About Al
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Al Kooper
Columnist, The Morton Report
Covering New Music for Old People
Al Kooper began his career in 1958 at age 14 playing guitar in the Royal Teens – a band who hit #1 with the novelty “Short Shorts.” From there Kooper moved to songwriting and his songs were covered by Gary Lewis ("This Diamond Ring"), Gene Pitney ("I Must Be Seeing Things"), Freddie Cannon, Lulu, Nancy Sinatra, and scads more. In 1965 he played the catchy organ part on Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone” and continued his sound on the albums Highway 61 Revisited and Blond on Blonde, helping Dylan cement his new sound in place.
After that, The Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison, and many others got Al to play on their recordings. After short stints in The Blues Project and Blood Sweat & Tears, Kooper, alongside Mike Bloomfield and Steve Stills, played on and produced the original jam album Super Session.
Before long Al was producing Nils Lofgren, The Tubes, Dylan, and soon discovered Lynyrd Skynyrd, producing their first three albums including the hits "Free Bird," "Sweet Home Alabama," "Saturday Night Special," and "Gimme 3 Steps."
He scored famed director Hal Ashby’s first film The Landlord and Michael Mann’s famed TV series Crime Story. His best-selling autobiography Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards is in its third printing and selling better than ever. He is currently working on a new album and is happy to join the staff of The Morton Report in an effort to help his fellow listeners stay in tune!
Articles From Al Kooper
Friday May 17, 2013 00:00 AM ET
The wait is over — after a two-week absence, Al is back with an eclectic mix of tunes that's sure to please. There's something here for everyone, so grab the headphones and enjoy.
Friday May 3, 2013 00:00 AM ET
No new music this week (or next) because Al is hard at work on a big project, but you can use the time to catch up on past columns you might have missed (and because we think that's such a good idea, we'll even show you how to get there from here).
Friday Apr 26, 2013 00:00 AM ET
A couple of repeat visitors show up, and there's lots of tasty new music in this week's column.
Friday Apr 19, 2013 00:00 AM ET
We've got new music from new bands, new music from old bands, and a whole lotta stuff in between. Come listen!
Friday Apr 12, 2013 00:00 AM ET
This week's column is another skillful blending of the old and the new, so settle in for some good music. Happy Friday.
Friday Apr 5, 2013 00:00 AM ET
We start out with a trio of nods to the psychedelic '60s and end up someplace unexpected. And there's more, so grab your headphones. It's Friday.
Monday Apr 1, 2013 35:00 AM ET
We're a little late this week, so instead of wrapping your week up, how 'bout we get it off to a good start? There's plenty here, including an offering for the adventurous. You don't have to be an April Fool to love it.
Friday Mar 22, 2013 00:00 AM ET
Some wide-ranging choices have made their way into this week's new music. Kick back and enjoy — from prog rock darling Steven Wilson to veteran blueswoman Bonnie Raitt, it's all good listening.
Friday Mar 15, 2013 00:00 AM ET
If you love soul music (and who doesn't?), you'll love this week's column in which Al pays tribute to influential songwriter/arranger/producer Thom Bell.
Friday Mar 1, 2013 00:00 AM ET
This week's playlist consists of the old, the new, and the in-between. It's all good, so grab your headphones — Friday's here.
Friday Feb 22, 2013 00:00 AM ET
It's soul week here at New Music for Old People. Alternating great grooves with sad ballads, I hope we have conjured up some diamonds you might have missed in the '60s and '70s.
Friday Feb 15, 2013 00:00 AM ET
What do we have this week? Some current Grammy winners, some former students, and a powerful anti-war statement from a generation past. It's Friday, and it's time for some music.
Friday Feb 8, 2013 00:00 AM ET
Last year for Valentine's Day, I suggested a playlist of background music that would surely get you in if it was set at the correct volume. This year I went into my personal discography and selected songs concerned with the eternal struggles of potential lovers as well as tributes to the ones you worship on February 14.
Friday Feb 1, 2013 00:00 AM ET
It's a good week for music: some older, some newer, all good, so we hope you're ready to listen. Welcome to your Friday.
Friday Jan 25, 2013 00:00 AM ET
It's Friday... time to fill the gaps in your musical experience with ten tracks you may not have heard before. Grab the headphones.
Friday Jan 18, 2013 00:00 AM ET
Talk about an interesting week, musically speaking — here are ten covers from Al's early (real early) days as a songwriter.
Friday Jan 11, 2013 00:00 AM ET
Another week and another stellar selection of tunes from Al, so grab your headphones and find a comfy place to sit.
Friday Jan 4, 2013 00:00 AM ET
The musical new year gets off on the right foot as New Music for Old People welcomes 2013 with another eclectic selection of tunes from Al Kooper.
Friday Dec 28, 2012 00:00 AM ET
Throughout most of 2012, Al brought us ten new songs to listen to every week. These are the 25 tracks our readers liked the best, all in one place for your year-end listening enjoyment. Happy New Year from New Music for Old People!
Friday Dec 21, 2012 00:00 AM ET
Al's last "regular" column of 2012 starts at Sea Level and scales some heights. Give it a listen while you contemplate the old year.
Friday Dec 14, 2012 00:00 AM ET
Just in time for your tree-trimming and gift-wrapping enjoyment, Al's scouted out some Christmas music of the kind you won't hear anywhere else but here.
Friday Nov 23, 2012 00:00 AM ET
While your house guests are sleeping off their turkey, grab your headphones and unwind with this week's column.
