Oct. 26: Decided to head back west to Florence. It was just a short wait to get through the Joe Wheeler Lock. Terry fending off with Niagara Falls behind her. Along the way we were entertained by ballets of pelicans.
In the background is the Marriott’s 360 Grille Restaurant. Top to the gigantic Wilson Lock. Fortunately the lock master let us in at 3:30 (typically, they don’t lock pleasure boats through until after 6pm). So nice to get through in daylight hours. It was a much smoother ride going down the 90 feet than up.Light at the end of the tunnel. A parade of Loopers leave the lock. Back to Florence. The code flags actually spell out Florence. This gentleman has a nightly ritual of setting off a cannon at sunset. Bob got the honors to set it off. Oct. 27: Used the marina courtesy car to pick up a few more groceries and then decided to go into one of the recording studios. Such a nondescript, small building! The first album to be recorded here was one by Cher, titled 3615 Jackson Blvd. Originally the building didn’t have the address on it, so a sign was made to simulate the address superimposed on the album cover. Interesting factoid. The original Yamaha grand piano is still the center of the studio.
Posters of musicians gathered around the piano. So cool to play this piano! It was used in Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome” and Bob Seeger’s “Just give me some of that old time Rock and Roll,” to name just a few of many songs. A closet was used for the vocalists. Linda Ronstadt looks like she’s twelve. Most of the furniture is original, particularly this orange couch.
David Hood’s bass. Paul Simon’s hand written notes were on the music stand next to the bass. Poster of Paul Simon in the studio. I noticed David Hood took most of the pictures featured in the studio.The recording machine. And yes, the red phone is just a prop! Interesting invoice. In the basement were offices and a “speak easy” lounge (which now sports many covers to albums recorded here). In the sixties – seventies, the building was in a dry county. A study in sepia: I’m pretty sure our collective parents owned the same/similar glasses and ashtrays on display in the speak easy lounge. We did leave Florence after that tour and enjoyed sunny skies until the last two miles. We ran into a nasty rain squall and got soaked. But the storm passed and on Oct. 28 we left Grand Harbor, TN and traveled about 30+ miles to Bay Springs Marina in Mississippi. We are now on the Tenn-Tombigbee Waterway. This segment of the trip runs from Counce, TN 470 miles to Mobile, Alabama. There are 10 locks along a system of canals and dam flooded lakes making for “splotches” of anchorages along the way. So here we are in the upper NE corner of the state of Mississippi. Going down to 32 degrees tonight!
Islandia Grabo's Blog 
Great blog Dee. I loved seeing muscle shoals recording studio.
It’s chilly here as well. But not as cold as you are.
Love you
Deb
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Thanks!
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