 In
early 1969 the core of session players at Fame Studio left to open their
own studio, a converted Shoals coffin factory on Jackson Highway.
The co-owners Jimmy Johnson, Roger
Hawkins, David Hood and Barry Beckett became known as 'The Muscle
Shoals Rhythm Section' and it was here that Eddie would be hired as
lead guitarist up until the mid 1970's. It's his guitar playing that
can be heard on the very first hit single to be cut at the new studio,
R.B Greaves 'Take A Letter Maria', and bubbling through The Staples
Singers 'I'll Take you There'.
|
During
these heady days at 3614 Jackson Ave Eddie would spend most his time
at the studio, often writing and putting down demos of his songs in
studio down time. It was not unusual for Eddie to pitch one of his compositions
to whoever was recording. At the beginning of the Bobby Womack's recording
of Eddie's 'Just A Little Bit Salty' Womack say's "I was at the end
of a recording session. when Eddie Hinton walked in with a song that
says this "
Acoustic Blues artist John Hammond had gone to several producers and
studios before arriving in Muscle Shoals. He is on record as saying,
"nobody understood what I wanted to accomplish in the studio until I
met Eddie Hinton. Eddie produced Hammond's album which also included
his song 'Can't Beat The Kid' at Capricorn Studios in Macon Georgia
which became the title of the album . Others acts to benefit from Hinton's
funky picking at MSS, were Boz Scaggs with Duane Allman, Wilson Pickett,Joe
Tex, Solomon Burke,Bob Dylan, Cher,Lulu,Herbie Mann ,Tony Joe White
and many more.
Life was sweat for Eddie, he did not regret turning down Duane Allman's
offer to take the role of lead singer with the soon to be formed Allman
Brothers Band, to concentrate on session work.He had met his soon to
be wife Sandra, was making good money and in demand for sessions with
Aretha Franklin in New York, Wilson Pickett at Criteria Studios in Miami,
Elvis at American Studios Memphis and California
with Ry Cooder.
In February1971 he even visited London England to work with the string
section of the London Symphony Orchestra on an album project he was
working on with friend Jim Coleman. The album simply titled 'The Coleman
Hinton Project' never was released and the masters were presumed lost,
until discovered by Eddie's Mother after his death. |
