When it comes to The Monkees, there was no Milli-Vanilli pretense, the pop-lite version of the Fab Four indeed sang their plethora of hits, a wealth of recognizable pop surpassed by few - from "I'm a Believer" to their "Day in a Life" moment, "Pleasant Valley Sunday" - yet it wasn't until Headquarters that the four elevated themselves from crooners to musicians; a common thread that was shared with radio's top hits throughout the golden years of pop/rock and countdown radio.
More often than not, the songs on the radio, the great riffs and licks that are indelibly etched in our minds, were the work of musicians of the highest caliber: The Wrecking Crew. From the unmistakable bass of Carol Kaye on "The Beat Goes On" to the infectious guitar theme from Bonanza (Tommy Tedesco), The Wrecking Crew was the most recognizable band you never knew.
Many of us may find a surge of disappointment to learn that
the great radio hits of the 60s weren't performed by the artists we admire. We
don’t really care who played bass for
Sonny and Cher, but cringe that there wasn't an intrinsic Sonny and Cher "band," or that it's not The Beach Boys (with the exception of Brian) who
created the signature instrumental sound found in "Wouldn't It Be Nice" or "Good
Vibrations." Oh well, get over it.
Instead, we should celebrate the genius that was initially and unofficially
called "The First Call Gang" in the 1950s, of guitarist/bassist Ray Pohlman (Pohlman
additionally was the musician who popularized the electric bass). Pohlman &
Co. (Earl Palmer, Glen Campbell, Barney Kessel, etc.) played with artists as
diverse as Merle Haggard, Leonard Cohen and Pat Boone.
In 1962, Phil Spector would recruit Pohlman, along with studio
regulars like Hal Blaine (Drums) and Tommy Tedesco (guitar), as the progenitors
of The Wall of Sound, Spector’s
trademark vibe on hits like "Be My Baby," "Then He Kissed Me" and "You've Lost
That Lovin' Feeling." During this period, Spector referred to the band as The
Wall of Sound Orchestra.
In the mid-60s, the newly monikered Wrecking Crew
represented a plurality of AM's hits.
The impact is best realized with a list, an exhaustive one: "California
Dreamin'" "Monday Monday," "Windy," "California Girls," "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Dead Man’s
Curve," "Aquarius," "Strangers in the Night," "These Boots Were Made for Walkin'" "I
Got You, Babe," "MacArthur Park," "This Diamond Ring," "Eve of Destruction," "Bridge
Over Troubled Water," "Cracklin' Rosie" and "Classical Gas" – these hardly scratch
the surface.
Aside from those already mentioned, add on Leon Russell, Joe Osborne, Plas Johnson, Max Bennett and Don Randi, but that's not half the musicians who offered their talents. The Wrecking Crew was the ultimate rock orchestra.