Episode 1: Cher

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Episode Transcript

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Welcome to the Vibe of Muscle ShoalsSound. Inaugural podcast recorded at Muscle Shoals
Sound at thirty six fourteen Jackson Highwayin Beautiful Sheffield, Alabama. I'm Terrell
Benton, along with Nina Jackson,and in the coming months will bring you
a series of podcasts discussing the historyand music of Muscle Shoals Sound. April

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first, nineteen sixty nine, wasthe first day that the then Muscle Shoals
rhythm section moved into this little convertedcasket showroom and started the legacy of Muscle
Shoals Sound. For this inaugural podcast, we're going to look back at the
history of the first recording at thirtysix fourteen Scherer's album, named after the

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address of the studio, thirty sixfourteen Jackson Highway. Sheerlyn Sarkasian met Salvatore
Bono in Los Angeles at a coffeeshop in nineteen sixty two. She was
sixteen, but nineteen sixty eight,Sonny and Chaer had peaked with I Got
You Babe and the Beat Goes On. They were on the downside of their

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recording success, a failed film nineteensixty Seven's Good times had added to the
duo's decline. Between nineteen sixty fiveand nineteen sixty eight, they had experienced
massive success. The psychedelic era hadentered the music world, and Sunny and
Schaer had no place to go.Their Imperial Record contract had ended, and

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I met Ertegan, the head ofAtlantic Natco Records, signed Share as a
solo artist. He thought it wastime for her to set out on her
own and build her own credibility.Ertigan thought the perfect plan was to take
Share to the newly opened Muscle ShoalsSound in tiny Sheffield, Alabama, to
work with the four musicians formerly knownas the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, as

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well as with the triumvirant of Atlanticicons a Reef Martin, Jerry Wexler,
and engineer Tom Dowd, the productionteam behind some of the Atlantic's biggest hits
for the Franklin Wilson Pickett and Dustyspruce Field. Sonny later wrote in his
autobiography The Beat Goes On that Erniganbelieved in Sonny and Share, but Jerry

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Wechler did not. He wanted aShare record without Sonny's involvement, even down
to the production Wexler and his biographyThe Rhythm and the Blues, written by
David Ritz said, I went downto produce the record. I loved SHARE's
voice and was excited by the project. But in case of a tie,
I told Sonny before the session began, a little worried that he would think

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he was the boss, I win. Wechler picked the songs three by Bob
Dillon and a Wretha cover and aStephen Steele's cover, but his fate would
have it. Wechler came down withpneumonia and never did make it to the
control room. Tom Dowd and ARieth Martin took over the production. Sonny

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later stated, not only did Ilose my role as producer, my credibility
went out In window two. TheMuscle Show's rhythm section had produced some of
the greatest songs ever recorded while atFame Studio and Muscle Shows, but a
contract dispute with Fame founder Recall hadsent the rhythm section to Jerry Wexler and
an idea of opening their own studioin nearby Sheffield. The new studio would

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be located at thirty six fourteen JacksonHighway, in a building that was built
in nineteen forty seven. The smallroom at thirty six fourteen was an unlikely
spot for a record like this tobe recorded. Sonny and Chard always worked
in Los Angeles, and here theywere staying in a holiday inn in nearby
Florence and cutting the first record inthis new venture called Muscle Shoals. Sound

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guitarist Jimmy Johnson, bassist David Hood, drummer Roger Harkins, and keyboardist Barry
Beckett were up to the task ofthe move and gave the Atlantic Records team
the southern pop blues field they wantedfor the record. Share got eleven songs
down that eventually made the record itstated previously. Most of them were covers

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of current soul and rock tunes,including three from the recently released Bob Dylan
album Nashville Skyline, Late Lady Leigh, I Threw It All Away and Tonight
I'll be staying here with You.Other tunes on the record included Stephen Still's
an Thematic, Buffalo, spring Fieldsfor what It's Worth, and the box
Tops Cry Like a Baby, writtenby Muscle Shoals owned spooner old um In

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Dan penn As I stated Wexler camedown with pneumonia. Tom Dowd as well
as a Reef Martin had taken over. Just because I'm a history nerve,
I went in search of the dayto day work on thirty six fourteen Jackson
Highway, and it looked like this. According to the records at Atlantic Records,
the first song cut was on Apriltwenty first, nineteen sixty nine,

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the great Eddie Hinton Tune Saved theChildren. I think it's highly appropriate that
Eddie's tune was the first. Eddiewas brilliant and troubled, but it was
an amazing writer, player and vocalist. Go out and find his amazing solo
record, very extremely dangerous, recordedhere at Schul's Sound. More own Eddie
will come up in future podcast.Later that day. On the twenty first

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was Shares cover of Dylons I ThrewIt All Away, complete with horns and
backing vocals. Tuesday, the twentysecond saw work starting on another Dilon cover
Tonight I'll be Staying Here with You. On the twenty third, work began
in earnest as four tracks were putdown. The Dan Pen classic Do Right

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Woman, Do Right Man with leadvocals and basic tracks completed the Buffalo Springfields.
Stephen Still's tune for What It's Worthwas followed next by just Enough to
Keep Me Hanging On, written byBuddy Miys and Ira Allen. Allen later
wrote the Monphis classic I Can't Standthe Rain for Ann Pebbles. Later on
this day, an unreleased cover ofLaura Nero's Wedding Bills Blues was tracked.

