The Ron Hicklin Singers were a group of Los Angeles studio singers contracted and organized by Ron Hicklin. They are mostly known as the real singers behind the background vocals on The Partridge Family recordings.
84-506: In Los Angeles studio circles in the 1960s through 1980s, they were the vocal equivalent of (and often worked with) The Wrecking Crew , performing backup vocals on thousands of songs, TV and movie themes, and as lead (while remaining anonymous) singers on thousands of radio and television commercials. The core group usually consisted of (by voice type ): However, this core group was often augmented with other specialist vocalists such as: The group performed themes for major motion pictures in
168-424: A 1973 special promoting Lost Horizon . The 5th Dimension made appearances on Soul Train , American Bandstand , The Flip Wilson Show , The Mike Douglas Show , The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson , and The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour . In 1975, McCoo and Davis, who had married on July 26, 1969, left the group to do collective and individual projects. The duo had success with "Your Love" and
252-646: A Groovy Thing " went to No. 20 in between. Those four singles kept the group on the Hot 100 for all but four weeks in 1969. By some reckonings, "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" was the biggest hit single for 1969. Later top 20 hits included 1970's "One Less Bell to Answer" (U.S. No. 2), 1971's " Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes " (U.S. No. 19) and " Never My Love " (U.S. No. 12), and 1972's " (Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All " (U.S. No. 8) and " If I Could Reach You " (U.S. No. 10). The group had seven other top 40 hits,
336-793: A U.S. number 1 hit song in 1963, " Deep Purple ", was also a member of the Wrecking Crew and played saxophone in the Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and later appeared on John Lennon 's Rock 'n' Roll album. Other saxophonists who played sessions with the Wrecking Crew were Jackie Kelso , Jay Migliori , Gene Cipriano , Bill Green, and Allan Beutler. On trombone were Richard "Slyde" Hyde , Lew McCreary, and Dick Nash and on trumpet Bud Brisbois , Roy Caton , Chuck Findley , Ollie Mitchell , and Tony Terran . Tommy Morgan played harmonica on Wrecking Crew-backed tracks such as "The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena)". When backing vocals were needed
420-469: A breakthrough hit for them. The song was a John Phillips tune and reached No. 16 on the US Hot 100 chart. The group followed this with "Up, Up and Away", which reached No. 7 later that same year and went on to win five Grammy Awards . The following year, the group scored major hit singles with Laura Nyro 's songs " Stoned Soul Picnic " (U.S. No. 3) and " Sweet Blindness " (U.S. No. 13). The group received
504-742: A career spanning more than 50 years. Joe Osborn played bass on numerous Wrecking Crew-backed songs, such as Glen Campbell's " By the Time I Get to Phoenix ", the Mamas & the Papas' "California Dreamin ' ", Richard Harris ' " MacArthur Park ", and the 5th Dimension 's " Up, Up and Away ". Other notable electric bassists who played with the Wrecking Crew were Bill Pitman , Max Bennett , Red Callender , Chuck Rainey , and Bob West, as well as Jimmy Bond , Lyle Ritz , and Chuck Berghofer , who played acoustic upright bass. Drummer Earl Palmer contributed to
588-559: A circle of keyboardists who contributed piano and organ parts to many of the famous songs of the era. Larry Knechtel , later in Bread , was a multi-instrumentalist who played keyboards on "California Dreamin ' ", " Bridge Over Troubled Water " and " Classical Gas ", as well as upright bass on " Eve of Destruction " and electric bass on Byrds' " Mr. Tambourine Man ". Mike Melvoin , a classically trained pianist with an English degree from Dartmouth College, played organ and piano on many tracks on
672-620: A gold record for their album Stoned Soul Picnic . That album included "California Soul", which peaked at No. 25 in February 1969. Weeks later the group's success broke wide open, with " Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In " from the musical Hair topping the Hot 100 for six straight weeks in April and May and another Nyro song, "Wedding Bell Blues", doing the same for the first three full weeks in November. Their cover of Neil Sedaka 's " Workin' On
756-528: A handful of hits in the 1960s with the Wrecking Crew, including Phil Spector-produced tracks such as Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin ' " in 1964, and Ike and Tina Turner's " River Deep – Mountain High " in 1966. Hal Blaine , with his abundance of musical skills, personality, and charisma, is also mentioned as having a prominent role in the Wrecking Crew's success during their heyday. Though he had played primarily big band and jazz, he took
