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Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of America's most creative and defiant music. Under the spiritual influence of the “Singing River,” as Native Americans called it, the music of Muscle Shoals has helped create some of the most important and resonant songs of all time. At its heart is Rick Hall who founded FAME Studios. Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, Hall brought black and white together in Alabama's cauldron of racial hostility to create music for the generations. He is responsible for creating the "Muscle Shoals sound" and The Swampers, the house band at FAME that eventually left to start their own successful studio, known as Muscle Shoals Sound. Gregg Allman, Bono, Clarence Carter, Mick Jagger, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Keith Richards, Percy Sledge and others bear witness to Muscle Shoals' magnetism, mystery and why it remains influential today.
 
Directed by Greg 'Freddy' Camalier
Director of Photography Anthony Arendt
Edited by Richard Lowe
Associate Producer Linda Livingston
Produced by Stephen Badger, Greg 'Freddy' Camalier
Executive Producers Stephen Badger, Greg 'Freddy' Camalier
CONTRIBUTORS
Gregg Allman
Bono
Clarence Carter
Jimmy Cliff
Aretha Franklin
Rick Hall
Roger Hawkins
David Hood
Mick Jagger
Jaimoe
Donna Jean-Godchaux
Jimmy Johnson
Alicia Keys
Ed King
Spooner Oldham
John Paul White
Dan Penn
Keith Richards
Percy Sledge
Candi Staton
Steve Winwood |
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“A winning tribute to the coastal Alabama studio, musicians, and engineers who laid down some of the greatest pop tracks of the late '60s and early '70s.” – Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice
“If you liked 20 Feet From Stardom, you are going to burst into song for Muscle Shoals.” – James Verniere, Boston Herald
“EVOCATIVE, SOULFUL, ENORMOUSLY ENTERTAINING. A terrific documentary.” – Gary Goldstein, LA Times
“HUGELY ENTERTAINING - A SOULFUL MUSICAL FEAST. It’s mandatory viewing for fans of the classic rock, soul and R&B of the 60s and 70s.” – Walter Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle
“**** Hands down one of the best music documentaries ever made.” – Seattle Times
“MAGNIFICENT - Muscle Shoals is more magical than any two Harry Potter movies put together.” – Mark Feeney, Boston Globe
“3½ out of 4 stars – A standout music doc.” – Dan DeLuca Philadelphia Inquirer
“3½ out of 4 stars – MESMERIZING” – Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post
“Muscle Shoals will delight and inform music fans.” – Howard Cohen, Miami Herald
“The filmmakers struck gold. Even fans who don’t know Muscle Shoals by name know its music by heart.” – Chris Riemenschneider, Minneapolis Star Tribune
“ONE OF THE YEAR’S MOST ENTERTAINING AND ENRICHING NONFICTION FILMS. Moving and joyful, “Muscle Shoals” is must-see stuff for anyone who loves the music.” – Marshall Fine, Huffington Post
“A MUST-SEE DOCUMENTARY FOR ANY ROCK N' ROLL HISTORY CONNOISSEUR.” – Rodrigo Perez, Indiewire
“It's an affectionate, uplifting film, with testimony from everyone from Aretha and Sledge to Bono
and Alicia Keys. It offers a slice of American popular history which, along with the stories of Motown and Stax Records, pretty much cover the rise of soul music in America. It's a true treat.” –Huffington Post, Marshal Fine
“The next must-see music doc…” - The Hollywood Reporter, John DeFore
“But the documentary’s real highlights are the musings of the musicians who recorded there.
Performers including Bono, Aretha Franklin, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Cliff and Steve
Winwood reflect on what made the town "magic," as Bono puts it. Artists were not only prolific in
Colbert County, but their recordings were often infused with a recognizable sound Camalier
describes as a "funky, soulful, propulsive kind of groove. -Rolling Stone, Katie Van Syckle
“THE NEXT MUST SEE DOC. A staple for Soul fans alongside Standing in the Shadows of Motown.” – John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter
“MUSIC LOVERS WILL GET PLENTY OF THRILLS hearing first-hand accounts of how such classic tracks as Aretha’s ‘Respect’ and the Stones’ ‘Brown Sugar’ were created.” – Dennis Harvey, Variety
“A triumph, a stunning, soulful achievement. A must-see for even the most casual of music fans, so chock full of moments of grace and beauty that even the most jaded can still properly fall in love with it.” – Jason Gorber, Twitch
“A MOVING, LIFE-AFFIRMING DOCUMENTARY.” – Andrew Hultkrans, Art Forum
“A FASCINATING FIND.” – Marsha McCreadie, Film Journal International
“FASCINATING. DON’T MISS THIS SPECIAL FILM. Director Carmalier does an amazing job depicting an incredible time in American music.” – Dorri Olds, The Examiner
“4 STARS. Propelled by gorgeous music and rich anecdotes, it’s joyous, uplifting, and as funky as the music at its heart.” – David Gritten, The Telegraph
“Invigorating. A sumptuously assembled, comprehensive film about music that changed lives.” – Shaun Munro, What Culture
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