The legendary Muscle Shoals Horns played with some of the biggest artists of all time including James Brown, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Robert Palmer, Elton John and Paul McCartney to name but a few.

Furthermore, Muscle Shoals Horns were inducted into Nashville’s Musicians Hall Of Fame And Museum in 2019.

Summing up the group’s achievements and pinpointing the reason for their success, Ronnie Eades highlighted the quartet’s strength as a unit, their camaraderie, and their “one-for- all, all-for-one” ethos. “We were a team, a well-oiled machine,” he stated with perceptible pride. “We worked together, ate together, slept together, did everything together. We knew each other’s thoughts… We did well and really had a good run.”Born to Get Down/Doin’ It to the Bone/Shine On 2CD includes sleeve notes by Charles Waring who writes for MOJO, Record Collector and uDiscover Music.

If you have never heard these albums before, trust me when I say that you are in for a real treat.

Disc One: “Born To Get Down”
1. Open Up Your Heart
2. Break Down
3. Where I’m Coming From
4. Hustle To The Music
5. Who’s Gonna Love You
6. Bump De Bump Yo Boodie
7. Born To Get Down (Born To Mess Around)
8. Get It Up
9. Give It To Me
10. Bump De Bump Yo Boodie (7″ Version) [Bonus Track]
11. Where I’m Coming From (7″ Version) [Bonus Track]
12. Born To Get Down (Born To Mess Around) (7” Version)[Bonus Track]

“Doin’ It To The Bone”
13. Dance To The Music
14. Addicted To Your Love
15. I Just Wanna Turn You On
16. A Love For You [And A Love For Me]
17. What’s Goin’ Down
18. Sexual Revolution
19. Can’t Break The Habit

The first disc features “Born To Get Down” which was their debut album for Bang Records. Produced by Barry Beckett and backed by the cream of the Muscle Shoals studio talent, this set was a complete surprise to come out in the day.

Who would have expected a horn-based outfit to debut with so much enthusiasm. The album was simply terrific and they avoided the dreaded trap of disco banality to perfection.

Containing the fervent joy of Break Down and the magnificently soulful Where I’m Coming From, the Swampers also added the aptly-named Hustle To The Music, the moody R&B of Who’s Gonna Love You, and one of my own personal favorites, the ode to an amazing era of music within Bump De Bump Yo Boodie.

After all that we next get “Doin’ It To The Bone” which was the Muscle Shoals Horns’ second album for Arlola Records. The members of Muscle Shoals Horns were Harrison Calloway (trumpet), Harvey Thompson (saxophone, flute), Charles Rose (trombone), Ronnie Eades (baritone saxophone).

The Muscle Shoals sound in the 1960’s and 1970’s became legendary hard southern soul and hard southern funk. Very raw and bluesy, whereas in Detroit or in Philly, soul artists were using lavish orchestration and string sections back then.

The Muscle Shoals Horns didn’t record a lot of albums of their own, but they backed a lot of major soul and rock artists and the best of the best from this album include the diligently hued Addicted To Your Love, the soul ballad Love For You [And A Love For Me], and both the R&B hipsway of What’s Goin’ Down and the invigorating Sexual Revolution.

Disc Two: “Doin’ It To The Bone” (Continued)
1. Keep On Playin’ That Funky Music
2. Doin’ It To The Bone
3. Beware Of The Rip-Off
4. I Just Wanna Turn You On (12” Version) [Bonus Track]

“Shine On”
5. Celebrate, Recreate, Participate
6. Don’t Bust Yo’ Bubbles
7. She Was Once My Woman
8. Get Down Tonight
9. We Can Work It Out
10. Shine On
11. Shoalin’ (Funky N’ Half-Hip)
12. More Than Ever Now
13. If You Don’t Want My Lovin’ (Give It Back)

The second disc continues onward with more of “Doin’ It To The Bone” and, in particular, the soulful funk of Keep On Playin’ That Funky Music and a brilliant, fresh 12” version of I Just Wanna Turn You On.

And then comes the third album “Shine On” which was also the Muscle Shoals Horns’ last album for Monument Records. Shine On contains the musical highlights such as Celebrate, Recreate, Participate, Don’t Bust Yo’ Bubbles and She Was Once My Woman.

Delicious horn arrangements are what grabs the listener instantly throughout the recording, and becomes the kind of production you would never expect in 1983, a year dominated by the electro feel. This surprising fusion of the nasty JB’s with the smooth Shakatak is a real treat to the hardcore lovers of Soul Music.

Muscle Shoals Horn were smoothly earthy and jazzy but cleverly brings out you wild side by blowing your party head off with contemporary killer grooves like the aforementioned Don’t Bust Yo’ Bubbles.

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