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, 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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.[11]
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.[12] 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,[13] the debut release of Canadian musician John Lefebvre.
Jan Mark Wolkin and Bill Keenom, Michael Bloomfield -- If You Love These Blues: An Oral History, Backbeat Books, 2000, ISBN978-0-87930-617-5 (with CD of unissued music).
Ken Brooks, The Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper with Paul Butterfield and David Clayton Thomas, Agenda, 1999, ISBN1-899882-90-1, ISBN978-1-899882-90-8.
Al Kooper, Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'n' Roll Survivor (updated ed.), Billboard Books, 1998, ISBN0-8230-8257-1, ISBN978-0823082575.
