Fifty years ago, a little river town in Alabama became a hotbed of musical activity, producing a string of classic recordings and establishing a reputation for greatness that still holds today.
You can get the basic facts about Muscle Shoals in our March 2016 feature article, and some of the finest songs to come out of its studios can be heard in our online Hear the Music and Extended Play sections for this month. But if you want to know even more about the place—and, most importantly, the people who made it what it was (and is)—watch this clip from Gil Baker’s documentary Session Men, which focuses on the famous “Swampers,” the session musicians who helped create the world-famous Muscle Shoals sound.
Speaking of documentaries, an excellent one on the history of Muscle Shoals came out in 2013. Directed by Greg Camalier, it’s called simply Muscle Shoals. We can’t show you the whole thing (track it down on Amazon, iTunes, or any number of other online venues), but this official trailer will give you a quick taste.