Tag Archives: Al Kooper

Lynyrd Skynyrd: Second Helping

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On April 15, 1974, “Sounds of the South” and “MCA” labels released “Second Helping”, the second Lynyrd Skynyrd studio album. It was recorded June 1973 – January 1974, at “Studio One” in Doraville, Georgia, “Record Plant Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Al Kooper. In 1987, “Second Helping” was certified 2 x Platinum by RIAA.

Personnel:

  • Ronnie Van Zant – lead vocals
  • Gary Rossington – guitar
  • Allen Collins – guitar
  • Ed King – guitar, bass, backing vocals
  • Al Kooper – piano, backing vocals
  • Billy Powell – keyboards
  • Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals
  • Bob Burns – drums
  • Mike Porter – drums
  • Bobby Keys, Trevor Lawrence, Steve Madaio – horns
  • Merry Clayton, Clydie King, Sherlie Matthews – backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. Sweet Home Alabama – Ed King, Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant
  2. I Need You – Ed King, Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant
  3. Don’t Ask Me No Questions – Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant
  4. Workin’ for MCA – Ed King, Ronnie Van Zant
  5. The Ballad of Curtis Loew – Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant
  6. Swamp Music – Ed King, Ronnie Van Zant
  7. The Needle and the Spoon – Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant
  8. Call Me the Breeze – J. J. Cale

Rita Coolidge: The Lady’s Not for Sale

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In October 1972, “A&M” label released “The Lady’s Not for Sale”, the third Rita Coolidge studio album. It was recorded in 1972, at “Wally Heider Studios” and “Sunset Sound “ in Los Angeles   and was produced by David Anderle.

Personnel:

  • Rita Coolidge – vocals
  • Marc Benno – guitar
  • Al Kooper – lead guitar
  • John Sebastian – harmonica
  • Jerry McGee – acoustic guitar
  • Bernie Leadon – guitar
  • Al Perkins Jr. – pedal steel and National slide guitar
  • Mike Utley – keyboards
  • Booker T. Jones – flute, backing vocals
  • Carl Radle – bass
  • Lee Sklar – bass
  • Russ Kunkel – drums, percussion

The Dixie Flyers

  • Charlie Freeman – guitar
  • Marc Benno – guitar
  • Sneaky Pete Kleinow – pedal steel guitar
  • Al Perkins Jr. – pedal steel guitar
  • Mike Utley – keyboards
  • Tommy McClure – bass
  • Sammy Creason – drums
  • Marc Benno – arrangements                                                                                
  • Kris Kristofferson – backing vocals, arrangement
  • Priscilla Jones, Donna Weiss, Venetta Fields, Sherlie Matthews, Maxine Willard – backing vocals
  • Glyn Johns, John Haeny, Richie Moore – recording engineer
  • David Anderle – mixing
  • Roland Young – art direction
  • Chuck Beeson – design
  • Bob Jenkins – photography

Track listing:

  1. My Crew – Priscilla Jones, Booker T. Jones
  2. Fever – Johnny Davenport, Eddie Cooley
  3. Bird on a Wire – Leonard Cohen
  4. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight – Bob Dylan
  5. A Woman Left Lonely – Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn
  6. Whiskey Whiskey – Tom Ghent
  7. Everybody Loves a Winner – William Bell, Booker T. Jones
  8. Donut Man – Marc Benno, Irvin Benno
  9. Inside of Me – Marc Benno, Irvin Benno, Mike Utley
  10. The Lady’s Not for Sale – Kris Kristofferson, Carol Pugh

The Butterfield Blues Band: In My Own Dream

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On July 4, 1968, “Elektra” label released “In My Own Dream”, the fourth Butterfield Blues Band (The) album. It was recorded in 1967, and was produced by John Court.

