Hal Blaine’s session notes confirm his drumming on “Bridge over Troubled Water,” which went on to win both Record of the Year and Album of the Year Grammy Awards. He recalled the session at Columbia Studios in Hollywood, noting the core musicians: “Musicians on basic,, Hal Blaine,, Joe Osborn bass,, Larry Knechtel piano.” He also mentioned Larry Knechtel receiving a Grammy for the song’s intro. Hal humorously added that he “overdubbed snow tire chains among other various” sounds, a testament to his creative approach and willingness to experiment in the studio to achieve the perfect sonic texture for the landmark recording.
From the session logs
Hal Blaine on Drums for “Bridge over Troubled Water”
Hal Blaine played drums on Simon & Garfunkel’s iconic 1970 song “Bridge over Troubled Water.” He recorded his parts at Columbia Studios in Hollywood.
“I overdubbed snow tire chains among other various.”
— Hal Blaine
Source: Hal Blaine’s own session database, in his words.
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