• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Muscle Shoals doc: Where was Tommy Cogbill?!

bklynbass

bklynbass

Jan 10, 2008
53
40
Brooklyn, NY
#1
I finally had the opportunity to see the Muscle Shoals documentary. I thought it was great overall -I could have used maybe one less slo-mo walk down Main Street by the Swampers, (and what the hell was Boner doing in there at all)- but overall it was a long overdue profile of one of the most important yet little known treasures of American culture.

But I was very disappointed to not see even one mention of Tommy Cogbill. He was the bass player on the majority of songs they were talking about in the first half of the film...Funky Broadway, I Never Loved a Man, Respect, Chain of Fools... I mean, of course, David Hood is the man but from what I can tell, it seems like Tommy is the godfather of the Memphis style and mentored Hood and was all over the Fame Studios stuff before he made the move to American Sound Studios in Memphis where he went on to play and produce for Elvis, Dusty Springfield, Neil Diamond etc... I probably have some detractors but I think he's pretty much on par with Jamerson.

He was in some of the movie's photos and footage, but If I didn't know better I would have thought David Hood played on everything from watching the film. I'm sure that's not his doing, as he seems like a very humble man. I guess the director didn't think it fit into the story line neatly enough, or didn't know to begin with.

thoughts?
 
  • Like
Reactions: cabcreaser
#4
I saw the movie on Independent Lens on PBS. I noticed that the film was focusing largely on the big picture: Rick Hall and his story, founding Fame Studios and getting Muscle Shoals on the musical map. His work with Atlantic Records and notable recording artists. And then the break with the studio players in the Swampers who went on to found the competing studio in Muscle Shoals. The fact that David Hood was one of those three musicians that started up that competing studio did make him a bit more of a compelling character in the overall story.

Taking that into account, I don't really think the film diminishes Tommy Cogbill's part in the Muscle Shoals sound. Plus, the fact that Tommy has passed and the documentarians were as a result unable to interview him is worth recognizing, too.

Still, I found the doc very engaging, and I absolutely enjoyed it.
 
#5
I also thought it was an engaging documentary...howerver, they literally played song after song that had Cogbill playing on it, showed pictures and footage of him in the studio and didn't mention him once. And you don't think they diminished his part?

Jim Dickinson, who is also deceased, played piano on one song and they pointed it out and showed a picture of him.
 
#6
I saw this last week on netfix, great documentary. But, I 110% agree! Where's Tommy? I too was thinking, when they were talking about Aretha, "they'll bring him up now." Nope!
He's been my favorite player since reading the R&B Bass Master's book by Ed Freidland, with this doc I thought his time had finally come. Oh well.

-db
 
#7
bklynbass said:
But I was very disappointed to not see even one mention of Tommy Cogbill. He was the bass player on the majority of songs they were talking about in the first half of the film...Funky Broadway, I Never Loved a Man, Respect, Chain of Fools... I mean, of course, David Hood is the man but from what I can tell, it seems like Tommy is the godfather of the Memphis style and mentored Hood and was all over the Fame Studios stuff before he made the move to American Sound Studios in Memphis where he went on to play and produce for Elvis, Dusty Springfield, Neil Diamond etc... I probably have some detractors but I think he's pretty much on par with Jamerson.

He was in some of the movie's photos and footage, but If I didn't know better I would have thought David Hood played on everything from watching the film. I'm sure that's not his doing, as he seems like a very humble man. I guess the director didn't think it fit into the story line neatly enough, or didn't know to begin with.

thoughts?
Click to expand...


There's a very simple explanation- Tommy was not the regular bassist at that time in Muscle Shoals- that was Albert Junior Lowe, who, like Tommy was also a guitarist and continued as such when David Hood eventually came on board as bass player. Jerry Wexler borrowed Tommy along with Chips Moman on guitar from American Studios in Memphis for various sessions in Muscle Shoals (and for Aretha, in New York) and that's why you'll see Tommy and Chips in the Muscle Shoals photos with Wexler, Tom Dowd, etc. We'll have to wait for a Memphis Boys/American Studios doc for Tommy (and Chips) to get their due.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dr. Cheese
#8
David Goodine said:
There's a very simple explanation- Tommy was not the regular bassist at that time in Muscle Shoals- that was Albert Junior Lowe, who, like Tommy was also a guitarist and continued as such when David Hood eventually came on board as bass player. Jerry Wexler borrowed Tommy along with Chips Moman on guitar from American Studios in Memphis for various sessions in Muscle Shoals (and for Aretha, in New York) and that's why you'll see Tommy and Chips in the Muscle Shoals photos with Wexler, Tom Dowd, etc. We'll have to wait for a Memphis Boys/American Studios doc for Tommy (and Chips) to get their due.
Click to expand...

This is what I thought. David a Hood was the main man at Muscle Shoals, not Cogbill. He just did some sessions there, same as Jerry Jemmott.
 
#9
image.jpg
image.jpg
Just noticed this thread. Here's a pic of myself and Jerry jemmott night before last in the studio
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sharon Cogbill

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back