Hal Blaine was the drummer on The Ronettes’ 1964 hit “Walkin In The Rain,” a classic example of Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound. Recording at Gold Star Studios with engineer Larry Levine, Hal recalled the intense atmosphere. “Phil’s sessions were always closed, but every time we recorded, Brian Wilson was there and so many producers, trying to learn Phil’s technique,” he noted. Despite the pressure to achieve that number one spot, Hal remembered the sessions fondly, emphasizing the camaraderie and the drive to excel, stating, “We laughed, we played our asses off for that number one spot, and we always got there.”
From the session logs
The Drums on The Ronettes’ “Walkin In The Rain”
Hal Blaine played drums on “Walkin In The Rain” by The Ronettes. He remembered these Phil Spector sessions as being highly competitive, with the musicians striving for perfection.
“We laughed, we played our asses off for that number one spot, and we always got there.”
— 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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