Bank Trompin', Swamp Stompin' & Mama Slappin' Que

With cold weather projected northwest into Kentucky; cold weather and a very long drive into northeast Arkansas; a southern route seemed the most logical.  We headed west towards Nashville and took a hard left onto I-65.  This carried us southward—past The Boobie Bungalow at Exit 6—and across the Alabama State Line.  From there we followed the northern border of the Tennessee River to Joe Wheeler State Park.

Panorama of Wheeler Lake

Like most of our winter camping experiences, we found the campground to be virtually empty.  Once again, we had the whole place to ourselves.  The campground is situated on Wheeler Lake— a dammed portion of the Tennessee River—and the park boasts a golf course, marina, several recreational areas, and an upscale lodge.  We settled into a nice campsite adjacent to a wooded area with trails.



With the campground situated lakeside, we spent most of our days strolling the shoreline.  The abundance of driftwood was astonishing, and we spent countless hours sifting through the weathered pieces of naturally recycled timber, wrestled from the womb of Ask and Embla.  The live-sized pick-up sticks gave us countless hours of sifting through the spoils of the rivers current; marveling at the exquisite sanding & natural finishing of a variety of wood types.  Evenings were especially nice, as the numerous peninsulas provided an opportunity to view the sunsets from differing perspectives.

“Now Muscle Shoals has got The Swampers,
And they’ve been known to pick a song or two.”
~ Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sweet Home Alabama

On the far side of the dammed-up Tennessee River lies the town of Muscle Shoals.  Although not normally included in conversations evoking the names “Motown”, “Music City”, “The Fillmore”, or “The Apollo”; Muscle Shoals is every bit as important in the history of American music.

Just who are these “Swampers,” and what songs have they been known to pick?

The Swampers are probably the most unsung (no pun intended) musicians in American music history.  The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (aka. "The Swampers”) was a group of studio musicians who served as session musicians at the Fame Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.  They have been featured on more than 75 gold & platinum hits.  Back in the day—most likely on a Wednesday—musical artists would come to the recording studio with a bunch of new songs, but not a lot of prior practice time to have the songs down pat.

Enter the studio musicians.

These well versed artists would sit in session—either in lieu of a band, or with the existing band—to ensure the recording was completed as efficiently as possible (studio time was expensive and in great demand).  These musicians needed to be able to lay down tracks spanning an incredible spectrum of musical genres—from gospel, to jazz, to blues, to southern rock, to soul, to country.  They not only had to play this spectrum of music, but also had to do it in a level of excellence befitting the artists who they recorded with.

Singing River statue in front of the Muscle Shoals public library

You won’t find a vinyl section in the record store reserved for The Swampers, and you probably won’t be able to get the local DJ to play them by request; but getting a sample of their soulful sound is still relatively easy.  Just cue-up one of these amazing songs and listen to the band in the background.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T & I’ve Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You (Aretha Franklin); When A Man Love’s A Woman (Percy Sledge); Old Time Rock-N-Roll, Night Moves & Main Street (Bob Seger); Mustang  Sally (Wilson Picket);  Tell Mama (Etta James); I’ll Take You There (The Staple Singers);  Shake,  Rattle & Roll (Big Joe Turner); Brown Sugar (Rolling Stones); Loves Me Like A Rock (Paul Simon); Giving It Up For Your Love (Delbert McClinton); and many, many full album sessions from dozens of artists.  A MUST READ overview of this groups incredible versatility is found on the Alabama Music Hall of Fame website.  Next time you hear “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”, how ‘bout giving some up for the most anonymous band we all love.

Whitts Barbecue: Momma Slappin' Good!

While visiting the ranger station, I asked the campground manager where she would recommend getting some quality to-go food.  She said I should try Whitt’s BBQ.  Having spent the last month in a state known for BBQ ribs; and having spend over a decade learning the finer art of smoking Texas brisket; I asked her how she rated Whitt's BBQ.  She looked at me with a lethal serious face and said, “It’s so good, it’ll make you smack your mamma.”  I was aghast.  I have heard of food being so BAD that threatening physical aggression against the cook would not have been incomprehensible; but why on earth would anyone want to smack their own mother for someone else’s cooking being good?  Regardless; I was hungry, and my mother was safe and sound in Virginia.  I needed to go try this stuff.

Whitt’s BBQ is nothing to look at on the outside.  You walk up to a window (or do the drive-thru thing), place your order, and then take it home or eat outside on the picnic tables.  When I placed my order for ribs & brisket, I asked the girl working the counter if she knew what “so go it’ll make you slap your mamma” meant.  She said she never heard of it, and asked the girl working the smoker.  The other girl said, “Sounds like the food must be pretty good…but I’m too scared of my momma to try that.”  The "Que" was stellar; and no domestic violence or assault charges were filed that night.

Of course, we're still in Alabama...

Alabama outhouse, but no Alabama "Moon Floss"

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