Mustang Sally

Wilson Pickett was a notoriously fiery, demanding vocalist, and he required an equally powerful rhythm section to match his energy. In the fall of 1966, he traveled to Rick Hall's FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals to cut Mack Rice's "Mustang Sally." Backed by the studio's legendary house band, the track was built on an incredibly heavy, dragging, backbeat-heavy groove. Pickett screamed the vocals with his signature, sandpaper rasp, creating a massive, danceable R&B hit. The tough, aggressive recording became an absolute standard, serving as the required repertoire for every bar band and soul revue for the next fifty years.