“I would buy records just because they were on it.” 

That’s the verdict of Phil Collins, legendary hitmaker, who is not only a fan of the session musicians known as The Immediate Family, they were often his backing band in the studio. Session musicians are musicians that are hired to perform in recording sessions and/or live performances.

Now the story of these background players – who were instrumental in creating the music in so many of the hits we all know and love, is coming to theaters. Immediate Family, a documentary about the band by that name, is getting a screening nationwide in select theaters for one night only, on December 12th. It will be available everywhere three days later. The trailer is above.

The movie comes from Magnolia Films, which said this about the movie. “Immediate Family tracks the rise and collaborations of a group of legendary studio musicians through the 1970s and onward, chronicling their illustrious partnerships and their formidable record of hit-making. Directed by Denny Tedesco, whose documentary The Wrecking Crew followed the first wave of studio musicians in the 60s, the film reveals the machinery behind the booming era of the singer-songwriter, when the talents of these four musicians were in furious demand. The foundations of their enduring friendship, formed on the road and in studios, is recalled with dynamite clarity —reminisced with fondness through intimate interviews with the guys themselves, as well as the memories of some of rock’s most iconic voices. Immediate Family is a backstage tour spanning multiple eras of musical history.”

Tedesco said in a statement that he “had been hesitant to make a follow up to The Wrecking Crew. But when I was approached with the idea of The Immediate Family, I didn’t think twice. The Immediate Family consists of Danny ‘Kootch’ Kortchmar (Guitar/Vocals), Leland Sklar (Bass), Russ Kunkel (Drums), Waddy Wachtel (Guitar/Vocals) and Steve Postell (Guitar/Vocals). They were at the genesis of the singer/songwriter era in the 1970s.”

The film tracks the music and lives of legendary 1970s session musicians who were featured on some of the most iconic recordings from the era, and feature interviews with Carole King, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Keith Richards, Don Henley, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett, and Phil Collins.

“This film is a window into the lives of my musical brothers, whose gold standard is to make sure that every song they play on comes out even better than the songwriter imagined. Now they’re doing that for their own songs, and this film tells their story beautifully,” said Carole King.

“Well, I have over a hundred gold and platinum records, and they probably played on 95% of them. Just to give you a number,” said Producer/Engineer Val Garay.

“Seeing those names on other recordings and thinking that, ‘Wow, these are the guys!’ And in a way these new independent players that were brought in by new artists like Carole King in those days, in a way the baton was handed to them and they became the new Wrecking Crew,” said Lyle Lovett.