Greetings,
Okay, I don't know what has been going on the last few years, but someone decided that a boat load of under-appreciated people need to get some recognition. We got Muscle Shoals, 20 Feet From Stardom and now a tribute to the people who played on just about every record many, MANY years, The Wrecking Crew. And since I live in such a crappy place that refuses to show that apparently brilliant film about Brian Wilson, someone who regularly used said people, I'll have to talk about this.
The Wrecking Crew is a 2008 documentary that was not released in the U.S. until 2015. What makes you think I know why? Anyway, it is the project of a man named Denny Tedesco. His father was Tommy Tedesco, one of the greatest session guitarists of all time and a member of the titular Wrecking Crew. Okay, for those of you who don't know about that, shame on you, but I will tell you about it.
As I hinted at earlier, the Wrecking Crew was a group of musicians who played on albums for pretty much every artist in the sixties and into the seventies. Maybe even the fifties, I don't know. You see, because before The Beatles, bands usually didn't play their own music on their albums. They called in what are known as session musicians, because they played during a recording session. Get it! And they were used mostly by Phil Spector as his "Wall of Sound". Point is, if you've heard any music from that era, then you have heard the musical stylings of those amazing players.
And who exactly are those players? Well, there are too many to even name, but some notable ones are the aforementioned Tommy Tedesco, Hal Blaine, Leon Russell, Carol Kane, and even Glen Campbell was a member for awhile, before he hit it big on his own. Just to name a few. If you're wondering why it is you've never heard of these people, even if you or your parents or possibly grandparents may have owned the records, it's because they were pretty much never listed on the credits. Like EVER! Because we couldn't have the public at large knowing that they were playing on every hit song that was on the radio. Which they were. Um...ignorance is bliss and all that? Frankly, even I didn't know about them in detail until I saw that Beach Boys miniseries that John Stamos produced back in 2000, which prompted me to do some research of my own. Basically, a lot of these players got the shaft in so many areas. Keeping it classy as always, music industry. Say what you will about Beyonce using 397 (approx.) people are her album. At least, she probably had the decency to name them all in the liner notes. Or whatever the digital download equivalent to liner notes is. Moving on.
So, what exactly prompted Denny Tedesco to start making this documentary? Well, after his dad was diagnosed with cancer, he decided that he needed to get a record of the story of all these unsung heroes in music. About time, I'd say. And he does a great job of doing so. We get some telling interviews from a ton of Wrecking Crew members and a lot of the artists who worked with them. Honestly, all those artists that have been getting the acclaim and respect throughout the years are the ones who are holding all of those unknown musicians with the highest regard. As well they should, because the fact that all of THEIR names aren't just as familiar to the masses is kind of a crime. Thankfully, we have this documentary to fill us in.
If you are a music lover, and if you like to know the stories that are rarely told, I suggest that you see The Wrecking Crew. It gives a well-informed account of the goings on of those days, and of course, we get some timeless and stunning music. What can be better than that?
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
