Hal Blaine

The Profile

Hal Blaine (born Harold Simon Belsky, February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019) was an American session drummer and one of the most recorded percussionists in popular music history. He played on hundreds of hit records in the 1960s and 1970s, recorded the 1967 experimental album Psychedelic Percussion, and is widely associated with Los Angeles session musicians often referred to as the Wrecking Crew.

Credited in reviews and public sources for percussion on songs such as Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" and drumming on recordings like the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man"; referenced as "the most sought-after drummer in the world between the second half of the '60s and the early '70s" in the provided review. The review also notes membership in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.

The available review highlights Hal Blaine's role as a ubiquitous session drummer of the 1960s and 1970s and discusses his 1967 experimental album Psychedelic Percussion. The reviewer emphasizes both his quantity of hits and consistent quality, with anecdotes such as the "Hal Blaine Strikes Again" stamp. The review connects Blaine's percussion work to famous recordings like Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" and the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man."