Hal Blaine’s session notes reveal his admiration for Brian Wilson’s talent in selecting hit songs for The Beach Boys. He noted, “Brian had a knack for picking hit material for himself and the boys.” Due to their strong sales, Brian Wilson had complete creative freedom at Capitol Records. Hal recalled Brian’s passion for the studio, often preferring Western Studio 3, which became a hub for their successful collaborations. Hal described Brian coming alive during playback sessions, highlighting the creative energy they shared in bringing hits to life. This period saw them produce numerous chart-toppers together.
From the session logs
Hal Blaine on Recording “Do You Remember” with The Beach Boys
Hal Blaine played drums on The Beach Boys’ 1960 recording of “Do You Remember.”
“Brian would come alive when he’d ask me to come in and listen to playbacks.”
— Hal Blaine
Source: Hal Blaine’s own session database, in his words.
More from the archive: ask anything about Hal — who he recorded with, the sessions, the stories — at halblaine.com, the archive of 5,829 of his session memories.
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