Music historian and author, Kent Hartmann describes his pair of books about the Los Angeles music scene of the 1960s and 1970s, as the AM and FM sides of LA. The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll’s Best-Kept Secret is a deep dive into the origin story and artistry of the legendary backing band that played on hundreds of top 40 hits. Goodnight LA focuses on Los Angeles in the 1970s, and the handful of studios that gave the city its signature sound. This pair of terrific tomes captures the impact, experimentation, and influence that Los Angeles has had on modern American music.
During our discussion, Kent charts out some of the luminaries that were a part of the Wrecking Crew including Hal Blaine, Carol, Kaye, Glen Campbell, and Leon Russell. We look at how the efficiency and creativity of these players made them a hot commodity, and how they helped to shape the sound of American music as they recorded countless hits with The Beach Boys, The Monkees, The Mamas & The Papas, The Carpenters, Frank Sinatra, and hundreds more.
Shifting into the FM side of the discussion, Kent and I focus on a handful of the studios that forged the now famed Los Angeles sound of the 1970s. Acts like Tom Petty, Loggins & Messina, Fleetwood Mac, Warren Zevon, and Linda Ronstadt crafted punchy, polished recordings that brought hit after hit. Much of that sound was shaped by backing players like Waddy Wachtel, and by the engineers and producers working daily in studios like Sound City and Sunset Sound.
While many might see Los Angeles as just a movie town, its impact on our American musical landscape has been massive. Kent Hartmann’s work on The Wrecking Crew and Goodnight LA has helped to shine a light on the often overlooked artistry of session musicians and given us a window into a vast and varied musical scene that is still evolving some fifty years on.
Let’s get into it.
Cheers,
Matty C
