You see, I live in Florence, Alabama, which is just across the Tennessee River from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.  My apartment is about 10 minutes away (if the traffic lights are merciful) from FAME Studios (the original home of The Swampers), and about 15 minutes away from the original Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Sheffield, Alabama.

Fabulous stuff, man.

DigitalBuddha

#10
April 17, 2014, 12:08:28 AM
Quote from: Captain Will on April 16, 2014, 10:24:27 PM
Well this dude is certainly surprised to see this particular topic in the forums. 

You see, I live in Florence, Alabama, which is just across the Tennessee River from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.  My apartment is about 10 minutes away (if the traffic lights are merciful) from FAME Studios (the original home of The Swampers), and about 15 minutes away from the original Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Sheffield, Alabama.

Fabulous stuff, man.

Far fuckin' out, man! Have you even dropped by and checked out Muscle Shoals?

Captain Will

#11
April 17, 2014, 01:54:29 AM
Quote from: DigitalBuddha on April 17, 2014, 12:08:28 AM
Quote from: Captain Will on April 16, 2014, 10:24:27 PM
Well this dude is certainly surprised to see this particular topic in the forums. 

You see, I live in Florence, Alabama, which is just across the Tennessee River from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.  My apartment is about 10 minutes away (if the traffic lights are merciful) from FAME Studios (the original home of The Swampers), and about 15 minutes away from the original Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Sheffield, Alabama.

Fabulous stuff, man.

Far fuckin' out, man! Have you even dropped by and checked out Muscle Shoals?

I've never been to the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.  When the school kids around here were taking the obligatory field trips to it and FAME Studios, I was always in another state!  (former Army brat, here)  It's something I've never gotten around to.

However, if you mean the city of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, well I've seen that more times than I can count.  She's on the opposite side of the river from Florence, and we're connected by two bridges and a hydroelectric dam.  If you wanna head south you're going through Muscle Shoals, unless you drive 20 miles up river.

Funny story, though, Skynyrd played the Alabama Music Hall of Fame (which is about 20 minutes away in Tuscumbia, Alabama) back in '06, and I ran Spot #1 for the show.  I was in charge of keeping up with Johnny Van Zant as he bounced around the stage... man, he was squirrely!  As you can expect, when they cranked up "Sweet Home Alabama" the crowd pretty much exploded.  The were roaring so loud, I could barely hear my gel cues!

DigitalBuddha

#12
April 17, 2014, 03:05:13 AM
Quote from: Captain Will on April 17, 2014, 01:54:29 AM
Quote from: DigitalBuddha on April 17, 2014, 12:08:28 AM
Quote from: Captain Will on April 16, 2014, 10:24:27 PM
Well this dude is certainly surprised to see this particular topic in the forums. 

You see, I live in Florence, Alabama, which is just across the Tennessee River from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.  My apartment is about 10 minutes away (if the traffic lights are merciful) from FAME Studios (the original home of The Swampers), and about 15 minutes away from the original Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Sheffield, Alabama.

Fabulous stuff, man.

Far fuckin' out, man! Have you even dropped by and checked out Muscle Shoals?

Funny story, though, Skynyrd played the Alabama Music Hall of Fame (which is about 20 minutes away in Tuscumbia, Alabama) back in '06, and I ran Spot #1 for the show.  I was in charge of keeping up with Johnny Van Zant as he bounced around the stage... man, he was squirrely!  As you can expect, when they cranked up "Sweet Home Alabama" the crowd pretty much exploded.  The were roaring so loud, I could barely hear my gel cues!

Sounds like a good time was had by all! Would love to have seen LS do Sweet Home! Yeah, dudes! ;D

DigitalBuddha

#13
April 19, 2014, 11:29:20 PM Last Edit: April 19, 2014, 11:34:08 PM by DigitalBuddha
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