Anyone Remember This One?

The T-Bones were actually the group of L.A. studio musicians known as The Wrecking Crew. They played on the majority of Rock ’n’ Roll recordings made in L.A. in the 1960’s. Wrecking crew members included Leon Russell, Glen Campbell, Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, Carol Kaye, Joe Osborn, Steve Douglas, Larry Knechtel, Tommy Tedesco, and Barney Kessel---all now well-known musicians, plus another dozen or so guys. For more info, watch the documentary made about them by Tedesco’s son.

They are heard on the recordings of The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, Sonny & Cher, The Monkees, The Association, The 5th Dimension, Mason Williams, Neil Diamond, Tommy Roe, all the Phil Spector productions (including The Righteous Brothers and Ike & Tina Turner), The Mamas & The Papas, Sonny & Cher, The Carpenters, both Nancy and Frank Sinatra, lots of soundtracks, thousands of others.

Exactly @n80, except the other way 'round. The Wrecking Crew came first! There is also a documentary on The Swampers, whom I like even more than The Wrecking Crew. Drummer Roger Hawkins was (he's still alive, but no longer playing) a VERY special drummer, with a feel like no other. Wilson Pickett said when Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler took him into Fame Studios, he saw all these white crackers sitting around, and though "Damn, what have I got myself into?" (he had fled Alabama to escape the racism, as did many other black artists). Then they started playing, and he couldn't believe what he was hearing; he said they were the funkiest band he had ever heard.

Hawkins and bassist David Hood created a smoldering fire under a singer, the hottest rhythm section I've ever heard. The only guys who came close were Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Richard Manual (on drums, bass, and piano, respectively) of The Band. After The Band didn't ask Eric Clapton to join, he went to Muscle Shoals to record with The Swampers. So did Duane Allman, Boz Scaggs, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and hundreds of others.