Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section

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The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, also known as The Swampers, were based in the Alabama town of Muscle Shoals. Some of their members over the years have been Jimmy Johnson, Eddie Hinton, and Pete Carr (guitar), Spooner Oldham, Barry Beckett, and Clayton Ivey (keyboards), Roger Hawkins (drums), and David Hood (bass).

Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records brought artists like Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin to record with the all Caucasian group of Southern musicians after their success with Arthur Alexander and most notably on Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman". They originally worked at Rick Hall's FAME Studios in Florence, AL. In 1969, Beckett, Hawkins, Hood, and Johnson left Fame and started the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.

In the 1970s, the Memphis, TN based Stax Records also began bringing artists down to Alabama. Johnnie Taylor had a long run of R&B hits with the group, and The Staple Singers had their greatest crossover successes with songs like "I'll Take You There" and "Respect Yourself". Later, they were the sound behind Bob Seger's hits.

They were later bought by long-time friend Tommy Couch, owner of Jackson, MS based Malaco Records where they joined other session players such as keyboardist Carson Whitsett playing behind Bobby "Blue" Bland and other legends on the label.

One of the best-known of all the groups made up of session musicians, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section were inducted into the Alabama Hall of Fame in 1995 for a "Lifework Award for Non-Performing Achievement."