I learned to appreciate Glen Campbell in recent years.
When I was a little kid, he was one of those middle-of-the-road people on summer TV specials, who had elevator-friendly hits with full string sections.
Then I read a story about his guitar on Wichita Lineman, where the “bass” intro was Glen. That got me interested in his string work.
That led me to his work in the Wrecking Crew as a session guitarist. And I learned he was a huge part of 1960s music history. Glen Campbell is in recordings by Elvis, Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, the Monkees, the Righteous Brothers and a many, many more. There was more than I can remember.
And oddly enough, all that kind of obscure history made me appreciate his overplayed hits more. I really love his covers of Wichita Lineman, Gentle on My Mind, and By the Time I Get to Phoenix.
Here’s an example of how Glen Campbell was a musician’s musician:
Glen Campbell & Ray Charles sing I Got A Woman