Marshall County Hangmen go to Muscle Shoals

 

Co-hosts Susan Franzen and Paul Wierson talk about road trips, both theirs and that of area band Marshall County Hangmen, who recently took a Southbound road to historic studio in Northwest Alabama. Hangmen Dave Gray, John Schumacher, and Gordy Stull joined them in the studio, along with guest interviewers Ron Carson and James Winter, to play some of their music and tell the story of their road trip to the Muscle Shoals FAME studio to record their upcoming CD.

The Muscle Shoals FAME studio, founder Rick Hall, and the resident studio band, The Swampers, established the Muscle Shoals sound. Black singers such as Arthur Alexander ("You Better Move On") and Jimmy Hughes ("Steal Away") recorded, backed by the greasy and funky white session players. Joe Tex, Aretha Franklin, and Wilson Pickett came soon after. A long-haired hippie kid living in a tent out on the FAME studio parking lot conspired with Wilson Pickett to record The Beatles' "Hey Jude", landing Duane Allman a job as a full-time session musician at Muscle Shoals. The Allman Brothers Band later held auditions in the studio.

    Featured music:
  • "Texas Time" by Marshall County Hangmen, On The Road To Heaven Or Hell
  • "I Think I Got Drunk Last Night" by Marshall County Hangmen, Live At Jake's
  • "Parkersburg" by Marshall County Hangmen, Live At Jake's
  • "Steal Away" by Jimmy Hughes
  • "Hey Jude" by Wilson Pickett (featuring Duane Allman)

Originally broadcast 03/18/2015
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