Every music lover needs this book! Author Kent Hartman recounts story after story with members of the recording industry's unsung heroes, studio musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew". The Crew was made up of incredible drummer Hal Blaine, singer and guitarist Glen Campbell, bass player Carol Kaye, keyboard player Larry Knetchel, and the infamous and troubled but very talented Jim Gordon among many others. These hidden geniuses, who worked with everyone from Phil Spector to Jimmy Webb and more, became the backbone of hits by major artists such as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, and the Carpenters. They can be found on hundreds of recordings of significant stature.
Get a load of this quote by mother Agnes Carpenter as she talked to drummer Hal Blaine in the studio when he gently suggested to a young Karen - recording Close to You- that she drop the vocal down a key for a better recording- “No, that's how she sings... Besides, Richard is the star here. Karen is just the drummer" (page 231).
Now, among too many Carpenters fans, Agnes has long been the villain. (At the very least, she couldn't see her daughter for the true talent she was.) But that's not the point here. The takeaway is that a very wise and experienced Hal Blaine may have been the very one to get A&M Record's new artists Carpenters the ultimate smash hit of (They Long to Be) Close to You. Exactly what their career needed to move them into the mainstream of AM radio and sales that came with it. And the Wrecking Crew- and Blaine in particular- had the same kind of record and career changing impact with many other artists as well.
Be forewarned- if you buy this book, it will be extremely hard to put down. Hartman's style and substance makes it as entertaining a read as can be. Story after story keeps you glued to the page. If you're a huge fan of music and fascinated by the tales behind the hits, trust me on this one!
