Despite claims from other drummers, Hal Blaine firmly established his role on Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”. He recalled having Nancy herself state on The Ed Sullivan Show that he was the drummer, and he possessed photographs of Warner Brothers executives presenting him with the gold record for the song. Hal emphasized his long-standing professional relationship with Nancy, noting, “I have been Nancy’s drummer for over 30 years.” This extensive history and tangible proof solidified his assertion that he was indeed the drummer behind the classic track, dismissing any contrary opinions from his peers.
From the session logs
Hal Blaine on Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”
Hal Blaine played drums on Nancy Sinatra’s iconic 1966 hit, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”. He stated that he was Nancy’s drummer for over 30 years and had evidence of his contribution.
“I have Nancy on Ed Sullivan telling the world it was me.”
— 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.
Hal’s memoir is coming.
“The Red Light Means Go” — the studio stories he never got to tell, in his own voice. Sign up, the list hears it all first.