Member-only story
From the Shadows into the Spotlight
’60s and ’70s backup bands who came into their own
Often overlooked and mostly under-appreciated in rock and pop is the “backup band” — a group of musicians who play behind singers on hit records. In some cases, a backup band may be made up of session musicians, such as the “Wrecking Crew,” who played on countless hit recordings while never receiving credit.
Then there are backup bands who emerge from the shadows into the spotlight to become prominent. From the 1960s and 1970s, here in alphabetical order are seven backup bands who came into their own and made a name for themselves.
Atlanta Rhythm Section
This first band, Atlanta Rhythm Section, is a great example of musical artists who kept at it against all odds until they scored a hit. In 1970, five former members of two 1960s groups, the Candymen and the Classics IV, got together as a session band for an Atlanta area recording studio called Studio One. The band backed such acts as Classics IV and Roy Orbison, but by May 1970, Studio One manager Buddy Buie encouraged them to make a go of it on their own as Atlanta Rhythm Section (ARS). Five albums released between 1972 and 1976 were either duds or just modestly successful but ARS persevered. They toured extensively in 1975–76 to gain visibility. Finally…