840-534: A history that it largely created, imperfectly acknowledged but perfectly present in hundreds of American pop songs known to all." In 2008, the Wrecking Crew were featured in the documentary film The Wrecking Crew , directed by Tommy Tedesco's son, Denny Tedesco. In 2014, its musicians were depicted in the Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy (playing the instrumental track Pet Sounds). Two of their members, drummers Hal Blaine and Earl Palmer , were among
924-891: A jingle at four, then we're on a date with somebody at eight, then the Beach Boys at midnight, and you do that five days a week ... jeez, man, you get burned out." Campbell went on to become one of country music's most popular performers during the 1970s with hits such as " Rhinestone Cowboy " and the Allen Toussaint -penned " Southern Nights ". By the mid-1970s many of the Wrecking Crew's members scattered and drifted into different spheres. Some members, such as Carol Kaye , Tony Terran , Gary L. Coleman, Earl Palmer and Tommy Tedesco, switched to television and motion picture soundtrack work. Leon Russell and Mac Rebennack (as Dr. John ) both went on to become successful solo artists and songwriters, enjoying hit singles and albums during
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#17327876414431008-609: A job in Tommy Sands ' rockabilly group in the late 1950s, discovering a newfound appreciation for rock and roll, which by the beginning of the new decade led to session work in Los Angeles studios, where he became acquainted with Earl Palmer and saxophonist Steve Douglas . Blaine played on Elvis Presley 's 1961 hit " Can't Help Falling in Love ". Shortly thereafter, he began playing on sessions for Phil Spector, quickly becoming
1092-406: A label that was only just beginning to embrace rock. Lou Adler was one of Los Angeles' top music executives and produced records by acts such as Jan and Dean and the Mamas & the Papas , which were often backed by the Wrecking Crew, as on " California Dreamin ' " and " Monday, Monday ". Bones Howe had worked as an engineer under Adler and used the Wrecking Crew when he produced hits by
1176-409: A rock-and-roll song came out of an L.A. recording studio from between about 1962 and 1972, the odds are good that some combination of the Wrecking Crew played the instruments. No single group of musicians has ever played on more hits in support of more stars than this superbly talented—yet virtually anonymous group of men (and one woman)." According to The New Yorker , "The Wrecking Crew passed into
1260-454: A solo artist such as " By the Time I Get to Phoenix " and " Wichita Lineman ", Glen Campbell left the Wrecking Crew. Carol Kaye, exhausted from the constant pressure of the L.A. recording scene, went on to other musical endeavors. According to guitarist Bill Pitman, "You leave the house at seven o'clock in the morning, and you're at Universal at nine till noon; now you're at Capitol Records at one, you just got time to get there, then you got
1344-415: A variety of percussion instruments and contributed to works such as the soundtrack of the musical Hair and Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water album. Some of the other Wrecking Crew percussionists were Julius Wechter , Milt Holland, Gene Estes, and Victor Feldman . Drummer Jim Keltner is sometimes mentioned in connection with the Wrecking Crew, because he befriended Hal Blaine in
1428-460: A young Phil Spector, before Spector formed the Teddy Bears , who went on to record the surprise hit " To Know Him Is to Love Him " in 1958. Pitman ended up playing on Spector-produced records in the 1960s such as " Be My Baby " by the Ronettes . He can be heard on numerous hits from the period such as " The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena) " by Jan & Dean , and " Mr. Tambourine Man " by
1512-708: Is also a songwriter of renown, having penned the Bobby Sherman hit " Julie, Do Ya Love Me " and Michael Jackson 's " She's Out of My Life ". Ron Hicklin himself retired from the business in the mid-1990s, and lives in Vonore, Tennessee and Ko Olina (on Oahu ) with his wife, Trudi. Partial chronological list of albums containing one or more cuts with one or more Ron Hicklin Singers: There were in addition multiple albums for each below: The Wrecking Crew (music) The Wrecking Crew , also known as
1596-464: Is reputed to have played on more than 140 top-ten hits, including approximately 40 number-one hits. Other members included the drummer Earl Palmer , the saxophonist Steve Douglas , the guitarist Tommy Tedesco , and the keyboardist Larry Knechtel , who became a member of Bread . Blaine and Palmer were among the inaugural "sidemen" inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and the Wrecking Crew
1680-615: The Lennon Sisters , still tours in casinos and resorts around the country as part of an extensive nostalgia circuit, bringing music of the 1940s and 1950s to a new audience. Tom Bähler, a long-time close associate of composer Quincy Jones as well as being associate producer and arranger of " We Are the World ", lives in California's Santa Ynez Valley north of Los Angeles and continues to occasionally produce as well as record. He
