Top 10 Al Kooper Songs

Photo: Joe Mabel [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)]

Our Top 10 Al Kooper songs list highlights an extraordinary artist who has been one of the most influential songwriters, musicians, and producers in classic rock history. Few artists have accomplished as much as Al Kooper has throughout his magnificent rock and roll career. Composing a list of the top 10 Al Kooper songs is an exercise in futility because there is so much material to choose from. Nonetheless, that’s what we do here, and reviewing all of Al Kooper’s material has been one joyous experience.

Al Kooper’s career began as a teenager when he joined the band The Royal Teens. The group had a couple of hits and even played on bills that featured major artists like Dion and the Belmonts. It’s not a bad start for a kid.

During the early 1960s, Al Kooper spent much time in the recording studio as a session player. Al Kooper’s reputation as a musician would soar after he recorded the famous organ part on Bob Dylan’s classic 1965 song “Like A Rolling Stone.” A year later, Al Kooper joined the band The Blues Project and recorded three albums with them.

In 1968, Al Kooper founded the band Blood, Sweat & Tears. Although Al Kooper recorded only one album with the group, his contributions to the band across the board had an incredible impact on the music industry and pop culture.

Shortly after leaving Blood Sweat & Tears, Al Kooper recorded the album Super Session with Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills. Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper would record two albums together. Super Session and The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper were released in 1968 and 1969. A live performance from 1968 was subsequently released in 2003 on a CD entitled Fillmore East: The Lost Concert Tapes 12/13/68. While there are so many more Al Kooper collaborations to mention, the heartbeat of this Al Kooper songs list is fueled by Al Kooper’s solo albums.

Al Kooper released his first solo album in 1969, entitled I Stand Alone. From then on, Al Kooper continued to release solo albums over the next fifty years. I Stand Alone was followed by You Never Know Who Your Friends Are in 1969, New York City (You’re a Woman) in 1971, A Possible Projection of the Future / Childhood’s End in 1972, Naked Songs in 1973, Act Like Nothing’s Wrong in 1977, Championship Wrestling in 1982, Rekooperation in 1994, Black Coffee in 2005 and White Chocolate in 2008.

These solo records are filled with incredible substance, bathed in deep, well-written, creative, and witty songs, top-tier production, and stellar musicianship and performances. Al Kooper’s experiences working with and appearing on albums by Bob Dylan, The Who, The Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix must have had a profound effect on his own body of work as a composer and producer.

When composing any type of article on Al Kooper, one should also not fail to mention the work Al Kooper did producing the first three Lynyrd Skynyrd albums, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd in 1973, Second Helping in 1974, and Nuthin’ Fancy in 1975. It was a period in Al Kooper’s life when he put his solo career on hold to work with what would become one of the most-loved rock bands of all time.

Al Kooper was an artist who recorded albums featuring a mix of cover songs and originals. Kooper’s work as a producer influenced his solo work, which seemed to reflect his love of putting his spin on classic songs. All of that presented us with a problem in putting together this top 10 Al Kooper songs list. We decided to deal with it by only including songs just written by Al Kooper.

We even went further and avoided most songs that Al Kooper composed with other songwriters. So a song like “This Diamond Ring,” a Gary Lewis hit and composed by Bob Brass, Irwin Levine, and Al Kooper, was excluded from this list. We had to have some sort of rubric in putting together this list, so we just went with songs written only by Al Kooper. The one exception was a track from Super Session that was credited to Mike Bloomfield and AL Kooper.

We hope you enjoy this list of Top 10 Al Kooper songs. This one is more than just a Top 10 list, it serves as a small insight into the legendary career of one of our favorite artists of all time….Al Kooper!

# 10 – Brand New Day

We open our Top 10 Al Kooper songs list with a fantastic track from Al Kooper’s Easy Does It album. It’s the perfect song to open an album. Everything about the song signifies a new start. From the positive lyrics to its big, Western-movie-style orchestration, it just bleeds hope. Billy Joel always claimed The Beatles were his greatest inspiration. Nonetheless, when you hear the similarities between Al Kooper’s 1970 “Brand New Day” and Billy Joel’s 1973 “Ballad of Billy the Kid,” one could argue that Billy Joel had some Al Kooper records spinning on his turntable.

