''Al's Big Deal – Unclaimed Freight'' is a
compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
by American musician
Al Kooper
Al Kooper (born Alan Peter Kuperschmidt; February 5, 1944) is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Throughout much of the 1960s and 1970s he was a prolific studio musician, including playing organ on the Bob Dylan song " Like ...
.
It was released as a
double
Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to:
Mathematics and computing
* Multiplication by 2
* Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length
* A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1
* A ...
-
LP in 1975.
Background
After seven years in the music industry,
released a retrospective compilation of Kooper's music from 1968-1975. The two-disc set includes five songs from the first
Blood, Sweat and Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears (also known as "BS&T") is an American jazz rock music group founded in New York City in 1967, noted for a combination of brass with rock instrumentation. BS&T has gone through numerous iterations with varying personnel and ...
album, ''
Child Is Father to the Man''; two from ''
Super Session
''Super Session'' is an album by the singer and multi-instrumentalist Al Kooper, with the guitarists Mike Bloomfield on the first half and Stephen Stills on the second half. Released by Columbia Records in 1968, it peaked at No. 12 on the ''Bil ...
'' with
Mike Bloomfield
Michael Bernard Bloomfield (July 28, 1943 – February 15, 1981) was an American blues guitarist and composer. Born in Chicago, he became one of the first popular music stars of the 1960s to earn his reputation almost entirely on his instrume ...
and
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Manassas (band ...
; a cut from
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
's ''
New Morning'' album which Kooper produced and played piano; two cuts from ''
The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper
''The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper'' is a double album recorded at the Fillmore West venue; the album is a successor to the studio album '' Super Session'', which included Stephen Stills in addition to Bloomfield and Kooper, ...
''; a long jam with guitarist
Shuggie Otis
Johnny Shuggie Otis (born Johnny Alexander Veliotes Jr.; November 30, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, and multi-instrumentalist.
Otis's composition " Strawberry Letter 23" as recorded by The Brothers Johnson topped ...
from ''
Kooper Session'' and six titles from four of his first six solo albums.
It does not include any cuts from his 1966 album with
The Blues Project
The Blues Project is an American band formed in New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood in 1965. The group's original iteration broke up in 1967. Their songs drew from a wide array of musical styles: folk, blues, rhythm & blues, jazz, an ...
. The album was released in the midst of Kooper's involvement with
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd (, ) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964. The group originally formed as My Backyard and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom ...
, during which time he did no solo recording. This album was Kooper's last Columbia release until ''Championship Wrestling'' in 1982.
Track listing
# "I Can't Quit Her" (Al Kooper, Bob Brass,
Irwin Levine
Irwin Jesse Levine (March 23, 1938 – January 21, 1997)
- accessed April 11, 2012 was an American songwriter, who co-wrote ...
) – 3:37
# "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" (Kooper) – 5:56
# "My Days Are Numbered" (Kooper) – 3:17
# "
Without Her" (
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer-songwriter who reached the peak of his success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal overdub experi ...
) – 2:41
# "
So Much Love/Underture" (
Gerry Goffin
Gerald Goffin (February 11, 1939 – June 19, 2014) was an American lyricist. Collaborating initially with his first wife, Carole King, he co-wrote many international pop hits of the early and mid-1960s, including the US No.1 hits " Will You L ...
,
Carole King
Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter and musician renowned for her extensive contributions to popular music. She wrote or co-wrote 118 songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billbo ...
) – 4:42
# "Albert's Shuffle" (Kooper,
Mike Bloomfield
Michael Bernard Bloomfield (July 28, 1943 – February 15, 1981) was an American blues guitarist and composer. Born in Chicago, he became one of the first popular music stars of the 1960s to earn his reputation almost entirely on his instrume ...
) – 6:51
# "
Season of the Witch" (
Donovan Leitch) – 11:02
# "If Dogs Run Free" (
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
) – 3:38
# "
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
"The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" is a song by folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, written by Paul Simon and originally released on their 1966 album ''Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme''. ''Cash Box'' called it a "sparkling, spirited li ...
