Who Were The 'Wrecking Crew?" - Sorry To Disillusion You!
Hi, WA Friends!
If you're old enough to have lived through the music of the '60s and '70s, or you listen to music from that era, did you know that the actual band members did not play a vast amount of the songs you heard on the radio?
Yes, this marvelous deception went on for about 20 years! If you don't believe me, you've never heard of the Wrecking Crew. So, let me tell you who they were and what they did.
As it happens, many of the greatest musical icons added their vocal tracks over this LA-based group of first-call studio musicians' recordings. They were definitely some of the best players of the time and included people like Barney Kessel, Howard Roberts, Tommy Tedesco, Bill Pitman, James Burton, Carol Kaye, and Glen Campbell!
Remember the pop-rock band, The Monkeys? The Wrecking Crew played and recorded all the instruments on all of their albums, while they were given guitar, bass, and drums lessons so they could do some live concert dates. That's right; they were a band that was made up for their TV sitcom called "The Monkeys."
Here's a SMALL taste of some of the famous tunes recorded by the Wrecking Crew.
Recognize any of your favorites?
- California Girls – The Beach Boys
- I Get Around – The Beach Boys
- Help Me, Rhonda – The Beach Boys
- Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys
- California Dreamin’ – The Mamas & The Papas
- Monday Monday – The Mamas & The Papas
- Up, Up and Away” – The 5th Dimension
- Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In – The 5th Dimension
- (They Long to Be) Close to You – The Carpenters
- Cracklin’ Rosie – Neil Diamond
- You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ – The Righteous Brothers
- Young Girl – Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
- Strangers In The Night – Frank Sinatra
- These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ – Nancy Sinatra
- Somethin’ Stupid – Frank And Nancy Sinatra
- Love Will Keep Us Together – The Captain & Tennille
- I Think I Love You – The Partridge Family
- Classical Gas – Mason Williams
- The Beat Goes On – Sonny And Cher
- I Got You Babe – Sonny And Cher
- Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves – Cher
- Half-Breed – Cher
- Galveston – Glen Campbell
How about these Movies and TV shows?
- Green Acres
- Hawaii Five-0
- M*A*S*H
- Bonanza
- The Twilight Zone
- Mission Impossible (TV series)
- The Pink Panther
- Barney Miller
- Batman (TV series)
- Love Boat
- Elvis Presley’s ’68 Comeback Special
- Indiana Jones – The Last Crusade
Yup, they did it all, and so much more!
You can learn about the Wrecking Crew on my guitar site or by Googling until your heart's content.
Keep on Rockin' 🤘
Frank 🎸
Recent Comments
35
Hi Frank...I have not heard of this band, but it's fun to learn of their connections to the Monkeys. I watched all the episodes a few years back. That's quite a list of tunes they recorded. That's for the tidbit. Have a good one.
Susan 😎🎸
Hi, Susan
I’m glad you enjoyed it! 😊
They were actually a very diverse group of LA studio musicians that were called on separately or in combination to play a recording session.
So, they weren’t a musical band that recorded their own songs.
They were part of they newer ‘60s generation of studio musicians. The older musicians did not like them because they broke tradition from the white khaki pants, loafers, and blue blazers that they all wore at the time.
These older musicians said they were “going to wreck the business” and nicknamed them “the wrecking crew.”
The Wreking Crew brought the music industry to new heights of record sales and prosperity.
It got so the biggest stars, like Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, would refuse to record on that day if the musicians from the Wrecking Crew were not available.
They could record the music for an entire record album in less than one hour and make it sound better than anybody else could!
Frank 🎸
That's pretty remarkable, Frank. Thanks for explaining that. Sounds like they must have shaken up the industry quite a bit. 😎
I grew-up through those times and had NO idea.... thank you for this informative blog post.
-Mike
Well, I have to admit that I had no idea about this Frank!!
There are some fantastic songs on that list my friend, thanks for sharing! :-)
Hey, Nick
You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed that.
It was one of the best-kept secrets of the American music industry of that time!
That list is just a tiny sample of the songs, and TV shows the Wrecking Crew did! 😎
Keep on Rocking! 🤘
Frank 🎸
The Wrecking Crew certainly did a lot more stuff than I ever imagined Frank!!
Keep on Rockin' my friend!!
Howzit Frank,
Some where in the back of my mind The Wrecking Crew is their but I did not know that they were involved with all these Songs and Movie/Tv shows.
I knew the "Monkeys" were a Fabricated Group, they would be the "One Direction" of today.
I know all the songs, Bar one "Half Breed"-Cher, possibly if I hear it ,then might come to me.
Green Acres and Barney Miller do not ring a Bell with me at all.
