RSR132 – Mac Gayden – Session Guitar Player, Nashville Cats, Barefoot Jerry, Area Code 615

A session guitar player with The Nashville Cats, recording with Tom Dowd at Criteria Studios, the difference between a Nashville vs Muscle Shoals recording session, and much more! 

My guest today is Mac Gayden, a successful songwriter, producer, and guitar player. He is also considered a musician’s musician for his intricate playing. He started playing guitar in Nashville as a teenager in the 1960s and quickly become a top session guitar player playing on iconic records such as Bob Dylan’s Blonde On Blonde. 

Mac was also known for his unique slide guitar sound through a wah pedal made famous on JJ Cale’s record Crazy Mama. And years later in 2013 He was finally inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame as one of the original “Nashville Cats”.

As a songwriter Mac wrote “Everlasting Love” covered by many great artists including Carl Carlton, Robert Knight, U2, and Gloria Estefan. It has the distinction of being one of only two songs to ever have hit status every decade for the past 40 years.

As a top session player Mac helped found to critically acclaimed super groups in the 70s, Barefoot Jerry, and Area Code 615 both of which recorded with Wayne Moss at his famous home studio Cinderella Sound in Madison TN (about 10 miles north of here).