British Wrecking Crew?

[jackal]

Having enjoyed the movie and the book about the Wrecking Crew, I was wondering if there is anything in print or video about the British equivalent?
I know that Jimmy Page was a renowned studio musician before the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin, but how about some others, was there a pretty consistent group?

 

[BluesMann]

I don’t know about percussion, but I have read that John Paul Jones was pretty often found as bass/ keyboard player on sessions.

 

[uriah1]

Nicky Hopkins also a studio musician for many labels

 

[TF from MN]

Bobby Graham, drums (long list of credits on Wikipedia, including Kinks and DC5 hits)
Vic Flick, guitar (original James Bond theme)
Big Jim Sullivan, guitar (Tom Jones regular, many other credits)

 

[trev333]

the BBC house band?..

 

[MisterZ]

Delia Derbyshire in the BBC Radiophonic Workshop got at least one gig in 1963.

 

[buster poser]

Category:English session musicians - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Bob Womack]

I remember the guys doing much of the 1970s Abbey Roads work: Chris Rainbow (Christopher James Harley, RIP), David Paton, Anthony Phillips, Simon Phillips, Dave Mattacks, Ian Bairnson (RIP), Stuart Elliot, Mel Collins, Stuart Tosh, David Pack, etc. They were choices for The Alan Parson's Project and rotated through several bands from the Canterbury scene and London. Exposure through their work at Abbey Road lead to several of them getting snatched by big names for their bands. David Paton was pinched by Elton John, for instance.

Bob

 

[Ed Driscoll]

Clem Cattini played on loads of sessions in the 1960s and ‘70s, and was in consideration to be the drummer in Led Zeppelin.

Big Country’s bassist Tony Butler and drummer Mark Brzezicki were originally part of Pete Townshend’s backing band on numerous tracks on Empty Glass and All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, his first two real solo albums.

Also on many of Pete’s sessions was percussionist Jody Linscott who has also done sessions with numerous other acts.

 

[dlew919]

Rick Wakeman. Bert Weedon. Herbie flowers. Caleb Quaye.

Probably closer in analogy to Toto, but the guys in Pilot were session guys and most if not all of them went to Alan Parsons project.

 

[johnny k]

the british wreckin' crew. At least that's what they say

 

[dlew919]

Townshend claimed in 1982 that he did a session for the Rolling Stones. Page may have played ‘I can’t explain’. Both Townshend and page have admitted and denied it. The British session scene is very small and very tight.

 

[VintageSG]

As previously mentioned, Clem Cattini.

Various member of The Blockheads have appeared on a plethora of recordings. Norman Watt-Roy and Mickey Gallagher are perhaps best known, but Johnny Turnbull has played on a vast and diverse number of recordings.
Norman & Johnny were basically a house band for Radio Caroline when Mickey and Charlie Charles joined.
As The Blockheads, they were more or less a Stiff house band too, along with playing for the Two-Tone label stable as and when. The Clash made great use of them, as did Trevor Horn, Roger Daltrey and Viv Albertine.

Edited for spelling.

 

[grant53]

As previously mentioned, Clem Cattini.

Various member of The Blockheads have appeared on a plethora of recordings. Norman Watt-Roy and Mickey Gallagher are perhaps best known, but Johnny Turnbull has played on a vast and diverse number of recordings.
Norman & Johnny were basically a house band for Radio Caroline when Mickey and Charlie Charles joined.
As The Blockheads, they were more or less a Stiff house band too, along with playing for the Two-Tone label stable as and when. The Clash made great use of them, as did Trevor Horn, Roger Daltrey and Viv Albertine.

Edited for spelling.

 

[grant53]

Absolutely, Clem had a career all the way from The Tornados to Paul Weller.

This is his Wikipedia entry:

(Please note, the Nirvana mentioned is this one!)






Born to Italian parents living in Stoke Newington, North London, Cattini worked in his father's restaurant before deciding to pursue a career in music. He began as a drummer at The 2i's Coffee Bar, backing performers such as Terry Dene, before joining the touring band known as the Beat Boys, backing singers managed by Larry Parnes,[1] including Marty Wilde and Billy Fury. He then joined Johnny Kidd & the Pirates,[1] playing on their hit "Shakin' All Over", and became Joe Meek's in-house drummer, backing artists such as John Leyton and Don Charles, before helping found The Tornados in 1961, and playing on their international No. 1 hit "Telstar".[2]

In 1965 he became a session musician,[3][4] drumming on tracks by The Kinks, Herman's Hermits, Dusty Springfield, The Merseys, Bee Gees, Lulu, Marianne Faithfull, Tom Jones, P. J. Proby, The Hollies, Paul and Barry Ryan, Gene Pitney, Donovan, Love Affair, Jeff Beck, Engelbert Humperdinck, Nirvana, the Ivy League, Edison Lighthouse, The Yardbirds, The Family Dogg, Marc Bolan, Clodagh Rodgers, Keith West, The Flower Pot Men, Georgie Fame, Roy Harper, Ralph McTell, Harmony Grass, Joe Cocker, Graham Gouldman and Brian Auger.[1] In the 1970s, he played on recordings by Marvin, Welch & Farrar, Lou Reed, Cliff Richard, Justin Hayward, Phil Everly, Julie Covington, Claire Hamill, Alvin Stardust, Bay City Rollers, Kenny, the Wombles, Brotherhood of Man, Carl Douglas, Christie, Tim Rose, Demis Roussos, The Goodies, Stephanie de Sykes, John Betjeman, Malcolm and Alwyn, John Schroeder, Paul McCartney, Hank Marvin, Mike Batt, Chris Spedding, Bob Downes, Dave Kelly, Sweet Dreams, Christopher Neil, Evelyn Thomas, Barbara Pennington, Slapp Happy, Mike Berry and Grace Kennedy, and prog rock bands including Beggars Opera, Amazing Blondel and Edwards Hand.[1]

Cattini has played on at least 42 UK number 1 singles,[5] including "Telstar", Ken Dodd's "Tears", Rolf Harris's "Two Little Boys", Clive Dunn's "Grandad", "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" by Benny Hill, "Whispering Grass" by Windsor Davies and Don Estelle, Peters and Lee's "Welcome Home", Typically Tropical's "Barbados", J. J. Barrie's "No Charge", Renée and Renato's "Save Your Love", and "(Is This The Way To) Amarillo" by Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay. He also played in the orchestra for BBC TV's Top of the Pops, and toured with Cliff Richard, Roy Orbison, Lynda Carter, The Kids from "Fame" and many others. He was also considered for Led Zeppelin – he was initially on Jimmy Page's shortlist of drummers when forming the band before they settled on John Bonham. He had earlier played alongside John Paul Jones on Donovan's hit single "Hurdy Gurdy Man".[4]

In the 1980s, he reactivated the Tornados' name for tours[2][4] and, in 1989, played in the West End run of The Rocky Horror Show.[1] He more recently recorded the drums for the track "No Tears to Cry" from Paul Weller's 2010 album Wake Up the Nation. He was portrayed by James Corden in the 2009 film Telstar, and appeared himself playing John Leyton's chauffeur.

In 2016, he recorded a new version of the 1960s hit "Telstar", with the North London ska band the Skammers.[6]

Clem Cattini's memoirs, My Life, Through the Eye of a Tornado, was published in July 2019.[7]