Studio musicians seemingly have one goal in the music industry—To make music. Given their often underrepresented status, these musician’s motivations do not revolve around fame, money, and social stature. Rather, they merely want to make a living making music they find entertaining and nuanced.
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Studio musicians rarely come out from the dim studios to the flashing red carpets, and consequently, their talents and participation in some of the greatest hits go unnoticed. In a sense, the job is a bit thankless in relation to the musicians who bask in the limelight. However, that is not the case for these three studio musicians who made a name for themselves inside the recording room.
Carol Kaye
Carol Kaye is arguably the most well-known studio musician thanks to her work with bands such as the Beach Boys, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, and so many more. Kaye is a bassist virtuso and thanks to her talents she has recorded over 40,000 songs on 10,000 different sessions.
Due to this daunting number, she has too many hit songs to even count. However, one of the more notable songs she played on is Glen Campbell’s hit “Wichita Lineman.” Matter of fact, Kaye actually created the bass line introduction for the 1968 country classic. So, odds are, you’ve heard Kaye before, you just didn’t know it.
Hal Blaine
Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, and Simon & Garfunkel are just a mere snippet of the list of names Hal Blaine has played with as a studio musician. Blaine is a world-renowed drummer who has played on 40 No. 1 singles and drummed on six consecutive Grammy winning albums. Furthermore, he also created the beat for The Ronettes hit “Be My Baby.”
In his later years, Blaine became a member of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Though, above all, his biggest claim to fame is being apart of Phil Spector’s infamous studio band, The Wrecking Crew.
Earl Palmer
Nicknamed the “metronome” because of his sensational ability to keep rhythm, Earl Palmer is one of the key pieces to R&B’s rise to popularity. Playing alongside acts such as Ray Charles, Nat “King” Cole, and Little Richard, Palmer’s drum lines are an integral influence to every genre of music. In addition to recording a profusion of records, Palmer also is credited for writing many films scores including The Flintstones.
Prior to his passing in 2008, Palmer’s talents were recognized widely. Of all the accolades he received, his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was historical given that he was one of the first studio musicians to be inducted. Some of the hits he played that led to his induction are “I’m Walkin’” and “Tutti Frutti.”
Photo by GAB Archive/Redferns
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