Jerry Wexler's Effect On African-American Music

Once Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records became aware of the sound coming out of Muscle Shoals, he brought a number of African-American artists to record at FAME. Wilson Pickett was one of the first artists Wexler brought down to Alabama. Pickett was initially skeptical of Wexler’s idea, however, after the first night of recording Pickett had changed his mind and was firmly convinced that FAME could be a recording home for him. He went on to record a number of hits at FAME, including “Land of a Thousand Dances” and “Mustang Sally.” Atlantic Records released Pickett’s “Land of 1,000 Dances” in July 1966. The single spent eleven weeks in Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and peaked at #6. In November 1966, Billboard featured a front page article entitled
“Piney Woods Industry’s New R&B Hunting Ground.” The article highlights Atlantic Records move into southern based recording studios and specifically names Rick Hall and his FAME Studio as one of their top sources. Jerry Wexler stated “When you want certain types of records and wish to capture the pristine R&B sound, you need to go south. Just as New York musicians are great in certain musical categories, so too are these Southern musicians.” Billboard also featured Atlantic’s next Pickett single “Mustang Sally” in its “Spotlight Singles” section and noted both Jerry Wexler and Rick Hall as the track’s producers. On November 26, 1966, Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally” entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a nine week run, where it peaked at #23. The banner year of hits released by Atlantic Records and their affiliates led Billboard to note an almost 50% increase in their sales. A large reason for this financial largess, Billboard noted, was Rick Hall and FAME Studios.

The success of the new Atlantic and FAME relationship led to Atlantic sending several of their stalwart recording artists to Muscle Shoals in 1967. Otis Redding, signed to Atlantic affiliate, Stax / Volt Records in Memphis, recorded “You Left the Water Running,” which until recently went unreleased. Clyde McPhatter, one of Atlantic’s biggest stars and formerly of the Drifters, also cut a few sides at FAME. Otis Redding signed Arthur Conley and initially put his records out through Stax/Volt, but soon moved him to Atlantic’s ATCO subsidiary and to Rick Hall’s FAME Studio for production. In March 1967, Arthur Conley’s “Sweet Soul Music” began a fifteen week run on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at #2. Conley’s follow-up cover of Big Joe Turner’s “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” also enjoyed Hot 100 and R&B chart success.

Wilson Pickett returned and recorded “Funky Broadway,” which entered the Billboard Hot 100 charts on August 5, 1967, for a twelve week run and peaked at #8. The members of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences nominated “Funky Broadway” for 1967 Grammy Award in the “Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male” category.

Wexler also brought Aretha Franklin to record at FAME.
Columbia Records executive, John Hammond, signed Franklin in 1960 and recorded her in the middle-of-the-road pop and jazz style. While Franklin’s Columbia sides enjoyed some limited success, it would not be until she signed with Atlantic in 1966 that she would truly find her voice and become the “Queen of Soul.” Jerry Wexler noted the necessity to return Franklin to her church and gospel past, and that could be achieved in Muscle Shoals. When Franklin came to the Shoals in January of 1967, she recorded her first breakthrough hit with Atlantic, “I Never Loved a Man (The Way that I Loved You).” Atlantic released the single and on March 4, 1967, it entered the Billboard Hot 100 charts for an eleven week run, and peaked at #9. Unfortunately, Hall and Franklin’s husband, Ted White, had a falling out during the recording session and Franklin cut the session short. Wexler, angry at Hall, swore he would never again record at FAME. The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section went to New York to finish the record, which would include the hit “Respect,” penned by Otis Redding. They would go on to record many more hits with Franklin, including “Call Me,” “The Weight,” and “The Dark End of the Street.” This was also the genesis for the FAME studio musicians to soon break off from Hall and open the Muscle Shoals Sound
Studio.

Before Rick Hall’s dispute with Atlantic Records, he started working with the Chicago-based, Chess Records. Chess was the home of many pioneering and successful electric blues, R&B, and rock artists, including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry. Some of the Rick Hall produced Chess recordings included sides with Bobby More & the Rhythm Aces “Searching for My Love” (which spent ten weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, peaking at #27 in 1966 and also reached #7 on the R&B charts). Other 1967 Fame recordings released on Chess included sides by Irma Thomas, Maurice & Mac, Laura Lee, The Sidewinder, Charles Chalmers, and more from Bobby More & the Rhythm Aces. In September 1967, Laura Lee’s “Dirty Man” entered the Billboard Hot 100 charts for a seven week run, and peaked at #68. It also reached #13 on Billboard’s R&B Charts.

Chess Records biggest artist in the 1960s was Etta James, but her career languished as the decade elapsed.
Leonard Chess believed some Muscle Shoals magic might help revive their star. According to James, “Rick Hall was the first white man I had ever seen that had soul that was a sound engineer.” Leonard Chess attended the seasons and James recorded hit singles “Tell Mamma” and “I’d Rather Go Blind” at FAME for her album, Tell Mama. Chess released the album, Tell Mama, on August 21, 1968, and it was James’ first album to enter the Billboard Top 200 sales charts in over four years. The title track, “Tell Mama,” “a searing slice of upbeat Southern soul” would go on to be one of James’ “all-time classics.” “Tell Mama” spent fourteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart peaking at #23 and reached the Top 10 on the Billboard R&B Charts. The third single, Otis Redding’s “Security,” outsold the original. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences nominated “Tell Mama” for a Grammy in the “Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Female” category. Unfortunately, James’ “Tell Mama” lost to Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” which featured FAME’s rhythm section, though they recorded in it in New York City. The album also featured many songs from the FAME publishing catalog, including “Steal Away,” and “Don’t Lose Your Good Thing.” Peter Guralnick in Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom, observed, “The Chess connection might have proved even more
profitable for all concerned had it not been for Leonard Chess’ death in the fall of 1969.”