The Wrecking Crew left its musical mark on pop culture

06 November 2011 -> goldminemag.com

If you were asked to name the best bassists in rock music, Paul McCartney and John Entwistle would quickly come to mind. Ask for legendary rock guitarists and Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Eddie Van Halen would be uttered frequently. Seek the names of some great rock drummers and chances are you’d hear Keith Moon, John Bonham and Ringo Starr.

But if you browsed my list, you’ll find bassists Carol Kaye and Chuck Berghofer, guitarists Tommy Tedesco, Al Casey and Bill Pitman, and drummers Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer and Jim Gordon at the top. After scratching your head in puzzlement, I’d probably hear, “Who the hell are they?” as a common response.

Their names may be unfamiliar, but you’ve played air guitar, pencil-on-desk drums and hummed along to hundreds of classic hit records, commercial jingles and TV and movie themes from the late ’50s throughout the mid-’70s on which these and several other key session musicians performed. They are:

+ Interview with drummer Hall Blaine