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Of Course, this was later amonster hit for the Fifth Dimension. Thursday,
the twenty seventh, work began onthe Reading and Steve Cropper classic Sitting
on the Dock of the Bay andthe mac Ribbanack or Doctor John Penn song
I Walked On Gilded Splinters. Friday, the twenty sixth, and the final
day of the first part of thework, saw the recording of a now

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lost track, a cover of theEddie Hinton, Dan Penn and Wayne Jackson
song Always David. From April twentysixth until April twenty ninth, Sonny and
Cher went back to Los Angeles tovisit their seven week old daughter, Chastiday.
They returned to Muscle Shoals on thethirtieth and work on the thirty six
fourteen Jackson Highway album commenced with SpoonerRoll Them and Dan Penn's hit for the

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Box Tops cry Like a Baby,along with another lost track, the Only
Sunny and Share duet, a tunecalled Honey Lamb. Sunny and Chaer then
flew to London to appear on theABC show This Is Tom Jones. While
in London, Sonny was interviewed byNew Musical Express and made no mention of
the Muscle Shoals sessions. But fromLondon they flew back to New York and

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appeared on the ABC late night talkshow The Joy Bishop Show. Then back
to Muscle Shoals on Wednesday, Mayfourteenth to cut a play on Bob Dylan's
Lay Lady Lay retitled Baby Lay.This wrapped up the session for the thirty
six fourteen Jackson Highway album. AtlanticRecords had very high expectations for the thirty

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six fourteen Jackson Highway album, andthe promotion and sales departments put together their
plans in Miami in late May ofsixty nine. The decision was made to
release the record in stereo as wellas an alternative stereo version, as well
as mono cassette, eight track andeven reel to reel to promote the record
to radio and retail the Atlantic Shipto promo vinyl EP. The EP included

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sitting on the dock of the Bayjust enough to keep me hanging on for
what it's worth and Please Don't Tell, which was written by Carol Quillan and
Grady Smith. The now famous coverphoto of thirty six fourteen Jackson Highway taken
by Stephen Paley. By the way, check out his other works, including
album covers for the Almond Brothers band, Rutha Franklin, Jay Giles, Cream

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and Slide the Family Stone, amongothers. For the studio, the cover
photo was the gateway for people toknow about the new studio, but many
have said the entire album package mayhave had an adverse effect on sales.
For the record, the only colorphoto of Share was on the inside,
and Atlantic made the strange decision tonot list the song titles on the outside
of the cover. While the covermay have had an effect on sales,

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the photo gave the little studio inSheffield a face for the world to see.
The cast characters on the cover includedJerry Wexler, Share dressed in what
she called hippie Native American clothing,Sonny and an Alabama football T shirt with
Bear Bright walking on the water withthe slogan I Believe written on it.
A Reef Martin actually had the sameAlabama shirt on andrew jacket. The others

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in the photo included, of course, the rhythm section David Hood, Jimmy
Johnson, Barry Beckett, and RogerHawkins, along with vocalist Donna, Jean
Thatcher, Jeannie Green, and thegreat Eddie Hinton, along with Tom Dowd.
Missing from the cover were vocalist MaryHoliday and Sue Pilkington. Sonny is
credited for being the spiritual advisor andhopes all the listeners think that the record

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is groovy. The record is releasedon June twentieth, nineteen sixty nine.
Critics had positive reviews, but itwas not to be a sales dynamo,
peaking at number one sixty on theBillboard Charts and disappearing from record shells.
But on June seventh this year,twenty nineteen, you'll be able to own
thirty six fourteen Jackson Highway on vinylonce again, thanks to the folks that

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run out grew Vinyl. It's thefirst release on vinyl in the US since
nineteen sixty nine, there will bea bonus LP that features some of the
tracks from untitled nineteen seventy at Coalbum and those tracks are in mono and
they're making its their debut on vinyl. So rush to your local independent record

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store or come visit us at MuscleShoals Sound and pick up your copy of
this truly vital record. And speakingof vital, come visit us here at
the studio and feel the vibe ofthis special little building. We're an active
studio, but you can visit ourwebsite at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio dot org
and see our daily tour schedule aswell as merchandise that's available. Come see

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us myself, Debbie, Anna,Mallory, Chase and Tony. Tours begin
at ten thirty, but check outthe website for more details. We'll be
back next month with another story aboutthe vibe of the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios.