WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
This amazing musical journey, brought to us by Denny Tedesco, son of legendary Los Angeles guitarist Tommy Tedesco (1930-1997), takes us into the little known world of the studio/session musician via deep and fascinating perspectives brought to the viewer through members of the (until now) “secretly legendary” group known as The Wrecking Crew. They were the sound behind the biggest names of the 60’s, and perhaps you’ve heard of a few: The Beach Boys, Sonny & Cher, The Mamas & The Papas, Nat “King” Cole, Frank Sinatra, The Byrds, The Righteous Brothers, The Monkees and countless others. Told from archival footage of a small 1996 Crew reunion with bassist Carol Kaye, drummer Hal Blaine, Tommy Tedesco, and saxophonist Plas Johnson, they weave an incredible musical adventure about the rise of this super group, the ups and downs of their own individual journeys, and the eventual decline of the need for session players as a whole, all of which occurred without anyone even knowing a single one of their names amidst the general listening public. Commentary from those who did know and record with them, such as Cher, hugely successful producers Herb Alpert and Lou Adler, plus additional Crew-mates Glen Campbell, Bill Pitman, and Earl Palmer enhances this tale of phenomenal talent represented in thousands of recordings we’ve heard them playing on, yet not once were they ever credited by name or otherwise. This is that story as told by those who remember what it was like to be the most famous unknown band of all time.
An absolutely superb tour de force of musical talent is represented in this effort, and more importantly, this incredible group of players finally gets the recognition they deserve. To hear this story from the vantage point of not just the group members interviewed, but the record company producers, engineers, and family members who lived this adventure with them, is engaging on multiple levels. It is flat out eye-opening to have this side of the music business from that era exposed, as the group represented the actual sound behind so many hits that so many artists got the sole credit for, sometimes even to the ire of the Crew. But making the choice to remain anonymous, earn a very substantial living, and be a part of musical legends remained their claim to fame. And it seems that much more a tragedy when the age of studio/session musicians came to a close, even though some members still went on to further careers. The archival footage is excellent, the interviewees are all a potent mixture of whimsical and serious in the stories they share, and the backing soundtrack bringing the hits of the 60’s now has an entirely new dimension as we understand this group was responsible for those sounds and songs we know so well. A completely fitting tribute to Crew member and director Denny’s father, Tommy Tedesco, this is one magical ride that needed to be told and shines a very real light on a wealth of music history and the talent that helped bring it to life.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading.
