Wikipedia

Al Kooper

Not to be confused with Al Cooper or Alice Cooper.

Al Kooper (born Alan Peter Kuperschmidt; February 5, 1944) is an American retired songwriter, record producer, and musician known for joining and naming Blood, Sweat & Tears. However, he did not stay with the group long enough to share its popularity.[1] Throughout much of the 1960s and 1970s he was a prolific studio musician, including playing organ on the Bob Dylan song "Like a Rolling Stone", French horn and piano on the Rolling Stones song "You Can't Always Get What You Want", and lead guitar on Rita Coolidge's "The Lady's Not for Sale". Kooper produced a number of one-off collaboration albums, such as the Super Session album that saw him work separately with guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills. In the 1970s Kooper was a successful manager and producer, recording Lynyrd Skynyrd's first three albums. He has had a successful solo career, writing music for film soundtracks, and has lectured in musical composition. Kooper was selected for induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.

Al Kooper
Kooper in 2009
Kooper in 2009
Background information
Birth nameAlan Peter Kuperschmidt
Also known asRoosevelt Gook
Born (1944-02-05) February 5, 1944 (age 80)
New York City, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • keyboards
  • guitar
  • bass
  • percussion
  • mandolin
Years active1958–2021
Labels
  • ABC
  • Columbia
  • United Artists
Formerly of
Websitewww.alkooper.com

Early life

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Al Kooper was born into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York City,[2] to Sam and Natalie Kuperschmidt,[3] and grew up in Hollis Hills, Queens, New York.

Career

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Professional debut

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Kooper's first professional work was as a 14-year-old guitarist in the Royal Teens, best known for their 1958 ABC Records novelty song "Short Shorts" (although Kooper did not play on that recording).[4] In 1960, he teamed up with songwriters Bob Brass and Irwin Levine to write and record demos for Sea-Lark Music Publishing. The trio's biggest hits were "This Diamond Ring", recorded by Gary Lewis and the Playboys, and "I Must Be Seeing Things", recorded by Gene Pitney (both 1965). When he was 21, Kooper moved to Greenwich Village in Manhattan.

With Bob Dylan

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He first performed with Bob Dylan playing the Hammond organ riffs on "Like a Rolling Stone".[5] He had been invited to watch the recording by producer Tom Wilson. In those recording sessions, Kooper met and befriended Mike Bloomfield, whose guitar playing he admired. He worked with Bloomfield for several years. In 1965, Kooper played with Dylan in concert and played Hammond organ with Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival and in the recording studio in 1965 and 1966. He played organ once again with Dylan during his 1981 world tour.

The Blues Project and Blood, Sweat & Tears

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Kooper joined the Blues Project as their keyboardist in 1965. He left the band shortly before their gig at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, although he did play a solo set, as evidenced by The Criterion Collection Blu-ray extended edition of the event.[6] He formed Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1967, leaving due to creative differences in 1968, after the release of the group's first album, Child Is Father to the Man.[7] He recorded Super Session with Bloomfield and Stephen Stills in 1968,[8] and in 1969 he collaborated with 15-year-old guitarist Shuggie Otis on the album Kooper Session. In 1972, he rejoined The Blues Project at a charity concert promoted by Bruce Blakeman at Valley Stream Central High School.

Other work

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As musician

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Kooper has played on hundreds of records, including ones by the Rolling Stones, B.B. King, the Who, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Alice Cooper, and Cream. On occasion he overdubbed his own efforts, as on The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper and other albums, under the pseudonym "Roosevelt Gook".[9]

As record producer

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In 1969, Kooper produced, arranged, and conducted the album Appaloosa, a "folk-baroque" style of music that combined rock and classical. Among other artists who were all arranging folk-oriented material with classical-influenced orchestration were Judy Collins, Donovan, Tim Hardin, and Tom Rush. Kooper was joined by Boston musicians John Parker Compton, singer and acoustic guitarist, Robin Batteau on violin, Eugene Rosov on cello, and David Reiser on electric bass. Contributing to the album was saxophonist Fred Lipsius and Blood, Sweat & Tears drummer Bobby Colomby.[10] After moving to Atlanta in 1972, he discovered the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, and produced and performed on their first three albums, including the singles "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird". In 1975 he produced the debut album of the Tubes.

