Chicago Sun-Times: In his own words GLEN CAMPBELL SESSIONS

"Everybody Loves Somebody," (1964), Dean Martin

"It was very live. In fact, he actually sang [and Campbell imitates a swaggering Dino], 'Everybody wants my body sometime,' " and [producer] Jimmy Bowen said, 'You can't do that.'

"Another trick Bowen played with me was to sing harmony with Dean -- and Dean didn't phrase anything the same way twice. Bowen would be laughing and saying, 'What's the matter? Can't you cut it, Campbell?' He was singing lead and I tried to sing live with him."

"Strangers in the Night" (1966), Frank Sinatra

"Strictly business. Here was 'The Chairman of the Board' and everybody would shut up and listen. Sinatra knew how good Bowen was because of what Bowen had done in the past [at Roulette Records in the 1950s].

"And Bowen had everything ready. All Sinatra had to do was walk in the door. Everything he needed was on a table by the microphone where he stood to sing. We ran 'Strangers in the Night' with the band for an hour and a half before Frank got there. When he arrived, I don't think we did more than three takes. Jimmy said, 'Frank, we got it.' It was that quick. And it was one of the better records of that era."

"Surf City" (1963); "The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena)" (1964), both Jan & Dean

"Of all the sessions I did, Jan & Dean were the easiest. Jan [Berry] was great. He had every note written out for [guitarist] Tommy Tedesco. He had every chord written out for me. I didn't read notes. He got a sound we didn't mess with. We'd do our tracks and go home.

"One reason this number of 586 sessions in a year [1963] is so high is because tracking was double. If they sang while the band was playing, it was double for the musicians."

"Guess I'm Dumb" (1965)

an "Exotica" ballad with strings, sung by Glen Campbell, written by Brian Wilson and Russ Titleman, arranged and produced by Wilson. ("Wrecking Crew" members included drummer Hal Blaine and keyboardist Leon Russell):

"The Beach Boys cut it for an album ["California Girls"], and all of a sudden, Brian said, 'I don't like it.' He thought I'd want it, because I was also on Capitol. Now I wish I hadn't done it, because it was probably two tones higher than my voice. That was the end of my high range. But, hey, it was a good record, something different.

"Brian Wilson would sit and tinker with things for hours and hours on end. He was a genius. Tears came into my eyes the last time I talked with him in that era. I don't know what he was doing, but it sure had an effect on him."

"Be My Baby" (1963), the Ronettes; "He's a Rebel" (1962), the Crystals; both produced by Phil Spector

"Most laborious sessions? Well, Phil Spector was, 'No, no, no, I want this. Here, here, here, do this.' That kind of stuff. But he knew what he was doing. I have utmost respect for Spector as far as making a record. He was as good as it gets."