Not the Beach Boys

Hubert Sumlin told me it was regular practice at Chess to be put into duty on recordings if they were in the building no matter who was in the studio. They were given a "part" to do and didn't get paid for it because it went with being a musician at Chess. Jody Williams later confirmed this several years later.
 
A member of The Wrecking Crew has a house around here and plays several times a year with local musicians, It's fun to hear him play and them realize he was the guy who played that on the record.
 
Yes, and each recording industry town has their own local Wrecking Crew. Nashville has their A list, their B list, and their C list when times need it. A lot of the finest recordings in Nashville ever made, have the same 12 or 13 musicians playing on all of them. Some examples!

Grady Martin
Junior Huskey
Hargus "Pig" Robbins
D.J. Fontana
Norbert Putnam
Floyd Cramer
Harold Bradley
Buddy Emmons
The Jordanaires
Jerry Reed
Bill Justis
Boots Randolph
Ray Edenton
Hank Garland
Buddy Harman
Pete Drake
Bob Moore

And this is just for starters.
 
Underneath these animal suits are real animals.

latest
 
I thought it was common knowledge that the Monkees didn't play their own music in the studio even though Mike Nesmith wanted to.
 
"Charlie Watts said he was disappointed to learn that 5 of his favorite drummers were Hal Blaine."

LOL
 
BobbyBluz said:
...Charlie Watts said he was disappointed to learn that 5 of his favorite drummers were Hal Blaine...
Click to expand...

Drummer Bruce Gary (The Knack) is the source of that quote, not Charlie.

Sorry to be so anal. I'm feeling particularly prickly today for some reason. :yes:
 
oneinchside said:
..In the documentary Standing in the Shadow of Motown it seemed that they really wished they had gotten credit...
Click to expand...

That's only in retrospect. I got to engineer an interview most of those guys did when the documentary first came out and all of them said repeatedly how they didn't want to be known as the musicians on the tracks at the time because they were *jazz* cats and they were only doing the sessions to pick up a paycheck and provide for their families. They felt the music they were playing was "kids music," beneath them, and could possibly damage their reputations in the jazz circles they tried to break in if word got out. They had no idea what they were doing would wind up being so culturally important and iconic decades later. They came to appreciate what they did long after the fact.
 
empirelvr said:
Drummer Bruce Gary (The Knack) is the source of that quote, not Charlie.

Sorry to be so anal. I'm feeling particularly prickly today for some reason. :yes:
Click to expand...
Thanks for that quote, Empire:)
Bruce Gary was a wonderful drummer, well known for his talent and sat in for some big name bands. RIP, Bruce.
 
tubed said:
Thanks for that quote, Empire:)
Bruce Gary was a wonderful drummer, well known for his talent and sat in for some big name bands. RIP, Bruce.
Click to expand...

I agree. He knew how to kick a band in the butt! :thmbsp:
 
kaplang said:
While listening to a Beach Boys album today as background music it dawned on me that the musical instruments being played was not by the Beach Boys. It was the Wrecking Crew that played the instruments in recording sessions of groups like the Beach Boys, Momas and Popas, Monkeys and so many other groups of that era. Boy, were we duped by the record companies like Capital Records. In hind sight they should be ashamed of themselves for lying to the public.
Click to expand...

There is an interview with Neil Peart of Rush, where he says that he was shocked to find out that his five favorite drummers were all Hal Blaine.

I knew that "professional musicians" were used on pop records when I was a kid in the early 70's. I was a bit annoyed until I got to see the Monkees "live" back in the 80's. Good show, but yeah...glad they had help for the records.
 
oneinchside said:
I really liked Carol Kaye's comments on the whole thing- they considered themselves professionals, who worked everyday day on a steady job. If they (she) had wanted to be an Artist she could have- and she would have been a jazz guitarist, but she chose to provide for her family instead. In the documentary Standing in the Shadow of Motown it seemed that they really wished they had gotten credit. Many of the musicians in the "Wrecking Crew" evidently didn't feel that way.

In this case, with great power comes great humility.
Click to expand...

I used to consult with Carol via email about some things we share: we're both bassists :thmbsp: with rheumatoid arthritis. :thumbsdn:

She gave me tips about nutrition and related many stories on her illustrious career as the most recorded electric bassist in history. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love working in the studio! Now that my RA is under control, I can play with no adverse effects. For awhile I thought my playing days were over... no longer. :music:
 
Mozart1220 said:
There is an interview with Neil Peart of Rush, where he says that he was shocked to find out that his five favorite drummers were all Hal Blaine.

I knew that "professional musicians" were used on pop records when I was a kid in the early 70's. I was a bit annoyed until I got to see the Monkees "live" back in the 80's. Good show, but yeah...glad they had help for the records.
Click to expand...

Actually it seems there was an interview with Hal Blaine where Blaine states "there was a drummer, Bruce Gary, was once asked who his favorite drummer was, and he said he was never so disappointed in his life to find out his dozen favorite drummers was me. That kind of stuck for many years as many people used that quote".
Just saying, as Bruce was a friend:)
 
those guys and gals could play with the essence of any band's sound on first try. and it isn't as if the creative musical input of the artists they portrayed wasn't considered as evidenced by a film clip of brian wilson in the creation of good vibrations and other of his tunes.

the wrecking crew could summon up the intended sound or effect needed with just a little coaching on the ideas.

even duane eddy was emulated on his own releases. THAT amazed me but whoever did it captured the essence of eddy's style perfectly.
 
The studio wizardry and great musicians on Pet Sounds had a dramatic impact on the industry going forward including the Beatles. Digital wizardry on the Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Tour album amazes me. 70 year old guys never sounded so good!
 
michaelhigh said:
I used to consult with Carol via email about some things we share: we're both bassists :thmbsp: with rheumatoid arthritis. :thumbsdn:

She gave me tips about nutrition and related many stories on her illustrious career as the most recorded electric bassist in history. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love working in the studio! Now that my RA is under control, I can play with no adverse effects. For awhile I thought my playing days were over... no longer. :music:
Click to expand...

Care to share your insight on fighting the beast?
 
Tom Brennan said:
Ashamed? For what, making records with a high quality of musicianship? I don't think many people buying 45s in the early 60s gave a damn who played on the records, and I sure didn't. I cared about the song and the sound. And if it had a good beat.
Click to expand...

Yup. Give me someone who can play, although a lot of bands were already good enough like the Who, the Stones, the Kinks, and those other four guys. :scratch2:

Motown had a great band (a horrible recorded sound, but a great band (I mean, really... Who's idea was it to cook those vocals like that? I don't know.. They did SOMETHING to 'em, that's all I know... And something ain't right... Sounds like Diana Ross is grounding off her microphone on some songs, and some earlier Temptations stuff is pretty-bad as well).

Stax had a great band, the Bar Kays & Isaac Hayes. Hi Records, Al Green's old label, had a good house band, and then you had the Meters and Booker T & The MG's.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom