Famed Wrecking Crew drummer Hal Blaine is dead at 90

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Hal Blaine. One of the greatest drummers ever to wield sticks. I was fortunate enough to work with him a couple times and remember his quiet authority and kindness. Backbeat of The Wrecking Crew. Gone at age 90, bless him.

A post shared by Rosanne Cash (@mrslev) on Mar 11, 2019 at 7:45pm PDT

Session drummer Hal Blaine, who died Monday at age 90, played on thousands of records in the 1960s and '70s. He was best known for the opening solo on the Ronettes' "Be My Baby," but also played on a wide range of songs now considered classics. Here are highlights:

— "Strangers in the Night," Frank Sinatra.

— "Return to Sender," Elvis Presley.

— "Good Vibrations," The Beach Boys.

— "Mr. Tambourine Man," The Byrds.

— "A Taste of Honey," Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass.

— "California Dreaming," The Mamas and the Papas.

— "The Way We Were," Barbra Streisand.

— "Love Will Keep Us Together," The Captain and Tennille.

— "Bridge Over Troubled Water," Simon & Garfunkel.

— "Another Saturday Night," Sam Cooke.

— "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In," The 5th Dimension.

— "(They Long To Be) Close To You," The Carpenters.

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Adios Hal Blaine. I feel lucky to be part of a tribe, musicians, folks who can play, folks who make records. It’s hard not to be impressed by Hal Blaine’s career...the kind that will never happen again....40 #1 hits, 150 top 10 records. Amen.

A post shared by @ johnleventhal on Mar 11, 2019 at 4:18pm PDT