Friday Nov 16, 2012 00:00 AM ET
In part six of a series on his musical foundations, Al shares some examples of his production work—rare, obscure, or out of print.
Friday Nov 9, 2012 00:00 AM ET
This week we have an assortment of tunes guaranteed to banish the memory of all those campaign ads you've had to endure for the past year.
Friday Nov 2, 2012 30:00 AM ET
"Blowin' in the Wind" is an appropriate way to start a playlist that will find some of you in post-hurricane mode. If you've had a tough week, this week's column is a good place to start the recovery.
Friday Oct 26, 2012 00:00 AM ET
It's Friday, and Al's back with a really eclectic mix of music. Give it a listen and get your weekend started the right way.
Friday Oct 19, 2012 00:00 AM ET
These covers of original recordings that were pretty well known are not NEARLY as well known as the originals, but they have merit of some sort or they wouldn't have stuck in my mind.
Friday Oct 12, 2012 00:00 AM ET
This week's playlist is a great blend of the old and the new. If it's Friday, it's time to expand your musical horizons...
Friday Oct 5, 2012 00:00 AM ET
Deerhoof does parties and gets yours started this week, because it's Friday and it's time for good music new and old.
Friday Sep 28, 2012 00:00 AM ET
This week's playlist is a special one as Al explores his jazz roots and, true to form, takes us down the road less traveled.
Friday Sep 21, 2012 00:00 AM ET
This week's playlist starts out by knocking your doors down and ends up by saying goodbye to summer. It's Friday and it's time for new music.
Friday Sep 14, 2012 35:20 PM ET
Wind up your week with this special playlist consisting of ten rarities that date back to the early '70s.
Friday Sep 7, 2012 00:00 AM ET
In between this week's danceable opener from Jr. Walker & The All Stars and perfect closer from Valerie Carter is packed a bunch of goodness — some old, some new, all worth listening to.
Friday Aug 31, 2012 00:00 AM ET
It's Labor Day weekend, and we've got songs about work, songs about money, and songs about politics. Regardless of which side of the divide you're on, the music's all good... which is, after all, the whole point.
Friday Aug 24, 2012 00:00 AM ET
It's Friday, so get ready for another amazing collection of music to end your week and start your weekend the right way.
Friday Aug 17, 2012 00:00 AM ET
In between John 5 and the sublime Ray Charles you'll find another week's worth of surprises. If it's Friday it must be time for some new music.
Friday Aug 10, 2012 00:00 AM ET
Robert Randolph and Tracy Nelson bookend this week's selections, which include the usual tasty mix of the new and the overlooked. Get your Friday on.
Friday Aug 3, 2012 00:00 AM ET
Put your headphones on! It's Al's third roundup of rare stereo mixes (and maybe the best one so far)!
Friday Jul 27, 2012 00:00 AM ET
Little Feat opens this week's playlist, which includes selections from Mink DeVille, Jeb Loy Nichols, and the Beach Boys, among other gems. Little Richard closes it out with a Woody Guthrie tune (really). It's a great way to end your week.
Friday Jul 20, 2012 00:00 AM ET
This week's playlist comes with warnings. All in fun, of course — you really should listen to the whole thing. You might find some pearls here.
Friday Jul 13, 2012 00:00 AM ET
This week's column intersperses some new voices with some old ones and it's all good. Neil Young and Colin Blunstone book-end some interesting choices, so get your weekend started with some new music.
Friday Jul 6, 2012 00:00 AM ET
Another Friday brings another eclectic collection, so come on in and see what strikes your fancy.
Friday Jun 29, 2012 02:21 PM ET
What better way to celebrate summer than with a hand-picked selection of seasonally appropriate music? It's summertime at The Morton Report.
Friday Jun 22, 2012 00:00 AM ET
A week in which Field Music makes another appearance, Boz Scaggs delivers the soul, and we seek answers to a few questions.
Friday Jun 15, 2012 00:00 AM ET
It's another great week in music as we start off with something out of the ordinary from Bulgaria, flirt briefly with electronica, and arrive finally at an audience with the Queen of Soul herself.
Friday Jun 8, 2012 00:00 AM ET
If it's Friday, it must be time for new music. Up this week: indie pop, funk, a version of "Lay Down Sally" you probably haven't heard before, and a prophetic track from Stevie Wonder that rings true 40 years later.
Friday Jun 1, 2012 00:00 AM ET
What can I say? Fortunately, getting strong doses of doo-wop and gospel music early in life, I immediately gravitated to R&B music. There was something there that instantly reached me; the singing for sure, and the cleverness of the arrangements. Whatever it was, I was hooked at a young age and this music has stayed with me all my life.
Friday May 25, 2012 00:00 AM ET
Lots to love about this playlist, not the least of which is that it leads us into a holiday weekend. If you were wondering what to listen to, wonder no more, because Al's got some stuff you'll want to hear.
Friday May 18, 2012 00:00 AM ET
The human voice is my favorite instrument to listen to, and this is some of the finest singing on Earth. Andrae Crouch is the gospel equivalent of Burt Bacharach, Thom Bell, Berry Gordy, and Booker T. all wrapped up into one complex, joyful person. This column and its accompanying music will show you why.
Friday May 11, 2012 32:23 PM ET
This week starts out with Wilson Phillips singing "Good Vibrations" a cappella and ends up with some late vintage Ray Charles, amazing bookends to another great playlist.
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