It was only a few months ago that this writer was privy to a stunning set of interviews with the remaining members of the Hi Rhythm Section. Hearing the Rev. Charles Hodges (organ), Archie “Hubbie” Turner (keyboardist), and Leroy “Flick” Hodges (bass) share stories from recording Al Green tracks in the very studio where it happened was a brilliant moment, but I kept wanting to hear them play some music. At Royal Studios, that’s what it’s all about.
Now, the general public can be privy to both the stories and the songs, played by the very musicians who were there. This Friday, August 26th, the Halloran Centre will present The Musical History of Royal Studios, narrated by producer, engineer, and studio co-owner Boo Mitchell. A musically driven journey through more than 60 years of history, the stories will center on the journey of Boo’s father, the late Willie Mitchell, and his iconic Royal Studios.
“I’ve wanted to do this type of show for a minute,” notes Mitchell in his typically laid-back way. “I thought it would be cool to showcase the music and the history, and let people learn some stuff they probably didn’t know.” Many may not realize, for example, that Royal, a cinema that was converted into a recording space in 1956, is one of the oldest continuously running studios in the world. As such, there will be a lot of history to cover in Friday’s show, going back to Willie Mitchell’s early days at Hi Records, based at Royal.
As Mitchell notes, “It’ll be an action-packed show, full of stories that people don’t know about. It’s about Royal, but it will focus on Willie Mitchell and the stuff he had to go through to get where he was, and to get Royal where it is. That’s the glue. You can’t tell the story without covering Willie Mitchell, so there’ll be some Willie Mitchell songs. Like ‘Soul Serenade’ and ‘20-75.’ Those were two pivotal tracks. ‘20-75’ was the first song that Willie engineered.”
Instrumentals were what put Hi Records on the map, going back to Bill Black’s Combo. But when trumpeter Willie Mitchell joined the label, he took the instrumental approach to a new, jazzier level. And once he got behind the mixing board, he made them snap, crackle, and pop. What’s remarkable about the Halloran show is that members of the same band that recorded those early hits, namely the Hodges brothers, are still playing in Memphis. Indeed, they’re still recording new hits at Royal today.
While Charles and Leroy’s brother Mabon “Teenie” Hodges passed away in 2014, Michael Toles, who first played with the Bar-Kays, and then Isaac Hayes’ band, will play guitar; Steve Potts will fill in for the late Howard Grimes’ and Al Jackson Jr.’s places on the drum throne. But the Hi Rhythm Section might more appropriately be called the Royal Rhythm Section, as their unique chemistry has continued to be caught on tape at the studio, long after the label folded.
Of course, Mitchell, who grew up in the studio under Willie’s wing, is on a first-name basis with the label’s greatest hitmakers. “We’ll play some Al [Green], Otis [Clay], Ann [Peebles], Syl [Johnson], and O. V. [Wright] songs,” he notes, before adding, “but we’ll also do a few of the more modern things by John Mayer and [Silk Sonic’s] ‘Smokin’ Out the Window’ and a couple of the new joints. And of course, ‘Uptown Funk.’”
A rotating cast of stellar singers will be fronting the band, including Marcus Scott (former lead singer of Tower of Power), Lil Rounds (American Idol finalist), Gerald Richardson (Cameo), and Ashton Riker (Stax Music Academy Alumnus). Mitchell himself, though a fine pianist, will not play. He does hint that he may join the band on a unique ’70s instrument featured on one of Royal’s most iconic hits. “I may play the electronic bongo device for ‘I Can’t Stand the Rain,’” he says. “But mostly I’ll be sitting on stage, narrating the whole thing. Telling stories, showing pictures. Then the band will play the music I talk about.”