Eddie Hinton interview with Peter Thompson 1992

PT  Eddie I know that your first band was formed while you were at school, what kind of material did you perform ?

EH We did Jimmy Reed stuff, John Lee Hooker some of the songs that were popular, Chuck Berry stuff like that.

PT You later became a session player at Muscle Shoals Studio, how did that come about ?

EH I was playing in a band at Nashville one that I went on the road with.

PT What was the name of the band ?

EH We were called the Minutes, it was the 5 Minutes and then it got to 4 people so we called it the minutes. While in Nashville I met Paul Ballinger who I knew from college days in Birmingham Alabama, he had a publishing company with Marlin Greene, they had just done Percy Sledge's 'When A Man Loves A Woman''. He liked some of my songs and asked me to move to Sheffield said he get me some sessions, so I moved there and Quinn Ivy got me sessions. I started playing with musicians there that played at Fame Studios, that got me work there.

PT Those were the good old days ?

EH Yea, I enjoyed it I was 22 and glad to get in the studio, we had played on the road for about a year then I quit and started that session stuff.

PT What was the first session you recall ?

EH Quinn Ivy's.. I played on a Ted Taylor session that was for Atlantic.

PT Tell me about your early sessions at Fame Studio.

EH I had worked some for Quinton Claunch and Doc Russel from Memphis they had different artists come in there, Lowel Fulsom was one.

PT Did you play on any of their 'Goldwax' issues ?

EH I worked for them some so I'm sure some of the stuff I did came out.

PT Do you recall working on any James Carr material ?

EH Yes..can't recall what cuts we did.

PT Tell me about Aretha Franklin Eddie.

EH She cut a song of mine one time 'Every Natural Thing'

PT You also played on some of her sessions.

EH Yea, but I don't remember the name of the album,I remember we did a Jimmy Reed song.

PT Was at the Muscle Shoals studio on Jackson Highway ?

EH Atlantic in New York.

PT This was with Jerry Wexler producing ?

EH He cut down here first, a couple of songs and then they had some trouble between Rick (Hall) and Aretha's husband. So they left and went up to New York and she never came back down south after that.

PT Was that your first trip to the north ?

EH I'd been up there once before to play on a session for Rick Hall; some overdubbing. I had traveled as far as Iowa and Indiana playing in bands but had never been to New York .

PT I believe you had a single out in the 60's called 'Dreamer', was this with your school band ?

EH No, that was after I had moved to Sheffield, I met Dan Penn and he wanted to produce me some, so we cut that American Sound Studios in Memphis where he was working.

PT Talking of Memphis, tell me about the Presley sessions you worked on.

EH I worked at RCA Studio B in Nashville for him, about 1970..

PT Was Elvis present or was it overdubbing ?

EH He was there, I also did overdubs when he wasn't.

PT That would have been with Felton Jarvis producing.

EH Yea, that's right.

PT Returning to your session work at Fame Studios, did you ever record with Otis Redding ?

EH I worked on one track he cut at Fame, and while he was producing Arthur Conley's first album 'Shake Rattle and Roll'  I played on that.

PT Is it true that after Otis Redding's death, his widow asked you to tutor his son's in singing ?

EH I worked with them some..

PT You also worked with Joe Tex.

EH I played on a album he did in Muscle Shoals also a single he had out on Dial, 'He Said A Bad Word' , did you ever hear that ? Went up in the 40"s in the charts.

PT Did you know Arthur Alexander ?

EH Yea I new Arthur, I played on some of his demo's when he was with a guy called Bob Beckham in Nashville.

PT In 1977 your first album 'Very Extremely Dangerous' was released on Capricorn Records, where was that recorded ?

EH I did that at Muscle Shoals Sound over on Jackson Highway.

PT With the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section ?

EH That's right..

PT Alvin Howard who is credited as co-writer on several of the songs on this album, where is he now ?

EH He's from Dallas Texas, he's real good. He used to hang out in Memphis that's where I met him, I haven't talked with him for some time I don't know where he is now.

PT I really like 'Concept World' on the 'Very Extremely Dangerous' album, were you angry with the world ?

EH No I was being philosophical or something I guess !

PT How did you start to record your own material ?

EH The studios would let me have some time. I didn't get anywhere good doing what I was doing till I got into weight lifting. I was about 32 before I got anywhere with it, I went up to Nashville about 1983,I had a lot of songs some that are on 'Letters From Mississippi' just me and a guitar on tape. I tried to get something done on them,I never did then I had to move out of my house. I went up to Decatur to see if John Wyker had a room or something I could stay in ; they wanted to record,they had a studio.

PT The first time I heard 'Letters' I felt there were so many songs that could be covered by other artists. A songwriters album I guess. How would you feel  about other artists recording your songs ?

EH I would feel great if they did it...

PT Do you prefer playing electric or acoustic guitar ?

EH I like the acoustic right now, I've just got this new Martin. I used to have D41 but sold it back in '81, I wanted another one, they didn't have any so I got this 45.

PT Do you use different tunings ?

EH No, I use regular tunings, I have de-tuned it for my own interest but never on any of my recordings, I have always liked the blues.

PT What about country music ?

EH I like blue-grass music pretty good, I used to like Flat and Scruggs,Grandpa Jones, I like Roy Clark's picking.

PT Where did you hear these artists ?

EH Well they used to have Flat & Scruggs on Saturday television,I like Porter Wagner, use to see his show. I don't listen to much country now.

PT You have a unique style,did you consciously develop your sound ?

EH I kinda' developed it,I write a little story some and then when I'm recording or know that I'm going to record, I'll work on it more. My songs are pretty well arranged,it's just the way they are written. I've written a couple of books I'm trying to get published.

PT Tell me about these.

EH It's kind of science fiction fantasy. The first one is about a fog world, a world run by fog. They play fog instruments and land over in Mississippi and meet this guy who plays kind of blues music, and he helps them with their music that's kinda' gone astray. The second one is called 'A Man Who Lives With Ghosts' . I'm working on one now called 'King Captain Pterodactyl' . This guy's king of the country and these outlaws start invading his country, So, he finds this substance that can help him fly and starts flying about in a Pterodactyl suit and calls himself King Pterodactyl...

PT Thank you Eddie. https://rockpilgrimage.blogspot.com/

 

 

 Dothan's Steve Holland 1954-2020 https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2020/08/03/steve-holland-who-founded-southern-rock-band-molly-hatchet-died-sunday-georgia/5571864002/

 

Molly Hatchet '79 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjH6EU_UpcE