Muscle Shoals

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Markbnj

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Another awesome music documentary on Netflix:

http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Muscle-Shoals/70267584

This film documents the Fame Studios era in Muscle Shoals, AL, and all the acts and recording successes that came from it. Lots of famous faces: Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, Bono, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Steve Winwood, Jimmy Cliff, and many others.

My favorite moment: when one of the Swampers, speaking of their first studio session with the Stones after splitting off from Rick Hall and Fame Studios, says "There was no drinkin', and no druggin'!" Cut to Mick Jagger laughing. Cut to Keith Richards laughing. Cut back to Mick Jagger, "Well, uhhh..." Funny stuff.

Probably the most interesting thing for me was that I had known about Muscle Shoals from the Skynyrd and Allman Bro. southern rock days. I hadn't really known about the R&B roots, and I didn't know that this small group of awesome white musicians were the studio backing band for some of the most successful R&B artists and records of the day. At the same time that Wallace was in Birmingham proclaiming segregation forever, the people in Muscle Shoals were proving him wrong. I like to think that's the Alabama Skynyrd was singing about in Sweet Home.

Anyway, music fans will love this one.
 

IronWing

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I don't know if it was covered in the documentary but when Bono went to Muscle Shoals he was like "Holy crap, you're white!"
 

Markbnj

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I don't know if it was covered in the documentary but when Bono went to Muscle Shoals he was like "Holy crap, you're white!"

Yeah he mentions that, and Aretha Franklin said the same thing. Not only were they white guys, but they were all like 19 and about as nerdy as they come :).
 

Kneedragger

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Yeah I watched this two weeks ago and loved it. I've been recommending it to all my friends.
 

Mixolydian

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I've been meaning to watch this for a couple months now. It gets rave reviews, so I think I'm gonna have put it towards the top of my to-do list. :)
 
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