"The Wrecking Crew"

The Wrecking Crew is an amazing documentary about change, innovation, humility, teamwork and sacrifice. This is not a sports documentary, but it very well could be, rather it is a documentary about a group of back-up musicians who changed the game. The old studio musicians were not adaptable. They played the notes as they were written and trained to play. They were very formulaic, stuck in their ways, why should they change it had worked before, but music was changing and the demands were changing. So along came the so-called “Wrecking Crew” a group of younger musicians many of whom had backgrounds in different genre’s of music who were completely adaptable and willing to push the envelope. They went beyond the notes as written, they made connections, looked for rhythms and tempos that other either ignored or had not seen. They realized that they could not change music by playing the same.

The results were nothing short of amazing. It was the music my generation came of age on, it was what has become the classic sounds of the rock era. They were Phil Spector’s so called “wall of sound.” Unbelievable! These guys and gals changed music and they did this all with out public recognition or acclaim. Watching the documentary it is clear that these folks had a real passion and a bond for each other that comes through loud and clear in their music. I found this documentary very inspirational, I could not help but think of all my coaching colleagues who labored in the background and changed sport without recognition. I tip my hat to them and the Wrecking Crew as I listen to the Beach Boys station on Pandora.

These are songs that some of the Wrecking Crew members recorded in Los Angeles in the 50s, 60s and 70s:

5th Dimension
Let the Sunshine In/Aquarius
Stoned Soul Picnic
Up-Up and Away
One Less Bell to Answer

Association
Windy
Never My Love

Beach Boys
California Girls
Don’t Worry Baby
Fun Fun Fun  
God Only Knows  
Good Vibrations  
I Get Around  
Sloop John B  

Byrds
Mr. Tamborine Man  

Glen Campbell
By The Time I Get to Phoenix  
Galveston  
Gentle on My Mind  
Wichita Lineman  

Captain and Tennille
Love Will Keep Us Together

Carpenters
Close to You
We’ve Only Just Begun

Cher
Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves
Half-Breed

Chipmunks
Chipmunks Theme

Nat King Cole
Ramblin’ Rose

Sam Cooke
Twistin’ the Night Away
You Send Me

Crystals
Then He Kissed Me
Da Doo Ron Ron
He’s A Rebel

Bobby Day
Rock-in Robin

Defenders
Taco Wagon

Shelly Fabares
Johnny Angel

Richard Harris
MacArthur Park

Jan & Dean
Dead Man’s Curve
Surf City
Little Old Lady (From Pasadena)

Gary Lewis and the Playboys
Everybody Loves a Clown
Sure Gonna Miss Her
This Diamond Ring

Barry McGuire
Eve of Destruction

Mamas & Papas
California Dreamin’
Creeque Alley
Dedicated to the One I Love
Monday, Monday

Henry Mancini
The Pink Panther Theme

Marketts
Balboa Blue
Outer Limits
Surfer’s Stomp

Dean Martin
Everybody Loves Somebody

Scott McKenzie
San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)

Monkees
Mary Mary
Valleri

Chris Montez
Let’s Dance

Ricky Nelson
Fools Rush In

Wayne Newton
Danke Schoen

Jack Nitzsche
The Lonely Surfer

Harry Nilsson
Everybody’s Talkin’

Partridge Family
Come on Get Happy

Elvis Presley
A Little Less Conversation
Viva Las Vegas

Paul Revere & the Raiders
Indian Reservation

Righteous Brothers
Unchained Melody
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’

Rip Chords
Hey Little Cobra

Johnny Rivers
Poor Side of Town

Tommy Roe
Dizzy

Ronettes
Be My Baby
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Routers
Let’s Go

The Sandpipers
Guantanamera

Lalo Schifrin
Mission Impossible

Simon and Garfunkel
Mrs. Robinson

Frank Sinatra
Strangers in the Night
That’s Life

Nancy Sinatra
These Boots Were Made for Walkin’
Drummer Man

Sonny and Cher
The Beat Goes On
I Got You Babe

T-Bones
No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach’s In)

Nino Tempo & April Stevens
Deep Purple

Tijuana Brass
The Lonely Bull  
Spanish Flea  
Taste of Honey  
Whipped Cream  
Zorba the Greek  

Ike and Tina Turner
River Deep Mountain High

Ritchie Valens
Donna

Bobby Vee
The Night Has a Thousand Eyes

Ventures
Hawaii 5-O

Mason Williams
Classical Gas

Roger Williams
Born Free