Personnel:

  • Paul Butterfield – vocals, harmonica, guitar
  • Elvin Bishop – vocals, guitar
  • Mark Naftalin (credited as Naffy Markham) – keyboards
  • Bugsy Maugh – vocals, bass
  • Phil Wilson – drums, conga
  • Gene Dinwiddie – tenor saxophone, flute, tambourine, mandolin
  • David Sanborn – soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
  • Keith Johnson – trumpet, piano
  • Al Kooper – organ
  • The Icebag Four (Bugsy Maugh, Gene Dinwiddie, Phil Wilson, John Court) – backing vocals
  • William S. Harvey – art direction
  • Gene Szafran – artwork

Track listing:

  1. Last Hope’s Gone – Paul Butterfield, Jim Hayne, David Sanborn
  2. Mine to Love – Bugsy Maugh
  3. Get Yourself Together – Bugsy Maugh
  4. Just to Be with You – Bernie Roth
  5. Morning Blues – Bugsy Maugh
  6. Drunk Again – Elvin Bishop
  7. In My Own Dream – Paul Butterfield

Joseph Osborn

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On December 14, 2018, Joseph Osborn died aged 81. He was musician (bass), known for his work as a session musician, member of the Wrecking Crew in Los Angeles, and the A-Team in Nashville. He recorded and performed with Ricky Nelson, Johnny Rivers, the Mamas & the Papas, The Association, The 5th Dimension, Simon & Garfunkel, The Carpenters, Don Francisco, The Grass Roots, America, Glen Campbell, Thelma Houston, Al Kooper, Billy Joel, Michael Nesmith, Barbra Streisand, Lulu, Paul Simon, David Clayton-Thomas, Art Garfunkel, J. J. Cale, Olivia Newton-John, Amy Grant, Kenny Rogers, Neil Young, Tanya Tucker, and Jackie Lomax. In 2010, Osborn was inducted into the “Louisiana Music Hall of Fame”.

Don DeVito

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On November 25, 2011, Don DeVito died aged 72. He was musician (guitar), record producer and music business executive. He started playing guitar on tours with Al Kooper, and has his own band The Sabres. He worked with Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and Aerosmith, but was best known as producer of some of the most important Bob Dylan’s albums, including “Blood on the Tracks”, “Desire”, “Street Legal”, “Hard rain”, and “Bob Dylan at Budokan”. In 1989 DeVito won “Grammy Award” for “Best Traditional Folk Recording”.

Al Kooper: Act Like Nothing’s Wrong

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On November 18, 1976, “United Artists” label released “Act Like Nothing’s Wrong”, the seventh Al Kooper studio album. It was recorded in 1976, at “Record Plant” in Los Angeles, “Record Plant” in Sausalito, CA, “TK Studios” in Hialeah, FL, “Quadraphonic Sound Studios” in Nashville, TN, “Sound Ideas Studios” in New York City, “Studio One” in Doraville, GA, and was produced by Al Kooper, and John Simon.

Personnel:

  • Al Kooper – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, keyboards, clavinet, arranger, horn arrangements, engineer
  • Steve Gibson – guitar, rhythm guitar
  • Willie “Little Beaver” Hale – guitar
  • Joe Walsh – slide guitar
  • Reggie Young – vocals, guitar
  • Bobby Wood – organ, piano, electric piano
  • Ron Bogdon – bass
  • J. R. Cobb – bass
  • George “Chocolate” Perry – bass
  • Mike Leech – bass
  • Robert Ferguson – vocals, drums
  • Tubby Zeigler – drums
  • Larrie Londin – drums
  • Gary Coleman – percussion, bongos, conga
  • Dominic Frontiere – horn arrangements
  • Marvin Stamm – trumpet
  • Tower of Power – horns
  • Harry Lookofsky – violin
  • Wendy Waldman – backing vocals
  • Ron Hicklin Singers – backing vocals
  • Hilda Harris – backing vocals
  • John Simon – arranger
  • Steve Alaimo – engineer
  • Bob Edwards – engineer
  • Gene Eichelberger – engineer
  • John Henning – engineer
  • Bruce Hensal – engineer
  • Linda Hoxit – engineer
  • Denis King – engineer
  • Kelly Kotera – engineer
  • Bobby Langford – engineer
  • Tim Sadler – engineer
  • Rick Sanchez – engineer
  • Rick Smith – engineer
  • Steve Smith – engineer
  • Alan Robinson – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Al Kooper, except where noted.

