The Wrecking Crew
The Wrecking Crew is also the name of a 1969 motion picture, the fourth film adventure of secret agent Matt Helm.
Arguably the most popular "group" of studio musicians in music history, the "Wrecking Crew" was a collection of world class session musicians who worked a numbing work schedule (15 hour days were not unusual). The talents of this group of 'first call' players were used in everything from TV theme songs to well known pop music. Producers and composers often associated with the Wrecking Crew are Phil Spector (who used the Crew for his trademark "Wall of Sound" and Beach Boy Brian Wilson (who utilized the Crew's talent on the watershed album "Pet Sounds"). Contrary to popular belief, it's now known that it was The Wrecking Crew, rather than the regular Motown band, who recorded backing tracks for several of Motown's biggest hits, and that Motown frequently used The Wrecking Crew to record alternative versions of backing tracks.
The best-known 'members' of this group (who usually referred to themselves as "The Clique") were bassist Carol Kaye (one of the few women guitarists/bassists in the industry at the time) and drummer Hal Blaine, who has played on tens of thousands of recording sessions, and is believed to be the most recorded drummer in history.
Notable members of 'The Wrecking Crew' included:
- guitar: Glen Campbell, Barney Kessell, Tommy Tedesco, Billy Strange
- saxophone: Julius Wechter, Steve Douglas
- keyboards: Leon Russell, Mac Rebennack (aka Dr John), Mike Melvoin
- bass: Carol Kaye, Chuck Berghofer
- drums: Hal Blaine