The Wrecking Crew!

There's high chance you've never heard of them before, even though you've very likely heard what they do, but the musicians nicknamed The Wrecking Crew are without question some of the most important members of musical history thanks to their extensive collection of works from the late 50's through to the 70's.

Session artists that were like the A-Team of up for hire musicians, The Wrecking Crew were a part of so many pop culture hits and legendary pieces of music that it's highly likely one of your favourite old school songs has a member or two of the crew on it.

From The Beach Boys (whose famed album Pet Sounds was almost entirely recorded with Wrecking Crew members), Frank Sinatra, Glen Campbell (who was himself a member of the Crew before branching out into a solo career), Sonny and Cher, The Mamas and the Papas, Simon and Garfunkel and the Monkey's are but a few of the celebrated artists that members of The Wrecking Crew played with and often influenced with their extensive and skillful knowledge of music and a variety of instruments.

A labour of love for filmmaker Denny Tedesco whose father Tommy was a key member of the group with his outstanding guitar playing (a frequently used player whose tunes can be heard all over popular TV shows even e.g. Bonanza's main theme), The Wrecking Crew was filmed over a number of years and completed with help from a successful Kickstarter campaign (finished in 2008 the film was not released until last year), whose supporters wanted the world to know more about these unsung musical heroes and there's little doubting the care and effort that's been put into this production even though it at times remains a little rough around the edges and certain members don't get ample enough airplay.

This is a must watch for anyone who calls themselves music fans and an insightful look into the creation of many of the eras greatest hits plus the rise of popular music of that time. The Wrecking Crew is documentary entertainment at its most fun, un-preachy and easy to digest and should be mandatory viewing for those that grew up surrounded by these musicians works, even if they didn't know it at the time.

3 ½ Glen Campbell bowl cuts out of 5

Those who can hear in the mind's ear the rest of the lyrics to the above summary line may find themselves joyful to watch this aggregation of the many major but unsung talents of the pop music explosion of the mid- twentieth stationery. There are interviews with many longtime musicians who played on almost all of the 'hits' of that era, but who went unrecognized and worked anonymously for most of their lives.

This move is an homage to these musicians, who, notwithstanding their anonymity, seemed to enjoy a bond among themselves that was second to none. Many insights are provided on the creation of music that is now part of the soundtrack of our lives.

Truly a labor of love for all involved. For maximum musical edification, I would strongly recommend a double feature, following up with 20 Feet from Stardom.

Denny Tedesco has captured an era that will never be duplicated in musical history with personal insights and an unconditional love that only a child of music could accomplish.

I was fortunate enough to see it at a press screening at the NAMM convention 2011, this documentary deserves to be seen by everyone who's ever listened to the music of the 60's & 70's... go to the website and buy a shirt or something so they can finally pay the royalties and get cleared to release the DVD to the public!

The interviews and personal anecdotes bring out secrets and nuances that would've been lost to the world if not for this documentary, it will surely open the eyes of the general public about how the music industry and specifically the hit-making-machine works. These virtually unknown musicians were geniuses in their fields and contributed more to our culture than some of the "stars" they played behind!

For someone like me who's earliest recollections in life involved this music, watching this documentary was a deeply moving experience. A magical glimpse into a secret place where I was privy to the behind-the-scenes labors and commeraderie of greatness.

Amazing!!!

Imagine if every hit song of the late 50s, 60s, 70s, and even into the 80s was performed by one band. Ridiculous, huh? Well, guess what? It's closer to reality than you may think. I attended the World Premiere of "The Wrecking Crew" at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival and I was so moved by it that it's hard to contain my enthusiasm for this stunning documentary.

Denny Tedesco chronicles the musical history laid down by his legendary late father Tommy, as well as Hal Blaine and Don Randi (who were present for a Q&A afterward), Carol Kaye, Al Casey, Earl Palmer, Plas Johnson, Joe Osborn, and the dozens of others who sat in on the recordings. Known informally as The Wrecking Crew, these session musicians played on so many hit songs that it could be said they had a larger role to play in the culture of the last 50 years than any other group of people in the world. You may not have heard their names, but you've heard their music.

The list of artists whose songs they backed up is amazing: The Beach Boys, The Byrds, The Association, Glen Campbell, The Mamas & Papas, The Monkees, Richard Harris, The 5th Dimension, Sam Cooke, Sonny and Cher, Captain and Tennille, The Righteous Brothers, Simon and Garfunkel, Frank Sinatra, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Ike and Tina Turner, Nancy Sinatra, The Carpenters, Tommy Roe, The Ronettes, Paul Revere and The Raiders, and Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, to name a few. The Wrecking Crew played on almost all their hit songs. To look at the list is to hear the soundtrack of your life, whether you're 15 or 85 -- you know these songs.

"The Wrecking Crew" was so lovingly made. And the fact that Tedesco got the clearances which gave him the rights to include the music in the film is a tribute to the industry's love and respect for these musicians. It goes without saying that the soundtrack is, without a doubt, the greatest of any film I've ever seen. It has to be, after all. These are the songs we've been listening to fondly for 50 years. I had the chance to sit down with Blaine and Randi after the screening and hear some of their incredible stories. For example, not only are both in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but their contribution to Grammy history is groundbreaking. Blaine played on seven Records of the Year, including an incredible run of six in a row back in the 1960s. That would be unheard of today. It's a feat that was never equaled, not before or since.

No matter what your age, if you have ever listened to music I can guarantee you "The Wrecking Crew" will touch you as few films have. To say that this film is long overdue would be an incredible understatement. It's hard to imagine anyone alive today who hasn't been affected by the people who are profiled in this documentary. There's even a good chance you wouldn't be here if not for the music of The Wrecking Crew. Ponder that.

Greetings again from the darkness. The music business has always been a bit of a mystery – not just to the average record buyer, but even to those within the industry. History is filled with singers, band members, and songwriters missing out on the pot of gold due to slick legal maneuvering from some less-than-upstanding agent, producer or label. This documentary details the prolific recordings from a core group of studio musicians responsible for the sounds heard as rock and roll music exploded on the scene … their stellar performances marketed to the public as the work of popular bands.

Lest you think this is limited to an obscure genre or style of music, the two dozen (or so) musicians known as The Wrecking Crew were responsible for the album music for such groups and performers as The Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, The Righteous Brothers, Elvis Presley, The Mamas and the Papas, Sonny and Cher, Sam Cooke, The Byrds, and The Monkees. And we can't leave out Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" which dominated the charts for years. Director Denny Tedesco set out to make a documentary short about his father, guitarist extraordinaire Tommy Tedesco, but quickly realized the story was much bigger than just his dad.

In addition to the very talented (and funny) Tedesco, we get interviews with such talented musicians as Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, Don Randi, Al Casey, Pals Johnson (The Pink Panther sax soloist), Carol Kaye, and Bill Pittman. There is also insight from producers Lou Adler and Snuff Garrett, American Bandstand's Dick Clark, songwriter Jimmy Webb, plus icon Herb Alpert. Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork explain the business rationale in having the professionals take care of the recordings, while Roger McGinnis spills the beans that other members of The Byrds (including David Crosby) were pretty miffed at the process.

The personal importance of telling this story is quite obvious in the work of the director, and is especially clear in the segments featuring his father. In addition to the popular music he was involved with, the senior Tedesco's work is heard in such well-known TV themes as Bonanza, MASH, Batman, and The Twilight Zone … plus many movie scores. Archival footage is available for Q&A roundtables and some of the seminar work Tedesco did in the later stages of his career (he passed away in 1997). There is also footage of Phil Spector working in the studio, and some audio from Frank Sinatra as he works on recording, and early Brian Wilson creating the magic of Pet Sounds with the Wrecking Crew.

Glen Campbell and Leon Russell are the two big breakout performers from this group of studio musicians and both speak so highly of these unpublicized artists. Their interviews, and that of Dick Clark, highlight the confusion of timeline in the making of the film. It began making festival rounds in 2008 before running the age old issue of "musical rights" brought distribution to a screeching halt. So now, in 2015, the film is finally getting some theatre time, and with it comes the recognition and appreciation that is long overdue for the members of this very secret club … few of whom seem to hold any type of grudge. They were just happy to make a living doing what they love.

This film instantly becomes one of four documentaries highly recommended for those who want to better understand the music biz. Group it with Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002), Muscle Shoals (2013), and Oscar winner Twenty Feet from Stardom (2013) to form an 8 hour education and history of popular music over the past three generations.

**NOTE: Kent Hartman released a book entitled "The Wrecking Crew" that provides additional detail; however, it is not affiliated with Denny Tedesco's film.