Behind the Curtain: The Wrecking Crew, Part 3 - Keyboardists & Others

[@Billytomtom18]

Thank You both for bringing a lot trivia for the Wrecking Crew. I watched the whole KZbin Documentary several times and I seem to pickup parts of stories from a large part of the Wrecking Crew. I think it was made by Tommy Tadesco’s son. It sort of a reunion around a poker table, with many clips of the sessions. This generation of very talented young musicians sharing funny stories. Talking about Billy Preston, in 1975 the Rolling Stones played MSG for 6 nights and Billy Preston played every night as I recall ? I attended all 6 nights. The Stage was called the LOTUS STAGE, which opened up like a flower 🌸 I remember Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton did cameo’s for opening night and the closing night. It was the first time the Stones performed Sympathy for the Devil since the death at Altamont Speedway. That stage was so huge I think I read that it was only used in NYC & LA. One of the amazing things was that MSG tickets in the Red Section were $12.50. So for the 6 nights it cost a total of $75.00 dollars. One of a favorite memory was when they performed ‘Star Fu**er’. The stage had giant hot air Dildo and Mick actually riding it as it waves over the Audience. Oh btw there’s a clip of it on KZbin. But getting back to the Wrecking Crew, as they sit around the poker table and sharing funny stories, but more importantly many of them talk about the lyic’s they added to so many songs. According to the Documentary they were always pulling gags on each other. But like you said not many musicians could handle jumping from studio to studio, so these gags probably relied much of the stress. I Thank You both for details and trivia I never knew, so much Musical History was made by this group of extraordinary musicians ☮️💯🎶👍🎸🎵🥁🎹☮️ What a musical Generation ✌️

[@peterdefabio9470]

I agree with you on The Monkees. When I grew up with The Monkees, even though young, we all knew the talk about how they didn't play their own instruments and how this was a knock against them. This was not a secret even back then. I feel they were still very talented, and they did just as much as any other artist that had The Wrecking Crew behind them. It was still the voices of Mickey Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Davy Jones doing lead vocals on their hits. Michael Nesmith did do some composing and producing when The Monkees first started. It's a fascinating story, but I feel they did get treated unfairly in this regard.

[@EarlT357]

Yes, that was when nobody KNEW about the studio muscians' contributions to the entire music industry! We all thought our favorite bands just showed up in a studio with THEIR instruments and started recording after some practice! But as one wag said, "I later found out that nine of ten of my favorite drummers were Hal Blaine!"

[@drmarkintexas-400]

🏆🏆🏆👍🇺🇲 🙏. Thank you for sharing

[@rvd1269]

Leon Russell also went to high school with David Gates of Bread in Oklahoma.

[@steveanddaves6530]

Indeed. Both attended Will Rogers High School -- located in Tulsa's Turner Park neighborhood, a few blocks east of the downtown district. Not surprisingly, Russell and Gates were strong music students, and frequently played in school bands together while at Will Rogers. As you're suggesting, Tulsa has a rich musical heritage.

[@sharrongrant6240]

Leon was roaring drunk when he showed up for the session and was talking a lot, according to Cher he seldom spoke, when Phil wanted to start recording. Asked Leon if he knew what the word respect meant and Leon answered from on top of his piano, fuck you! Then climbed down and walked out!!

[@steveanddaves6530]

Indeed. That's one of the all-time stores about Leon Russell. And Cher tells it well. It's interesting how Leon changed from the early 1960s to the late 1960s/early 1970s -- as he became, of course, the go-to man if you were putting on a big show (i.e. the Concert for Bangladesh) or a big rock band for a tour (i.e. Joe Cocker's Mad Dog and Englishmen adventure).

[@Slinkygal]

Leon's response to Spector was "Do you know what the word f..k you means?"

[@Billytomtom18]

I recall Tommy Tadesco saying regarding the credits was saying that he got paid Union Scale whether the song was a hit or it was scrapped on the edit floor, so I think that he understood that it was his job, despite bringing much more to the compilation ?

[@martynflynn8368]

Well, I was hoping after part 1 that the guy in the cap would have maybe cottoned on to his malfunctioning mike but no, part 2 is more of the same with his mike dropping out intermittently and here we are in part 3 and still just as bad. Get a new mic, jeeeeeeeezzzzzz!!!

[@rodneylee4026]

Recording studios seemed very clinical and sterile back then. They all seemed so serious like scientists or NASA. Strange.

[@steveanddaves6530]

We would largely agree. Part of this was that studios in LA were almost an assembly line -- one song after the next. And, of course, time was money. The Wrecking Crew musicians were a lively bunch, but when they were on the clock, it was (mostly) all business -- and that most have led to a somewhat sterile atmosphere.

[@recordguy4321]

HA HA

[@josephhansard7469]

No disrespect but your story about Leon getting into it with Spector isn't near correct. Look up the way Cher tells the story and it's quite funny and the truth of really what happened. It's quite the story. Leon was fantastic multi instrumentalist but his piano talents were unmatched.