Hal Blaine Story

[Pretty Funky]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703858404576214574291829718.html

[Chris Brown]

Nice to see an article about Hal, and he certainly deserves the recognition, but unfortunately it spreads a lot of the same misinformation that has been promulgated for years regarding how much the Beach Boys played on their own records, i.e. that after 1963 they did nothing but sing.  I guess the truth doesn't tie in very neatly with the story they want to tell.

[Jay]

Sorry, but I think he comes off as an obnoxious egomaniac in this article. Yes, what Brian wrote was only notes on the paper. But I guess it was good enough to get his picture on the album cover. 

[Jon Stebbins]

Its unlikely that Hal played the drums on the song Little Deuce Coupe as he claims in this article. I know a lot of people have written it that way, including me, but the latest evidence suggests that it was probably Dennis on that particular song.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Its unlikely that Hal played the drums on the song Little Deuce Coupe as he claims in this article. I know a lot of people have written it that way, including me, but the latest evidence suggests that it was probably Dennis on that particular song.

The AFM contract would agree with you.

[Micha]

I remember though that Brian claimed he had to replace Dennis' drum track for LDC because it wasn't good enough. So even if the AFM contract rightfully says he laid down a drum track, this doesn't mean it was the one that got used.

Anyway, from countless listenings to the BB recordings, I tend to think that into the mid-60s Dennis was a rather insecure studio drummer. His live drumming though was as driving and energetic as Hal Blaine's could ever be.

On the Live at Sacramento bootleg there is a version of Don't Back Down that starts with a pretty long bass drum part, much longer than on the record, as if Dennis was trying to deliver the tempo Brian wants. But when the other instruments and the singing join in, Dennis speeds up instantly, giving the song the tempo that his intuition tells him. The others have to catch up with him for a few bars, they play the song in Dennis' tempo, and it makes a much more energetic version than the studio version. Same goes for I Get Around from those concerts. Dennis rocks!

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I remember though that Brian claimed he had to replace Dennis' drum track for LDC because it wasn't good enough. So even if the AFM contract rightfully says he laid down a drum track, this doesn't mean it was the one that got used.

3-track recording doesn't allow for select replacement of individual instruments, and even if it did, an O.D. Session would generate its own AFM sheet.  If Brian deemed it not good enough, they'd have to rerecord the whole thing.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I remember though that Brian claimed he had to replace Dennis' drum track for LDC because it wasn't good enough. So even if the AFM contract rightfully says he laid down a drum track, this doesn't mean it was the one that got used.

The earliest mention of that claim I've come across was in David Leaf's 1978 BW bio.  Nothing was said in the intervening 15 years. More, there is no AFM for a further "LDC" session.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Same goes for I Get Around from those concerts. Dennis rocks!

The 'live" "I Get Around" from 1964 is nothing of the sort, as has been established for over a decade.

[PongHit]

the latest evidence suggests that it was probably Dennis on that particular song.

Sounds like Dennis's style too, when compared to the live recordings/footage.

[Wirestone]

Hal has had a great part to play in rock history. I think it's fine to let him have that -- what's more, he was clearly an important guy in Brian's life for a time, and an important presence on BB records.

That said, I also really appreciate the work of Jon and some of the archivists here. I've told this story before, but the first big BB purchase I made was the 93 box. And when you hear it, it seemed petty clear that up until Pet Sounds (and maybe some singles before), that a lot of the band was on the records. I mean, there's a Carl guitar break on a lot of stuff. There's that pounding, chordal piano that sounds just like Brian.

But a couple of years later, with the PS sessions box, the "Everything I Need" quasi reunion and Carol Kaye popping up, what I originally thought I was hearing was said to be wrong. Those are all session musicians! Everything after the first couple of albums was studio pros.

It's made me very happy to know that all of that was wrong. Yes, Brian picked up studio guys, but it just makes me happy to know that the band is on stuff like DWB. Warms the heart.

But that doesn't mean the session guys weren't important. I mean, if you're into PS or Smile, that was their thing. And Brian clearly wanted a more polished, "adult" sound. Those are both components of what made the band great -- the ability to shift between low, middle and high.

[Jon Stebbins]

I remember though that Brian claimed he had to replace Dennis' drum track for LDC because it wasn't good enough. So even if the AFM contract rightfully says he laid down a drum track, this doesn't mean it was the one that got used.

Anyway, from countless listenings to the BB recordings, I tend to think that into the mid-60s Dennis was a rather insecure studio drummer. His live drumming though was as driving and energetic as Hal Blaine's could ever be.

On the Live at Sacramento bootleg there is a version of Don't Back Down that starts with a pretty long bass drum part, much longer than on the record, as if Dennis was trying to deliver the tempo Brian wants. But when the other instruments and the singing join in, Dennis speeds up instantly, giving the song the tempo that his intuition tells him. The others have to catch up with him for a few bars, they play the song in Dennis' tempo, and it makes a much more energetic version than the studio version. Same goes for I Get Around from those concerts. Dennis rocks!

Brian tends to say things in error, er, occasionally

FYI...Dennis was the studio drummer on both Don't Back Down and I Get Around, Hal added a drum overdub to the former and timbales played with brushes to the latter. (Thanks to C-man for major research)

[Jon Stebbins]

Hal has had a great part to play in rock history. I think it's fine to let him have that -- what's more, he was clearly an important guy in Brian's life for a time, and an important presence on BB records.

That said, I also really appreciate the work of Jon and some of the archivists here. I've told this story before, but the first big BB purchase I made was the 93 box. And when you hear it, it seemed petty clear that up until Pet Sounds (and maybe some singles before), that a lot of the band was on the records. I mean, there's a Carl guitar break on a lot of stuff. There's that pounding, chordal piano that sounds just like Brian.

But a couple of years later, with the PS sessions box, the "Everything I Need" quasi reunion and Carol Kaye popping up, what I originally thought I was hearing was said to be wrong. Those are all session musicians! Everything after the first couple of albums was studio pros.

It's made me very happy to know that all of that was wrong. Yes, Brian picked up studio guys, but it just makes me happy to know that the band is on stuff like DWB. Warms the heart.

But that doesn't mean the session guys weren't important. I mean, if you're into PS or Smile, that was their thing. And Brian clearly wanted a more polished, "adult" sound. Those are both components of what made the band great -- the ability to shift between low, middle and high.

I completely agree. Hal should be highly praised and credited for the great BB's records he played drums on...and many of them are classics, "Do You Wanna Dance", "Help Me Rhonda", "Kiss Me Baby", "California Girls", "Sloop John B", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Good Vibrations"...what a list! He also augmented Dennis with percussion on more classics like "I Get Around", and "Dance Dance Dance". There is no reason for these pros to assume credit for more than what they actually did. It ends up turning their greatness into a negative thing. Credit where credit is due...to both the session players, and to the Beach Boys when warranted. I think its important stuff.

[DonnyL]

i always thought that Brian was using "Little Deuce Coupe" as an arbitrary example of a hit BB song that Hal played on in that quote ... I think it was something like, "I didn't have the heart to tell Dennis that's not him on "Little Deuce Coupe" or something like that.  he could have used any song to convey the point.

[Rocker]

Same goes for I Get Around from those concerts. Dennis rocks!

The 'live" "I Get Around" from 1964 is nothing of the sort, as has been established for over a decade.

There are real recordings though on bootleg. And they show that it would've been better to release them instead of the fake-ones imo


Like someone said in another thread, Hal might remember a coverversion of "Little deuce coupe" that he might have played on. Anyway the live recordings of LDC show that Dennis was perfectly capable playing the drums on that one.

[joe_blow]

"My playing took the pressure off of him. Besides, while I made $65 for an afternoon in the studio, he'd make $65,000 that night in concert."

I seem to recall Hal staing that is was $30 for an afternoon and $30,000 for that nights concerts. Just an example of of how the truth gets stretched.

[Andrew G. Doe]

"My playing took the pressure off of him. Besides, while I made $65 for an afternoon in the studio, he'd make $65,000 that night in concert."

I seem to recall Hal staing that is was $30 for an afternoon and $30,000 for that nights concerts. Just an example of of how the truth gets stretched.

The "LDC/Surfer Girl" session, which seems to have been a standard three hour one, would have paid Hal $56 at union scale.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

An interesting "what if" situation that I've toyed with is imagining what Pet Sounds would have been like if it was recorded with the "core band plus" so to speak, rather than heavily Wrecking Crewed.  That is to say, what if every track was like "That's Not Me" or even "Dance, Dance, Dance" which is the Boys with Hal/Ray/Glen.  Perhaps I'll record some covers in that mode someday.

[HighOnLife]

An interesting "what if" situation that I've toyed with is imagining what Pet Sounds would have been like if it was recorded with the "core band plus" so to speak, rather than heavily Wrecking Crewed.  That is to say, what if every track was like "That's Not Me" or even "Dance, Dance, Dance" which is the Boys with Hal/Ray/Glen.  Perhaps I'll record some covers in that mode someday.

I don't think Pet Sounds would have sounded as "clean", if that's the right word, if the Boys were the primary players.

[Shady]

Hal's got loose lips

[A Million Units In Jan!]

Ok, so I'm not really up on the technicalities of these things, so let me ask a question that I'm sure everyone knows the answer to but me; Since the session musicians belonged to a union, did that mean that they didn't receive royalties from albums they played on? If that's the case, then why would they belong to a union, anyway? Wouldn't it have been better for them to be 'freelance'?

[bgas]

Ok, so I'm not really up on the technicalities of these things, so let me ask a question that I'm sure everyone knows the answer to but me; Since the session musicians belonged to a union, did that mean that they didn't receive royalties from albums they played on? If that's the case, then why would they belong to a union, anyway? Wouldn't it have been better for them to be 'freelance'?

Most studios/artists didn't hire freelancers.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Ok, so I'm not really up on the technicalities of these things, so let me ask a question that I'm sure everyone knows the answer to but me; Since the session musicians belonged to a union, did that mean that they didn't receive royalties from albums they played on? If that's the case, then why would they belong to a union, anyway? Wouldn't it have been better for them to be 'freelance'?

Nope, no royalties - only the artist gets those.

As for freelance, the session players were all exactly that - guns for hire. There was no equivalent of Central Casting, it was pretty much down to word of mouth, who you knew and later, if you were any good, reputation.

[Roger Ryan]

Yes, freelance and union members are not mutually exclusive. The session players were freelancers who marketed themselves (and earned good reputations) in order to keep working; as a member of the musicians' union, they were allowed access to union jobs and were able to make sure they were paid an appropriate wage for their freelance work.

While session musicians are largely a thing of the past, this same approach continues to apply to film crews today. Union shoots will guarantee a base rate of pay, safe working conditions, a specifically-scheduled lunch break and overtime pay when applicable; it does not guarantee employment.

[guitarfool2002]

There actually was a "central casting" in the form of the musicians' answering services, in the case of Hal it was "Arlyn's Answering Service" who the contractor for the session would call and have them contact all of the musicians that contractor thought would work best on a particular date. It removes the image of Hal Blaine or Steve Douglas sitting at a phone calling people when they had a group of people on call specifically to make those calls and get the players together.

It was a freelance operation with the musicians themselves, but it was actually more like a freelance within a core group that had outlets like the AFM, the answering service, the cartage companies to get the gear to and from the studios, etc. Like a corporation without the corporate part.