Guitarist Reggie Young recently died. Despite a lifetime of loving and studying music, I’d never heard of him, so I looked him up.
Wow.
A member of the Stax/Volt Records Memphis Boys, he played on everything from Elvis’ “Suspicious Minds” to “Sweet Caroline” for Neil Diamond and the intros to Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away” and B.J. Thomas’ “Hooked on a Feeling (NOT the ooga-chocka ooga-ooga one by Blue Suede). I listened to “Hooked on a Feeling” and was stunned. How could I not have heard of this guy?
Shawn RyanRolling Stone magazine called these types of musicians “The Invisible Elite.” They’re the studio musicians who played on more records than you can possibly count in a lifetime, yet they mostly remained permanently behind the scenes. While familiar names like Glen Campbell, Leon Russell and Booker T. Jones launched their own careers from session work, most musicians who’ve been heard on thousands of hit songs are still unknown to the general public.
In general, music fans know the musicians from the outfits they played in, not as individuals: the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section from Alabama, the Wrecking Crew from LA and the Funk Brothers from Detroit. The profile of the Memphis Boys might be slightly lower, but they’re still on a ton of indispensable records.
The guys from the Shoals were known for their ability to play across R&B, rock, soul and country and can be heard on songs by the Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The Wrecking Crew were able to play almost any kind of music, from movie soundtracks to commercials to songs recorded by Frank Sinatra, Simon & Garfunkel, the Beach Boys and the Mamas and the Papas.
The Funk Brothers were the “house band” for many Motown artists such as the Four Tops, the Supremes, the Temptations and Marvin Gaye while the Memphis Boys can be heard on hits by Wilson Pickett, the Staple Singers, Bill Withers and Neil Diamond.
And, in most cases, the session musicians were OK with being behind the curtain, so to speak. Being anonymous meant they could indulge their love of music and make a living without being badgered on the street.
For example, the guys in the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section were as down-to-earth as any you’ll meet, even though they have played with the absolute biggest names in music. I had a phone interview set up once with Barry Beckett, keyboardist in the group, and his manager gave me a number to call.
In most interviews, these numbers are for the manager’s office or the recording studio or some bland office somewhere. When I called this one, a man answered with “Hello.” “Can I talk to Barry Beckett, please?” I asked. “This is Barry.” I had been given Beckett’s home phone number. Let me tell you, that just doesn’t happen in most cases, and it honestly took me a couple of seconds to recover.
And, yes, he was a great interview.
Contact Shawn Ryan at mshawnryan@gmail.com.