The movie-documentary Muscle Shoals will hit UK cinemas from October 25.
Directed by Greg ‘Freddy’ Camalier, the film tells the story of the great music and studios that came out of Muscle Shoals, Alabama during the sixties and seventies.
Under the spiritual influence of the “Singing River”, as Native Americans called the river Tennessee, the Muscle Shoals musicians and studios helped create some of the most important and resonant songs of all time. At its heart was Rick Hall who founded FAME Studios. He was responsible for creating the “Muscle Shoals sound” and The Swampers, the house band at FAME that eventually left to start their own successful studio, known as Muscle Shoals Sound. During the peak of racial hostilities, Muscle Shoals was seen as a haven for black and white musicians to come together in service of music.
On screen, Alicia Keys, Bono, Clarence Carter, Etta James, Gregg Allman, John Paul White, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Percy Sledge, Rick Hall and others bear witness to Muscle Shoals’ magnetism, mystery and why it remains influential today.
The soundtrack album to the movie is released on Oct 21, and features Arthur Alexander’s You Better Move On, Jimmy Hughes’ Steal Away, Percy Sledge’s When A Man Loves A Woman, Wilson Pickett’s Hey Jude, The Staple Singers’ I’ll Take You There, Clarence Carter’s Patches, Etta James’ Tell Mama, Alicia Keys’ Pressing On and more.
