The Wrecking Crew (2008)

March 23, 2021 6:13 PM

A celebration of the musical work of a group of session musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew", a band that provided back-up instrumentals to such legendary recording artists as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys and Bing Crosby. - IMDB
posted by The corpse in the library (9 comments total)

This was charming. It was made by the son of one of the musicians (Tommy Tedesco), and isn't a tell-all, but is an interesting, funny documentary about a fascinating period in LA's rock industry.

Plus it passes the "Talks to a woman, who isn't related to any band members, about music" test, which needs a snappier name.
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:17 PM on March 23, 2021

Previously. Previously. Previously... and there's more. We really like talking about the Wrecking Crew here.
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:21 PM on March 23, 2021

This is in my top 5 favorite music documentaries.
posted by sundrop at 9:47 AM on March 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

Of a same piece is Twenty Feet From Stardom, a doc about the incredible backup singers of the 1960s and 70s, not the least of whom is Darlene Love.
posted by briank at 11:54 AM on March 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

Enjoyed this a lot. Really gives you a picture of the whole period in a way that a documentary about a stable, single band or single performer would not. Although I'd watch a whole movie about Carol Kaye if I could. Reminded me of Twenty Feet from Stardom as well - maybe my favorite music doc.

Corpse in the Library I'm vicariously enjoying your music doc binge! What a great project.
posted by latkes at 2:50 PM on March 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

See also: Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002), covering the Funk Brothers.
posted by mikelieman at 3:20 PM on March 24, 2021

Carol Kaye is not only an unreliable source about what records she played on, she is an utterly dishonest one.

Unfortunately, she has never been happy only being credited for the records she actually played on, and insists she played on many, many, more. Some of this can be reasonably put down to lapses in memory more than fifty years later -- if you're playing two or three sessions a day, then it's easy enough to misremember.

But Ms. Kaye also claims, with no evidence whatsoever on her side and a great deal of evidence against her, to have been responsible for playing almost the entire recorded works of James Jamerson, Motown's main bass player, claiming tapes were secretly shipped from Detroit to LA -- something that has been denied by every single person working at Motown, and which can be easily disproved just by listening to the tapes. She claims to have played the bass on "I'm a Believer" by the Monkees -- a track recorded in New York, by New York musicians. And whenever anyone points out the falsehoods, rather than saying "I may have made a mistake" she hurls abuse at them, and in some cases libels them on her website.

posted by 1970s Antihero at 8:56 AM on March 25, 2021

LOL, weird. Turns out women rockers can be egomaniacal dicks too.
posted by latkes at 10:42 AM on March 25, 2021

OK, which two of you placed holds on this so I have to return the DVD to the library? FINE. I'll bring it back Monday.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:22 PM on March 27, 2021