A beloved and fan-favorite Allman Brothers Band track almost disappeared forever due to a tale as old as time in the songwriters’ world: forgetfulness. If you’re a songwriter, then you know. You’ll get a lightning-in-a-bottle idea for a song just when you don’t have time to write it down or record it. “I’ll remember it,” you tell yourself. Four hours later, the idea is gone forever to the fickleness of memory.
Videos by American Songwriter
Such was the case for the Allman Brothers Band’s iconic 1994 track, “Soulshine,” which almost fell victim to guitarist and songwriter Warren Haynes’ memory slip.
This Allman Brothers Band Track Almost Disappeared Forever
Although Larry McCray was the first to record Warren Haynes’ “Soulshine” in 1993, Allman Brothers Band fans most closely associate the track with the Southern rock band’s 1994 album, Where It All Begins. But before the song found itself on either record, it almost disappeared from the world altogether. In 1987, Haynes was driving through Nashville when the idea for “Soulshine” struck.
The only problem was that Haynes had no pen or guitar to flesh out the idea while it was fresh. “I did the only thing I could,” he told Guitar Player in 2024. “I sang the melody over and over so I wouldn’t forget it; I had the song mostly worked out in my head—verses, choruses, and lyrics. When I got home, I raced inside and grabbed an acoustic guitar. I had to make a cassette recording of it as fast as I could. It was pretty bare-bones, but at least I got it all down.”
When Haynes first came up with the idea for “Soulshine,” he wasn’t necessarily thinking about the Allman Brothers Band. “Of course, once I heard Gregg Allman sing it, it was obvious to me that it should be sung by him,” Haynes said. “What he did with it was utterly amazing.”
A Song That Just Fell Out, From Ideation To The Studio
Given how the Allman Brothers Band recorded their 1994 record, Where It All Begins, it’s unsurprising that it became such an enduring fan favorite. Rather than tracking their parts in a studio setting, the band “performed” on a soundstage that was equipped to record their instruments. The band had stage lights and monitors and no headphones to mimic the feel of a live performance, which is undoubtedly why this album captures a glimpse of the band’s live show magic. That feeling certainly wasn’t lost on the group, either.
“I think we did one or two takes,” songwriter Warren Haynes said of the track “Soulshine.” “Some songs you need to labor over. This one poured right out of us. We were on a real roll.” Haynes had only one minor complaint: the band’s other guitarist, Dickey Betts, had left for the day. So, he wasn’t involved in the live-tracking process.
“I would have preferred for us to play together, looking each other in the eye,” Haynes admitted. “But I can’t argue with how the solos turned out.”
Photo by Clayton Call/Redferns
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.