Al Kooper’s “Brand New Day“ was released in the Summer of 1970 as the first single from the Easy Does It album. The album featured a guest list of over twenty-five musicians who contributed to its tracks.

# 9 – New York City (You’re a Woman)

How could you not love a song that compares New York City to a woman? If you are a woman, you might not find it as amusing as men. Nonetheless, what we loved about Al Kooper is how he presented the anguish of men over women in such a brilliant, artistic, and relatable fashion.

The great Al Kooper song “New York City (You’re a Woman)“ was released on the album New York City (You’re a Woman), which was released in the late Spring of 1971 on Columbia Records. The album featured a mix of original Al Kooper songs and great covers. One of the highlights of the album was Al Kooper’s cover of Elton John’s “Come Down In Time,” easily Elton John’s most underrated song.

Al Kooper’s recognition of that song just defined how connected he was and still is with great music. Al Kooper is a brilliant artist, but his history as an artist, producer, and writer also showcases just how big a music fan he is.

# 8 – Going Going Going

It’s tough to create a top 10 list of Al Kooper songs and get past his first two records without filling the list immediately. However, it should be noted that Al Kooper continued to compose and release new music for the next forty years. He did not release much material, but the stuff he did release just bled Al Kooper’s brilliance. One of our favorite post-1970s Al Kooper albums was his 2005 release Black Coffee.

We had to include at least one track from the great Black Coffee album. It was tough to choose. In the end, we went with the Al Kooper-style blood-soaked, blues-infused soul effort “Going, Going, Going.”

# 7 – His Holy Modal Majesty

Hands down, the great record Super Sessions is one of the most loved albums in classic rock history. The album is credited to Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper & Stephen Stills. The album’s opening track, “Albert’s Shuffle,” is usually regarded as the standout track. However, our favorite track is the nine-minute epic “His Holy Modal Majesty.” We have always found “His Holy Modal Majesty” to be more interesting than the straight-ahead blues of “Albert’s Shuffle.”

For nonmusicians, the title of the track, “His Holy Modal Majesty,” is based on the musician’s use of modal scales on the track. Every major scale in music has seven modal scales within it. The Miles Davis album Kind of Blue was the landmark album that used the modes very publicly. Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield shine on this one. Along with bassist Harvey Brooks and drummer Eddie Hoh, the quartet recorded this track as a landmark.

Even though the title of the album Super Sessions and the three names of Bloomfield, Kooper, and Stills appear on the cover, it should be noted that none of the three musicians played together on any one individual track. Mike Bloomfield only played on side one, while Stephen Stills only played on side two. Nonetheless, it’s an amazing album that any classic rock fan should have in their collection. Super Sessions was released in 1968

# 6 – Fly Away

Before Al Kooper began releasing his solo albums, before Blood Sweat & Tears, and before Super Sessions, there was The Blues Project. In 1965, The Blues Project was formed in New York City. Al Kooper was a member of the band for the group’s first two albums. On the band’s second album, Projections, Al Kooper penned the track “Fly Away.”

The song “Fly Away“ was issued as the closing track on the record. It served as a showcase for the tremendous potential that permeated Al Kooper’s pen. However, it was not just about showcasing potential; it was simply a great song.

