The Birmingham Sound: the Soul of Neal Hemphill

The Birmingham Sound: The Soul of Neal Hemphill celebrates the body of work recorded at the original Sound of Birmingham and Hemphill Studios in the working-class suburb of Midfield, AL. Although the material from these studios crossed all genres this compilation focuses on the soul music produced from the mid ‘60s till the late ‘70s. Neal Hemphill was a plumber by trade with a deep passion for music. He opened a studio in the basement of his plumbing shop to record local and touring acts and named it the Sound of Birmingham. The one difference between Neal’s studio and the others was that he welcomed all kinds of music by anybody willing to come in and play him a song. Some of that young talent was songwriters and performers like Frederick Knight, Roger Hallmark, Jerry Weaver, and Sam Dees, and Neal offered them staffed positions at the studio. Country songwriters, aspiring soul shouters, gospel quartets, top 40 pop hopefuls, and gritty young armory garage acts all came through and most were offered publishing deals and releases on one of Neal’s imprints: Sound of Birmingham, Hemphill, or Crown LTD. The studio received it’s first gold record with Frederick Knight’s ‘I’ve Been Lonely for So Long’ on Stax Records, which brought more attention and artists to the studio. Eventually, Neal decided to build a new, larger studio separate from the plumbing shop. A new facility was built next door to Hemphill Plumbing and happened to be equipped with the 16-track board from Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland Studio. The Sound of Birmingham recorded more sessions and drew larger clients as well as more qualified staff like Roscoe Robinson, who stayed with Hemphill throughout the ‘80s. In 1975 Neal suffered a heart attack that left the future of the Sound of Birmingham unknown. Don Mosley purchased the studio, moved the equipment into Birmingham, and utilized the notoriety of the name in his new location. Neal recovered and was eager to not only return to his plumbing business, but also to get back in the studio. Since he had the vacant building Neal opened Hemphill Studios with new equipment but the same set of open-door principles that made him an innovator with the Sound of Birmingham. Many artists and writers returned to work with Neal and the studio ran into the ‘80s. Neal Hemphill Sr. passed away in 1985, leaving a rich legacy of Southern music. Frederick Knight later wrote the disco anthem ‘Ring my Bell’, Sam Dees penned ‘One in a Million You’ recorded by Larry Graham, David Sea currently tours with the Dennis Edward’s Temptations Review, and most studios in the city are run by somebody that worked with Neal at some point in their careers. From that studio in a basement on Bessemer Super Highway, Neal Hemphill built not only influence in the world of Southern music, but respect. If you’re fortunate enough to find yourself in Birmingham, in the company of seasoned musicians, just mention Neal’s name and watch the smiles emerge and the heads nod. The words, “never a nicer man in the music industry,” are sure to be uttered, and sincerely meant. Growing up in the Chicago-land area, the extent of my education about Birmingham began and ended with the Civil Rights struggle as well as the outside forces that facilitated change. The 23 tracks on The Birmingham Sound: The Soul of Neal Hemphill are a rare glimpse into the beautiful output from a group of artists who based the discrimination of their peers on their ability to sing and write a song in a city historically known for violence and racial divide. More importantly, this compilation celebrates the foresight of a visionary man who brought these artists together. Besides the music, the CD is packed with insights Into Birmingham, Neal Hemphill, his studios, and the artists that worked with him by many of the Sound of Birmingham/Hemphill Studios alumni as well as a special contribution by legendary Birmingham radio personality Shelley Stewart.