Muscle Shoals...I must have it!

[Rick Powell]

This is a southern-born R&B/rock & roll recording musician's dream.
Does anyone know why Malaco is selling it after all these years? It
HAS been awhile since they've hit with anything, back catalog of
well-played hits notwithstanding.

RP

---Original Message---
Subject: Interesting item on eBay web site item #2335666678 : MUSCLE
SHOALS
SOUND RECORDING STUDIOS
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 11:46:26 PDT

Title of item MUSCLE SHOALS SOUND RECORDING STUDIOS
Seller: tjacksonc
Starts: Jul-16-03 13:59:17 PDT
Ends: Aug-15-03 13:59:17 PDT
Price: Starts at $650,000.00
To bid on the item, go to:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2335666678

[David Morgan \(MAMS\)]

"Rick Powell" > wrote in message ...

> Does anyone know why Malaco is selling it after all these years?



Everybody has all the 'plug-ins' to simulate this room and gear at home ??

--
David Morgan (MAMS)
http://www.m-a-m-s.com
http://www.artisan-recordingstudio.com

[Analogeezer]

(Rick Powell) wrote in message >...
> This is a southern-born R&B/rock & roll recording musician's dream.
> Does anyone know why Malaco is selling it after all these years? It
> HAS been awhile since they've hit with anything, back catalog of
> well-played hits notwithstanding.
>
> RP
>
> ---Original Message---
> Subject: Interesting item on eBay web site item #2335666678 : MUSCLE
> SHOALS
> SOUND RECORDING STUDIOS
> Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 11:46:26 PDT
>
> Title of item MUSCLE SHOALS SOUND RECORDING STUDIOS
> Seller: tjacksonc
> Starts: Jul-16-03 13:59:17 PDT
> Ends: Aug-15-03 13:59:17 PDT
> Price: Starts at $650,000.00
> To bid on the item, go to:
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2335666678


Kind of sad but $650k around the DC area just gets you a "Starter
McMansion", a crappy, mexi-built, overblown tract "mansion" on a half
acre lot with a fine view of the neighbor's house just 12 feet away.

Seems like the gear alone would be worth $650k.

Analogeezer

[David Morgan \(MAMS\)]

"Analogeezer" > wrote in message ...

> Seems like the gear alone would be worth $650k.


Unfortunately, the maintenance engineer isn't cheap either.

[Mark T. Wieczorek]

(Mike Rivers) wrote in news:znr1058871727k@trad:

>
> In article >
> writes:
>
>> This is a southern-born R&B/rock & roll recording musician's dream.
>> Does anyone know why Malaco is selling it after all these years?
>
> Studios eventually discover that they're in the wrong place at the
> wrong time with the wrong equipment and they have to either go out of
> business or totally re-invent themselves. It happens all over.
>
> The unusual thing is that the studio is being sold at auction, but
> hey, it's free or cheap advertising, and everyone knows that generally
> things sold on eBay go for more than they're worth. I'd say it's a
> great way to hold a going-out-of-business sale.
>
>
>
>
> --
> I'm really Mike Rivers - )

Yeah... I mean... (best Dr. Evil impersonation) It's in frikkin Alabama
people.

Soul music is dead, southern blues rock is dead. Who are you gonna get to
record there? The Black Crowes? Let's face it. Stax is a museum now,

http://www.soulsvilleusa.com/index2.cfm

Muscle Shoals isn't far behind. "Where should we put the wax Wilson Pickett
statue?"

I hope whoever buys it does something nice with it... Something worthy of
it's heritage, and doesn't just replace everything with ProTools, or sell
off the Neve boards.

Regards,
Mark

--
http://www.marktaw.com/

http://www.prosoundreview.com/
User reviews of pro audio gear

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> Kind of sad but $650k around the DC area just gets you a "Starter
> McMansion", a crappy, mexi-built, overblown tract "mansion" on a half
> acre lot with a fine view of the neighbor's house just 12 feet away.

