LOCK DOWN THEATER NIGHT 49

This is getting to be a regular Lock Down Theater Film Festival around here. I had been seeing a link pop up in the sidebar at YouTube for The Wrecking Crew but every time I did a search, a thousand other short Wrecking Crew links popped up. Finally found the full thing. It's a documentary about the West coast studio musicians who played one everybody's records. At different times they were Monkees, Turtles, Beach Boys, Paul Revere and the Raiders and Byrds. Fans had no idea...then.

I'm not sure that it was a well kept secret or if the buying public just eventually became more interested in who actually played on what. The cat may have been let out of the bag with drummer Hal Blaine's 1990 memoir. That's also where the debate began about what the studio musicians actually referred to themselves as. Some of them backed up Hal Blaine, agreeing that they used to refer to themselves as "The Wrecking Crew", but bassist Carol Kaye one of the most used musicians of the bunch (so she ought to know) said they called themselves "The Clique", It's possible that neither were widely used back in the day because people back then didn't try to brand the fuck out of everything.

The free full length version at YouTube has ads but you know what to do. Just let roll, hit the head and stop by the fridge on the way back.

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Tonight's feature:
The Wrecking Crew at YouTube

LOCK DOWN THEATER NIGHT 26

I'm just finishing reading Never a Dull Moment: 1971 The Year That Rock Exploded (by David Hepworth) and there was a lot of shit that prompted memories. It's an account of the year 1971, chronologically January through December, in rock music. He makes a good case for it being an epic year of firsts and big changes. I won't ruin it for you, just take my word for it. One thing he devotes a few pages to was The Concert For Bangladesh, the film, the LP and the concert itself. For those of you who've never heard of it, it was a benefit concert (actually two shows) organized by George Harrison for the war torn Bangladesh, where people were starving to death. He was asked for help by his friend Ravi Shankar and he just dug in, inviting friends Leon Russell, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston and so on. A very crowded stage. Just one of the clips has Harrison, Dylan and Russell singing "Just Like A Woman".

I couldn't find the whole thing but I did find a playlist someone put together at YouTube. There's enough to give you an idea if you want to pursue it, I'm sure it's all over the place online. I've no idea how young you would have to be to not be cognizant of the event. Well, not young. How non-old you would have to be.

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Visit:
George Harrison and Friends The Concert For Bangladesh (playlist) at YouTube

CHILL TO THIS FUCKER

You may or may not being indulging me. Maybe I'm not the only one who loves this song. I think it might be because I went a good twenty years without hearing it before I got it again a few years ago. It initially came to me when I was about eighteen via an older beach friend, who surfed, played bass and got laid. (I surfed, rather shoddily, I was just starting to mess with bass, and had never been laid.) It was summer when I first heard it. It was early evening after the beach chill (without the connotations) music, after surf stuff, with Russell's drawl, tasty slide, sounds of the ocean, and bird noises, àla Martin Denny, who I was just discovering courtesy of thrift store roulette. This is very specific sub-sub-genre. 

It works as atmospheric music, stoner music, three beer buzz music, getting frisky music, navel contemplating music, you just can't rock out to it.. It's a beautiful song. I really dig the backing vocals so went looking for who it was (Mary McCreary, Russell's future wife). Then I looked at who else was on it. Steve Cropper (on that tasty slide, Cropper, go figure), Duck Dunn and Al Jackson. In other words, the MGs of Booker T and the MGs.

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Listen:
Leon Russell - Back to the Island mp3 at Internet Archive

THE SHIT WEEK JUST GOT SHITTIER

Leon Russell just passed away. Shit. First the election goes south, then Leonard Cohen dies, and now Leon Russell, all within the space of a few days. The sky is not falling, but it has been one fucked up week. If you don't know who Leon Russell is, or have never gotten around to checking him out, now might be a good time. Here's why (originally posted five years ago):

Imagine this for a line up on your solo album: George Harrison, Ringo Star, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Steve Winwood, and Eric Clapton. On your first solo album. Oh yeah, and you're twenty eight years old. But Leon Russell didn't exactly get there overnight. He began playing in Tulsa, Oklahoma clubs at the ripe old age of fourteen, in the Starlighters (which also included J.J. Cale). After that he did time in the house band on Shindig, and as a member of the Wrecking Crew (and you know what that means). Just a partial list of people whose sessions he's played on includes Badfinger, Glen Campbell, Joe Cocker, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, B.B. King, Freddie King, Steve Cropper, Rita Coolidge, Gram Parsons, Barbra Streisand, Ike & Tina Turner, Ricky Nelson, Herb Alpert, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Ann-Margret, Dean Martin, Marvin Gaye, the Monkees, the Astronauts, the Ventures, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Jan & Dean, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Paul Revere & the Raiders, the Rolling Stones, the Ronettes, the Crystals, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Everly Brothers, the Righteous Brothers, and the Flying Burrito Brothers. (Phew!) His songs have been covered by as disparate artists as the Carpenters, Sonic Youth, and Ray Charles. In short, his CV is mind blowing.

