Louie Shelton is the guy who played one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in all of rock 'n roll.
You say, 'Who? Which group was he with and what was the song?'
Shelton was with no group and the recognizable guitar riff is the opening of the Monkees' Last Train to Clarksville. Nope, not Peter Tork or Michael Nesmith - Louie Shelton.
Shelton was a member of a small (several dozen men - bassist Carol Kaye was the sole female) group of 1960s to early 1970s LA studio musicians known as 'The Wrecking Crew' who played on many of the top popular tunes of that era. The name was coined by the unofficial leader - drummer Hal Blaine - to refer to the young, jeans-and-T-shirt-clad musicians who were supplanting the older, coat-and-tie guys who claimed the younger generation was going to wreck the music business (and their careers, too).
'What's the big deal?' you say. Certainly everybody knew that the Monkees were a 'contrived' group who did not play the instruments on their hits. And certainly vocal groups like the Fifth Dimension or soloists like Frank Sinatra used studio musicians on their recordings.
But groups who appeared to play their own instruments?
How about the Byrds? On the Mr. Tambourine Man single only Byrd Roger McGuinn played. The Grass Roots. Paul Revere and the Raiders. The Union Gap. And the Beach Boys. What? The Beach Boys! Yes, on the iconic singles Surfin' USA, Surfer Girl, Good Vibrations, etc., some other people are playing. The beautiful 12-string guitar work on Sloop John B is not that of Carl Wilson but Billy Strange.
The extensive use of studio musicians to play the music of those who were supposedly playing their own is now no longer the well-kept secret it was for many years, thanks to books like The Wrecking Crew, by Kent Hartman.
Other well-known recording centers had their versions of the WC: Nashville had the A-Team; Detroit had the Funk Brothers; and Memphis and New York had their groups as well.
The record companies used studio musicians because they wanted that 'perfect sound' on the records. They could record the instrumental tracks and then overdub the vocals later. The real group members could stay on tour and would not have to be brought back from the road to hit the studio. And I suspect the studio musicians, many of whom had their roots in jazz, were much better and not given to fits of pique and temper tantrums that could stall recording sessions and cost money. The studio musicians were, in a word, professionals.
Some, notably Glen Campbell (who toured with the Beach Boys), went on to fame and fortune as solo artists. Others labored in obscurity - at least as far the record-buying public was concerned - but became rich. Some - drummers Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer; sax man Steve Douglas; and keyboardist Leon Russell (who had a great solo career) - have even been inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.
Hartman's book is very good. He discusses several of the WC members in some detail. There's a good recounting of Phil Spector and his 'Wall of Sound' in which he used members of the WC.
By the mid-1970s the WC had virtually disappeared. Why? The demise of AM radio, the increasing length of songs, technological advances (synthesizers, drum machines), and groups who insisted on playing their own instruments all played roles.
If you are interested in the 1960s LA popular music scene you will enjoy this book. The only thing I missed was a comprehensive 'Where Are They Now?' section. That to me was a serious omission.
So am I disappointed? Just a bit. Surprised? Not too much. The music is still there as are the memories. I'll just read the album covers more carefully this time, and take the instrumental credits with a huge grain of of salt.
So 'The Wrecking Crew' has not wrecked my memories. The music is what counts, and it is still in my head. I've got the hearing aids to prove it (I was a late 1960s college DJ).
Finally this postscript. In the late 1970s through the mid-1980s I worked with a hydrogeologist named Ralph Patt. He had an early career as a an accomplished jazz guitarist in New York City. He played with big bands, big names, and then worked as a studio musician till 1975. At that time, he grew tired (to put it mildly) of the popular music that permeated the landscape and the lessened demand for jazz guitarists. So he revived his 1952 geology degree and became a hydrogeologist. I guess he was a victim of NYC's version of the Wrecking Crew.
“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” - Decca Records’ rejection letter to The Beatles, 1962.
My kids has been switched to the linkin park but I always love to listen 1960's rock n roll music. It's feel is awesome. So. refreshing and always makes my feet to tap on the music. :)
Posted by: funny status | Monday, 30 July 2012 at 10:05 AM