The Wrecking Crew

This movie will blow your mind and delight you. The Wrecking Crew were ~the~ hit-making studio & session musicians in the 1960s; they played on most of the hit records that you loved, sang along with, danced to, and fell in love to. You know their music by heart, even if you don't know that you do. Here is a PARTIAL list of the artists who recorded with them:Elvis PresleyHerb Alpert & The Tijuana BrassSam CookeMamas and PapasFrank SinatraNancy SinatraGrass Roots5th DimensionRonettesThe CrystalsDarlene LoveSonny & CherCherBeach BoysSimon & GarfunkelPartridge FamilyDavid CassidyGlen CampbellLeon RussellJohnny RiversRicky NelsonGary Lewis & The PlayboysJan & DeanJohn DenverThe CarpentersWayne NewtonTommy RoeHamilton, Joe Frank, & ReynoldsBarry McGuireDean MartinHarry NilssonThe SandpipersThe Rip CordsPaul Revere and the RaidersMark LindsayNat “King” ColeAlbert HammondRay CharlesShelley FabaresKenny Rogers and the First EditionChris MontezThe RoutersCaptain and TennilleRichard HarrisThe MonkeesThe ByrdsThe MarkettsJackie DeShannonLorne GreenIke & Tina TurnerBobby DayScott McKenzieLeslie GoreThe ChipmunksBobby VeeTeddy BearsConnie FrancisThe AssociationThe Righteous BrothersGary PuckettBobby DarinJack NitszcheMOVIE & TV THEMES:BatmanBeach Blanket BingoBonanzaGreen AcresFernwood TonightHawaii Five-O The VenturesM*A*S*H Suicide is PainlessMission ImpossiblePink Panther Henry Mancini

I love it, this showed me how and who created the guitar licks, saxophone bits, piano-ing, to do all magical and memorable things that got our attention starting with Ricky Nelson in his TV show in the late 50's through groups and duos in the 60's and on into the 70's doing the performance behind the scene for singers, duos, and famous groups. Largely unknown, underpaid, and almost entirely un-credited until recently admitted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Wrecking Crew was everybody's go to band for the recordings we heard on the radio and bought on records. I thought the magic was Phil Spector, and while he had his role it wasn't near what I thought it was. Ever wonder why the actual bands weren't as good live (maybe you were too enthralled to notice)? It's because the Wrecking Crew did much of the original recording that made it into our records. When possible musicians willing to learn learned the tricks the Wrecking Crew used from the Crew itself. Even what I've said so far doesn't say it all, because many of the things you love were even written by the crew, or the key parts were suggested by the Crew. Herb Alpert's Lonely Bull (first hit, Billboard for a year!) would have never been anything and Alpert may have never made it if the Crew hadn't given him the magic. To his credit Alpert paid union fines and earned the union ire by writing proper payments "Scale" to what were otherwise "session musicians" who would remain unknown. The Crew also was "instrumental" in getting Frank Sinatra his first #1 Hit on Billboard (Something Stupid with his daughter Nancy). So even Old Blue Eyes needed the Crew to push him to the top!. Often when bands like the Beach Boys toured the Wrecking Crew did 100% of the instrumental sound track recording without a Beach Boy in town, the same for the Monkeys who spent their time making the TV show. Then the bands we know just had to show up and sing. The Wrecking Crew was so skillful that they also knocked out all these hits in minutes or hours. The Wrecking Crew knocked out Turn, Turn, Turn for the Byrds in several hours, the second track of the album done only by the Byrds themselves took the actual Byrds 3 days and 72 takes. Others learned the lesson and conceded that the Wrecking Crew could just do it better and sought them out straight-away. These folks had such a major role in music that we loved, music that defined our generation, and yet they struggled with long and bad hours away from home just like us to feed their family and put a roof over their head. For too long others took or received the credit. Watch this and know who it was that made that music. To list all the artist and group names and all the hits helped by the Crew would take more space than this review. To complete the picture don't forget to see "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown" (where the Funk Brothers were the un-credited heroes), and lastly "Muscle Shoals" and that about covers it. Sure Dennis Wilson was a friend of Charles Manson and he let Charles and his girls stay at his Malibu Canyon cabin (before the murders), and yes Glen Campbell was a Beach Boy for a time, you learned that elsewhere already. These videos contain what you didn't know about the music and musicians; who did what.

