section_path: Artistry/Studios and musicians
section_name: Studios and musicians
paragraph_text: Studios and musicians
  
  Wilson said, "I was unable to really think as a producer up until the time where I really got familiar with Phil Spector's work. That was when I started to design the experience to be a record rather than just a song." He frequently attended Spector's recording sessions, observing his arranging and recording techniques, and adopted Spector's choice of studios and session musicians, later known as the Wrecking Crew. Wilson established approximately one-third of a song's final arrangement during the writing process, with the remainder developed in the studio.
  
  Rather than using Gold Star Studios, Spector's favored facility, Wilson chose Studio 3 at Western for its privacy and the presence of staff engineer Chuck Britz, who served as Wilson's principal engineer from 1962 to 1967. While Britz typically handled technical tasks like level mixing and microphone placement, Wilson made extensive adjustments to the setup, usurping standard studio protocols of the era that limited console use to assigned engineers. Once Britz prepared an initial configuration, Wilson took control of the console, directing session musicians from the booth using an intercom or non-verbal cues alongside chord charts. Britz recalled that Wilson would work with the players until he achieved the desired sound, a process that frequently lasted for hours.
  
  Wilson first used the Wrecking Crew for productions with the Honeys in March 1963, and two months later, during sessions for Surfer Girl, he began gradually integrating these musicians into Beach Boys records. Until 1965, the band members typically performed the instrumentation, but as Wilson's sessions came to necessitate 11 or more different players, his reliance on the Wrecking Crew increased. In 1966 and 1967, he almost exclusively used these musicians for the backing tracks, although their involvement diminished considerably after 1967.
  
  His musicians, many trained in conservatories, were impressed by his abilities. Unlike most other producers, Wilson never required them to devise their own parts. Bassist Carol Kaye recounted that the group "were in awe of Brian", while guitarist Jerry Cole recalled that he and his fellow players "would walk out of Brian's sessions shaking our heads, saying, 'This son of a bitch is either crazy, or he's an absolute genius. ' " Drummer Hal Blaine, however, recalled that all of the musicians "helped arrange, as far as I'm concerned".
  
  Wilson said, "I was unable to really think as a producer up until the time where I really got familiar with Phil Spector's work. That was when I started to design the experience to be a record rather than just a song." He frequently attended Spector's recording sessions, observing his arranging and recording techniques, and adopted Spector's choice of studios and session musicians, later known as the Wrecking Crew. Wilson established approximately one-third of a song's final arrangement during the writing process, with the remainder developed in the studio.
  
  Rather than using Gold Star Studios, Spector's favored facility, Wilson chose Studio 3 at Western for its privacy and the presence of staff engineer Chuck Britz, who served as Wilson's principal engineer from 1962 to 1967. While Britz typically handled technical tasks like level mixing and microphone placement, Wilson made extensive adjustments to the setup, usurping standard studio protocols of the era that limited console use to assigned engineers. Once Britz prepared an initial configuration, Wilson took control of the console, directing session musicians from the booth using an intercom or non-verbal cues alongside chord charts. Britz recalled that Wilson would work with the players until he achieved the desired sound, a process that frequently lasted for hours.
  
  Wilson first used the Wrecking Crew for productions with the Honeys in March 1963, and two months later, during sessions for Surfer Girl, he began gradually integrating these musicians into Beach Boys records. Until 1965, the band members typically performed the instrumentation, but as Wilson's sessions came to necessitate 11 or more different players, his reliance on the Wrecking Crew increased. In 1966 and 1967, he almost exclusively used these musicians for the backing tracks, although their involvement diminished considerably after 1967.
  
  His musicians, many trained in conservatories, were impressed by his abilities. Unlike most other producers, Wilson never required them to devise their own parts. Bassist Carol Kaye recounted that the group "were in awe of Brian", while guitarist Jerry Cole recalled that he and his fellow players "would walk out of Brian's sessions shaking our heads, saying, 'This son of a bitch is either crazy, or he's an absolute genius. ' " Drummer Hal Blaine, however, recalled that all of the musicians "helped arrange, as far as I'm concerned".