SHEFFIELD – The curtains were drawn Saturday at the old building at 3614 Jackson Highway. It was the last tour for a while at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, and lots of people from this area and beyond stopped by to take one last look. The uninitiated might not understand why all those cars and a tour bus were parked alongside the old building. But for aficionados of Muscle Shoals music and its dramatic influence on worldwide culture, the packed studio grounds came as no surprise.
According to Swampette, Judy Hood and site manager, Bonnie Bak, work begins this week on an amazing restoration project at the building. Thanks to a 750-thousand-dollar grant from Beats Music founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, this once great studio is being given a new life. Bak tells the Quad-Cities Daily that as early as this Tuesday, work begins on the roof of the building.
The plans call for the refurbished building to once again become an important recording studio. As soon as possible, engineers will start running new audio lines to a newly rebuilt analog mixing console. The plans are for building interior to get a facelift. And the basement, that once housed offices, the publishing company, and the clandestine lounge that was hidden behind a fake wall, are all planned to be rebuilt. (Full disclosure… It was never confirmed by anybody who was connected with 3614 Jackson Highway that there was ever a hidden bar complete with a beer tap.)
Swamper Jimmy Johnson was on hand Saturday. Jimmy was signing autographs and telling stories. When asked for his thoughts on the project, “I never thought that something like this would ever happen. I can’t wait to see it finished!” “Come here. I want to show you a new album”, Johnson walked this reporter into the control room. There, on a display table, sat the new boxed set of songs from the Rolling Stones. The recordings made in the studio are included in the collection. In the book that goes with the set are photos from that famous session. There was Johnson sitting in that very room with Jagger. (We ordered our boxed set when we got home!)
Where was Swamper, David Hood? Judy, “He couldn’t be here today. He’s in Europe touring with The Waterboys.”
Here are some EVENT PHOTOS from this big day.
