The Journey of louie Shelton: Crafting the Monkees’ Iconic Sound
Between the late 1960s adn the 1980s, few session guitarists matched the demand for Louie Shelton. His remarkable guitar skills, both electric and acoustic, can be heard on countless chart-topping tracks, including Boz Scaggs’ “Lowdown,” Lionel Richie’s “Hello,” Neil Diamond’s “Play Me,” and the Jackson five’s classics like ”I Want You Back,” ”ABC,” and “I’ll Be There.” As a key member of the legendary Wrecking Crew, Shelton also contributed to the music for the fictional band, the Partridge Family.
his impressive resume extends to collaborations with music icons such as John Lennon, Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Marvin Gaye, diana Ross, the Carpenters, Joe Cocker, Kenny Rogers, the Mamas & Papas, james Brown, and Ella Fitzgerald. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in producing Seals & Crofts’ major hits, including “summer Breeze,” “Diamond Girl,” and “We May never Pass This Way Again.”
A Fortuitous Introduction to the Studio Scene
Louie Shelton’s ascent from relative obscurity to a sought-after studio musician was marked by a fortunate twist of fate. His journey began in the early 1960s when his friend Glen Campbell,a fellow Arkansan and member of the Wrecking Crew,introduced him to the Los Angeles studio scene. Although Shelton occasionally filled in for Campbell, his initial foothold in this competitive environment was limited to recording demos for lesser-known publishing projects.
“Glen Campbell’s former drummer had joined my band in Santa fe, New Mexico, just before we headed to Los Angeles in 1963,” Shelton shared in an interview with Guitar Player from his home on Australia’s Gold Coast. “Somehow, he connected with the songwriting duo Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, working on their demos.”
This connection eventually led Shelton to collaborate with Boyce and hart. By the time he met them in 1965,they had already penned hits for groups like Jay & the Americans (“Come a Little Bit Closer”) and Paul Revere & the Raiders (“(I’m Not your) Steppin’ Stone”).
Seizing the opportunity with the Monkees
Despite his growing connections, work was inconsistent, prompting Shelton to leave Los Angeles. While performing with Seals and Crofts in Las Vegas, he was approached by Boyce and Hart, who informed him they were pitching songs for a new television series centered around a fictional rock band called the Monkees.
“Boyce and hart came to me and said, ‘We’d love for you to come back and work with us,’” Shelton recalled. ”So, I began traveling back and forth to record demos for the Monkees.”
In the following weeks, Shelton recorded with Boyce and Hart as they competed for the Monkees gig. “It was a race against time to see if Boyce and Hart would be chosen to create the music for the Monkees,” he explained. “Others were also vying for the opportunity.”
The Breakthrough Riff
While working on one of Boyce & Hart’s new songs, “Last Train to Clarksville,” Shelton struck gold with a guitar riff that would significantly alter his career path. “It all began with a suggestion to create something reminiscent of the Beatles, like a riff from ‘Ticket to Ride’ that would kick off the song,” he recalled.
“They brought in the executives from the TV show to hear what we had developed. At that point, we had the Monkees theme song, but all we had for ’Last Train to Clarksville’ was my guitar riff. Just that one lick was enough to secure their acceptance to do the Monkees. ’clarksville’ was the catalyst that propelled the entire project forward.”
“It demonstrates the power of a memorable guitar riff. It grabs your attention immediately,and evidently,it won them over as well.”
Once the song was finalized, they entered RCA Victor’s studio for recording. “I used my 1964 Fender Telecaster and a ’64 Fender Super Reverb amp with four 10-inch speakers, which I had been using in clubs,” shelton revealed. “As we recorded ‘Clarksville,’ they kept urging me to ‘turn it up!’ They wanted a loud, radiant sound.”
Released in August 1966 as the Monkees’ debut single, “Last Train to Clarksville” soared to number one on the Billboard chart. This marked the beginning of an impressive streak, with the Monkees releasing four albums within the next 16 months. Thanks to the success of their television show, they sold more records in 1967 than both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined.
Becoming the Go-To Guitarist
Following the success of the single, Shelton became the primary guitarist for Boyce & Hart. “I essentially played on all their projects,” he noted. “While other musicians contributed to the Monkees’ sound, including notable guitarists like James Burton and Glen Campbell, I was part of the Boyce and Hart band, which was composed of emerging session players.”
“Despite not being top-tier session musicians, Boyce and Hart produced the majority of the hits.”
Shelton’s diverse musical influences significantly shaped the sound they created. His versatility shone through in “Valleri,” another Boyce and Hart composition for the Monkees, where he infused flamenco guitar elements into the pop structure.
“In my early days, I listened to flamenco guitarist Sabicas, and many of those flamenco pieces featured specific chord progressions,” he explained. “When we began playing ‘Valleri’ with its E minor to D major to C major chord progression, it struck me as very flamenco.”
“As a playful gesture, I started incorporating rapid notes over those chords, mimicking flamenco. It was a cheeky move, but they loved it, so I went with it. Interestingly, I’ve received more feedback over the years for that guitar part than any other solo I’ve played, as it was such an unusual addition to a pop record.”
It’s widely recognized that while all the Monkees members were musically talented, they were initially not permitted to play instruments on their early recordings or contribute to the material that Shelton and the session musicians were creating.
“They were never present to even voice their opinions. I hadn’t met them until after we completed all the recordings,” he noted. “We would come in during the day to lay down the tracks while they filmed the TV show.They would only arrive later in the evening to record their vocals.”
“I know it was somewhat frustrating for them. There’s been a lot written about that, but I believe they eventually accepted that they might not have been able to create that music themselves at that stage.”
Eventually, the monkees convinced RCA to allow them to play their instruments on their mid-1967 album Headquarters. Shortly thereafter, they embarked on a tour where Jimi Hendrix opened for them.
“When that first record was released and became a hit,” Shelton explained, “we had a brief meeting with the Monkees to show them, ‘Here’s what I played and how I played it, so try to replicate that as closely as possible.’ we had that one day together, and that was the last time I saw them.”
His work with the Monkees opened doors to further opportunities,including collaborations with the Wrecking Crew. By this time, his friend Campbell had achieved solo success with hits like “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and “Wichita Lineman.” he left the Wrecking Crew at the end of 1967, paving the way for Shelton to step into his role. His dream of breaking into the elite studio session scene was finally realized.
“The Monkees were the key that unlocked that door for me,” he reflected. “As I joined the Wrecking Crew, I was one of the younger members, as many of the older musicians were retiring due to age or health issues, creating space for new talent.”
“It was a long journey from my first band upon arriving in L.A. in ’63-a folk duo called Joe and Eddie. I recorded a few albums with them, but there was a significant gap between that gig, the Monkees a couple of years later, and finally becoming part of the Wrecking Crew.”
Today, Shelton remains active, recording in both Australia and the U.S.,while sharing stories from his illustrious career through his website and YouTube channel.
