The West Coast Motown Orchestra

[jsmith]

Can anyone here tell me who would have been the musicians in this 1960's LA based band. I guess it would have been mostly the guys who were on LA recorded Motown sessions in the 60's but don't know enough to ID many of them.
It makes a lot of sense that very few Detroit based musicians would make the trip to LA / Calif when the likes of Marvin Gaye, the Miracles, Tempts or 4 Tops played there. For Motown Review shows staged in LA [[guess there weren't too many of those), then Choker & his gang would have made the trip. But otherwise it seems to have been local musicians that backed up visiting & locally based Motown acts. I know the likes of Johnny Talbot And His Band played behind some visiting Motown artists on club gigs in LA, but I guess it wasn't this well known outfit when the ensemble was ID'd as the West Coast Motown Orchestra on other LA / Calif gigs. A Four Tops gig from October 1968 ...

[lockhartgary]

I never knew of the existence of this group. I found this tribute to Preston Love, who was a member of the band. Great photos!

[Levi Stubbs Tears]

I always thought the 'West Coast' [[LA) band was just 'The Wrecking Crew' which leads me to wonder if the Crew ever performed live together.

[robb_k]

I always thought the 'West Coast' [[LA) band was just 'The Wrecking Crew' which leads me to wonder if the Crew ever performed live together.

Yes, 'The Wrecking Crew's members recorded on many of Motown's L.A. recordings before the move west in 1972-74. But, I'd be surprised to learn that they ALL performed together, live, backing up Motown artists "on tour".

[144man]

Could Carole Kaye have been included?

[grapevine]

…according to Google …Motown’s Los Angeles musicians were…

Keyboards:
Mike Rubini
Joe Sample
Billy Preston
Clarence McDonald
Larry Knechtel also bass
Freddie Perren also percussion
William "Smitty" Smith
Mike Finnigan
Leonard Caston Jr.
Michael Lovesmith

Guitars:
Ray Parker Jr.
Don Peake
Deke Richards
Wah Wah Watson
Arthur Wright
David T. Walker
Tommy Tedesco
Louis Shelton
Mike Deasy
Dean Parks
Dennis Coffey
Willie Hutch

Bass:
Carol Kaye also guitar
Wilton Felder also saxophone
Scott Edwards
Jerry Knight
Max Bennett
Joe Osborn
Chuck Rainey
Alphonzo Mizell also keyboards
Ron Brown
Michael Mickey Durio also drums

Drums:
Hal Blaine
Earl Palmer
Harvey Mason
Spider Webb
James Gadson
Ed Greene
Gene Pello
Paul Humphrey

Percussion:
Gary Coleman
Bobbye Hall Porter
King Errisson
Joe Clayton
Sandra Crouch tambourine
Jerry Steinholtz
Emil Richards mallets

Grape

[jsmith]

I believe some of those listed above were only used on Motown LA recordings after the 60's had ended [[when Motown had decamped from Detroit).