The Wrecking Crew

From the guitar-led theme to TV's Bonanza and the saxophone at the heart of the Pink Panther soundtrack, so many classic moments in 1960s musical culture were provided by session men who never got their due. This documentary reveals the story of the 20 or so key players (nicknamed "The Wrecking Crew") who virtually lived in the Los Angeles studios during a vintage era, backing everyone from Sinatra and Sonny & Cher to The Beach Boys and Simon and Garfunkel, and often playing the instruments for The Monkees and The Byrds while their band members got the credit on the records. Names like drummer Hal Blaine or bassist Carol Kaye are probably best known today to those who comb through CD booklets, but this pacey, worthwhile, if slightly repetitive documentary - like Standing in the Shadows of Motown before it - gives these huge, undervalued talents their moment in the limelight. The fact it's directed by the son of guitar ace Tommy Tedesco adds a defining sense of purpose, and a bit more heart.