First let me say that this Blu Ray will NOT play on a standard Blu ray player, YOU MUST OWN A MULTI REGION PLAYER TO WATCH THIS IN THE UK (hence only 4 stars).As a life long fan of the Beach Boys I was well aware of the "Wrecking Crew" as they played on many of their recordings during the 60's. I also knew that they played on most of Phil Spectors records, but watching this film I was astonished at how many great songs of the late 50's, 1960's and early 70's these brilliant musicians played on.Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Elvis, The Monkees, The Mamas & The Papas, Sam Cook, The 5th Dimension and The Carpenters are just a few of the artists who benefitted from "The Crews" musicianship.This documentary has interviews with all the main players and many of the artists involved and is a labour of love from director Denny Tedesco who's father played guitar on hundres of sessions (much of his work you will recognise instantly).As well as the film there is a wealth of special features including stories about 25 individual songs (which are listed on the inner sleeve) as well as segments on theme music and Musicians jokes. The cover states there is over 6 hours of bonus content and only having watched parts of it I can well believe this to be the case.A great film and well worth the price.

I received the item in quick time and it was in excellent condition. Very pleased with the purchase.Many thanks, Keith Fitchett

SPOILER ALERT: This review's title ("The Wrecking Crew" -- the story of America's backup band!) has NOTHING to do with the folk/country rock group actually called America! Now to the actual review itself. I was amazed by how many American musical acts owe their due to this outfit whose numbers were estimated to be no less than a dozen musicians (certain liberal estimates put the number as high as 30 or 40). The majority of American musical groups and singers utilized The Wrecking Crew's talented services. Frank and Nancy Sinatra, the Ventures, Sonny & Cher (as well as Cher's solo efforts), the girl groups from Phil Spector's Brill Building set, the Beach Boys, the Mamas & the Papas, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Elvis Presley, The Byrds, The Monkees, Henry Mancini, the Ronettes, the Carpenters, Simon & Garfunkel, Glen Campbell -- these were but a few -- THAT'S RIGHT, JUST A FEW -- of the hot acts that had The Wrecking Crew as their backup musicians. Not even Dick Clark ("American Bandstand") knew of this elite group of musical craftspeople and how they practically gave American music its backing musical tracks! Any true review would require so much space and such a thorough description that time nor cyberspace does not permit this movie fan to create a review that would do this great Blu-Ray and its focal backup band sufficient justice. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you buy a copy of "The Wrecking Crew" on Blu-Ray and check it out for yourself! You'll see what I mean when I say that you can't even BEGIN to describe this musical ensemble with a thumbnail sketch alone!

I wish there were more than 5 stars....Ordered Sat. April 29 and was received Tuesday, May 02 - ahead of schedule.All I can say is STUNNING - the best $22 I’ve spent in a long time. As ‘Playboy’ put it: “For Rock and Pop fans, it’s ABSOLUTE CATNIP”. Amen to that!I didn't count the time, but there most definitely is over 6 hours of extras on the Blu-ray lasting into the wee hours of the next day. Longer interviews with artists and the core Wrecking Crew musicians - but also, so many more artists, musicians and performers, producers, engineers. Plus all the "Crew" are listed under headings by genre/instruments like Bass, Drums, Guitar, Brass, etc.(I couldn’t believe Petula Clark is 84 and still doing live stage shows and performances!! WOW.)I was actually around during that era as a musician/session player/harmony vocalist; and still remember being in awe of Tommy Tedesco and how incredibly versatile he was. Fantastic what his son Denny has done for his dad and ALL musicians, and just plain old (and new) music lovers.Sadly, the music industry of today will likely never again be like those glorious bygone years.My one minor wish is that Blu-ray would put in better menu titles and access to the segments. Many on this disk were hard to read and sometimes it was hit or miss whether the title was the right one. Oh well, still worth it.

Una decepción! No lo puedo visionar por ser de Zona A para USA ni en el reproductor de Blu-ray ni tampoco en el PC, no sé qué haré para verlo pero no lo devuelvo ya que es un documento imprescindible para mí como buen aficionado a la música de la mejor época que salió en California gracias estos desconocidos músicos que lo hicieron posible, ellos fueron los reales intérpretes de esos ritmos y arreglos musicales maravillosos e inolvidables y que todos creíamos que era de los propios intérpretes que aparecían en los créditos de los discos. Ya digo este documental aunque tenga críticas negativas y yo no lo pueda ver de momento es un documento impagable. Gracias por tanta buena música "Equipo demoledor".