They're building a few of those in my neighborhood right now, in
places where I never thought there were places. Thing is that they're
offering them up for $800K, and that's without even a Mia and a copy
of Cool Edit Pro.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )

[Rick Powell]

(R Krizman) wrote in message >...
> << This is a southern-born R&B/rock & roll recording musician's dream.
> Does anyone know why Malaco is selling it after all these years? It
> HAS been awhile since they've hit with anything, back catalog of
> well-played hits notwithstanding.
>
> RP >>
>
> I'm confused. It says it was built in 1978. Wasn't a lot of that great Muscle
> Shoals stuff recorded well before then? Is this anything more than just a
> studio in the Muscle Shoals area?
>
> -R

Here's my understanding of the lineage:

There are actually three "famous" Muscle Shoals studios.

Rick Hall & Billy Sherrill's FAME studio was the first (opening in
1959) and is still in business. Jimmy Johnson, Barry Beckett, Dave
Hood & Roger Hawkins (four of the FAME studio musicians) decided to
open up their own place across town in 1969, with the backing of
Atlantic Records president Jerry Wexler. When they outgrew the 3614
Jackson Highway studio, they opened up the "new" Muscle Shoals Sound
Studio on the Tennessee River (this is the nicest one in town, and the
one for sale). The "new" MSS studio was bought by Malaco Records of
Jackson MS in the mid 80's and I believe they are the present owners.
Someone is trying to make a go of the old 3614 Jackson Hwy. studio,
from what I have heard. It is a rat trap compared to the other two,
but lots of platinum was recorded there. Both FAME and the new MSS
studio have vintage Neve consoles, 2" machines, and decades worth of
other vintage equipment, as well as their own history of platinum
Americana. Not bad for the little town of Sheffield, AL.

RP

[LeBaron & Alrich]

Mike Rivers > wrote:

> writes:

> > Kind of sad but $650k around the DC area just gets you a "Starter
> > McMansion", a crappy, mexi-built, overblown tract "mansion" on a half
> > acre lot with a fine view of the neighbor's house just 12 feet away.

> They're building a few of those in my neighborhood right now, in
> places where I never thought there were places. Thing is that they're
> offering them up for $800K, and that's without even a Mia and a copy
> of Cool Edit Pro.

Seeen the deed restricitons? These houses can only be sold to families
with at least one woman with fake blonde hair and completely
wrinkle-free skin whose Miata will not start unless she has a cellphone
clapsed against her left ear.

--
ha

[Mark Plancke]

(Rick Powell) wrote:


>> As that guy in the Standing in the Shadows of Motown movie said... So many
>> people are trying to figure out what the Motown sound is, but you can't
>> reproduce it, it was the musicians. The studio was just a small piece of
>> the puzzle.
>
>It's always the players, inn'it? But isn't it interesting when the
>combination of players and place give definition to a "sound?" Those
>kids happened to be in Detroit at the right place at the right time
>when Berry found 'em, and he happened to round up the players he did.
>Small of a piece of the puzzle as it was, the studio in that place was
>essential.
>
>RP

I dunno, I'm sure it shaped the sound to some extent, not to mention
song writing and production chops; but still without those players you
wouldn't have that sound.

My evidence of this is when I was watching those guys play on stage in
the film and there it was..... that sound, no studio required.

Mark
http://SoundtechRecording.com

"Putting the lion's share of your attention and investment out in front
of the microphones pays off every time." -- Bob Olhsson

[Rick Powell]

Mark Plancke > wrote in message >...
> (Rick Powell) wrote:
>
>
> >> As that guy in the Standing in the Shadows of Motown movie said... So many
> >> people are trying to figure out what the Motown sound is, but you can't
> >> reproduce it, it was the musicians. The studio was just a small piece of
> >> the puzzle.
> >
> >It's always the players, inn'it? But isn't it interesting when the
> >combination of players and place give definition to a "sound?" Those
> >kids happened to be in Detroit at the right place at the right time
> >when Berry found 'em, and he happened to round up the players he did.
> >Small of a piece of the puzzle as it was, the studio in that place was
> >essential.
> >
> >RP
>
> I dunno, I'm sure it shaped the sound to some extent, not to mention
> song writing and production chops; but still without those players you
> wouldn't have that sound.
>
> My evidence of this is when I was watching those guys play on stage in
> the film and there it was..... that sound, no studio required.
>
> Mark
> http://SoundtechRecording.com
>
> "Putting the lion's share of your attention and investment out in front
> of the microphones pays off every time." -- Bob Olhsson

I have no argument with you, Mike or Marktaw on the points you made.
Bob O's statement carries a lot of weight as a front-line observer.
The studios in Detroit, north Alabama, Memphis and other "regionals"
didn't write the songs or perform them; but we are all richer that
they were there (and someone who cared put them there) to serve the
music.

