Al Kooper
Al Kooper during an interview in 2009
Al Kooper during an interview in 2009
Background information
Birth nameAlan Peter Kuperschmidt
Also known asRoosevelt Gook
Born (1944-02-05) February 5, 1944
Brooklyn, New York, US
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • keyboards
  • guitar
  • bass
  • percussion
  • mandolin
Years active1958–2021
LabelsABC Records, Columbia, United Artists
Formerly of
Websitealkooper.com

Al Kooper (born Alan Peter Kuperschmidt; February 5, 1944) is a retired American songwriter, record producer, and musician, known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears, although 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 for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.

Early life

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

Career

Professional debut

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

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. It was in those recording sessions that 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, as well as in the recording studio in 1965 and 1966. He played organ once again with Dylan during his 1981 world tour.

The Blues Project

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 bootlegs of the event. 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.[6] He recorded Super Session with Bloomfield and Stephen Stills in 1968,[7] 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

As musician

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".[8]

As record producer

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.[9] 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

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

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

Rock Bottom Remainders

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

Kooper wrote a column called "New Music For Old People" for online publication The Morton Report 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 of this can be found online.

Magazine writer

Kooper profiled Steve Martin for Crawdaddy Magazine in 1977.

Kooperkast

Kooper has his own podcast called "Kooperkast" which started in late 2020. Hosted by webmaster Jon Sachs, Kooper discusses his various experiences in his more than 60 years in the music industry, including his solo albums, Bob Dylan, Lynyrd Skynyrd. He answers questions which can be submitted on the Kooperkast page on his website.[10]

Honors, awards, and legacy

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.[11] 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,[12] the debut release of Canadian musician John Lefebvre.

Kooper was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, in Nashville, in 2008.[13]

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.[14]

Memoir

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.[15]

Discography

Solo

Studio albums

Live albums

  • Soul of a Man (February 1995)

Soundtracks

Compilation albums

  • 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

Other appearances

Year Artist Album name Role(s)
1965Bob DylanHighway 61 RevisitedPiano, organ
1966Blonde on BlondeOrgan, guitar
Tom RushTake a Little Walk with MeElectric guitar, celesta, liner notes
The Blues ProjectLive at The Cafe Au Go GoOrgan, vocals
ProjectionsKeyboards, vocals
1967The Blues Project Live at Town HallKeyboards
The WhoThe Who Sell OutOrgan
1968Blood, Sweat and TearsChild is Father to the ManOrgan, piano, vocals, ondioline
The Jimi Hendrix ExperienceElectric LadylandPiano
Don EllisAutumnProducer
1969The New Don Ellis Band Goes Underground
The Rolling StonesLet It Bleedpiano, French horn and organ
B.B. KingLive & WellPiano
1970Bob DylanSelf PortraitGuitar, horn, keyboards
New MorningOrgan, piano, electric guitar, French horn
1971The WhoWho's NextHammond organ
Bo DiddleyAnother DimensionKeyboards, guitar
Rita CoolidgeNice Feelin'Organ
1972The Lady's Not for SaleLead guitar
1973Betty WrightHard To StopArranger, composer, keyboards, main personnel
Frankie & Johnny[lower-alpha 1]The Sweetheart SamplerProducer
Atlanta Rhythm SectionBack Up Against the WallSynthesiser, ARP
Lynyrd SkynyrdPronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-NerdProducer, engineer, bass, Mellotron, back-up harmony, mandolin, bass drum, organ
1974Second HelpingProducer, backing vocals, piano
Roger McGuinnPeace on YouGuitar, piano, clavinet, arrangements, conductor
1975Lynyrd SkynyrdNuthin' FancyProducer
The TubesThe Tubes
1979Leo SayerHereOrgan, synthesizer, keyboards, performer
4 on the Floor4 on the FloorProducer
1981George HarrisonSomewhere in EnglandKeyboards, synthesisers
Ringo StarrStop and Smell the RosesPiano, electric guitar
1985Bob DylanEmpire BurlesqueRhythm guitar
1986Knocked Out LoadedKeyboards
1989Roy OrbisonMystery GirlOrgan
1990Bob DylanUnder the Red SkyHammond organ, keyboards
1991Dave SharpHard TravelingGuest artist
Green On RedScapegoatsProducer
1996Neil DiamondTennessee MoonHammond organ
1998Phoebe SnowI Can't ComplainGuest artist, Hammond organ
2000Dan PennBlue Nite LoungeKeyboards
2000Peter ParcekEvolutionKeyboards[16]
2003Chris CatenaFreak OutGuest artist, Keyboards
2010Peter ParcekThe Mathematics of LoveKeyboards[16]

Sources

  • 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

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

References

  1. ↑ James, Gary, "Gary James' Interview With Al Kooper" at Classicbands.com
  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. ↑ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 232. CN 5585.
  7. ↑ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 259. CN 5585.
  8. ↑ "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.
  9. ↑ "Liner Notes for Appaloosa's "Appaloosa"". Richieunterberger.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  10. ↑ "The Website of Al Kooper". alkooper.com. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Elvin Jones, Al Kooper Receive Honorary Doctorates - Mixonline". Mixonline.com. October 8, 2001. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  12. ↑ "The Music of John Lefebvre". Archived from the original on March 7, 2010. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. ↑ "Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'N' Roll Survivor". rowman.com.
  16. 1 2 "Peter Parcek | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
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