To the mustsee list of pop music documentaries including standing in the shadows of motown and 20 feet from stardom you can add the wrecking crew. It was the second novel featuring hamiltons ongoing protagonist, counteragent and assassin matt helm. In this book hamilton continued the hardheaded and gritty realism he had built up around helm in the first novel of the series, death of a citizen. In making the wrecking crew doc, there was never a shortage of musician humor. In truth, the wrecking crew isnt the secret it once was. Wodehouse, infamous for their tedious pace of play the wrecking crew. Bought this book after watching the documentary and found that it contains many more stories and interesting details than the documentary which was equally good.
Motowns funk brothers the subject of the rousing documentary standing in the shadows of. But in a recent interview leon russell says the same thing, that he never heard the term the whole time he was doing the sessions. Six years in a row in the 1960s and early 1970s, the grammy for record of the year went to wrecking crew recordings. The wrecking crew, an awardwinning documentary about some of the most influential musicians of the 1960s and 1970s.
Over the 18 years of making this film, i realized i wanted to spread the word about the wrecking crew story. The wrecking crew is a 2008 documentary film directed by denny tedesco. Hal blaine, plas johnson, carol kaye, earl palmer, don randi and tommy tedesco played on literally hundreds of pop songs and albums, working with everyone from frank sinatra to the beach boys, herb albert to the byrds, phil spectors girl groups to elvis and the. The wrecking crew is a spy novel written by donald hamilton and first published in 1960. Nov 20, 2018 ferak chronicles the long and sordid history of the manitowoc county sheriffs department and the reason sweatys license was suspended. Anyone who grew up in the 60s and 70s will know most of the music in this documentary which is why i liked it. According to the new yorker, the wrecking crew passed into a history that it largely created, imperfectly acknowledged but perfectly present in hundreds of american pop songs known to all. We were never known as that pet name of hal blaines our name has. The actress sharon tate on the set of the wrecking crew. Documentary on the indian wrecking crew to be released. Now, the crew is the subject of a documentary, we got good at it. She is also the subject of a documentary called first lady of bass, which chronicles her 50plus years in the industry.
These hired guns may not be household names, but are still masters of their craft. What other book might you compare the wrecking crew to and why. Kent hartmans nostalgic book about 60s rock n roll focuses on the allpurpose studio musicians known as the wrecking crew. Hal blaine, prolific wrecking crew drummer who worked with. Rent the wrecking crew 2015 on dvd and bluray netflix. The wrecking crew music documentary what people are saying. Mar 04, 2015 watch a clip from the documentary the wrecking crew. The wrecking crew, a 2008 nonfiction book by thomas frank. To create this work, zellner, perhaps americas most successful.
One of its members, ernie beckman, has been gone for 18 years. The wrecking crew wodehouse, a foursome of golfers created by p. This book was written by author john ferak based upon kathleen zellners postconviction strategy for overturning steve averys case. After watching the wrecking crew documentary, i looked through netflix trove of films for another documentary film on rock musicians, and i found a film about jimi hendrix. The wrecking crew is the only film in the series not to feature helms secretary, lovey kravesit, played by beverly adams, who was also appearing in hammerhead. This film was conceived by director tedesco as a 30 minute documentary featuring four of the members of las legendary studio musicians known as the.
Principal photography took place in california, with locations including palm springs, idyllwild, and the walt disney ranch. The wrecking crew, a documentary about the studio musicians who played for elvis, sinatra, the byrds and other bands, shines the spotlight on the price and benefits of obscurity. More than 60 years have passed since the last of the original indian wrecking crew turned a wheel in anger. With denny tedesco, brian wilson, dick clark, cher. The wrecking crew by kent hartman, published by thomas dunne books. The rock beat label is also issuing a companion album of wrecking crew veterans. What the funk brothers did for motown, the wrecking crew did, only bigger, for the west coast sound. There are several books and even a netflix series called making a muderer on this case.
The wrecking crew by taylor zajonc is a non stop action story featuring jonah blackwell, an former prisoner who had been all but forgotten, who is freed by a doctor looking to rescue his mother who was doing some oceanographer research, but disappeared. I recommend this book to all the rock and roll fans. A documentary film about session and touring musicians that are hired by well established and famous bands and artists like metallica, kiss, and billy joel. I read the book after watching this documentary, so it gave me great visuals while reading. The wrecking crew is a walk down a musical memory lane. I am not sure what exactly has drawn me to this case that i follow it closely.