1764-559: The RCA recording facility, which was located on Sunset Boulevard near Wallichs Music City , a music store that often supplied instruments for L.A. session players. Like all session musicians who worked in Los Angeles, the Wrecking Crew's members belonged to the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), Local 47, which represented their interests in areas such as pay scale and enforcement of regulations. The name "Wrecking Crew"
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#17327876414431848-575: The Ron Hicklin Singers were called in. Several members of the Wrecking Crew played in the house band for 1964's T.A.M.I. Show , which was captured on film and sent to theaters around the country. Seen in camera shots showing the right-hand side of the stage are musical director Jack Nitzsche, Hal Blaine, Jimmy Bond, Tommy Tedesco, Bill Aken, Glen Campbell, Lyle Ritz, Leon Russell, Plas Johnson, among others, all providing incidental music and backing for many of acts such as Chuck Berry ,
1932-606: The chart topper " You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show) ", which won them their seventh Grammy award as well as their own television variety show, The Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. show. Marilyn McCoo served a lengthy 1980s stint as the host of the TV show Solid Gold . As of April 2009 , the group was actively touring as "the 5th Dimension featuring Florence LaRue," led by LaRue, with Willie Williams, Leonard Tucker, Patrice Morris and Floyd Smith. On June 21, 2016,
2016-536: The producer's preferred drummer, and, along with Earl Palmer, became one of the two top session drummers in Los Angeles. Blaine is reputed to have played on over 140 top ten hits including approximately 40 No. 1 hits, such as " I Got You Babe " by Sonny & Cher, " Mr Tambourine Man " by the Byrds, and " Strangers in the Night " by Frank Sinatra, as well as numerous others and has been mentioned by Drummerworld as perhaps
2100-494: The 1960s and early 1970s featured the backing of the Wrecking Crew, such as " Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves " produced by Snuff Garrett in 1971. Jimmy Bowen produced Frank Sinatra's " Strangers in the Night " in 1966 and Mike Post produced Mason Williams ' 1968 hit " Classical Gas ", both of which were backed by members of the Wrecking Crew. Wrecking Crew members backed the Everly Brothers on their " The Hit Sound of
2184-436: The 1960s and would later play with the Wrecking Crew on John Lennon's Rock 'n' Roll album recorded in 1973, but he is more often associated with the later generation of session players who eclipsed the Wrecking Crew in terms of popularity during the 1970s. Guitarist and sometimes bassist Bill Pitman factored prominently in much of the Wrecking Crew's work. For a brief time in the late 1950s he provided guitar lessons for
2268-563: The 1960s played on hit records by artists such as Ike and Tina Turner , Glen Campbell , Jan and Dean , the Righteous Brothers , the Beach Boys , the Ronettes , the Everly Brothers , and Sonny & Cher . Pohlman was one of the first session musicians in Los Angeles to use an electric bass in recordings, and by the early 1960s became highly sought after in rock recordings, playing on many records by Jan and Dean and
2352-444: The 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The group also sang the themes for major hit-TV shows of the period: In addition, they sang many commercial vocals, including United States advertising campaigns for: Radio and television station-ID jingle companies throughout the last four decades of the 20th century used the group in their productions, including: The group also sang on recordings credited to: The Bähler Brothers were part of
2436-585: The 1969 number one " Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) " — won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year . Other big hits include " Stoned Soul Picnic " (no. 3), " Wedding Bell Blues " (no. 1), " One Less Bell to Answer " (no. 2), a cover of " Never My Love " (pop no. 12/ Easy Listening no. 1), " (Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All " (no. 8), and " If I Could Reach You " (pop no. 10/ Easy Listening no. 1). Three of their records reached
2520-538: The 1970s. Jim Keltner went on to a successful career as a session drummer for much of the 1970s–90s; he played in Ringo Starr 's All-Starr band and was the drummer on both albums by the supergroup Traveling Wilburys , where he is credited as "Buster Sidebury". Beginning in 1973 he hosted a regular weekly jam session at Los Angeles clubs called "the Jim Keltner Fan Club" frequented by many of
2604-534: The 5th Dimension featuring Florence LaRue performed in The Villages, Florida just days after the Orlando nightclub shooting . LaRue took the opportunity to share her thoughts on the shooting: "We will not be terrorized. We know what's happening in the world, but this is a song about good health, love, peace and happiness. We still believe in those things today," she stated before the group performed "Aquarius/Let
