[Note: There are now two Cleveland area screenings scheduled for The Wrecking Crew. The first one will be on Friday, 3/4 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  The original post has been updated with information regarding an additional screening on Saturday, March 5th at Tri-C.  Information on both screenings follows below.]

If you were lucky enough to catch the initial screening of The Wrecking Crew at the Cleveland International Film Festival a couple of years ago, you already know what an excellent documentary it is. For the many folks who were shut out of the sold out screening, here’s some good news:  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is presenting a free screening of The Wrecking Crew next Friday (3/4) at 7pm.  While admission is free, a reservation is required to attend this screening. Since events like this at the Rock Hall often “sell out,” it’s advised that you should secure your reservation as soon as possible and you can do that by sending an email to education@rockhall.org to RSVP.

The screening is being presented in conjunction with Cuyahoga Community College’s Recording Arts Program and director Denny Tedesco will be in attendance for the screening and will be interviewed at the conclusion of the film.

If you haven’t seen this movie, it really is a can’t miss event for music fans. If you’re unfamiliar with the film, this description should make your inner geek bug out a bit when you read it:

In the early to mid-1960s, artists such as the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, Sonny & Cher, the Byrds, the Righteous Brothers, Nancy Sinatra, and the Fifth Dimension topped the pop charts with songs like “Up, Up and Away,” “Little Old Lady from Pasadena,” “Cherish,” “These Boots are Made for Walking,” and “Good Vibrations.” They were the “Wall” in Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound.” It was known as the West Coast Sound, and the artists who sang these songs were household names, but the musicians who performed those hits were virtually unknown to the listening public – and remain so today. This film is the story of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Hal Blaine and Earl Palmer, Tommy Tedesco, Glen Campbell, Bill Strange, Carol Kaye, Larry Knechtel, and Joe Osborne – better known as “The Wrecking Crew.”

This film is an intimate, enlightening and often humorous remembrance of the real stories and emotions as told from the perspective of those who lived it. The film is the result of a 12-year labor of love by Denny Tedesco, the son of Wrecking Crew guitarist Tommy Tedesco.

Our thanks to Nick Perry for providing us with the information of an additional screening and afternoon of activities that will happen on Saturday, March 5th at Tri-C at 4pm.  Here are the details on that one:

Creating Community: A Regional Audio Industry Gathering
…Center for Creative Arts @ Cuyahoga Community College Metro Campus (presented with support from The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

2900 Community College Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44115

Schedule:

4-6 p.m. RAT Studios Open House
6-7 p.m. Tape Op’s Larry Crane presentation
7-7:15 p.m. Intermission
7:15-7:30 p.m. Rock Hall Education Director Jason Hanley introduces director/producer Denny Tedesco
7:30-9:15 p.m. Director’s remarks and “The Wrecking Crew” screening
10 p.m. Drinks, music and conversation at Wilbert’s Food and Music

Tickets: Free but RSVP is required:

Facebook or call Recording Arts Hotline (216) 987-3277 or email david.kennedy@tri-c.edu

Here’s the trailer for the film:

Also, here’s an interview with Denny Tedesco

Because of the extraordinary amount of popular music used in the documentary, the film remains unavailable for commercial purchase at the present moment. Hopefully that will change sometime soon. In the meantime, if you’re in the Cleveland area, don’t miss these screenings – it really is a great watch and it’s one of my favorite music documentaries!