Hal Blaine

[sammyg2]

I figure this guy deserves his own thread, arguably the best sessions drummer and one of the best overall drummer ever.

Hal Blaine (born Harold Simon Belsky; February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019) was an American drummer and session musician, estimated to be among the most recorded studio drummers in the history of the music industry, claiming over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles.
His drumming is featured on 150 US top 10 hits, 40 of which went to number one, as well as many film and television soundtracks.

Here's a partial list of songs he played on:

All I Have to Do Is Dream (Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell)
All I Know (Art Garfunkel)
Along Comes Mary (The Association)
America (Simon & Garfunkel)
And more again (Love)
Annie's Song (John Denver)
Another Saturday Night (Sam Cooke)
Any World (That I'm Welcome To) (Steely Dan)
Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The 5th Dimension)
At the Zoo

Baby I Need Your Loving (Johnny Rivers)
Baby Talk (Jan and Dean)
Back Home Again (John Denver)
Barbara Ann (The Beach Boys)
Batman Theme
Be My Baby (The Ronettes)
Be True to Your School (The Beach Boys)
The Best Part of) Breakin' Up
Bless the Beasts and the Children (The Carpenters)
Bossa Nova Baby
The Boxer (Simon & Garfunkel)
Bridge over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel)
By the Time I Get to Phoenix (Tony Mann)
By the Time I Get to Phoenix (Johnny Rivers)
By the Time I Get to Phoenix (Glen Campbell)

California Dreamin' (The Mamas and the Papas)
California Girls (The Beach Boys)
Calypso (John Denver)
Can't Help Falling in Love (Elvis Presley)
Can't You Hear the Song? (Wayne Newton)
Cara Mia (Jay and the Americans)
Caroline, No (Brian Wilson)
Cecilia (Simon & Garfunkel)
Cherish (David Cassidy)
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (Darlene Love)
Come a Little Bit Closer (Jay and the Americans)
Come and Knock on Our Door (theme from the television series Three's Company)
Come Back When You Grow Up (Bobby Vee)
Come Saturday Morning
Cotton Fields (The Beach Boys)
Count Me In (Gary Lewis & the Playboys)
Could It Be Forever (David Cassidy)
Cracklin' Rosie (Neil Diamond)
Creeque Alley (The Mamas and the Papas)

Da Doo Ron Ron (The Crystals)
Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast (Wayne Newton)
The Daily Planet
Dance, Dance, Dance (The Beach Boys)
Darlin'
Dead Man's Curve (Jan and Dean)[2]
Death of a Ladies' Man
Dedicated to the One I Love (The Mamas and the Papas)
Didn't We
Dizzy (Tommy Roe)
Do You Know Where You're Going To (them from the film Mahogany) (Diana Ross)
Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted (The Partridge Family)
Don't Pull Your Love (Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds)
The Door Is Still Open to My Heart (Dean Martin)
Drag City (Jan and Dean)
Dream a Little Dream of Me (The Mamas and the Papas)

18 Yellow Roses (Bobby Darin)
El Condor Pasa (Simon & Garfunkel)
Elusive Butterfly (Bob Lind)
Evangeline
Eve of Destruction (Barry McGuire)
Everybody Loves a Clown (Gary Lewis & the Playboys)
Everybody Loves Somebody (Dean Martin)
Everything That Touches You (The Association)

Fakin' It
For All We Know (The Carpenters)
Fun, Fun, Fun (The Beach Boys)

Galveston (Glen Campbell)
Go Where You Wanna Go
God Only Knows (The Beach Boys)
Good Vibrations
Goodbye to Love (The Carpenters)
Guantanamera (The Sandpipers)
Guess I'm Dumb (Glen Campbell)