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2688-494: The Association (including " Windy ", " Everything That Touches You ", and " Never My Love ") and the 5th Dimension (including " Up, Up and Away ", " Stoned Soul Picnic ", and " Aquarius "). Sonny and Cher recorded several Wrecking Crew-backed hits including " I Got You Babe " and " The Beat Goes On ", which were produced by Sonny Bono , who had previously worked as Phil Spector's aide. Many of Cher 's solo records in
2772-522: The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds , played organ on " Good Vibrations ", and performed on keyboards on many of the sessions for the Beach Boys' never-completed SMiLe album. Don Randi contributed the piano part on Barry McGuire's 1965 hit "Eve of Destruction". Before becoming a solo artist, Leon Russell was a regular member of the Wrecking Crew and played on the Ronettes' "Be My Baby", and Jan & Dean's "The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena)." New Orleans' Mac Rebennack (later Dr. John) did session work with
2856-685: The Beach Boys. In 1962, Phil Spector started a new label, Philles Records , and recorded the song " He's a Rebel ", which would be credited to the Crystals . He enlisted the aid of his high-school friend, saxophonist Steve Douglas, who was also working as a contractor in charge of recruiting musicians for recording sessions. Douglas helped him corral the backing unit, which included Pohlman, guitarists Roberts and Tommy Tedesco , pianist Al De Lory , upright bassist Jimmy Bond , and Hal Blaine on drums. They booked Studio A at Gold Star Studios , known for its deeply reverberant echo chambers , which became
2940-455: The Byrds ' debut rendition of Bob Dylan 's " Mr. Tambourine Man " (1965), the first two albums by the Monkees , and the Beach Boys ' 1966 album Pet Sounds . The Wrecking Crew's contributions went largely unnoticed until the publication of Blaine's memoir and the attention that followed. The keyboardist Leon Russell and the guitarist Glen Campbell became popular solo acts, while Blaine
3024-558: The Byrds. Tommy Tedesco , born in an Italian family in Niagara Falls, New York, was another one of the Wrecking Crew's most renowned guitarists, playing along with Pitman on "Be My Baby" and "The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena)", as well as on the Champs " Limbo Rock ". He provided the flamenco-influenced guitar licks in the 5th Dimension's "Up and Away" as well as the guitar intro to the popular M*A*S*H theme . Billy Strange
3108-550: The Clique and the First Call Gang , was a loose collective of American session musicians based in Los Angeles who played on many studio recordings in the 1960s and 1970s, including hundreds of top 40 hits. The musicians were not publicly recognized at the time, but were viewed with reverence by industry insiders. They are now considered one of the most successful and prolific session recording units in history. Most of
3192-455: The Everly Brothers " (1967) and " The Everly Brothers Sing " (1968) albums. Rick Nelson used many Wrecking Crew members in various combinations, mostly during the mid-1960s, including Earl Palmer, Joe Osborn, James Burton, Tommy Tedesco, Howard Roberts, Billy Strange, Al Casey, Dennis Budimir, Glen Campbell, Don Randi, Mike Melvoin, Ray Pohlman, Chuck Berghofer, Victor Feldman, Frank Capp, and Jim Gordon. Carol Kaye provided an exception to
3276-577: The Grand Talent award in the annual Miss Bronze beauty pageant. The members began rehearsing as the Versatiles in late 1965 and auditioned for Marc Gordon, who headed Motown 's Los Angeles office. Berry Gordy , the head of Motown Records, declined the group, but Gordon still believed in them and wanted to manage them. Gordon brought them to the attention of Johnny Rivers , who had just started his own label, Soul City Records . Soul City signed
3360-708: The Grass Roots , Simon & Garfunkel , Glen Campbell , the Partridge Family , David Cassidy (in his solo work), the Carpenters , John Denver and Nat King Cole . During this heady period the unit worked long hours—15-hour days were not unusual—and were paid exceedingly well. Carol Kaye commented, "I was making more money than the President ." Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys produced and co-wrote many of his band's most famous tracks and used
3444-555: The Hollywood Golden Trio. The 5th Dimension The 5th Dimension is an American vocal group. Their music encompasses sunshine pop, pop soul, and psychedelic soul. Formed as the Versatiles in late 1965, the group changed its name to "the 5th Dimension" by 1966. Between 1967 and 1973 they charted with 20 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 , two of which – " Up, Up and Away " (no. 7, 1967) and
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3528-853: The Nashville A-Team that played on numerous country and rock hits of the era, the two groups of musicians in Memphis, the Memphis Boys and Booker T. & the M.G.s with the Memphis Horns , the musicians who backed Stax/Volt recordings, and the Funk Brothers in Detroit, who played on many Motown recordings. At the time, multi-tracking equipment, though common, was less elaborate, and instrumental backing tracks were often recorded "hot" with an ensemble playing live in
