FanLiebe 8: Das Originalinterview mit Denny Tedesco - ungeschnitten und in Englisch

·28 min·2 clips

Denny Tedesco raced to tell his father's story before terminal cancer took him, launching a 19-year quest to document the secret musicians behind iconic hits.

The episode begins with host Markus promoting a wine sponsorship from vinos.de before introducing the unedited interview with Denny Tedesco. Tedesco starts by recounting his early career in film as a decorator and lighting technician before transitioning to producing. He shares that his father, Tommy Tedesco, was a studio guitarist in Los Angeles who fell ill with terminal cancer in 1996. This prompted Tedesco to quickly begin documenting the story of his father and his colleagues, known as the Wrecking Crew, before his father passed away in 1997. The film took 19 years to complete due to financial hurdles, including high music licensing costs of $500,000 for 110 songs. Tedesco financed it through creative schemes like donor dedications and sneak screenings. He then discusses his next project, 'Immediate Family', which focuses on 1970s session musicians like Leland Sklar and Waddy Wachtell. The idea came from producers, and Tedesco jumped on it because it felt like a natural handoff from the Wrecking Crew era. He secured interviews with major artists like Carol King, James Taylor, and Phil Collins within months. However, the COVID-19 pandemic posed a challenge as the film featured elderly musicians, forcing Tedesco to adapt by conducting interviews with small crews. Throughout, Tedesco emphasizes themes of family and relationships over music. He shares anecdotes, such as his father's studio trick of pretending to switch guitars to please producers, a story learned from Leland Sklar. The interview also touches on the musicians' resilience during the pandemic, using Zoom to create music. Tedesco reflects on his own musical journey, still trying to learn guitar at age 64, and a poignant moment with his father before his death. He concludes by expressing hope to tour the film in Germany.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from #100malMusiklegenden