The Wrecking Crew

You might not recognize the names Tommy Tedesco, Carol Kaye, Bob Pittman, Plas Johnson, and Hal Blaine. But if you were fans of The Beach Boys, Sonny & Cher, Herb Alpert, and other 60s rock legends whose records sold millions, you definitely know their music. They were members of THE WRECKING CREW, a tight-knit community of Los Angeles studio musicians who played behind the stars and helped create some of the biggest hits of that decade. In this documentary, filmmaker Denny Tedesco, son of the famed studio guitarist Tommy Tedesco, focuses his camera on the studio musicians – guitarists Kaye and Pittman, sax player Johnson and drummer Blaine among others–and lets them tell their stories of the ups and downs of a professional life where it wasn't unusual to record four songs in three hours. Or play at three or four recording sessions in one day. They worked constantly, but without fame and recognition. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Cher, Nancy Sinatra, and Glenn Campbell (who started his career as a studio guitarist) are among the performers who talk about the impact and influence these musicians had on their lives and careers. – C.K.