Bass guitarist Carol Kaye is being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year in recognition of her many musical and artistic contributions. She is 90 years old, and she isn’t going to the ceremony! Why? Because inclusivity, language and personal relationships matter to her.
Carol worked in obscurity as a studio musician. Her work was well known by a small group of people. She was the only woman among 50 to 60 studio musicians who created the sounds we heard in the ’60s and ’70s. If you ever listened to the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, Jan & Dean, The Monkees, the Righteous Brothers, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Mamas and Papas, Tijuana Brass, Ricky Nelson, Johnny Rivers, the 5Th Dimension, Phil Spector's Wall of Sound and many others, you heard Carol. You know the bass lead-in to Nancy Sinatra’s song “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”? That’s Carol. Her work was memorable.
This informal group of musicians was known in the ’60s and ’70s as the Clique or The First Gang. They were the studio musicians that many acts wanted for their recordings because they could flat out play! Recording studios had primitive capabilities by today’s standards. You had only four tracks to work with. Eight track machines were not used in recording studios until 1968. It wasn’t until the mid 1970s that 16 and 24 track recording studios became the standard in recording studios.
The record labels only allowed a limited recording budget, so everything had to be done in a few takes. The First Gang had to play together “live” in the studio. They were not in separate sound booths. There weren’t individual tracks for each instrument to redo mistakes or edit parts. There was little editing and overdubbing. They played!
These musicians were never acknowledged on the credits listed on the back of the LPs they recorded. Some of the members like Glen Campbell and Leon Russell went on to solo careers. Most remained working as studio musicians and chose not to tour.
Which brings me back to Carol Kaye and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Carol was part of this musical collective that recorded the music which is part of our musical heritage. She was the only female musician in this collective. Musicians feed off each other when they play together. They create a vibe that doesn’t translate to printed music.
Carol wants everyone who was part of this collective to be recognized. The music was created because of everyone, not just one person. This honor and recognition should go to everyone who was part of the Clique, not just her.
Also, Carol is being inducted as a member of The Wrecking Crew. There are a few stories of how The Wrecking Crew name came into use as the collaborative’s name. One is that the older suit-and-tie generation of studio musicians criticized the other studio musicians who would play the popular/rock & roll “music crap” for less money and because it took less studio time. These musicians were “wrecking” it for everyone else.
The main story is that the phrase was popularized by Hal Blaine in his 1990 memoir, Hal Blaine and the Wrecking Crew. Then in 2008 a documentary about the group of musicians was released under the title The Wrecking Crew even though they were never called that when they were recording. The Wrecking Crew name was never used in the documentary. Since then, however, the name has stuck.
Carol has longstanding issues with Hal. One is calling this group The Wrecking Crew. It is another reason she will not attend the ceremony – all because of she values language. Words matter.
Carol has pointed out that she never “wrecked” anything; she created. She never wanted to be part of a marketing phrase that she feels insults her, her work and her legacy.
I am struck by Carol’s strength. She understands both the honor and the insult. She could show up and receive the accolades she has earned and deserves. She won’t because of inclusivity and language. I don’t know if I could show that same strength or conviction. Who doesn’t want to receive public accolades and recognition of their work and influence?
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame awards presentation on Nov. 8 in Los Angeles will go on without her, illustrating again how easy it is to ignore a female artist’s voice for a good soundbite.