![]() ‘We’re recreating it as it was when the Stones recorded here, and as it was through the 1970s,’ Judy Hood explains. Which is where the orange shagpile carpet comes in. The studio, where artists like Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Cher, Rod Stewart, and the Rolling Stones have all recorded, has been closed for some time but thanks to a generous donation by Dr Dre’s Beats Electronics company it’s being renovated to re-open later this year both as an active recording studio and for tours, in much the same way Sun Studio in Memphis operates. I’m in Muscle Shoals with a bunch of European music journalists, and we’re going to be the first outsiders allowed in to the hallowed ground of the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. Four months later, the song would hit number one on the pop charts.‘You can’t believe how hard it is to get orange shagpile carpet,’ Judy Hood tells us. Later, he recorded “(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay” at Stax just three days before his fateful plane crash in Lake Monona by Madison, Wisconsin, which killed him and nearly his entire backing band. As the story goes, the session didn’t go particularly well, so Redding was allowed to come in and sing in the studio-in the process, catching everyone off guard with his raw talent. At the time, he was the chauffeur for another group who was recording there. In 1962, Otis Redding came to Stax-but not as a recording musician. The building itself had a former life as a movie theater, which the owners, Estelle Axton and Jim Stewart, converted into a working recording studio-the concession stand of which was reborn as a record store. Acts like Sam Cooke, James Brown, Otis Redding, and Aretha Franklin are all known to have recorded here. Now called the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, this studio has played a role in American soul from the beginning. Musicians left to right: Sam Moore, Isaac Hayes, Andrew Love, Wayne Jackson, Dave Prater, Jim Stewart and Steve Cropper. Guests on Sun's tour can even hold Elvis' mic, or play Jerry Lee's piano. In 1956, the studio became home to one of the most famous events in musical history, the “Million Dollar Quartet” jam session with Elvis, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash-now a successful musical touring in the United States, Australia and the UK. The actual band name, though, was Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm-Brenston just sang lead vocals, and so was credited for the song. ![]() In fact, the first song actually considered to be rock 'n' roll was recorded here in 1951: Rocket 88, credited to Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats. ![]() Many consider this studio to be the birthplace of rock 'n' roll. If there’s a can’t-miss stop on your route, this may be it Aubrey Preston, founder of the Americana Music Triangle, told that this studio churned out the most chart-topping hits of all on the list. Guests on the tour today can still see-and even play-the piano he used while recording. Elvis loved this studio, too The King recorded more than 200 songs here. In total, the studio recorded more than 35,000 songs, of which more than 1,000 went on to become American hits. The studio became known for producing the iconic “Nashville Sound,” a style known for its particular use of background vocals and strings. Though it wasn’t the first studio built in town, it quickly catapulted into the most productive and arguably the most successful, thanks to artists like Roy Orbison, The Browns, and the Everly Brothers. Historic RCA Studio B opened in Nashville in 1957. Photo by Donn Jones, courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum To experience your own piece of Americana music history, tour these studios in the historic Triangle and get a feel for some of the myriad influential songs recorded here. that birthed nine distinct musical genres: Blues, Jazz, Country, Rock ‘n’ Roll, R&B/Soul, Gospel, Southern Gospel, Cajun/Zydeco and Bluegrass. This driving tour is comprised of routes between Nashville, Memphis, and New Orleans, all designed to help travelers connect with the history and culture of this small corner of the U.S. With it’s reopening, the facility joins the ranks of studio tours already available to travelers along the Americana Music Triangle. From 1999 to 2013, it was operational again, landing on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 and producing an album of the year for the Black Keys. It had closed in 1978 following years of notable recording sessions with a long list of major artists, from the Rolling Stones and the Staple Singers to Willie Nelson and Rod Stewart. The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio (otherwise known as 3614 Jackson Highway) officially reopened for tours and recording sessions. On January 9 of this year, an important piece of American music history opened its doors for public tours in Sheffield, Alabama.
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