The Wrecking Crew

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2:20

The Wrecking Crew

PG

2015

1h 42m

Documentary

Music

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

71 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

The son of guitarist Tommy Tedesco pays tribute to his late father and a core group of studio musicians who played on some of the biggest hits of the 1960s and '70s, including "California Girls" and "Mrs. Robinson."

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Critics Consensus

The Wrecking Crew may not achieve the greatness of the many classic songs its subjects helped bring to life, but it remains a heartfelt, overdue tribute to overshadowed brilliance.

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Donald Clarke

Irish Times

The documentary makes fascinating connections between the fledgling high-showbiz days of rock 'n' roll and the rise of more versatile singer-songwriters in the 1970s.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 26, 2015

Full Review

Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

It's a fascinating insight into how a classic song is crafted.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 25, 2015

Full Review

Henry Barnes

Guardian

Tedesco nails the point: that the beauty of pop music lies not with the prancing pop starlets, but in the hands of the average-looking, insanely talented artists behind the scenes.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 25, 2015

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... it's satisfying to learn the stories behind the songs that defined a decade and the musicians who never got their due credit for providing the soundtrack of a generation.

Sep 22, 2023

Full Review

Loren King

Newport This Week (RI)

For the sheer joy of the music...

Dec 6, 2021

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Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

In this fascinating, eclectic look at this musical period, The Wrecking Crew brings out the essential solidarity and practicality of the group.

Feb 26, 2021

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Pete B

Never realized how many of my favorite songs were played by this one group of musicians. The sheer talent in this crew was crazy, and they barely got credit for it at the time. Amazing look at a piece of music history most people don’t even know about.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/25/25

Full Review

James B

Great flick. Came here to say that it's available on YouTube and Peacock as well!.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/13/23

Full Review

skihowie

I always heard about the wrecking crew musicians. I did not know about this movie. I ate up every second of it. Wow. Thank you Amazon.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/10/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The Wrecking Crew is best watched with your boomer parents, as it takes a nostalgic stroll through the birth of rock 'n roll, through the eyes of the musicians - not the singers, the studio session musicians - who brought the iconic albums to life, one track at a time.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

John R

The factoid that all of that music was performed and recorded by one group of people is really cool. It was less cool an hour and a half later, when they didn't have anything else to add.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

05/14/22

Full Review

dustin d

The Wrecking Crew lovingly celebrates the men (and women!) who made the most recognizable music of the mid-20th century and received virtually no recognition themselves. We learn how much these musicians had to sacrifice personally in a cutthroat industry where you were likely to lose your seat if you got up for even a moment. While you might feel a little disappointed some of your favorite musicians didn't play (or even write) all their own music, you have a new-found admiration of the incredibly talented folks behind the scenes who created it.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Denny Tedesco

Director

Denny Tedesco

Narrator

Brian Wilson

Self

Dick Clark

Self

Cher

Self

Herb Alpert

Self

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The Wrecking Crew: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

The son of guitarist Tommy Tedesco pays tribute to his late father and a core group of studio musicians who played on some of the biggest hits of the 1960s and '70s, including "California Girls" and "Mrs. Robinson."

Director: Denny Tedesco
Producer: Denny Tedesco, Jon Leonoudakis, Suzie Tedesco, Claire Scanlon, Jon Leonudakis, Mitchell Linden, Damon Tedesco, Chris Hope
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Lunch Box Entertainment
Rating: PG (Thematic Elements|Smoking Images|Language)
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 13, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 4, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $800.5K
Runtime: 1h 42m

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