Cover of G. Brown’s new book on the concerts at Red Rocks.
Music lovers will be astonished at the influence The Wrecking Crew wielded over rock and pop music in the 1960s and early 1970s. These unsung instrumentalists were the de-facto backing band on hit records by The Beach Boys, Phil Spector, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, Sonny & Cher, Elvis, The Monkees and many more. These dedicated musicians brought the flair and musicianship that made the American “West Coast Sound” a dominant cultural force around the world.
http://www.magpictures.com/thewreckingcrew/
Cast: Brian Wilson, Cher, Dick Clark, Glen Campbell, Lou Adler, Nancy Sinatra
Director: Denny Tedesco
Producers: Denny Tedesco, Chris Hope, Jon Leonoudakis, Mitchell Linden, Claire Scanlon, Damon Tedesco, Suzie Greene Tedesco
The Wrecking Crew: Hal Blaine – Drums; Tommy Tedesco – Guitar; Carol Kaye – Bass; Al Casey – Guitar; Earl Palmer – Drums; Plas Johnson – Saxophone; Joe Osborn – Bass; and Don Randi – Keyboard
* * * * *
BOOK FOR SEPTEMBER 2016: “Red Rocks: The Concert Years” by G. Brown
“Red Rocks: The Concert Years” has just been published and released worldwide by the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. Written and compiled by celebrated CMHOF director and author G. Brown, the beautiful coffee-table art book presents a comprehensive history of Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which is heralded as America’s most important outdoor music venue.
The book presents more than 200 interviews with an array of performers, from the late Jerry Garcia to Dave Matthews, from Bono to Paul McCartney. It also chronicles the most detailed accounts to date of the legendary Beatles show in 1964, Bruce Springsteen’s first outdoor concert ever in 1978, and U2’s career-making 1983 video shoot.
Legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Carlos Santana, who wrote the forward, said, “Red Rocks is not just dirt and stones and sky. It’s a temple, a shrine. It’s the same setting that the Greeks performed in at the beginning of civilization, and it definitely has the sacred American Indian spirit—you can feel the vibe. There is nothing like playing at Red Rocks under a full moon. Anything can happen!”
Richly illustrated, this well-crafted coffee-table book includes hundreds of images from leading photographers in the area, supplemented by historical photos from the libraries of the major daily newspapers, historical societies, and private collections.
“It’s true—of all the places in the world to play, Red Rocks is the greatest venue. And I know I speak for my band mates and many of my fellow artists when I say that there is no better qualified journalist to record its storied history than G. Brown,” David Crosby, two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Artist, said.
“Thanks to the support of George Boedecker, Jr. and the Boedecker Foundation, the Colorado Music Hall of Fame has established a publishing imprint for critically acclaimed and beautifully designed titles about Colorado Music History,” Brown said. All proceeds from book sales benefit CMHOF.
The book is available at Tattered Cover Book Stores and at Twist & Shout Records!
About Red Rocks:
In 1906, Denver’s Pietro Satriano and his 25-piece brass band became the first musical act to perform at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, then christened the Garden of the Titans. Over a century later, Denver is a must-stop for every nationally touring act, and Red Rocks, set deep into the towering red rocks of Morrison, Colorado, has come to be considered one of the Natural Wonders of the World, thanks to the combination of natural aesthetics and acoustics, as impressive to the eyes as to the ears. From the Grateful Dead to Willie Nelson, every star in the musical galaxy has aspired to play on this special and magical stage.
About the Author:
G. Brown has navigated the Rocky Mountain musical landscape for decades, both as a journalist and as a radio personality. He covered popular music at The Denver Post for 26 years, interviewing well over 2,000 musicians, from Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen to Bono and Kurt Cobain. Published in numerous magazines including Rolling Stone and National Lampoon, Brown also covered music news and hosted and programmed for a myriad of Denver-based radio stations. He is the author of four books, including Colorado’s Rock Chronicles and Telluride Bluegrass Festival – The First Forty Years.