" (
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...
) – 5:31
# "
The Weight
"The Weight" is a song by the Canadian-American group the Band that was released as a single in 1968 and on the group's debut album '' Music from Big Pink''. It was their first release under this name, after their previous releases as Canadian ...
" (
Robbie Robertson
Jaime Royal Robertson (July 5, 1943 – August 9, 2023) was a Canadian musician of Indigenous and Jewish ancestry. He was the lead guitarist for Bob Dylan's backing band in the mid-late 1960s and early-mid 1970s. Robertson was also the ...
) – 3:56
# "
Bury My Body" (Traditional, arranged by Kooper) – 8:50
# "Jolie" (Kooper) – 3:47
# "I Stand Alone" (Kooper) – 3:37
# "Brand New Day" (Kooper) – 5:08
# "
Sam Stone" (
John Prine
John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. Widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, Prine was known for his signature blend of humoro ...
) – 4:41
# "New York City (You're a Woman)" (Kooper) – 5:14
# "I Got a Woman" (
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...
, Renald Richard) – 5:11
An alternate listing is presented on the 1989 CD release, with only 14 tracks, in different order and with the notable change of "I Got A Woman" into "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter", which was released on the 1982 album ''Championship Wrestling''. This release is the same as can be found on streaming services Spotify and Apple Music.
# "New York City (You're a Woman)" - 5:10
# "I Can't Quit Her" - 3:27
# "I Stand Alone" - 3:42
# "Brand New Day" - 5:09
# "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" - 4:19
# "Sam Stone" - 4:40
# "Jolie" - 3:45
# "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" - 5:54
# "Bury My Body" - 8:46
# "Albert's Shuffle" - 6:54
# "The Weight" - 4:03
# "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) - Live at Bill Graham's Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA - September 1968" - 5:37
# "If Dogs Run Free" - 3:37
# "Season of the Witch" - 11:09
Notes
The 1989 single-
CD version of the album omitted the Blood, Sweat and Tears tracks "My Days Are Numbered", "Without Her", "So Much Love/Underture" and the solo track "I Got a Woman", and added a remixed version of "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" from his 1982 album ''Championship Wrestling''.
It also contained a completely different track order from the original LP.
Personnel
*
Patti Austin
Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American Grammy Award-winning R&B, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter best known for " Baby, Come to Me", her 1982 duet with James Ingram, which topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 after its re-release ...
- Background vocals
*
Barry Bailey - Electric guitar
*
Michael Bloomfield - Guitar
* The Blossoms - Background vocals
*
Randy Brecker
Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock music, rock, and R&B.
Early life
Brecker was ...
- Flugelhorn, Horn, Trumpet
*
Harvey Brooks - Bass
*
Kenny Buttrey
Aaron Kenneth Buttrey (April 1, 1945 – September 12, 2004) was an American drummer and arranger. According to CMT, he was "one of the most influential session musicians in Nashville history."
Buttrey was born in Nashville, Tennessee, became a ...
- Drums
*
Charles Calello
Charles Calello (born August 24, 1938) is an American arranger, composer, conductor, record producer, and singer born in Newark, New Jersey. Calello attended Newark Arts High School and the Manhattan School of Music, in New York City. His track r ...
- Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
*
Fred Catero - Engineer
*
J.R. Cobb - Guitar
*
Bobby Colomby
Robert Wayne Colomby (born December 20, 1944) is a jazz-fusion drummer, record producer and television presenter. He is best known as an original member of the group Blood, Sweat & Tears, which he co-founded in 1967. He has also played with many ...
- Drums, Background vocals
*
Ron Cornelius - Guitar
*
Charlie Daniels
Charles Edward Daniels (October 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter. His music fused rock, country, blues and jazz, and was a pioneering contribution to Southern rock and progressive country. He was ...
