Rolling Stone obit...
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bill-pitman-wrecking-crew-guitarist-dead-obit-1396651/102 is a hell of an age, but it's sad to see Bill go. We've all seen the photos of the Smile-era sessions, and it seems like the man was there all the time. Though I haven't reviewed the session logs extensively, it wouldn't surprise me if Bill was the Smile tracks' most prolific musician, perhaps even more so than Carol Kaye. Brian absolutely loved the man's musicianship, for good reason.
I always found it charming that Bill downplayed the importance of his work. In interview after interview, he always made it clear that it was just a job to him. He didn't think the music he played on was particularly good, but the gig paid well and allowed him to spend time on the golf course during the day as guys like Brian worked at night. The fact that the music has absolutely stood the test of time indicates that Bill was "wrong" about it, but it's always healthy to have a contrarian around who rejects the dominant narrative. RIP, Bill.
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