Half-Breed (Cher)
The Happening (The Supremes)
A Hazy Shade of Winter
He's a Rebel
Help Me, Rhonda (The Beach Boys)
Heroes and Villains
Hey Little Cobra (The Rip Chords)
Hey Jude (Bing Crosby)
Him or Me – What's It Gonna Be? (Paul Revere & the Raiders)
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me (Mel Carter)
Holly Holy (Neil Diamond)
Homeward Bound (Simon & Garfunkel)
Houston (Dean Martin)
How Does That Grab You? (Nancy Sinatra)
Hungry
Hurting Each Other (The Carpenters)

I Am a Rock (Simon & Garfunkel)
I Am... I Said (Neil Diamond)
I Believe You (The Carpenters)
I Can't Go On (Chris and Craig)
I Couldn't Live Without Your Love (Petula Clark)
I Get Around (The Beach Boys)
I Got You Babe (Sonny & Cher)
I Need You (America)
I Need You (Chris and Craig)
I Saw Her Again (The Mamas and the Papas)
I Think I Love You (The Partridge Family)
If I Were a Carpenter (Bobby Darin)
I'll Meet You Halfway (The Partridge Family)
I'm Sorry(John Denver)
In My Room (The Beach Boys)
Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian) (Paul Revere & the Raiders)
It Never Rains in Southern California (Albert Hammond)
It's Getting Better (Cass Elliot)
It's Over (Roy Orbison)
I Won't Last a Day Without You (The Carpenters)

Jam Up and Jelly Tight (Tommy Roe)
Jambalaya (On the Bayou) (The Carpenters)
Johnny Angel (Shelley Fabares)
José Cuervo (Shelly West)
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) (Kenny Rogers and The First Edition)

Kicks (Paul Revere & the Raiders)

(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All (The 5th Dimension)
Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress) (Helen Reddy)
Let Him Run Wild (The Beach Boys)
Let's Live for Today (The Grass Roots)
Like a Sad Song (John Denver)
Like to Get to Know You (Spanky and Our Gang)
A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You (The Monkees)
Little Deuce Coupe (The Beach Boys)
The Little Girl I Once Knew (The Beach Boys)
Little Honda (The Beach Boys)
A Little Less Conversation (Elvis Presley)
The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena) (Jan and Dean)
Lizzie and the Rainman (Tanya Tucker)
The Lonely Bull (Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass)
Looking Through the Eyes of Love (The Partridge Family)
Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet (Henry Mancini)
Love Will Keep Us Together (Captain & Tennille)

MacArthur Park (Richard Harris)
Make Your Own Kind of Music (Cass Elliot)
Mamma (Connie Francis)
Mary, Mary (Michael Nesmith)
Midnight Confessions (The Grass Roots)
Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)(remaster)
Monday, Monday (The Mamas and the Papas)
Mother and Child Reunion (Paul Simon)
Mountain of Love (Johnny Rivers)
Mr. Tambourine Man (The Byrds)
Mrs. Robinson (Simon & Garfunkel)
Muskrat Love (Captain & Tennille)
My Love (Petula Clark)
My Special Angel (The Vogues)

Never My Love (The Association)
New Shabbos Waltz
The Night Has a Thousand Eyes (Bobby Vee)
No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In) (The T-Bones)

(Oly Oxen Free Free Free) Hide Go Seek (The Honeys)
One Less Bell to Answer (The 5th Dimension)
The Only Living Boy in New York (Simon & Garfunkel)
Out of Limits (The Marketts)

Poor Side of Town (Johnny Rivers)

Rainy Days and Mondays (The Carpenters)
Red Roses for a Blue Lady (Vic Dana)
Return to Sender (Elvis Presley)
Rhythm of the Rain (The Cascades)
Ringo (Lorne Greene)
Rock-A-Hula Baby (Elvis Presley)
The Rocky Horror Show (original Roxy Theatre cast recording)