3612-554: The Night". Saxophonist Steve Douglas , who attended Fairfax High School with Phil Spector in the 1950s, got a call in 1962 to play on Spector's debut recording as a producer, "He's a Rebel", and would, from then on, become a regular fixture with the Wrecking Crew. Years later, in 1978, Douglas played on Bob Dylan 's 1978 " Street-Legal " album and accompanied Dylan on tour that year as part of his eight piece backing band. Jim Horn played both saxophone and flute, and contributed parts to numerous tracks with Wrecking Crew, such as in
3696-480: The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin ' " and Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night". He played flute in the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations" and would later become a member of John Denver 's backing band. Plas Johnson provided the saxophone line in " The Pink Panther Theme " in the Champs ' 1962 instrumental version of "Limbo Rock". Nino Tempo , who along with his sister Carol (under her stage name April Stevens ) had scored
3780-874: The Sunshine In". In November 2017, the 5th Dimension appeared for 18 performances at the Andy Williams Performing Arts Centre in Branson, Missouri , in the Andy Williams Christmas Extravaganza hosted by Jimmy Osmond . The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002. They have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , inducted August 9, 1991, and the St. Louis Walk of Fame , inducted on March 18, 2010. McCoo and Davis left
3864-538: The Supremes , Marvin Gaye , and Lesley Gore . The Wrecking Crew's level of success could not be maintained indefinitely, and their services eventually fell out of demand. Kent Hartman cites several factors in the Wrecking Crew's demise, beginning as far back as 1968 when the unit was at their peak of popularity: "By the middle of 1968, popular music was changing once again. In fact it was getting downright heavy. In
3948-475: The Wrecking Crew during the 1960s and appeared along with them on several of the Beach Boys' classics of the period such as " I Get Around " and "Help Me Rhonda". He and Hal Blaine appeared as members of Steve McQueen 's character's band in the film Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965) featuring an extremely clear moment of Campbell standing behind McQueen, but both Campbell and Blaine were uncredited in
4032-421: The Wrecking Crew served as "ghost players" on the first single by the Byrds , " Mr. Tambourine Man ", because Columbia Records —namely, producer Terry Melcher—did not feel that the group (except for Roger McGuinn , who played guitar on the single) were seasoned enough to deliver the kind of perfect take needed, particularly in light of the limited time and budget allocated to the newly signed and unproven group—on
4116-484: The Wrecking Crew's intricate backing, might have been another seed in their eventual decline: Webb's creation additionally generated another unexpected consequence, one that would begin to subtly affect the Wrecking Crew's livelihood. Because the song had broken through the AM radio barrier, it had suddenly made it okay for lengthier songs to make the playlist. And the longer each song, the fewer minutes left during each hour for
4200-463: The Wrecking Crew's talents extensively in the mid-1960s, including on songs such as " Help Me, Rhonda ", " California Girls ", and " Good Vibrations " as well as the albums Pet Sounds and Smile . Some reports falsely claim that the Wrecking Crew replaced the Beach Boys on record after their first few hits; however, this misconception derived from incomplete written documentation of the recording sessions. After audio documentation surfaced, it
4284-510: The Wrecking Crew, became the musical director for the Shindig! TV show in 1965, resulting in reduced studio work from that point on. After Pohlman's move to television, Kaye increasingly concentrated on the electric bass, becoming one of the few female "first call" players on the L.A. scene. She supplied the signature bass line in Sonny and Cher's " The Beat Goes On " released in 1967. Kaye
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#17327876414434368-459: The Wrecking crew while living in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. Mike (Michel) Rubini was the son of Jan Rubini , a classical violinist, and initially played concert piano, but later became enamored with R&B and switched to playing popular music, eventually becoming a member of the Wrecking Crew and playing on hits such as Sonny & Cher's "The Beat Goes On" and Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in
4452-540: The aftermath of the recent Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. slayings, the bloody Tet Offensive in Viet Nam, and the ever-growing level of campus unrest at universities around the country, Top 40 radio gradually began to lose step with the times." Hartman mentions that the runaway success that year of Richard Harris ' elaborate seven-minute epic hit, " MacArthur Park ", written by Jimmy Webb and featuring
