Session musician and Wrecking Crew member Larry Knechtel has died
August 22, 11:06 AM
Houston Music Examiner
David Sadof
Los Angeles session musician Larry Knechtel, a keyboardist, bassist and harmonica player who contributed to a number of classic recordings has died at the age of 69.
Among his many credits, Knechtel was a member of The Wrecking Crew, a group of session musicians in Los Angeles during the 60’s and 70’s. The Wrecking Crew could handle any type of recording session whether it was backing The Carpenters or recording the theme song for The Munsters, they could do it all. Phil Spector famously used the Crew to create his “wall of sound.”
Some of Knechtel’s most notable performances include his piano playing on Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, bass and harmonica on The Byrds’ Mr. Tambourine Man, Hammond b-3 organ on The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, and his bass playing on many of The Doors’ recordings. While The Doors did not tour with a bassist, they used several session musicians to play bass on their albums.
Knechtel was also a member of the soft-rock group Bread and played bass in Elvis Presley’s band on his 1968 comeback TV special.
Larry plays piano in the clip below with Elvis Costello & The Fairfield Four.
http://www.examiner.com/x-5745-Houston-Music-Examiner~y2009m8d22-Session-musician-and-Wrecking-Crew-member-Larry-Knechtel-has-died
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