Book review: The Wrecking Crew - Kent Hartman

Over the last couple of days I have been reading the book you can see above. Can you see it? It looks great. The book is about a group of famous studio musicians in Los Angeles during the 60s known as the Wrecking crew. Some of the musicians in the "group" were Hal Blaine (drums), Glen Campbell (guitar) Tommy Tedesco (Guitar), Leon Russell (piano) and the remarkable Carol Kaye (Bass). All in all it was a group of 20 - 25 musicians that more or less played on all of the recordings. They became the producers favorite musicians and got hired to play on more or less all of Brian Wilsons and Phil Spectors recordings. Some of the artists they recorded with were the Mamas and the Papas, Monkees, Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds (Mr Tambourine man), Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sonny & Cher and many many more.

This was in the era of the Pop orchestra where you would have three or four guitarists, two or three bass players, three keyboardplayers, one drummer and additional percussionists and then there might be strings and horns on top. The idea was to get the mix of the instruments right in the room before committing to tape. Quite the opposite than how people work today where everything is more or less recorded separately.

The amazing Carol Kaye. 

This is the woman who plays those first notes on Wichita Lineman, 

one of my favorite songs of all time.

For fans of Spector, Jimmy Webb and Brian Wilson the book is definitely a good inspirational read. I would of course have loved to have maybe more in depth details about the recordings but the focus is more on the fact that how this relatively little anonymous group played on more or less all of the recordings and who they were. This makes the book obviously a lot more accessible for people who are not musicians, producers, studioowners or recording nerds.  

One thing that is not that great is that 25% of the book is footnotes at the end so it ends kind of weird.

If you are curious to find out more about these amazing people check out youtube for clips and interviews. I did it a couple of times while reading and hearing their voices and seeing the people in real life makes all the difference.

I give this book the rating of two blue flamingos, a half eaten sandwich and a santa claus Pez.

Sorry about the overdosing on Carol Kaye pictures but she just looks toooo cool.

NP: Stumbleine - Smashing Pumpkins

Time off/Time on

I have realized that I have issue with having time off. I dont mind it....its not like that at all. Its great getting some serious sleep and having time off with wife and kids....My "problem" is that when I have had a couple of days off the ideas start coming...I start making lists and start to fomulate schedules and Ideas. I try to back off from everyday work in the studio and try to see the bigger Picture. What is important and what should I spend more time on. Weirder? Wider? and maybe most importantly When? It doesnt help when my wife bought me a Kindle (one of those bookpads) and I started reading Nick Kents The dark stuff (which is about rock musicians...first chapter was about Brian Wilson). Very inspiring stuff.

Another problem is that I have recorded an album which is about sleep. Ive read a couple of books on the subject....watched ted talks and seen documentaries, But this means that even my sleeptime is material for an album.I write down my dreams and discuss them with my wife. Last night (in my Dream) I went to Änglagårds rehearsalroom to pick something up. I found an album I had played on and they had released it without telling me. They had put their new drummer on the cover and wrote (live) after his name. Really annoying. I went out into a little coffeearea where I sat down and there I met Clint Eastwood. He was terribly nice and was very friendly. We sat and talked for a while and then Änglagård dropped by and I confronted them about the album. They were very embarrassed, they thought I would never find out.

This will not end up in a lyric....or will it?

I have five albums that are more or less finished and will be done probably by February. I had hoped to have them finished already but that apparently wasnt going to happen. I also have two or three dormant projects that I could revive but its always so much more alluring and sexy to start something new. One thing that I learnt this summer was to try and finish stuff more than bouncing around. I counted my projects and I think the total number was 24 which means that if I would work one day on every project in a revolving Schedule...Id never finish.

Anyways....here is the first film I made in 2013. Which rockets my mind....I should make a Mellotron frame set with the VCS3. Or maybe an ep of VCS3 Music. Vocalists....who should I ask? What should the title be? Should it be futuristic? Maybe Metropolis related.....and then Im off again.

Time is limited. Ideas are not.

Making a small boat sound with the VCS3