TV scores

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Kooper wrote the scores for the TV series Crime Story and the film The Landlord, as well as several made-for-television movies. He was the musical force behind many pop tunes, including "You're the Lovin' End", for The Banana Splits, a children's television program.

Studio

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In the late 1980s, Kooper had his own dedicated keyboard studio in the historic Sound Emporium recording studio in Nashville, next to Studio B.

Rock Bottom Remainders

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Kooper's status as a published author enabled him to join (and act as musical director of) the Rock Bottom Remainders, a band made up of writers including Dave Barry, Stephen King, Amy Tan, and Matt Groening.

New Music For Old People

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Kooper wrote a column called "New Music For Old People" for the online publication The Morton Report[11] from April 2014 to April 2015. This later led to a radio show by the same name, which began in October 2018, for Martha's Vineyard community radio station WVVY-LP. The first 11 editions can be found online.

Magazine writer

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Kooper profiled Steve Martin for Crawdaddy Magazine in 1977.

Kooperkast

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Kooper's podcast, "Kooperkast" started in late 2020. Hosted by webmaster Jon Sachs, Kooper discusses his experiences in his more than 60 years in the music industry, including his solo albums, Bob Dylan and Lynyrd Skynyrd. He answers questions that can be submitted on the Kooperkast page on his website.[12]

Honors, awards, and legacy

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Kooper celebrating his 68th birthday at the Regatta Bar in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on February 4, 2012

In May 2001, Kooper was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston.[13] He taught songwriting and recording production there. He plays weekend concerts with his bands the ReKooperators and the Funky Faculty. In 2008, he participated in the production of the album Psalngs,[14] the debut release of Canadian musician John Lefebvre.

Kooper was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, in Nashville, in 2008.[15]

In 2005, Martin Scorsese produced a documentary titled No Direction Home: Bob Dylan for the PBS American Masters Series, in which Kooper's contributions are recognized.

In 2023, Kooper was selected for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Award for Musical Excellence category.[16]

Memoir

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Kooper published a memoir, Backstage Passes: Rock 'n' Roll Life in the Sixties (1977), which was revised and published as Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'n' Roll Survivor (1998). The revised edition includes indictments of "manipulators" in the music industry, including his one-time business manager, Stan Polley. An updated edition, including supplementary material, was published by Backbeat Books in 2008.[17]

Discography

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Solo

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Studio albums

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Live albums

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  • Soul of a Man (February 1995)

Soundtracks

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Compilation albums

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  • Al's Big Deal – Unclaimed Freight (An Al Kooper Anthology) (1975)
  • Rare and Well Done: The Greatest and Most Obscure Recordings 1964–2001 (2001)
  • 50/50 (50 Tracks/50 Years) (2008)

Collaborations

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Other appearances

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Year Artist Album name Role(s)
1965 Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited Piano, organ
1966 Blonde on Blonde Organ, guitar
Tom Rush Take a Little Walk with Me Electric guitar, celesta, liner notes
The Blues Project Live at The Cafe Au Go Go Organ, vocals
Projections Keyboards, vocals
1967 The Blues Project Live at Town Hall Keyboards
The Who The Who Sell Out Organ
1968 Blood, Sweat and Tears Child is Father to the Man Organ, piano, vocals, ondioline
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland Piano
Don Ellis Autumn Producer
1969 The New Don Ellis Band Goes Underground
The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed piano, French horn and organ
B.B. King Live & Well Piano
1970 Bob Dylan Self Portrait Guitar, horn, keyboards
New Morning Organ, piano, electric guitar, French horn
1971 The Who Who's Next Hammond organ
Bo Diddley Another Dimension Keyboards, guitar
Rita Coolidge Nice Feelin' Organ
1972 The Lady's Not for Sale Lead guitar
1973 Betty Wright Hard To Stop Arranger, composer, keyboards, main personnel
Frankie & Johnny[a] The Sweetheart Sampler Producer
Atlanta Rhythm Section Back Up Against the Wall Synthesiser, ARP
Lynyrd Skynyrd Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd Producer, engineer, bass, Mellotron, back-up harmony, mandolin, bass drum, organ
1974 Second Helping Producer, backing vocals, piano
Roger McGuinn Peace on You Guitar, piano, clavinet, arrangements, conductor
1975 Lynyrd Skynyrd Nuthin' Fancy Producer
The Tubes The Tubes
1979 Leo Sayer Here Organ, synthesizer, keyboards, performer
4 on the Floor 4 on the Floor Producer
1981 George Harrison Somewhere in England Keyboards, synthesisers
Ringo Starr Stop and Smell the Roses Piano, electric guitar
1985 Bob Dylan Empire Burlesque Rhythm guitar
1986 Knocked Out Loaded Keyboards
1989 Roy Orbison Mystery Girl Organ
1990 Bob Dylan Under the Red Sky Hammond organ, keyboards
1991 Dave Sharp Hard Traveling Guest artist
Green On Red Scapegoats Producer
1996 Neil Diamond Tennessee Moon Hammond organ
1998 Phoebe Snow I Can't Complain Guest artist, Hammond organ
2000 Dan Penn Blue Nite Lounge Keyboards
2000 Peter Parcek Evolution Keyboards[18]
2003 Chris Catena Freak Out Guest artist, Keyboards
2010 Peter Parcek The Mathematics of Love Keyboards[18]