San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair) (Scott McKenzie)
Save Your Heart for Me (Gary Lewis & the Playboys)
Secret Agent Man (Johnny Rivers)
She's a Fool (Lesley Gore)
She's Just My Style (Gary Lewis & the Playboys)
The Seventh Son (Johnny Rivers)
Sleigh Ride (The Ronettes)
Sloop John B (The Beach Boys)
The Snake (Al Wilson)
So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright (Simon & Garfunkel)
Softly, as I Leave You (Frank Sinatra)
Somethin' Stupid (Frank and Nancy Sinatra)
Song Sung Blue (Neil Diamond)
Sooner or Later (The Grass Roots)
Stoned Soul Picnic (The 5th Dimension)
Stoney End (Barbra Streisand)
Strangers in the Night (Frank Sinatra)
Sugar Town (Nancy Sinatra)
Sunshower
Superstar (The Carpenters)
Sure Gonna Miss Her (Gary Lewis & the Playboys)
Surf City (Jan and Dean)
Surfer Girl (The Beach Boys)

A Taste of Honey (Herb Alpert)
Tears in the Morning (The Beach Boys)
A Texas State of Mind (David Frizzell and Shelly West)
Thank God I'm a Country Boy (John Denver)
That's Life (Frank Sinatra)
Then He Kissed Me (The Crystals)
These Boots Are Made for Walkin' (Nancy Sinatra)
(They Long to Be) Close to You (The Carpenters)
This Diamond Ring (Gary Lewis & the Playboys)
This Girl Is a Woman Now (Gary Puckett & The Union Gap)
This Is My Song (Petula Clark)
Top of the World (The Carpenters)
The Tracks of My Tears (Johnny Rivers)
Turn Around, Look at Me (The Vogues)

Up, Up and Away (The 5th Dimension)

Ventura Highway (America)

The Way We Were (Barbra Streisand)
Wedding Bell Blues (The 5th Dimension)
(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story (Andy Williams)
Where the Boys Are (Connie Francis)
We've Only Just Begun (The Carpenters)
Wichita Lineman (Glen Campbell)
Windy (The Association)
Woman, Woman (Gary Puckett & The Union Gap)
Words of Love (the Mamas and the Papas)
Workin' On a Groovy Thing
Wouldn't It Be Nice (The Beach Boys)

The Yard Went on Forever (Richard Harris)
Yesterday Once More (The Carpenters)
Young Girl (Gary Puckett & The Union Gap)
(You're the) Devil in Disguise (Elvis Presley)
You're the One (The Vogues)
You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma (David Frizzell and Shelly West)
You've Never Done It Like That (Captain & Tennille)

Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah (Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans)

Notes
Grammy Award for Record of the Year (1966)
Grammy Award for Record of the Year (1967)
Grammy Award for Record of the Year (1968)
Grammy Award for Record of the Year (1969)
Grammy Award for Record of the Year (1970)
Grammy Award for Record of the Year (1971)
Grammy Award for Record of the Year (1976)

Academy Award for Best Original Song (1974)

[Cajundaddy]

The groove master of the LA Wrecking Crew and definitely one of the greats. So many epic intros and beats.

[jcommin]

"arguably the best sessions drummer and one of the best overall drummer ever."

Yep! one of the best. Actually every studio musician in the Wrecking Crew were great.

[craigster59]

One of my heroes. I met him once (well, it was a "I'm not worthy" moment so I admired him from afar but was in the same room). It was at The Professional Drum Shop on Vine in Hollywood.

Hal could play anything, expertly, first take. One of a kind. His tom tom run on Indian Reservation still gives me chills.

But he didn't do Hawaii 5-0, John Guerin on drums and Gene Estes on timpani, not Hal as some people believe.

[bkreigsr]

yeah, that's Hal.....

[sammyg2]

Dude, the original BATMAN theme.

Na na na na nana na na ... BATMAN .....

awesome.











EDIT: it wasn't the original batman show theme, it was a cover version by the Marketts that got radio play and got to #17 on the charts. Still cool but not as much, bummed.

[sammyg2]

[sammyg2]

[bkreigsr]

[sammyg2]

Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum

Bruce Gary of The Knack once said he was disappointed to find out that 10 of his favorite drummers were Hal Blaine.

[sammyg2]

[sammyg2]

He played on the brady bunch theme?
Come on, not fair.