- Bass, Guitar
* Dean Daughtry - Piano
*
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
- Acoustic guitar, Vocals
* Emerson-Loew - Photography
* Hugh Fielder - Liner Notes
* Jim Fielder - Bass
*
Herbie Flowers
Brian Keith "Herbie" Flowers (19 May 1938 – 5 September 2024) was an English musician specialising in bass guitar, double bass and tuba. He was a member of groups including Blue Mink, T. Rex and Sky and was also a prolific session musician. ...
- Bass
* Eileen Gilbert - Background vocals
* Paul Goddard - Bass
* Barry Goldberg - Electric piano
* Al Gorgoni - Gut-string Guitar
* Dick Halligan - Horn, Trombone
* Hilda Harris - Background vocals
*
"Fast" Eddie Hoh
Edward Hoh (October 16, 1944 – November 7, 2015) was an American rock drummer who was active in the 1960s. Although primarily a studio session and touring drummer, Hoh exhibited a degree of originality and showmanship that set him apart and s ...
- Drums
* John Kahn - Bass
*
Steve Katz - Electric guitar
* Wells Kelly - Drums
* Jerry Kennedy - Guitar
* Al Kooper - 6-String Bass, Arranger, Guitar, Horn Synthesizer, Keyboards, Mellotron, Organ, Synthesizer Strings, Vibraphone, Vocals
*
Russ Kunkel
Russell Kunkel (born September 27, 1948) is an American drummer who has worked as a session musician with many popular artists, including Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett, Harry Chapin, Rita Coolidge, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Cass Elliot, Dan Fo ...
- Drums
* Tim Langford - Engineer
* Arthur Levy - Liner Notes
*
Fred Lipsius
Fred Lipsius (born 19 November 1943 in the Bronx) is an American musician who is the original saxophonist and arranger for the jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears, for which he played alto saxophone and piano. He was with the band from 1967 to 197 ...
- Arranger, Alto Saxophone
* Phil Macy - Engineer
*
Rick Marotta
Richard Thomas Marotta (born January 7, 1948) is an American drummer and percussionist. He has appeared on recordings by leading artists such as Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Hall & Oates, Ste ...
- Drums
* Jim Marshall - Photography
*
Charlie McCoy
Charlie McCoy (born Charles Ray McCoy, March 28, 1941) is an American harmonica virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist in country music. He is best known for his harmonica solos on iconic recordings such as " Candy Man" ( Roy Orbison), "He Stoppe ...
- Harmonica
* Rodney Mills - Engineer
* Melba Moore - Background vocals
*
Wayne Moss
Wayne Moss (born February 9, 1938, in South Charleston, West Virginia, United States) is an American guitar player, bassist, record producer and songwriter best known for his session work in Nashville. In 1961, Moss founded Cinderella Sound reco ...
- Guitar
* Gary Nichamin - Design, Layout Design
* Robert Nix - Drums
* Linda November - Background vocals
*
Shuggie Otis
Johnny Shuggie Otis (born Johnny Alexander Veliotes Jr.; November 30, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, and multi-instrumentalist.
Otis's composition " Strawberry Letter 23" as recorded by The Brothers Johnson topped ...
- Guitar
* Roger Pope - Drums
* Skip Prokop - Drums
* Don Puluse - Engineer
* Albertine Robinson - Background vocals
* Joe Scott - Horn Arrangements
* Ken Scott - Unknown Contributor Role
* Roy Segal - Engineer
* John Simon - Piano
*
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...
- Vocal Harmony
*
Valerie Simpson
Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting, production and recording duo composed of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946).
Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carol ...
- Background vocals
* Maretha Stewart - Scat
*
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Manassas (band ...
- Guitar
* Tasha Thomas - Background vocals
* Jerry Weiss - Flugelhorn, Horn, Trumpet
* Stu Woods - Bass
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Al's Big Deal - Unclaimed Freight
1975 compilation albums
Al Kooper albums
Columbia Records compilation albums
Albums arranged by Charles Calello