The “Brown Sugar” Sessions: Jimmy Johnson on Recording the Rolling Stones

BY BRUCE BORGERSON

If you've seen the Rolling Stones' movie, Gimme Shelter, you might recall Jimmy Johnson's brief speaking role. He was the one coaching Keith Richards on the proper Alabama pronunciation of "Y'all come back, y'hear." For three nights in December of 1969, the Stones cut basic tracks and live vocals for three songs: "You Gotta Move", "Wild Horses" and "Brown Sugar". The sessions took place at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios — the "burlap palace" at 3614 Jackson Highway — which the four rhythm section members (Johnson, bassist David Hood, keyboardist Barry Beckett and drummer Roger Hawkins) had purchased earlier that same year. Prior to venturing out on their own, the foursome had been the core players at Rick Hall's Fame Studios, where their rhythm tracks had powered soul hits by Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Arthur Conley and others. Since early in his Fame days, Jimmy Johnson had switched roles back and forth, playing fatback rhythm guitar on some sessions and engineering others. His early engineering credits included "Sweet Soul Music" and "When a Man Loves a Woman". But when the Rolling Stones arrived — with little advance notice — Johnson was confronted with something quite other than the relatively low-volume, laid-back soul and pop sessions that were his usual fare. On one hand, you could say the fledgling Muscle Shoals studio was ill-equipped for the task. On the other hand, you might say this was a good thing. Let recording history be the judge. In the following interview, Johnson reconstructs (as best can be expected after 32 years) the night that gave us a rock song for the ages.

Phill Brown: Steve Winwood 31st October 1976

BY PHILL BROWN

We interviewed Phill Brown in issue number [#12] of Tape Op. Over the years he's worked with some of the greatest artists ever, like Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Traffic, Spooky Tooth, Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin, Robert Palmer, Bob Marley, Steve Winwood, Harry Nilsson, Roxy Music, Stomu Yamash'ta, John Martyn, Little Feat, Atomic Rooster, and Talk Talk. This is another excerpt from his (still!) unpublished book, Are We Still Rolling? Last issue: Phill goes home exhausted. –LC

Rupert Neve: Pro Audio Guru

BY STEVE MCALLISTER

There is a humble man who lives in the small town of Wimberley, Texas. His name is on recording consoles all over the world, and so many important works of music have run through his signal chains that we don't even need to mention them. He is still designing recording gear, such as the fabulous "Channel in a Box" by Amek. The things he builds sound musical, which is what this is all about, isn't it? (Also present at this interview were Rupert's assistants, Mark Phillips and Kevin Burgin.)

Rupert Neve on *Wonderful Recordings*

BY STEVE MCALLISTER