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Spring is sunny in 2016 and Ronnie Spector is sitting in a hotel bar in New York. Looking back on her career, she identifies the session she did with Wrecking Crew for "Be My Baby". The first time she heard Hal Blaine play the opening rhythm of the song – thump, thump-thump, type! – She had an experience outside the body. "It was as if I had gone to heaven," she says. "Everything is fine. It was like a jigsaw puzzle and once my voice heard, the puzzle was over. This is where I knew that this album could be a success. She hit her hand on the table and began to sing loudly, "The night we met …" as if she were there with him.
A few months later, when I told this story to Blaine, in an interview about Elvis Presley's 68 Comeback Special, a show starring Blaine on drums, he felt himself transported the same way. "Exactly, exactly!" He said excitedly. "She is a nice lady."
But as he felt prompt, Blaine's iconic contribution to "Be My Baby" was far from a complete success. For decades, the drummer, who died this week at the age of 90, was the secret weapon of a music producer. He was the driving force of the Beach Boys revolutionary Sounds of animals, the Byrds "Tambourine Man" and "Strangers in the Night" by Frank Sinatra. He has also played for Roy Orbison, Mamas and Papas, Barbra Streisand, Simon & Garfunkel and countless others. More impressively, he participated in all Grammy Record of the Year winners between 1966 and 1971, as well as 150 Top 10 singles and 40 Number Ones.
"As far as I'm concerned, I was the luckiest guy in the world," he said. Rolling stone. "In the past, doing what I did was like falling into a tub of chocolate. It was really. Everything I touched seemed to turn into gold. All Beach Boys, all Byrds, all rock & roll. "
Since Blaine was a larger-than-life character who was anything but shy about his achievements ("I do not stop dropping names, and that sounds ridiculous, but that was my story." life, "he said during our conversation), publish the full interview. Apparently, the conversation was about his time with Elvis Presley, but it quickly turned into a difficult and often hilarious discussion about Blaine's career.
What was your background before making rock records?
Jazz was really my thing. I left the group Count Basie.
Was the transition easy to make rock records?
I've always said, "R & R – Rock & Roll – is synonymous with reliability and responsibility." A lot of the musicians I've worked with hated rock & roll. They would come into the studio and look at the music and say, "Same old shit, day in and day out." I would tell them quietly. "Do you like your new home? Do you like your new series of gold clubs? Do you like your new car? Do not forget that when you arrived here two minutes ago and said what you said, it was passed on to all producers in the booth. They will come to see me later and say, "I do not want this guy at my date." Everyone's attitude has changed. One million guys said, "Thank you, God. He really straightened our buttocks. "
Do you feel as always respected in the jazz world after your rock debut?
Buddy Rich has hired me to make the album of his daughter Cathy. Buddy is a tough guy. Some of the members of his group said, "How come you did not play on your kid's album?" Said Buddy – his words, my hand to God – "I wanted the best. " What compliment to receive from Buddy Riches. He was really the king of all the drummers.
Did you feel like a rock pioneer?
I used to get calls from drummers and they would say to me, "Hal, what are you doing on the discs, it's so magical?". I said, "Dude, this is only one backbeat on two and four. If you do it in 3/4 [time]you do the backbeat on two or three. If you are six, you do it somewhere in the middle, four or five. That's all. All these guys, they just refused to play rock'n'roll … until they picked me up checks. Then everything changed overnight.
How did you come to work with Elvis Presley?
Elvis was one of my fans. I have been working with him since the day he left the service. Many years ago, in the 50s, I started working with a young rock & roller, Tommy Sands, whose director was Colonel Tom Parker. Tommy Sands eventually married Nancy Sinatra, which allowed me to be part of the Sinatra clan and all this Rat Pack story.
Whatever it is, I received a call from Paramount Pictures about a secret musical project that was going to happen. They did not say what it was or anything about it. I said, "You always pay me well, so I'll do what you want." Then they said, "You should blame your salary; we can not use you on this project. We did not realize you were an actor. I said, "Well, I remember doing a few things with the acting game. They replied, "We can not use an actor, we need a drummer. "I said," Believe me, I'm a drummer, I do not know what it is, but just ask around. "
Then I received a call from Colonel Tom who said, "What explains why you do not want to work with Elvis?" I said, "I did not refuse anything." He replied, "No, no, no. You are there. That's how I got the call to start working with Elvis. I think the first record we did was "Return to Sender". Major, major success. Previously, we could not fall in love with Elvis, because this film was called one way or another Girls, girls, girls. This was our first job with him, and it was only made public after Blue Hawaii. Finally, when the NBC special appeared, I was with great director and producer Steve Binder. I became very good friends with all the guys from the so-called Memphis Mafia.
How was it to see the Memphis Mafia interact with Elvis?
From time to time he would say something like, "I'm a little thirsty." And God, 15 guys were running over him with bottles of Coca-Cola at the time to see who could flip the other one. Elvis was studying karate, jiu-jitsu, no matter what it was, and every time a star did something like that, everyone else was starting to do the same thing. Everyone started studying jiu-jitsu and judo. It was hysterical to see Elvis enter the room, and a guy was jumping on him like:Aaarr"As he was going to kill him, and Elvis would go into his karate master posture." It was really disturbing.The demagoguery was amazing.It was as if the 15 guys from the studio s & # 39; Tilted before him.