Still, there's something about him that seems so nonchalant. It might be his chronically expressionless face. Or his Jerry Lee Lewis meets early Tom Waits, meets Full House-era Peter Wolf, gravelly drawl. Or the way he calmly tickles the ivories, or the way he goes about his business without the normal look at me rock star posturing. Whatever it is, it works, and although his music may be an acquired taste (it took me about twenty years), once that voice gets under your skin, you realize that there's no one who sounds quite like him. He's that guy you know who's fundamentally badass, without ever having lifted a finger.

 A few notes about the videos: check out the two versions of Hank Williams' "Jambalaya." The first one is from Shindig. If you can ignore the corny set, the performance is great. Now, compare that to the second version, at one of Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnics. While he seems a little buzzed, it's got a nice "it's okay, you're among friends" party vibe, that many of you have probably experienced when you've had one two many. Especially endearing is his tug on Waylon Jennings shirt when he joins them on stage (seriously, that part slays me). The other videos are equally engaging, so you might want to budget some time. By the end of them, you'll be adding him to your list.

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Listen:
Leon Russell - Beware of Darkness mp3 at Ryan's Smashing Life
Leon Russell - Delta Lady mp3 at Leons Bio
Leon Russell - Back To The Island mp3 at Internet Archive
Leon Russell - Goodnight Irene mp3 at Internet Archive
Video:
Leon Russell - A Song For You at YouTube
Leon Russell - Roll Over Beethoven (1964) at YouTube
Leon Russell - Jambalaya (1965) at YouTube
Leon Russell - Come On Into My Kitchen (1971) at YouTube
Leon Russell, Willie Nelson, Doug Kershaw, Waylon Jennings - Jambalaya (1974) at Bohemia Visual Music

HE STILL LIVES IN TULSA

Imagine this for a line up on your solo album: George Harrison, Ringo Star, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Steve Winwood, and Eric Clapton. On your first solo album. Oh yeah, and you're twenty eight years old. But Leon Russell didn't exactly get there overnight. He began playing in Tulsa, Oklahoma clubs at the ripe old age of fourteen, in the Starlighters (which also included J.J. Cale). After that he did time in the house band on Shindig, and as a member of the Wrecking Crew (and you know what that means). Just a partial list of people whose sessions he's played on includes Badfinger, Glen Campbell, Joe Cocker, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, B.B. King, Freddie King, Steve Cropper, Rita Coolidge, Gram Parsons, Barbra Streisand, Ike & Tina Turner, Ricky Nelson, Herb Alpert, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Ann-Margret, Dean Martin, Marvin Gaye, the Monkees, the Astronauts, the Ventures, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Jan & Dean, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Paul Revere & the Raiders, the Rolling Stones, the Ronettes, the Crystals, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Everly Brothers, the Righteous Brothers, and the Flying Burrito Brothers. (Phew!) His songs have been covered by as disparate artists as the Carpenters, Sonic Youth, and Ray Charles. In short, his CV is mind blowing.

Shindig TV show, 1965

Still, there's something about him that seems so nonchalant. It might be his chronically expressionless face. Or his Jerry Lee Lewis meets early Tom Waits, meets Full House-era Peter Wolf, gravelly drawl. Or the way he calmly tickles the ivories, or the way he goes about his business without the normal look at me rock star posturing. Whatever it is, it works, and although his music may be an acquired taste (it took me about twenty years), once that voice gets under your skin, you realize that there's no one who sounds quite like him. He's that guy you know who's fundamentally badass, without ever having lifted a finger.

The Wrecking Crew effect creeps out at :47

A few notes about the videos: check out the two versions of Hank Williams' "Jambalaya." The first one is from Shindig. If you can ignore the corny set, the performance is great. Now, compare that to the second version, at one of Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnics. While he seems a little buzzed, it's got a nice "it's okay, you're among friends" party vibe, that many of you have probably experienced when you've had one two many. Especially endearing is his tug on Waylon Jennings shirt when he joins them on stage (seriously, that part slays me). The other videos are equally engaging, so you might want to budget some time. By the end of them, you'll be adding him to your list.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
Leon Russell - Shoot Out At the Plantation mp3 at Newsome.org
Leon Russell - Tight Rope mp3 at Star Maker Machine
Leon Russell - Beware of Darkness mp3 at Ryan's Smashing Life
Leon Russell - Delta Lady mp3 at Leons Bio
Leon Russell - Wild Horses mp3 at Achtung Baby
Leon Russell - Crystal Closet Queen mp3 at Iron Leg (via Funky 16 Corners)
Video:
Leon Russell - Jambalaya (Shindig, '65) at YouTube
Leon Russell and Willie Nelson - Jambalaya at YouTube (with Waylon Jennings and Doug Kershaw, early 70s)
Leon Russell - High Heel Sneakers (Shindig, '64) at YouTube
Leon Russell - Come On Into My Kitchen ('71) at YouTube
Leon Russell - A Song For You ('71) at YouTube
Leon Russell - Crystal Closet Queen ('71) at YouTube
Leon Russell - Jumpin' Jack Flash/Youngblood, Concert For Bangladesh ('71) at YouTube With George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and many others.
Leon Russell with J.J. Cale - Corrina, Corrina ('79) at YouTube
Leon Russell - White Lightning ('79) at YouTube (Yes!)
Leon Russell, Willie Nelson and Ray Charles - A Song For You at YouTube
Leon Russell's induction into the Rock n' Roll Hall of fame (2011) at YouTube
Visit:
Leon Russell - Bio at Leon Russell Records
Leon Russell at Wikipedia
Semi-related:
How Was Work Today? - Earlier post about the Wrecking Crew

HOW WAS WORK TODAY?

