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Most listeners know the singer, the song title and maybe the producer. The people who actually played the parts often go uncredited, even when their work is the part you hum along to.
Two groups of studio musicians shaped much of 1960s pop. The Wrecking Crew worked in Los Angeles, and the Funk Brothers worked in Detroit for Motown. Here are six players from those circles whose playing is on records you’ve likely heard many times.
Hal Blaine, the Drummer Behind the Big Hits
Hal Blaine is probably the best known Wrecking Crew name. His opening drum pattern on “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes is among the most copied beats in pop. He also played on records by the Byrds, the Beach Boys and Simon and Garfunkel.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a sideman in 2000. He died in 2019 at the age of ninety. Counts of his sessions vary, and the figures often repeated come largely from his own recollections, so the exact total is hard to verify.
Carol Kaye, the Bassist Who Played Everything
Carol Kaye started in jazz and moved into studio work in Los Angeles in the late 1950s. She became one of the most in demand bass players in town, and she is credited on the Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds. Her work spans pop, soundtrack and television sessions.
She has said she played on thousands of sessions. As with many…
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Author : Matthias Binder
Publish date : 2026-10-06 11:11:00
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