Jan 09, 2019 the wrecking crew has shaken off the anonymity that cloaked its genius and is the subject of several books, one an oregon book award winner by kent hartman, and a new documentary by denny tedesco. A special thank you to pdxjustice media productions for recording this. Thomas frank speaks about the wrecking crew at powells books in portland oregon on august 14, 2008. Its a very interesting documentary with a lot of information about this amazing group of studio musicians known as the wrecking crew. The wrecking crew 1968 gold bullion worth usd 1 billion has been stolen from a hijacked train in denmark. Dec 03, 20 the session musicians who dominated nineteensixties pop. In 2008, the wrecking crew were featured in the documentary film the wrecking crew, directed by tommy tedescos son, denny tedesco. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Years after wowing film festival audiences in 2008, one of pop musics greatest documentaries is finally hitting theaters. It is a great pleasure to be a part of denny tedescos wrecking crew. Hal leonard the wrecking crew documentary with bonus. Get the documentary, also called the wrecking crew, made by the son of guitarist. Maybe they were removed from the orbits blaine and tedesco circulated under. In addition, your name on the thank you page of the wrecking crew website and dvd extras, a wrecking crew bumper sticker and a personal thank you.
Steve miller, gangster of love i hovered in the room near the ceiling as i watched this inspiring movie about the musicians who made the songs that continue to lift me higher than ever. Mar, 2015 documentary spotlights wrecking crew behind hits of 60s, 70s director denny tedesco began filming in 1996 when his father, wrecking crew guitarist tommy tedesco, was diagnosed with cancer. Demolishing the case against steven avery this is the next chapter in the steve avery saga. The wrecking crew played on all your favourite 60s and 70s. While a lot of filmmakers say their works are labors of love, tedescos truly is in every sense of the term. Hal blaine, wrecking crew drummer, 90 jewish journal. Several of the albums andor songs on which the wrecking crew played received nominations for and often won grammy awards. A project by by design2pictures, llc, this film tells the incredible story of the indian wrecking crew motorcycle racing team of bobby hill, ernie beckman, and bill tuman that, against all odds, took the postworld war ii racing world by storm. The film tells the story of the unsung musicians that.
Blaine, who was jewish and died march 11 at the age of 90, was the drummer for the fabled wrecking crew, a. A copy of hal blaine and the wrecking crew book signed by hal blaine plus the wrecking crew movie on dvd this will be delivered after the official theatrical release is finalized. Lesserknown players get their bows in the wrecking crew. The wrecking crew documentary is the first time that people will finally understand what it was like to be in the trenches of rock and roll. It follows the general timeline of the wrecking crew story. The documentary film the indian wrecking crew has begun production with a scheduled release in the spring of 2009. Studio musicians who played on two decades of hits finally. The case became the wildly successful netflix making a murderer documentary. Feb 19, 2015 director, denny tedesco sheds light on a group of studio musicians called the wrecking crew, who were behind the hit songs of the beach boys, elvis, frank sinatra, nat king cole and so many more.
This is a documentary film about an elite group of studio session musicians. When producers called musicians, these were the musicians who got called first. And with the support of corporate money came, wouldnt you know it, support for corporatefriendly causes in the world at large. They include glen campbell, hal blaine, larry knechtel, don randi and. Music lovers will be astonished at the influence the wrecking crew wielded over rock and pop music in the 1960s and early 1970s. A denny tedesco film about a littleknown group of studio musicians who contributed to hundreds of charttopping singles. The wrecking crew is a documentary film produced and directed by denny tedesco, son of legendary late wrecking crew guitarist tommy tedesco. Mar 10, 2015 i scoffed at her claim that they werent called the wrecking crew until blaine wrote his book. I started my journey telling the story of these legendary session musicians in 1996, but never imagined it would take nearly 20 years to complete the film and bring it to a wide audience. The session musicians who dominated nineteensixties pop the. The session musicians who dominated nineteensixties pop. The inside story of rock and rolls bestkept secret hartman, kent on. Director, denny tedesco sheds light on a group of studio musicians called the wrecking crew, who were behind the hit songs of the beach boys, elvis, frank sinatra, nat king cole and so many more.
