If nothing else, this series of shows should point out just how influential these small studios were on our pop music culture. Most fascinating is how the names of the players responsible for all this output – including the songwriters – remain largely unknown to most people.

Tommy Cogbill, Reggie Young, Dan Penn, Gene Chrisman, Bobby Emmons and Spooner Oldham at American, or Jimmy Johnson, Roger Hawkins, Barry Beckett, David Hood at Muscle Shoals are some of the mainstays who created some of the world’s best-known music from scratch with little or no recognition.

This episode adds a new name to the list. A hippie guitarist had been paying close attention to the sounds coming from Memphis and Muscle Shoals and made up his mind that he would join their ranks. There is an apocryphal story about how this guitarist would ride his motorcycle to Fame Recording Studio and sit in the parking lot, waiting for an opportunity to work as a session musician. Eventually, Fame owner Rick Hall invited the skinny kid in and gave him a chance to prove himself. Hall liked what he heard, so he let the young hippie play guitar on a few sessions. Like the others, he toiled in obscurity. At least, he did at first. His name was Duane Allman.

Featured tracks include;

1. Rollin’ in My Sleep – The Box Tops
2. Choo Choo Train – The Box Tops
3. I Met Her in Church – The Box Tops
4. Watching the Train Go By – Steve Alaimo
5. The Road of Love – Clarence Carter
6. Hey Jude – Wilson Pickett
7. Speak Her Name – Arthur Conley
8. It Ain’t Fair – Aretha Franklin
9. B.B. King Medley – Hour Glass
10. I Got You Babe – Etta James
11. Another Man’s Woman… - Unknown Female