Drummer Hal Blaine, a session drummer with almost forty number 1 records to his name as a member of the Wrecking Crew, died on Monday (March 12) at the age of 90.Blaine was part of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound and played on numerous Beach Boys records along with being an integral member of the Wrecking Crew who played on hundreds of recordings. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 as part of the first group of sidemen to become members and was an honored last year with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Here are ten of Blaine's most indelible performances with emphasis on recordings where his drums stand out.
Be My Baby - Ronettes
Eve of Destruction - Barry McGuire
Good Vibrations - Beach Boys
These Boots Are Made For Walkin' - Nancy Sinatra
Windy - Association
Dizzy - Tommy Roe
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
Indian Reservation - Raiders
Half Breed - Cher
Love Will Keep Us Together - Captain & Tennille
Blaine's 38 Number 1 Records
- "Johnny Angel" – Shelley Fabares
- "He's a Rebel" – The Crystals
- "Surf City" – Jan & Dean
- "I Get Around" – The Beach Boys
- "Everybody Loves Somebody" – Dean Martin
- "Ringo" – Lorne Greene
- "This Diamond Ring" – Gary Lewis & the Playboys
- "Help Me, Rhonda" – The Beach Boys
- "Mr Tambourine Man" – The Byrds
- "Eve of Destruction" – Barry McGuire
- "My Love" – Petula Clark
- "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" – Nancy Sinatra
- "Monday Monday" – The Mamas & the Papas
- "Strangers in the Night" – Frank Sinatra
- "Poor Side of Town" – Johnny Rivers
- "Good Vibrations" – The Beach Boys
- "Somethin' Stupid" – Frank & Nancy Sinatra
- "The Happening" – The Supremes[1][22]
- "Windy" – The Association
- "Mrs. Robinson" – Simon & Garfunkel
- "Dizzy" – Tommy Roe
- "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" – The 5th Dimension
- "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" – Henry Mancini
- "Wedding Bell Blues" – The 5th Dimension[
- "Bridge Over Troubled Water" – Simon & Garfunkel
- "(They Long to Be) Close to You" – The Carpenters
- "Cracklin' Rosie" – Neil Diamond
- "I Think I Love You" – The Partridge Family
- "Indian Reservation" – The Raiders
- "Song Sung Blue" – Neil Diamon
- "Half Breed" – Cher
- "Annie's Song" – John Denver
- "Top of the World" – The Carpenters
- "The Way We Were" – Barbra Streisand
- "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" – John Denver
- "Love Will Keep Us Together" – Captain & Tennille
- "I'm Sorry"/"Calypso" – John Denver
- "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" – Diana Ross
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