4536-435: The album Then and Now which was hugely successful internationally and went platinum in 2002. More recently, they backed Glen Campbell in his song " I'm Not Gonna Miss You " taken from the soundtrack of the 2015 documentary Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me . The Wrecking Crew backed dozens of popular acts and were one of the most successful groups of studio musicians in music history. According to Kent Hartman, "... if
4620-456: The early 1970s, even enjoying several hits, but by the end of 1973 they began to experience a downturn in bookings, as a series of changes in the recording industry began to take hold. Unlike earlier bands/artists such as the Monkees , the Grass Roots , the Partridge Family and David Cassidy that often utilized the Wrecking Crew for backing tracks (and as a backing band for Cassidy's earliest concert tours of America in 1971/2), rock groups in
4704-653: The early to mid 1970s began to stipulate in their recording contracts that they be allowed to play their own instruments on records. Younger session players such as Larry Carlton , Andrew Gold , Danny Kortchmar , Waddy Wachtel , Russ Kunkel , Jeff Porcaro , Leland Sklar , and Jim Keltner had a more contemporary sound, better-suited to the changing musical tastes of the decade. By the mid-1970s, technological advances such as 16-track and 24-track tape recording machines and automated large-format multi-channel consoles made it viable for instruments to be recorded, often close-miked, onto separate tracks individually, reducing
4788-466: The film. In 1965 he toured with the Beach Boys, and in 1966 he and the Wrecking Crew played on the Pet Sounds album. Campbell enlisted the Wrecking Crew as a backup unit on many of his own solo records during the 1960s, such as on " Gentle on My Mind ", and on two songs written by Jimmy Webb , " By the Time I Get to Phoenix " and his single " Wichita Lineman ". The Wrecking Crew's ranks included
4872-494: The group can be traced to session musicians of the late 1950s including Irv Cottler , Earl Palmer , Howard Roberts , Hal Blaine and a group headed by bassist and guitarist Ray Pohlman , sometimes referred to as the "First Call Gang". Earl Palmer was originally from New Orleans and had recorded with many of the Crescent City's rhythm and blues musicians, such as Fats Domino . He moved to Los Angeles in 1957, and in
4956-554: The group's embrace of rock and roll was going to "wreck" the music industry. The unit coalesced in the early 1960s as the de facto house band for Phil Spector and helped realize his Wall of Sound production style. They became the most requested session musicians in Los Angeles, playing behind recording artists including Jan and Dean , Sonny & Cher , the Mamas and the Papas , the 5th Dimension , Frank Sinatra , and Nancy Sinatra . The musicians were sometimes used as "ghost players" on recordings credited to rock groups, such as
5040-418: The group, but Rivers insisted on a new name. Townson and his wife came up with "The 5th Dimension," and as Davis recalled later, "We all heard it, we all agreed right away, 'That’s got to be it!’" In November 1966, Soul City released their first single as the 5th Dimension, "I'll Be Lovin' You Forever". However, the song failed to chart. In 1967 the 5th Dimension recorded " Go Where You Wanna Go ," which became
5124-596: The inaugural "sidemen" inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and the entire Wrecking Crew was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2010, Blaine was elected into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame. Sources: Kent Hartman ( The Wrecking Crew ) and Robert Lloyd ("Time of the Session"; LA Weekly ) Blaine, Osborn and Knechtel were often collectively referred to as
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#17327876414435208-842: The last being 1973's " Living Together, Growing Together " (U.S. No. 32) from the film Lost Horizon . The 5th Dimension were the featured act of a July 28, 1969, CBS broadcast of highlights from the Harlem Cultural Festival , the "Black Woodstock" gathering in Mount Morris Park that drew 300,000 festival attendees over six shows. The New York Times reported the 5th Dimension show drew 60,000 alone. On August 18, 1971, their television special, The 5th Dimension Traveling Sunshine Show , first aired. The group also performed in Burt Bacharach in Shangri-La,
5292-578: The most coveted session players in Los Angeles's thriving recording scene. With them, Spector went on to produce other records by the Righteous Brothers (" You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin ' ", " Ebb Tide ", and " Unchained Melody ") and Ike and Tina Turner (" River Deep – Mountain High "). After Spector, the Wrecking Crew worked with dozens of producers, such as Brian Wilson , Terry Melcher , Lou Adler , Bones Howe , Jimmy Bowen , and Mike Post . As side players, they were teamed with artists as diverse as Jan & Dean , Bobby Vee , Nancy Sinatra ,
