News and Events

Wrecking Crew Documentary Recalls LA Studio Scene, MI Founder
Mar 07, 2008

The golden years of the LA recording studio scene are recalled in The Wrecking Crew, a documentary film currently under development by producer Denny Tedesco. The film, which tells the story of the A-list studio musicians who performed on thousands of records, film and television soundtracks that comprised a virtual soundtrack of ‘60s popular culture, has been selected for screenings at the upcoming SXSW (March 7-15), Buffalo (March 24-29) and Nashville (April 17-24) film festivals. Guitarist Howard Roberts, co-founder, educational inspiration and curriculum designer for Musician's Institute (then Guitar Institute of Technology), and regular clinician and behind-the-scenes advisor Tommy Tedesco (producer Tedesco’s father) were among the legendary players in the Crew who supplied the music for the Beach Boys, Phil Spector, the Monkees, Sonny & Cher, the Mamas and the Papas, Frank and Nancy Sinatra, and dozens of other pop icons. In the era before home studios and sampling, the booming recording industry demanded musicians who could read and play any style of music on cue, and the Wrecking Crew filled the bill. Racing across LA from one studio to the next, the Crew could shift gears in a single day from rock albums to orchestral film scores to jazz arrangements to cartoon soundtracks, routinely turning out multiple finished tracks in a single three-hour session. “The story of the Wrecking Crew is a picture of a unique moment in American musical history,” said producer Tedesco. “Like the musicians of Motown, Memphis and Nashville, these were the unsung heroes of popular music. They were as integral to the success of those records as the singers – most people never knew their names, but they knew the music note-for-note.” The singers agreed; Nancy Sinatra stated, “I think they were the best musicians in the country, then and now. Brilliant technique, execution and feel…and they could READ!” In later years, Roberts, with the assistance of Tedesco and other members of the Crew, turned his vast musical experience and career expertise into the foundation for MI’s world-renowned professional music curriculum.

The Wrecking Crew has received rave reviews in festival screenings, but wider distribution hinges on finalizing clearances for the dozens of hit songs included in the film. “We’re in the final process of nailing down funds, “said Tedesco. “If there are investors, we’re still taking calls.” To learn more about The Wrecking Crew, visit www.wreckingcrew.tv .

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