Thank you Hal Blaine

topper75

The beat just got a little tighter in the heavenly choir because Hal Blaine just sat in behind the kit up there.

If you ask who, I don't blame you. I only learned of the guy lately myself.

When you see what he worked on you may come to the conclusion that I came to: that he is the individual with the greatest disparity in the history of popular music between his work impact and people's familiarity with his name.

Here is a list of what he played in through what was arguably pop music's golden age, the 60s and 70s:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recordings_of_songs_Hal_Blaine_played_on

Elvis, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Sinatra, Phil Spector, Tina Turner, Simon&Garfunkel, Steely Dan, etc., a who's who. Most records never credited him.

He worked with a band of session musicians nicknamed 'the wrecking crew', that also included bassist Carol Kaye and guitarist Glen Campbell among others.

Basically every human being in the industrialised world has heard him play.

GLaDOS

That's a hell of a CV

topper75

^^^^^
That is a killer number - didn't know that was him. I'm still making my way through the list!
If I had such a musical CV my ego would explode in my brain like some sort of supernova across the universe, but Hal was a laid back cool guy in the interviews I saw on Sky Arts. He reminisced about things like the Pet Sounds sessions as though he were talking about practicing with his high school buddies in a garage.

The Princess Bride

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp1FBfjH60g

Funnily enough, this randomly came up on my YOUTUBE about a month ago, and I was blown away by it.
Sometimes, not enough respect is given to those who work hard behind the scenes.

What a talent, RIP.

noby

RIP. A great drummer.

Check out The Snake, a northern soul classic. I've heard he had just received his full octave set of toms, and boy does he put then to use!