A week or so ago, I went back and forth with a guy I know in the comments section of a recent post. He turned me on to a site about the Wrecking Crew, the elite crew of LA studio aces used in a whole lot of 60's hits, and a huge part of Spector's Wall of Sound. If it sounds like a boring subject, consider drummer Hal Blaine's quote, from the trailer of a recent documentary: "We came into the studio, with Levis and T-shirts, smoking cigarettes, and the older guys said 'They're going to wreck the music business'." They were upstarts, young studio hot shots, right at the time the music industry moved west. Just a partial list of Wrecking Crew members included Glen Campbell, Barney Kessel, Tommy Tedesco, Al Casey, Billy Strange, James Burton, Jerry Cole, Carol Kaye, Leon Russell, Mac Rebennack (Dr. John), Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, and Jim Gordon.

Clockwise, from top left: Tommy Tedesco, Carol Kaye, Glen Campbell and Hal Blaine

They were on tons of records that you know well, very well. Everything from Sonny & Cher, all of Phil Spector's stuff, the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, Herb Albert (they were the TJ Brass), the Monkees, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Sam Cooke, Davie Allan (!), the Mamas and Papas, the Association, and a bunch of faceless instrumental bands (among them, the Marketts, and the T-Bones), and that's just a few. Their discography is mindblowingly immense (for a sample, see bassist Carol Kaye's discography here). If you're at all into unsung musicians, the story of the Wrecking Crew is quite a different tack than the "born in a log cabin, died penniless" thing. Though rarely listed on album credits, they did more than alright. Carol Kaye said that one year she did so much session work, she pulled in more than the President of the United States. But you never heard of her, right? Now you have.



There's a few links below that go into detail about their entire history, and the one thing that's remarkable is that, to many of them, the hit making was just a job. Denny Tedesco, son of Wrecking Crew guitarist Tommy Tedesco, said that his dad would get a call from a producer and be off to the studio, without any fanfare. He had no idea the number of hits that his dad played on. And a clip at YouTube relates how guitarist Billy Strange got the call for the Beach Boys' "Sloop John B" session, but had to pick up his kid. So, he picked up his kid, stopped by a music store to buy a twelve string that was needed, and showed up, kid in tow. After the session, Brian Wilson paid him $500 and paid for the guitar. A neat divergence is the "Behind the Sounds" channel at YouTube, where someone has posted annotated videos, describing the recording process of several of the cuts from the Beach Boy's Pet Sounds LP, with the Wrecking Crew. All sorts of oddball factoid text rolls while you listen to outtakes, including who played what, and who muffed what take. Pet Sounds was recorded at Western Recorders with Brian Wilson arranging and producing, while the rest of the Beach Boys were dilly-dallying on tour in Europe.

While most of the songs below are probably bordering on the overly familiar, you ought to listen to a few back to back, and dig how the faceless hit machine worked. Sure, Phil Spector, Jack Nitzsche, Brian Wilson and Lee Hazelwood (and other legendary producers and arrangers of the time) all heard sounds in their heads. But, would the string of hits have happened without the top notch talents of the Wrecking Crew? They were the consummate studio musicians. Frank Sinatra's "Strangers In the Night" was rehearsed 15 times before Sinatra showed up at the studio. Once Sinatra stepped up, there were only three takes recorded. And the first take was the one that became the hit. Yeah, just another day at the office.

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The Ronettes - Be My Baby mp3 at Love My Oldies

The Crystals - And Then He Kissed Me mp3 at The Cadillac of Winter

Sonny & Cher - The Beat Goes On mp3 at The Brother Love

The Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice mp3 at St Kilians1966

The Monkees - I'm A Believer mp3 at Songs You Need To Know

Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made For Walking mp3 at Beware of the Blog

Sam Cooke - Another Saturday Night mp3 at Sound Salvation Army

Elvis Presley - I Can't Help Falling In Love With You mp3 at North and Nadine

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass- Casino Royale mp3 at Time Travel Is Possible

The Fifth Dimension - Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In mp3 at KLG.CPS.com

The Mamas and Papas - California Dreamin' mp3 at Ock Stomping Meteorock

Frank Sinatra - Strangers In The Night mp3 at Blue Moon Bar

More info:

The Wrecking Crew - Documentary site

Excellent, lengthy feature at American Heritage

The Wrecking Crew at Wikipedia

The Forgotten 60's - Various Wrecking Crew anecdotes

Behind the Sounds channel at YouTube

Carol Kaye's discography as bassist

Other posts about studios & producers:

The Sound Of Studio One

Produced By Jack Nitzsche

Give The Producer Some

Don't Know Jim Dickinson?

Special thanks to Tim LaMadrid, for the nudge.