RP

[EggHd]

<< FWIW, the price includes the building and all the gear. >>

Is this a buy it now price or is there a reserve?




---------------------------------------
"I know enough to know I don't know enough"

[Wayne]

>I have no argument with you, Mike or Marktaw on the points you made.
>Bob O's statement carries a lot of weight as a front-line observer.
>The studios in Detroit, north Alabama, Memphis and other "regionals"
>didn't write the songs or perform them; but we are all richer that
>they were there (and someone who cared put them there) to serve the
>music.
>
>RP
>

Forgive me for stating the obvious as us old folks drift in and out a lot.

I love the reference to "regionals" To me it is responsible for affecting our
music, whatever the genre. The individuals in local scenes finding their own
"groove" and then merchandising it first locally. Used to be, a lot of that
stuff was picked up for national distribution and whammo, fun and games.
It all started at the bottom and rose on it's merits. Now, I'm afraid
promotion and distribution is dictating what mucic the public is exposed to and
unfortunately, a lot of what's being released ain't really inspired. So much
of it just sounds like what played. There are some bright spots, but for the
potential available there isn't much "newness" or "freshness".

More of the same can be good or bad.

Wayne

[Rick Powell]

(EggHd) wrote in message >...
> << FWIW, the price includes the building and all the gear. >>
>
> Is this a buy it now price or is there a reserve?
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------
> "I know enough to know I don't know enough"

It's neither...it's in the ebay real estate section, and it doesn't
look like an auction so much as a real estate listing.

BTW, I did get ahold of Tommy Couch Sr. at Malaco and he answered
every one of my questions and was very frank about the business
environment that the studio is operating under. On the one hand, it
would seem to make no business sense for an undercapitalized start-up
venture to attempt to make a go of it here. On the other hand, for a
successful artist or producer this is the kind of deal that comes
around once every great while, considering the size of the facility,
its amenities and equipment. I hope it can stay intact rather than
see the "Muscle Shoals-Neumann-Neve-Studer" auctions on ebay.

RP

[LeBaron & Alrich]

EggHd > wrote:

> << FWIW, the price includes the building and all the gear. >>

> Is this a buy it now price or is there a reserve?

EggHd cuts to the chase...

--
ha

[Mark T. Wieczorek]

(Rick Powell) wrote in
om:

> I have no argument with you, Mike or Marktaw on the points you made.
> Bob O's statement carries a lot of weight as a front-line observer.
> The studios in Detroit, north Alabama, Memphis and other "regionals"
> didn't write the songs or perform them; but we are all richer that
> they were there (and someone who cared put them there) to serve the
> music.

Sorry.... I didn't see Bobby contributing in this thread.... I would
certainly have to bow to anything he says.

Regards,
Mark

--
http://www.marktaw.com/

http://www.prosoundreview.com/
User reviews of pro audio gear

[LeBaron & Alrich]

Geoff Wood -nospam> wrote:

> Free Mussel Shoals recording studio with every McDonalds Happy Meal !
>
> geoff

Download your own free Muscle Shoals Rhythm Sexuhn today!!

--
ha

[LeBaron & Alrich]

Dave Martin > wrote:

> Bob's traveling a lot right now - he'll most likely chime in when he gets a
> minute..

A consequence of dealing in surround sound, no doubt.

Tough gig.

You gotta be everywhere.

--
ha

[Charles Thomas]

In article >,
(LeBaron & Alrich) wrote:

> Dave Martin > wrote:
>
> > Bob's traveling a lot right now - he'll most likely chime in when he gets a
> > minute..
>
> A consequence of dealing in surround sound, no doubt.
>
> Tough gig.
>
> You gotta be everywhere.
>


"Surround Sound: Like God, we're everywhere."

CT