Sources

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  • Mike Bloomfield, Me and Big Joe, Re/Search Publications, 1999, ISBN 1-889307-05-X, ISBN 978-1-889307-05-3.
  • Jan Mark Wolkin and Bill Keenom, Michael Bloomfield -- If You Love These Blues: An Oral History, Backbeat Books, 2000, ISBN 978-0-87930-617-5 (with CD of unissued music).
  • Ken Brooks, The Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper with Paul Butterfield and David Clayton Thomas, Agenda, 1999, ISBN 1-899882-90-1, ISBN 978-1-899882-90-8.
  • Al Kooper, Backstage Passes: Rock 'n' Roll Life in the Sixties, Stein & Day, 1977, ISBN 0-8128-2171-8, ISBN 978-0-8128-2171-0.
  • Al Kooper, Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'n' Roll Survivor (updated ed.), Billboard Books, 1998, ISBN 0-8230-8257-1, ISBN 978-0823082575.
  • Al Kooper, Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards (new ed.), Hal Leonard, 2008, ISBN 0-87930-922-9, ISBN 978-0-87930-922-0.
  • Ed Ward, Michael Bloomfield: The Rise and Fall of an American Guitar Hero, Cherry Lane Books,1983, ISBN 0-89524-157-9, ISBN 978-0895241573.

Notes

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  1. ^ Al Kooper, Frank Ruby and John Paul Fetta.

References

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  1. ^ "Gary James' Interview With Al Kooper". www.classicbands.com. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  2. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh, UK: Mojo Books. pp. 543–544. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
  3. ^ Wilentz, Sean (April 8, 2013). "Like a Rolling Stone: Rock legend Al Kooper opens up to Princeton's Sean Wilentz about making music with Bob Dylan, and more". Tabletmag.com. Nextbook Inc. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  4. ^ Friedman, Tyler, "Al Kooper: An Appreciation", Perfect Sound Forever, April 2007)
  5. ^ Luhrssen, David; Larson, Michael (February 24, 2017). Encyclopedia of Classic Rock. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-4408-3514-8.
  6. ^ Pennebaker, D.A. (2017). "MONTEREY POP Outtakes: Al Kooper". The Criterion Collection. New York. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  7. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 232. CN 5585.
  8. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 259. CN 5585.
  9. ^ "Tom Rush's "Take a Little Walk with Me" Liner Notes". Richieunterberger.com. Archived from the original on November 28, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
  10. ^ "Liner Notes for Appaloosa's "Appaloosa"". Richieunterberger.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  11. ^ Sigman, Michael (June 25, 2012). "Amazing Playlists From A Legend Who Worked With Dylan And The Stones". HuffPost. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  12. ^ "The Website of Al Kooper". alkooper.com. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  13. ^ "Elvin Jones, Al Kooper Receive Honorary Doctorates - Mixonline". Mixonline.com. October 8, 2001. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  14. ^ "The Music of John Lefebvre". Archived from the original on March 7, 2010. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  15. ^ Kreps, Daniel (October 29, 2008). "Kid Rock, Keith Richards Help Induct Crickets, Muscle Shoals into Musicians Hall of Fame". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
  16. ^ Graff, Gary (May 3, 2023). "Al Kooper Is 'Quite Surprised and Amused' by 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction". Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  17. ^ "Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'N' Roll Survivor". rowman.com.
  18. ^ a b "Peter Parcek | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
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