‘Quarry’: See Carla Thomas’ ‘B-A-B-Y’ Performed in Memphis’ Royal Studios

The co-creators of Cinemax’s Dixie-fried action series Quarry are Graham Gordy and Michael D. Fuller, who were both writers on the first season of Sundance’s Rectify — the gold standard for TV dramas about violent Southern men seeking redemption. In each episode of their new show, Gordy and Fuller look at Memphis and the Mississippi Delta through the eyes of Mac Conway (played by Logan Marshall-Green), a Marine-trained killer having trouble fitting back into society.

Quarry is set in 1972, and features original performances of classic rock and R&B songs, covered live by an array of modern musicians. For authenticity’s sake, the show’s crew scoured thrift-shops and classified ads, looking for functioning instruments and gear from the era.

For this clip, the producers even went so far as to shoot in Memphis’ famed Royal Studios, with the same recording console that Al Green used when he sang “Let’s Stay Together.” The old equipment brings warmth to Keia Johnson Band’s cover of Carla Thomas’ hit “B-A-B-Y,” written by local soul legends David Porter and Isaac Hayes.

Quarry debuts on Friday, September 9th at 10 p.m. on Cinemax. (Series directed by Greg Yataines; written by Graham Gordy, Michael D. Fuller, Jennifer Schuur, and Max Allan Collins.)