# 5 – Jolie

Continuing with our top 10 Al Kooper songs list, we turn to the 1973 album Naked Songs. From the late 1960s until Naked Songs, Al Kooper maintained a busy release schedule. After the release of Naked Songs, Al Kooper turned his attention to producing a band that he saw incredible promise in. That band was our beloved Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Naked Songs contained the typical Al Kooper mix of originals and covers. Our favorite track on the album was the record’s second single, “Jolie.” The beautiful song was one of the most soulful songs Al Kooper had ever composed. Its melody and arrangement echoed the best of the 1960s classic soul recordings. Listen to that organ, listen to those soul-infused backing vocals. It’s a shame this one does not get the airplay or the mention it deserves. This is a great song

# 4 – Magic In My Socks

One listen to this song, and it’s obvious how significant a role Al Kooper played on the first Blood Sweat & Tears album. Most Al Kooper fans already know that, but this track should convince any doubters. On the killer recording of “Magic In My Socks,” Al Kooper wraps that horn section around his screaming organ in a perfect dance of instrumentation to die for. This is exciting music that screams for the repeat button to be engaged over and over again.

“Magic In My Socks“ was released in 1969. The song appeared on the album You Never Know Who Your Friends Are, Al Kooper’s second solo album. “Magic In My Socks” was the album’s opening number. The great album showcases a large ensemble of musicians under the direction of Charlie Calello. Al Kooper did not mess around. These were all fantastic musicians who recorded the album.

# 3 – I Stand Alone

As we get closer to the number one spot on our Al Kooper songs list, we turn to Al Kooper’s first solo album, I Stand Alone. This was the first time Al Kooper released a record that focused on himself as the spotlight artist. The album was released in 1969. The cover featured a photograph of Al Kooper posing as the Statue of Liberty. The symbolism between the album cover, the record’s title, and the circumstances that led up to Al Kooper’s first solo album all combined brilliantly in defining what Al Kooper had been through leading up to the solo album’s release.

“I Stand Alone” was the second track on the record after the opening “Overture.” Al Kooper wrote the song, which was never released as a single. Nonetheless, it’s one of our all-time favorite Al Kooper songs.

# 2 – Hollywood Vampire

Act Like Nothing's Wrong [Vinyl LP record]

Most casual Al Kooper fans would probably be surprised by the song “Hollywood Vampire,” landing in such a high spot on his top 10 Al Kooper songs list. However, the hardcore Al Kooper fans wouldn’t bat an eye at seeing the inclusion of this fabulous track in this spot. Hands down, “Hollywood Vampire” is one of the most excellent recordings Al Kooper has ever released. There is no doubt that “Hollywood Vampire” is also one of his most overlooked songs.

“Hollywood Vampire” was the closing track on Al Kooper’s Act Like Nothing’s Wrong album. The song’s three-chord opening piano riff is met with a thunderous explosion of bass, drums, and brass that instantly blows you away. The best way of describing the songs is as if you took Elton John’s “Madman Across The Water” style and blended it with Billy Joel’s “Ballad of Billy The Kid,” with a little Chicago mixed in, you get “Hollywood Vampire,” This is excellent stuff with a killer guitar solo played over the last two minutes of the song. If you don’t know this one, press play now!

1. I Can’t Quit Her / I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know

Child Is Father to the Man by Blood Sweat & Tears Extra tracks, Original recording remastered edition (2000) Audio CD

Okay, I guess we’ve had to cheat a bit in the number-one position on our top 10 Al Kooper songs list. Al Kooper composed six great songs on The Blood Sweat & Tears debut album Child Is Father To The Man. Unfortunately, we only have ten spots to fill on this top 10 Al Kooper songs list. We wanted to ensure we covered much of Al Kooper’s career on this list.

Most people argue that these top 10 song lists are ridiculous. We have to admit they are probably right. Nonetheless, they do serve two purposes. Number one, they are fun to do, and number two, they introduce younger fans to music they had no clue existed. Believe me, I am a secondary school teacher in New York working with 12, 13, and 14-year-olds who have never heard of the Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin.

Al Kooper’s songs “I Can’t Quit Her” and “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know” were two of the biggest hits on the Blood Sweat & Tears debut album. Al Kooper has performed those two songs as a solo artist. They are such extraordinary compositions, recordings, and performances that we are at a loss for words to describe them. All that’s left to say is “Thanks Al.”

Mr. Kooper had brought so much joy into the lives of millions of music fans, we hope this list helps in any fashion in turning people on to the great music of Al Kooper.