Prolific session musicians the wrecking crew, who provided backup instrumentals for numerous popular bands in the 1960s, are profiled by filmmaker denny tedesco, whose father, tommy, was a member of the band, in this absorbing documentary. These musicians have since become known as the wrecking crew. The wrecking crew 2015 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. A celebration of the musical work of a group of session musicians known as the wrecking crew, a band that provided backup instrumentals to such legendary recording artists as frank sinatra, the beach boys and bing crosby. Gold bullion worth usd 1 billion has been stolen from a hijacked train in denmark. Mar 12, 2015 lesserknown players get their bows in the wrecking crew the west coast studio musicians behind some of the best music of the 60s and 70s have rarely been recognized, but a new documentary. The inside story of rock and rolls bestkept secret reprint by hartman, kent isbn. Her role in the movie made its way into quentin tarantinos once upon a time in hollywood. Documentary spotlights wrecking crew behind hits of 60s. So many have passed on recently including, emil richards who we miss dearly.
In the making of the wrecking crew documentary, i found that musicians always wanted to share the latest joke they heard before talking about themselves. The movie the wrecking crew from magnolia pictures, tells the story of the unsung musicians in the hollywood area who provided the backbeat, the bottom and the swinging melody that drove many of the number one hits of the 1960s. Partially through the book i decided to read it near my computer where i pulled up the songs on youtube. Wrecking crew comics, a marvel comics group of supervillains the wrecking crew, a 1960 spy novel by donald hamilton. Drummers hal blaine and the late earl palmer penned books about their lives in the studio, and a documentary about the unit by denny tedesco, son of crew guitarist tommy tedesco, has made film festival rounds. Thomas frank discusses the wrecking crew and takes a tour through washington d.
Consisting of artists unknown outside the music industry, like drummer hal blaine and bass player carol kaye, as well as those who would go on to recording fame of their own. The inside story of rock and rolls bestkept secret, a 2012 book. Director denny tedesco tackles that question with the wrecking crew, a heartfelt, engrossing documentary 19 years in the making, which finally sees theatrical release in. Wrecking crew gives an inside look into kathleen zellners. Ferak chronicles the long and sordid history of the manitowoc county sheriffs department and the reason sweatys license was suspended. The wrecking crew is the best documentary yet about the recording scene. The wrecking crew had only one female member, bassist carol kaye. The inside story of rock and rolls bestkept secret. The wrecking crew, the new documentary on the legendary musicians that made the west coast sound and played on hundreds of songs that would be the soundtrack for millions of lives, is shared by. The film premiered at the 2008 south by southwest film festival. In 2008 and 2015 they were the subject of the documentary the wrecking crew. You might not know the name hal blaine, but youre probably familiar with his work.
The us government sends matt helm, one of its top agents, to investigate and recover the gold. The wrecking crew documentary on west coast sound studio. This book details the evidence uncovered by the genius. Rarely credited on record, the wrecking crew played for and with nearly.
The wrecking crew soundtrack cd set wrecking crew film store. The experience of reading this book went from a history book to one, awesome entertaining event. Essay the wrecking crew, by thomas frank harpers magazine. According to the film, the musicians got the name wrecking crew from jazz musicians who felt they were wrecking music with their rock and pop stylings. With dean martin, elke sommer, sharon tate, nancy kwan. Even though we havent been able to release the film until this coming march, weve tried to create a brand that we would be proud to wear and have fun with. Director denny tedesco has lined up all these rock and pop tunes and many more, along with years worth of interviews with the unsung musicians and the far more famous acts they supported, in his documentary the wrecking crew.
For a stretch in the 1960s, those faces beaming from album covers were lying to you. Jan 03, 2020 some viewers might have assumed that carol kaye, the legendary studio bassist who was part of the so called wrecking crew in the 1960s, would be flattered by having a character loosely modeled on h. Even though we havent been able to release the film until this coming march, weve tried to create a brand that we. The wrecking crew has shaken off the anonymity that cloaked its genius and is the subject of several books, one an oregon book award winner by kent hartman, and a new documentary by denny tedesco. In the 60s and 70s, a shouldbelegendary group of studio musicians dubbed the wrecking crew played on the eras defining songs. What made the experience of listening to the wrecking crew the most enjoyable. Demolishing the case against steven avery, ferak lays out in exacting detail the postconviction strategy of kathleen zellner, the highprofile, highoctane lawyer, to free avery. The wrecking crew is a 2008 american documentary film directed by denny tedesco, son of guitarist tommy tedesco. Sometimes we were called the clique, but the wrecking crew is a hal blaine invented name for.