Friday 13th September
Last night we stayed over at Muscle Shoals, on our way from Memphis to Nashville. We knew there were a few attractions here that might interest us, namely The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Fame Recording Studio and another studio called Muscle Shoals Recording Studios. After checking into our motel, we did some online research to see which one received the better reviews and decided toward the last one, as we only had time to do one before heading onto Nashville.
To be honest we didn't know a lot about Muscle Shoals, and research started to show just how many well known artists recorded here during the late 60's and 70's, but also still going on today.
Artists like Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett, Lynard Skynard, Etta James, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, Bob Dylan, Cher, etc. etc. etc. -- wow !! We purchased tickets for the 10.30 am tour (first of the day). The picture above is the Muscle Shoals Recording Studio, we wondered if we had made a mistake as it was a very unassuming looking building ! From a brochure ..
"How did a tiny concrete building at 3614 Jackson Hwy, Sheffield, Alabama become one of the most influential recording studios in the world ? That's the magic question that brings thousands of visitors to this place each year.
In 1969 the Swampers (aka The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section) founded Muscle Shoals Sound Studios and within months they were attracting hit recording artists from around the world who came to them in search of the signature sound that forever changed American music."
The guy (he didn't ever give us his name) turned out to be passionate about the studio and was such a good story teller it turned out to be a great tour ! This was the original studio in use from 1969 to 1978. The owners actually moved it to larger premises and this building was used for some alternate uses. Dr Dre of Beats headphones fame donated $1mill in 2016 to authentically restore the studios.
From here we rejoined the Natchez Trace Parkway on the way to Leipers Fork...I should explain further...this is a 715km national scenic byway that runs from Natchez, Mississippi (we picked it up in Memphis though) to Nashville, Tennessee. The NTParkway began as a footpath for Native Americans 8,000 years ago and offers a scenic leisurely journey for motorists, cyclists and hikers. Unlike the multi-laned highways where the maximum speed is 115km, this road is a single lane each way with a top speed of 80km and no trucks are allowed.
Leipers Fork was a place recommended for us to visit during a conversation with the man in the Tupelo Hardware Store. With an extremely loose holiday itinerary, it is easy to mix up our plans and also experience any suggestions we hear from the locals which enriches our time away. This town of Leipers Fork is actively trying to retain its heritage and has blocked any new development, so while it is not large it is to a degree frozen in time. We stopped at our first roadside café for lunch. Toasted ham & cheese sandwich, hamburger and banana pie ! Yum !
The drive from here to Nashville was mostly along more back roads and in part along the Old Natchez Trace (an even narrower roadway with a top speed of 50km), which is a very scenic drive lined with large residences set back from the road. After a slight delay due to a crash on the highway, we crawled along for about 3km before arriving in Nashville around 4.30 pm . While we had planned our trip via all the places we have been, we never focused on it being a musical pilgrimage, which it seems to have morphed into along the way.