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Still being ambitious to want to play on the record, I was a mediocre keyboard player. And uh, I seized the opportunity and played the organ.

Al Kooper

In the, uh, ’30s and ’40s, the Brill Building was the hub of, uh, musical activity in Tin Pan Alley in New York City.
AL KOOPER

Activity Alley Building Country Hib Music Pan Tin
Mike Bloomfield sat down and started playing, and I went, whoa! Because I had never heard any white person play like that before.
AL KOOPER

Before Celebrity Down Hear never Person Play Start Went White
The very funny thing about “Like A Rolling Stone” is it was a six minute song, there was no music to read from. And there I was playing this unfamiliar instrument.
AL KOOPER

Funny Thing Instrument Minute Play Read Rolling Six Song Stone Unfamiliar
At the end of the playback of the take of “Like A Rolling Stone”, or actually during the thing.
AL KOOPER

Actual During End Like Playback Rolling Stone Take Thing
Producing Bob Dylan was pretty much a spectator sport.
AL KOOPER

Bob Dylan Much Pretty Produce Sport
So I would come in on the upbeat of one. I would wait until the band played the chord, and then as quickly as I could come in play the chord.
AL KOOPER

Band Chord One Play Quick Unbeat
I started in the music business I was first introduced to 1650 Broadway, uh, which was in reality where everything happened in the ’60s.
AL KOOPER

Broadway Business Everything First Happen Introduce Music Reality Start
I believe Irving Berlin was there, and uh, and everything just centered around there.
AL KOOPER

Around Believe Center Country Everything Just Live
Bob Dylan said to the producer, turn up the organ. And Tom Wilson said, oh man, that guy’s not an organ player. And Dylan said.
AL KOOPER

Guy Man Organ Player Producer Say Turn
Unlike so many Dylan-writer-wannabes and phony ‘encyclopedia’ compilers, Sean Wilentz makes me feel he was in the room when he chronicles events that I participated in.
AL KOOPER

Chronicle Compiler Event Feel Intelligent Many Participate Research Room So Unlike
The [Bob] Dylan sessions were very disorganized, to say the least. I mean, the “Like A Rolling Stone” session I was invited by the producer to watch.
AL KOOPER

Celebrity Disorganized Invite Least Like Mean Producer Roll Say Session Stone Watch
Only through sheer ambition did I end up playing on [Bob Dylan sessions] and the fact that I could do that is a testament to how disorganized it really was.
AL KOOPER

Ambition Bob End Fact Play Session Sheer Through
And a little slate that came out of the wall that you could actually write on. And a door that locked from the outside.
AL KOOPER

Actual Came Door Little Lock Out Outside Slate Wall Write
Still being ambitious to want to play on the record, I was a mediocre keyboard player. And uh, I seized the opportunity and played the organ.
AL KOOPER

Ambitious Keyboard Mediocre Opportunity Organ Play Player Record Seize Still
You couldn’t help being influenced by Dylan.
AL KOOPER

Being Help Influence Person
And he was about my age, and he just, that finished off my guitar career, just like that, in one afternoon.
AL KOOPER

Afternoon Age Career Finish Guitar Just My One

Still being ambitious to want to play on the record, I was a mediocre keyboard player. And uh, I seized the opportunity and played the organ.

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Still being ambitious to want to play on the record, I was a mediocre keyboard player. And uh, I seized the opportunity and played the organ.

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