Unless you’re a Beach Boys fan, the name Hal Blaine may not mean much, but his music has probably affected you at some point in your life.
Hal Blaine, one of the most recorded musicians in history has passed away at the age of 90.
Most well known for his work as the Beach Boys session drummer, Blaine was a studio powerhouse throught the ’60s and ’70s playing with everyone from Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra to Simon & Garfunkel and George Harrison.
Do you remember the theme song to the 1960’s TV series Batman with Adam West? Blaine recorded that too!
Blaine was also part of the ‘Wrecking Crew,” a group of LA studio musicians who recorded more than 6,000 records including 150 top 10 hits.
He was responsible for the legendary drum beat that opens The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” and the unforgetable sound of the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations.” Some of Blaine’s other most famous hits include Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers In The Night,” Simon & Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and 5th Dimension’s “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In.”
Take a moment to remember Hal’s influence on your life with one of the Beach Boys’ favorites below.