Pre-Summer of Love, American Rock and Roll revolved around bands of musicians like these, the Funk Brothers at Motown, The BarKays and Booker T and the MG's in Memphis, and the various crews in NYC. It was a producer/manager's medium, not unlike today: Find some cute kids, buy some great songs from songwriters, knock off some great tracks from guys like the Wrecking Crew, then laugh all the way to the bank. Hey, hey, we're the Monkee$ . . . though that model would apply to a LOT of acts from those days.
Despite his career as an 'entertainer', Glen Campbell was/is a fabulous guitar player. Everybody here knows Carol Kaye (her lines under 'Good Vibrations' is the best 3-minute bass lesson in the world) and Joe Osborne.
Hal Blaine's drum track from Hawaii 5-0 is classic 60's drumming. Those of us who remember the 60's are forever imbedded with these guys' playing in the back of our minds. MOST of the guys from the 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen' band were doing this kind of work, usually with Leon Russell as session leader.
Listening to their playing on so many of those old records (along with Motown and the Beatles) made me want to be like them, and led me to playing bass. I was so moved, I had no choice...
J o e y