5376-457: The most prolific recording drummer in history. Jim Gordon began as an understudy of Blaine, but with the passage of time emerged as a first call player in the Wrecking Crew, playing on parts of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album and on hits such as " Classical Gas " and " Wichita Lineman ". Other drummers who played in the Wrecking Crew were Frank Capp , John Clauder, Forrest Draper and Joe Porcaro . Gary Coleman played vibraphone and
5460-422: The music industry. According to biographer Kent Hartman , "Some of the studio musicians I interviewed swear they heard it applied to themselves as early as 1963; others say it was later. One says it was never used at all." Blaine's memoirs, and the attention that followed, cast new light on the Wrecking Crew's role in many famous recordings. Guitarist and bassist Carol Kaye has disputed Blaine's account of
5544-417: The name and stated, "We were never known as that. Sometimes we were called 'the Clique', but "the Wrecking Crew" is a Hal Blaine invented name for his own self-promotion in 1990 ..." Songfacts stated: "We couldn't find any references to 'The Wrecking Crew' in any publications from the era." In response to Kaye's contention, Blaine denied that anyone had ever heard the name "The Clique". The beginnings of
5628-460: The need to hire ensembles to play live in the studio. Synthesizers could approximate the sound of practically any instrument. Eventually, drum machines would become the norm, which could be specially programmed to keep beats in place of a drummer or be used for click tracks played in musicians' headphones, making it easier to overdub or re-record any part in-synch and achieve a more uniform and consistent tempo. In 1969, after scoring hits as
5712-426: The players had formal backgrounds in jazz or classical music . The group had no official name in its early years, and when the name the Wrecking Crew was first used is a subject of contention. The name was in common use by April 1981 when Hal Blaine used it in an interview with Modern Drummer . The name became more widely known when Blaine used it in his 1990 memoir, attributing it to older musicians who felt that
5796-465: The predominantly male world of Los Angeles session work in the 1960s. Originally a guitarist, she began doing session work in Los Angeles in the late 1950s, playing behind Ritchie Valens on " La Bamba " and in the 1960s becoming a regular contributor on Phil Spector's recordings as well as on Beach Boys songs, such as " Help Me, Rhonda " and their subsequent Pet Sounds and Smile LPs. Ray Pohlman , who had assumed an early leadership position in
5880-448: The preferred recording facility for Spector. The unit became an essential component in developing his " Wall of Sound " style, starting with "He's a Rebel" and a series of several more hits by the Crystals (" Da Doo Ron Ron " and " Then He Kissed Me ") and other girl groups , such as the Ronettes (" Be My Baby " and " Baby, I Love You "). It was on these recordings that the Wrecking Crew emerged in their most recognizable form and became
5964-452: The service of reliable standby musicians who could be counted on to record in a variety of styles with minimal practice or takes, and deliver hits on short order. The Wrecking Crew were the "go to" session musicians in Los Angeles during this era. Its members were musically versatile but typically had formal backgrounds in jazz or classical music , and were exceptional at sight reading . The talent of this group of "first call" players
6048-614: The singers' vocal arranger as well as instrumental backing by the Wrecking Crew for their recording sessions. In the early 1960s, Lamonte McLemore and Marilyn McCoo got together with three friends from Los Angeles—Harry Elston, Lawrence Summers, and Fritz Baskett—to form a group called the Hi-Fis, which later became the Vocals. When the Vocals broke up, McLemore and McCoo teamed up with aspiring opera singer Ron Townson, gospel singer Billy Davis Jr., and Florence LaRue, who — like McCoo — had won
6132-556: The singing group hired by Ron Hicklin on Hugo Montenegro's Albums. The Bähler Brothers, Jackie Ward, and Ron Hicklin joined David Cassidy as the singers on the Partridge Family. Member Jackie Ward also had a hit on her own as Robin Ward with the 1963 hit " Wonderful Summer ". Below information current as of August, 2023. John Bähler lives in Branson, Missouri and conducts the "new" Lawrence Welk orchestra as well as running Portraits By Bähler. Bähler's wife, Janet Lennon -Bähler of
6216-773: The songwriters who worked with the 5th Dimension went on to careers of their own, especially Ashford & Simpson , who wrote the song " California Soul ". The group is also notable for having more success with the songs of Laura Nyro than Nyro did herself, particularly with "Stoned Soul Picnic", " Sweet Blindness ", "Wedding Bell Blues", " Blowin' Away " and " Save the Country ". The group also recorded songs by well-known songwriters including Burt Bacharach and Hal David ("One Less Bell to Answer") and Jimmy Webb , who wrote " Up, Up and Away ". The group's 1967 LP The Magic Garden features all but one song composed by Webb. The 5th Dimension's producer Bones Howe used Bob Alcivar as
