The Wrecking Crew

The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret

By: Kent Hartman

Narrated by: Dan John Miller

Audie Award Winner, History, 2013

If you were a fan of popular music in the 1960s and early '70s, you were a fan of the Wrecking Crew - whether you knew it or not.

On hit record after hit record, by everyone from the Byrds, the Beach Boys, and the Monkees to the Grass Roots, the 5th Dimension, Sonny & Cher, and Simon & Garfunkel, this collection of West Coast studio musicians from diverse backgrounds established themselves as the driving sound of pop music - sometimes over the objection of actual band members forced to make way for Wrecking Crew members.

Industry insider Kent Hartman tells the dramatic, definitive story of the musicians who forged a reputation throughout the business as the secret weapons behind the top recording stars. Mining invaluable interviews, the author follows the careers of such session masters as drummer Hal Blaine and keyboardist Larry Knechtel, as well as trailblazing bassist Carol Kaye, who went on to play in thousands of recording sessions. Listeners will discover the Wrecking Crew members who would forge careers in their own right, including Glen Campbell and Leon Russell, and learn of the relationship between the Crew and such legends as Phil Spector and Jimmy Webb.

Hartman also takes us inside the studio for the legendary sessions that gave us Pet Sounds, Bridge Over Troubled Water, and the rock classic “Layla”, which Wrecking Crew drummer Jim Gordon cowrote with Eric Clapton for Derek and the Dominos. And the author recounts priceless scenes, such as Mike Nesmith of the Monkees facing off with studio head Don Kirshner, Grass Roots lead guitarist (and future star of The Office) Creed Bratton getting fired from the group, and Michel Rubini unseating Frank Sinatra's pianist for the session in which the iconic singer improvised the hit-making ending to “Strangers in the Night”.

The Wrecking Crew tells the collective, behind-the-scenes stories of the artists who dominated Top-40 radio during the most exciting time in American popular culture.

©2012 Kent Hartman (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"[ The Wrecking Crew] has the...potent excitement of a collection of greatest hits. It makes good music sound better." (Janet Maslin, The New York Times)

Easy Listening

If you could sum up The Wrecking Crew in three words, what would they be?

light, enjoyable, informative

What other book might you compare The Wrecking Crew to and why?

Atlantic Records: The House the Ahmet Built

What three words best describe Dan John Miller’s performance?

competent, corny

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

The anecdotes that make up this book were amusing, and I learned a lot about the music studio scene in LA in the 60s and early 70s. If you like pop music trivia, you'll probably enjoy it. On the other hand, I thought the writing was pretty hackneyed and unnecessarily repetitive. The performance was ok, but I was sort of annoyed that Dan John Miller read all quotes from women in exactly the same soft, high-pitched voice. He sort of did the same thing with some of the men, trying to distinguish voices but not really pulling it off -- Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, and Phil Spector, for instance, sound exactly the same. I enjoyed this audiobook overall, though.

Great book.. Enjoyed it

Easy listening and interesting. It was fun to find out about the early music that I loved.

Brilliant!

This is a side of music that I never knew much about. I had heard about the Wrecking Crew but never knew much about them!

This book is a must for anyone who love the music of the 1960s and the 1970s!

Very intriguing story

Several times I found myself sitting in the car listening after I arrived, not wanting to stop the audio. it's that good.

Much better than I anticipated! Yea

More information was covered than was received from the wrecking crew documentary of the same name.

Fascinating Story Well Told

What made the experience of listening to The Wrecking Crew the most enjoyable?

Bought this book after watching the documentary and found that it contains many more stories and interesting details than the documentary (which was equally good). Who knew?

What other book might you compare The Wrecking Crew to and why?

I can't think of another book to compare this to - it is unique.

What about Dan John Miller???s performance did you like?

Good voice well paced.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wish.

Any additional comments?

Anyone who likes rock and roll would like this book.

For Music Fans

I was in my 20's during the time period covered in this book. I remember all of these songs very well. As much as I loved music, I didn't have much talent for it. I believe that is why I have so much appreciation and respect for people who are excellent musicians. I attended many concerts. All I needed to be entertained was a good band who could play well in a live show. I had the pleasure of seeing Leon Russell (part of the Wrecking Crew) perform live with his own band. I remember it as one of the best live performances I ever saw.

The performance by Dan John Miller is very good.

Terrific stories of 60’s & 70’s hits

If you thought the Monkee’s were the only 60’s band that didn’t play on their own recordings, you’re quite wrong. Most of those bands played on the road but their studio recordings were played by session musicians. In LA the hot players were informally known as the Wrecking Crew and here are the stories of the great records they cut. If you lived & loved the music of this era and you want to know how these great tunes were made, this us the book for you! NOTE: There is also a wonderful 2 hr documentary movie available by the same name where you see some of these players and hear their work. Highly recommend that, too!

The Hidden Treasures of Rock

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I already have. It is such a detailed and captivating look behind the scenes of recording studio "magic" in the early days. I learned so much that I did not know.

What other book might you compare The Wrecking Crew to and why?

Canyon Road, about the music scene in LA during the same time period.

Which character – as performed by Dan John Miller – was your favorite?

Definately the main drummer, whose name escapes me at the moment. He was involved in most of the hit songs and his input was included in many too.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When technology had really taken over the recording studio and Phil Spector gave up on trying to produce his Wall of Sound. It showed a time when the old style of studio work was gone, with the new technology not even allowing for it to be reproduced.

Any additional comments?

Just a great read, or listen in my case. I have a strong desire to learn as much as I can about the early rock artists, their lives, methods, and feelings through this golden age, late 1960's - mid to late 1970's.

If you love music

If you love music and it’s history this book is for you. The story of how music was made is both interesting and kind of sad. Those you grew to love to here play may not have been who you thought.