Just had a quick look online ,and I think a Question here, would be:-
Who did they not play with.
I see Leon Russell played with them and Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. left and became Dr John.
Fascinating Stuff.
Thanks Frank
Cheers
Murray
Hey, Murray
Green Acres and Barney Miller were 'popular '70s TV shows.
I'm pretty sure you would recognize "Half Breed" if you heard it.
Yes, it certainly does come down to "who did they NOT play with!"
They were the American unsung musical heroes of that time period!
I'm so glad you looked into them, and now you know! 😎
Keep on Rockin' 🤘
Frank 🎸
Thank you Frank,
I remember hearing of the Wrecking Crew as well as every song and show you mentioned. Those were great times with the greatest musical artists. Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin are two my favorites. The Monkeys were more a band for girls although the show was pretty good . Mickey Dolenz was the funny one. Again, thanks Frank. I would have never known this unless I looked it up.
Hi, David
You're Welcome!
I totally agree! My wife says I'm musically stuck in the '60s and the '70s, but I like music from all time periods.
Jimi Hendrix is my favorite rock player! Believe it or not, he was the opening act for The Monkeys, but they quickly replaced him with a more suitable band.
Yes, Micky Dolenz was the show's drummer and the funny guy. He has appeared in a ton of movies and tv shows outside of The Monkeys. Check him out on IMDB (spelled Micky Dolenz). His father, George, was also in the film.
My high school guitar days were all about playing Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, and Alice Cooper; you get the idea. But I also played in some Jazz and Jazz fusion in local bands.
Great times and great memories! 😎
Keep on Rockin' 🤘
Frank 🎸
Frank
I played competitive soccer for 40 years. Back in the day I played Soccer for Rainbow club on the strip with Ozzy who had a beer in one hand while playing. Rod Stewart, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant too. Those were some good times that I survived. The Who concert was my favorite. Jimi Hendrix Experience Smash Hits was my second album purchase. Such a talent too. His rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock was classic. Six Was Nine ... Absolute genius. Have a great week, Frank.
Wow, David - That's incredible!
Talk about an all-star soccer team!
I love everything The Who and Hendrix ever did!
Jimi's Star Spangled Banner is amazing! You can hear the sounds of "the rocket's red glare" and "the bombs bursting in air" coming from his guitar!
"Six Was Nine" is definitely a masterpiece!
Frank 🎸
Wow, Frank! I never knew that until now. I can rest now because I learned something else new, my friend!
Jeff😎🎸
Hi, Jeff
Hahaha - My sister loved The Monkeys. I think it was more like a teen crush, but their music was very well-written!
Who knew back then that they were just pretending to play their instruments on their TV show?
It was a fantastic marketing scheme, with posters, lunchboxes, notebooks, you name it! 😎
Frank 🎸
Hey, Jeff
Back then, I was listening to and learning to play music by Jazz and Rock bands.
The Monkeys just weren't in my repertoire, but then I got this gig playing with an R & B band when I was in middle school, at one of the local yacht clubs.
My mother, who was a seamstress by profession, made us all matching suits (remember how lots of recording artists were doing that back then?), and we went to audition at this yacht club.
We started playing an R&B tune, and the manager said, "no, no, don't you guys know any Monkeys songs?" The singer knew the words to the song "Stepping Stone," and we all joined it. I still know the chords to that song; can you believe it?
It didn't take us very long to learn all their other hits. When we started playing Monkey songs at the yacht club, people really wanted to hear Beatles songs! Luckily, we knew some. 😎
Frank 🎸
Hey, Jeff
Hahaha - I DON'T, but I wish I did! 😵💫
I do have some photos that someone took of a high school "battle of the bands" show for the school paper. The band that lost played awesome "Chick Corea" type Jazz Fusion tunes.
They were totally better than us, and I told them so, but the kids wanted to hear Rock, so we lucked out! I still know the guitar player, Les. We both went to school together at Brown University. He has a big corporate job now.
I'll have to see if I can find those photos; my sister might have them. I had the '60s-style long hair back then and dressed in "psychedelic clothes" (drug-free, thankfully).
It's not like today; people take digital photos of everything.
Frank 🎸
Thanks, Murray! We will continue to do that until we die, and even after we die, we might learn if our beliefs were correct.
I hope all is well with you and yours!
Jeff
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The body of work these guys have produced is staggering! I had no idea. I knew the Monkees were a made-for-TV band, but I didn't know that they didn't start out as musicians.
This is interesting information. These crazy cats got no glory, but they were certainly loved.
Cool post, Frank!
Dave
Haha, Thanks, Dave! 😎🙏
Frank 🤘🎸