6300-459: The station to play other songs. That was the unfair, mathematical irony of the whole equation; the Wrecking Crew had just played their hearts out on an all-time award-winning hit, yet its very success contributed toward a drop in the total number of songs making it on the air. And with fewer songs finding airtime, there gradually evolved a diminishing number of rock-and-roll recording dates for them to play on. The Wrecking Crew remained in demand in
6384-582: The studio. Musicians had to be available "on call" when producers needed a part to fill a last-minute time slot. Los Angeles was then considered the top recording location in the United States; consequently, studios were constantly booked around the clock, and session time was highly sought after and expensive. Songs had to be recorded quickly in the fewest possible takes. In this environment, Los Angeles producers and record executives had little patience for needless expense or wasted time and depended on
6468-610: The top ten of Billboard 's Rhythm & Blues/Soul chart. Five of their 19 top 20 hits on the Easy Listening chart reached number one. The five original members were Lamonte McLemore , Marilyn McCoo , Florence LaRue , Ronald Townson , and Billy Davis Jr. Their earliest recordings were on the Soul City record label, which was started by recording artist Johnny Rivers . The group later recorded for Bell / Arista Records , ABC Records , and Motown Records . Some of
6552-423: The younger L.A. session musicians of the time (Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, Waddy Wachtel, Leland Sklar, and Jeff and Steve Porcaro ). The unit did a brief, but ill-fated reunion session with Phil Spector in 1992. In 2001, members of The Wrecking Crew reunited in the studio with David Cassidy to recreate Cassidy's hit songs from the 1970s, both solo and with The Partridge Family . These recordings resulted in
6636-552: Was entirely inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007. In 2008, they were the subject of the documentary The Wrecking Crew . In the era when the Wrecking Crew was in demand, session players were usually active in local recording scenes concentrated in cities such as New York City, Nashville , Memphis and Detroit , as well as Los Angeles, the Wrecking Crew's base of operations, and smaller specialist recording locations such as Muscle Shoals . Each local scene had its circle of "A-list" session musicians, such as
6720-503: Was often teamed with Pohlman on pop music sessions (e.g. those for the Beach Boys) since it was a common practice at that time to reinforce the sound by "doubling" certain instruments like the bass, and producers and arrangers often recorded the bass parts with an acoustic and an electric bass playing together. Kaye would become known as one of the most prolific and widely heard bass guitarists, playing on an estimated 10,000 recordings in
6804-435: Was one of the top guitarists with the Wrecking Crew and played on hits such as "The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena)" and the Beach Boys' version of " Sloop John B ". In addition to playing sessions in Memphis, guitarist James Burton often recorded with the Wrecking Crew in Los Angeles in the 1960s. Though Glen Campbell became better known as a highly successful country music artist in his own right, he played guitar in
6888-492: Was popularized by drummer and member Hal Blaine in his 1990 memoir, Hal Blaine and the Wrecking Crew . Though the unit did not have an official moniker during their years of activity, Blaine has stated that the term was sometimes used disparagingly in the early 1960s by members of the industry's old guard of "coat and tie" session players, who felt that, with their penchant for wearing "t-shirts and jeans" to sessions and their embrace of rock and roll, they were going to "wreck"
6972-421: Was revealed that the Beach Boys' first ten albums leading up to Pet Sounds and Smile were, by and large, self-contained efforts, and the band members played instruments on most of their singles and key album tracks. It was not until the 1965 album The Beach Boys Today! that Wrecking Crew musicians began to figure heavily on the band's studio recordings, an arrangement that lasted until 1967. Members of
7056-481: Was used in almost every style of recording, including television theme songs , film scores , advertising jingles and many genres of American popular music from the Monkees to Bing Crosby . Several of the Los Angeles recording studios in which the Wrecking Crew regularly appeared were Gold Star Studios , United Western Recorders built by Bill Putnam , Capitol Records ' studios located at their tower on Vine Street, Columbia Records ' Los Angeles complex, and
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