"They played so well, and they played so well together. I think that they were so into that, and they respected each other, and they would sit and talk in-between takes and hang. It was a social event for these guys too." - Cher, 'The Wrecking Crew'
Those are Cher's first words in the documentary 'The Wrecking Crew'- the story of the unsung musicians who were the de-facto backing band on many of the number one hit records by The Beach Boys, Phil Spector, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, The Monkees and folk-rock super-couple Sonny & Cher.
In the lengthy (102 minutes) documentary DVD, which is coupled with a DVD containing over six hours of bonus content, Cher fans get to see and hear the legendary songstress share her experience of working with the band at Phil Spector's iconic Gold Star Studios.
"Phillip was walking in a different universe than everyone else, so in his mind, it was all him. And the guys were just an extension of what he couldn't do." - Cher, 'The Wrecking Crew'.
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| 'The Wrecking Crew' DVD |
As Sonny & Cher's 1967 Top 10 'The Beat Goes On' plays in the doc', Cher answers, "No, I was too stupid to know. I was kind of shy of everybody. First of all, they were much older than me too. I mean, the first session I went to, I was sixteen years old, I had never been inside of a recording studio. I just didn't want to step any place that I wasn't supposed to step, which I thought was everywhere.
"And they all knew each other, they were really relaxed. I mean, everybody was nice to me. Really don't think I knew for a long time just how great they were."
The feature sees some of the hottest session players in 1960's L.A., including Glen Campbell, and the likes of Brian Wilson and Nancy Sinatra, offering their stories about some of the decade's biggest hits such as 'Be My Baby', 'Good Vibrations', 'California Dreamin', 'These Boots Are Made For Walkin', and 'The Beat Goes On'.
The production of the documentary began way back in 1996, and finally concluded in 2008. The release of this pop culture gem to DVD has taken years, with Director Denny Tedesco (son of Wrecking Crew guitarist Tommy Tedesco), struggling to gain funding for the music rights for all the hits included.
However, now it's here, the documentary provides a 102-minute behind-the-scenes trip down memory lane for those who were around to listen to the radio in the sixties, and a charming retrospect for those that can only wish they had been.
Essential for fans of sixties music.
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