  1. Is We on the Downbeat
  2. This Diamond Ring – Al Kooper, Bob Brass, Irwin Levine
  3. She Don’t Ever Lose Her Groove – Willie Hale
  4. I Forgot to Be Your Lover – Booker T. Jones, William Bell
  5. Missing You
  6. Out of Left Field – Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham
  7. (Please Not) One More Time
  8. In My Own Sweet Way
  9. Turn My Head Towards Home – Al Kooper, John Simon
  10. A Visit to the Rainbow Bar and Grill
  11. Hollywood Vampire

Thomas Tedesco

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On November 10, 1997, Thomas J. Tedesco died aged 67. He was a musician (guitar), part of the loose collective of Los Angeles area’s session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew. As he played on hundreds studio recordings, “Guitar Player” magazine described him as “the most recorded guitarist in music history”. He recorded with the Beach Boys, Chet Baker, the Mamas & the Papas, the Everly Brothers, the Association, Bobby Darrin, Barbra Streisand, Jan and Dean, the 5th Dimension, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Zappa, Ricky Nelson, Cher, Neil Diamond, Van Dyke Parks, Michael Franks, Nancy and Frank Sinatra, Richard Harris, Peggy Lee, Johnny Rivers, Al Kooper, Michael Nesmith, Paul Anka, Don Ellis, Minnie Riperton, Maria Muldaur, Leon Russell, Aretha Franklin, Art Garfunkel, J.J. Cale, Quincy Jones, Stephen Bishop, Kenny Loggins, Jack Nitzsche, Sarah Vaughan, Lalo Schifrin, Randy Newman, Hugh Masakela, and Joan Baez. Tedesco performed on soundtracks including The French Connection, Jaws, The Godfather, Field of Dreams, and The Deer Hunter. As a leader he released ten albums.

Gary Moore: Bad for You Baby

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On September 22, 2008, “Eagle Records” label released “Bad for You Baby”, the seventeenth and final Gary Moore solo album. It was recorded in 2008, at “Sarm West”, “Sphere Studios” in London, and was produced by Gary Moore.

Personnel:

  • Gary Moore – vocals, guitar, harmonica
  • Vic Martin – keyboards
  • Pete Rees – bass
  • Sam Kelly – drums
  • Special guest appearance by Otis Taylor and Cassie Taylor

Track listing:

All tracks by Gary Moore, except where noted.

  1. Bad for You Baby
  2. Down the Line
  3. Umbrella Man
  4. Holding On
  5. Walkin’ Thru the Park – McKinley Morganfield
  6. I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know – Al Kooper
  7. Mojo Boogie – J.B. Lenoir
  8. Someday Baby – McKinley Morganfield
  9. Did You Ever Feel Lonely?
  10. Preacher Man Blues
  11. Trouble Ain’t Far Behind

Lawrence Knechtel

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On August 20, 2009, Lawrence William Knechtel died aged 69. He was a musician (keyboards, bass), a member of the Wrecking Crew, a collection of Los Angeles-based session musicians, and the band Bread. He recorded with big number of renowned artists including Elvis Presley, The Byrds, Barbra Streisand, The Beach Boys, The Doors, Cher, Simon & Garfunkel, Duane Eddy, The Mamas & the Papas, The Monkees, the Partridge Family, Paul Simon, Chet Baker, Jerry Garcia, Dave mason, Nancy Sinatra, Howard Roberts, Thelma Houston, Glen Campbell, Peter Allen, Barry Mann, Lalo Schifrin, Jimmy Webb, José Feliciano, Jackie DeShannon, Brian Cadd, Bobby Darin, Art Garfunkel, Stephen Bishop, David Clayton-Thomas, Billy Joel, Barry McGuire, Paul Young, Dolly Parton, Al Kooper, Johnny Rivers, John Denver, Chet Atkins, Helen Reddy, Joan Baez, Alen Roth, and Neil Diamond. Knechtel released two solo albums.

Richie Hayward

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On August 12, 2010, Richard “Richie” Hayward died aged 64. He was a musician (drums), best known as the drummer of Little Feat. Hayward recorded and performed with many artists including Paul Rodgers, The Doobie Brothers, Bob Dylan, Peter Frampton, Buddy Guy, Arlo Guthrie, Al Kooper, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Seger, Carly Simon, Nancy Sinatra, Stephen Stills, Tom Waits, John Cale, Warren Zevon, Warren HaynesJoan Armatrading, Delaney Bramlett, Kim Carnes, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, James Cotton,  Jonny Lang, Barbra Streisand, Eric Lynn, Nils Lofgren, Taj Mahal, Coco Montoya, Robert Palmer, Van Dyke Parks, Robert Plant, Helen Watson, and Jimmy Herring.