New documentary focuses on studio legends

The names Tommy Tedesco, Carol Kaye, Plas Johnson, Hal Blaine and Don Randi may not be familiar, but you've heard their music thousands of times on hits by the likes of The Beach Boys, The Byrds, The Righteous Brothers, The Monkees, and on TV shows by the score. Now the story of The Wrecking Crew, a gang of Los Angeles-based studio aces, is coming to the screen.

Directed by Denny Tedesco, son of the late guitarist Tommy Tedesco, The Wrecking Crew features interviews with stars such as Brian Wilson, CherRoger McGuinn, along with famed Crew bassist Kaye and drummer Blaine.

Nowadays, it has become the norm for bands to take three and four years to make a single album, but back in the day of The Wrecking Crew, they would bang out three and four records a week. "These guys were chameleons," says director Tedesco. "They went from Phil Spector to Nancy Sinatra to The Beach Boys. They always had to sound like somebody else."

While a distribution deal has yet to be finalized, the film is currently playing the festival circuit. But you can check out a trailer for the documentary here. And for more information, visit the official Wrecking Crew Movie Homepage.

By Joe Bosso