How was he with you?
Elvis came to see me in Las Vegas when I was with Nancy Sinatra at Caesar's Palace. When you come out of a scene with all the bright lights, it's very dark for a few moments. Suddenly, someone caught me from behind and raised me as they were doing the Heimlich maneuver, and that was Elvis. It was really exciting.
He said something to the effect of "We will open here soon, and you will be with me on the drums." And I said, "Oh, that's great." I really could not say I would not be with him in front of anyone. I knew that if Elvis wanted to repeat at 4 or 5 in the morning, that was it. I had to repeat. It was almost impossible for a human being to do that, and at the time, I had lost my wife. She was dead and I had a baby and a child left. Nancy was amazing though. She has just come out of nowhere and assures that there is always a nurse for the baby.
How did it work with Elvis?
Whenever I worked with Elvis, it was a new feather. If I wore an Indian headdress, I would be a leader. I have made so many wonderful dates with Elvis.
How did you manage your schedule with Elvis?
I remember once when MGM called me to tell me that Elvis wanted me for a movie. I do not remember which one. "We start at 1 o'clock in the afternoon and we look for who knows how long." I said, "Well, but I have a problem. I can not do a Friday night. I have already booked with someone on a Friday. Then Colonel Tom called me and said, "What's going on? I said, "This is not a money issue. I just can not do it. I will never cancel a date on you, and I can not cancel a date on these people. "He reminded me and said:" You can get out of here at 4 pm on Friday. "So I said OK and inked in my book.
At a quarter to four, there were two or three small pieces of music left. There must have been four or five drummers with the percussionists. I did not know what to do. So, I put the old thinking hat on and started working on a psychological thing. I found a producer, who is a friend, and I told him: "I was told that I could leave here at exactly 4 o'clock and I know that Elvis is the star of this case, but I know you're leading the whole group. " "Damn, that's right." Four, five, six guys with whom I spoke, I did the same routine and everyone said, "You're right, I'm wearing this outfit." So I left.
I went to the session with Jimmy Bowen and a few days later he called me. "Hal, what about your presence at an appointment with Elvis Presley?" I said, "Jimmy, I do not know who told you that, but I have to explain, I had Colonel Tom's permission, how did you hear that?" He said, "J & # I dined with Colonel Tom last night, and he said, "Damn, who does Hal Blaine think he's walking on Elvis?" "Jimmy never do that again. If you receive a call with Elvis, cancel me. I'll understand. Do not worry about that. From now on, every time you sign to W-4 that they are circulating at the end of the date, you are writing a double scale on it because you are going to get it from now on. "I say," It's terribly nice. "
How has double scaling changed your life?
I literally got Hollywood by the old balls. I had bought a whole area. I bought a Rolls-Royce. Elvis, for me, was a great customer and they paid me well. I enjoyed his music and I met all his guys. We all had yachts at the marina.
I imagine that continued success has really motivated you.
I remember going through situations with the 5th dimension, Steve Allen's show. They were a group of wonderful children who loved and sang so well. I forget how many albums we recorded in a series were all Number Ones, but it was amazing. They started having Grammys, Record of the Years, et cetera, and it was amazing for me. When it happens to you, it's hard to believe that you've fallen into that chocolate vat you've heard about all your life. That's why you studied, the reason you refrained from taking drugs, the reason you practiced a lot. It was an incredible time for me.
What is your favorite price?
I made a lot of good hits with Dean Martin, and he was the kindest guy in the world. His [recording] the dates were very fun. There were always 50 chairs brought for secretaries and friends and friends of friends and personalities. I was going home one evening after an appointment and I changed station around 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning and suddenly I heard Dean's voice. He was doing an interview, talking about the album they had just done. I hear the interviewer say, "So you have a big group behind you, this Wrecking Crew and gang." Dean Martin said, "Let me tell you that I have Hal playing from the battery and if he plays them louder, we will give him the Golden Trash Award. It was the funniest thing I've ever heard in my life.
So, a year passes. I played with Dino, his son. We knocked on my door. They usually have to call because there's a phone on the doors, but a guy says, "There's a delivery for Mr. Blaine." OK, so I call them. "Thank you so much." I sign my name and open it and here is what looks like an Oscar. There is a beautiful plaque that goes around the bottom. "To Hal Blaine. It's the Dean Martin Golden Trash Award. "[[[[Laughs]I could not believe it. It's one of my treasures.
Have you already considered your heritage a lot when you did all these sessions?
I remember one time, someone said something about "Oh, Hal. I hope you never die. We need you for the drum. "I said," You know what? God forbid, if I were to die tomorrow, I would hear everyone say, "Oh, my God. What are we going to do? And very soon, someone will say, "Let's go. Bring the new one. & # 39; & # 39; Time is money. This is the essential here.
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