The Story of How "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan was Recorded - Al Kooper

In this video, Joe Chambers, CEO and Founder of the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville, TN, sits down with MHOF Inductee Al Kooper. Al was invited to the recording session by Dylan's Producer, Tom Wilson to watch. What ended up happening would change everyone's life as he got the chance to play the Hammond B3 organ on the recording.
Dylan would then invite Al to play on the rest of the album making him the most famous organ session player of the time. He created a sound that was widely imitated during that period.
The interview was recorded at the original Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, TN. Visit us here: www.musicianshalloffame.com/
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[@MarilynJWenker]

i was in an apartment in NYC in 1965 with someone closely affiliated when i was asked if i wanted to hear Bobby's new tune. I said, "yes." the tune was Like a Rolling Stone. it had only just been released. my host played it all night long on a turntable over and over and over. i thought it was the best year of my life.

[@pardon6237]

Ok busdy

[@IvanLendl87]

“I don’t care what he is - make the organ louder.” 🤘

[@riffdigger2133]

Recorded 15 years ago, when he was 64-now 79 in 2023. Born: 1944 (age 79 years). Thanks, Al for all the great music. Michael Sherrer aka Riff Digger.

[@jchi1ds]

This has got to be one of the of the most inspiring and heartwarming stories ever, whether you are a musician or not.

[@TropicalLatitude]

I've always felt the organ made the song. It's all I ever heard.

[@countdown2xstacy]

I agree !

[@felixlara183]

WOW, what a story. I've heard that "rumor" since the 60's or as I have several friends that are studio musicians. But to hear it from the guy, amazing.

[@marygrove9805]

oink ooink gy

[@marygrove9805]

Bob is the coolest and the upmost!!!!

[@Joe-mz6dc]

This story literally blew my mind. This guy is some kind of pure genius to come up with one of the most incredible organ parts in history.

[@Lantanana]

I always loved that organ in Like a Rolling Stone! I still love it!

[@rzu7120]

Lantanana I agree, and I feel the same way about Charlie McCoy’s guitar on Desolation Row!

[@steveglassman9341]

I went back and listed to Like a Rolling Stone for the 2000th time and just listed to the organ. He does come in a beat late. Without the organ it would have been a different song.

[@TucsonBillD]

Great story… that guitar player that humbled Al was Mike Bloomfield. That meeting led to a lifelong friendship between Al and Mike which lasted until Mike’s unfortunate passing, and resulted in several records featuring Al and Mike, starting off with the 1969 “Super Session”.

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thanks for sharing Bill…. joe

[@dutchray8880]

Great story on top of a great story. So much came out of that chance encounter.

[@thomasbest8599]

I have the C D with Stephen Stills. And Fillmore East with Johnny Winters

[@stevestroh2267]

The guitar player that he said was so much better than he, was Mike Bloomfield. I love this story. He took the bull by the horns and changed the trajectory of his career. The organ helps make the song great.

[@rogerparis]

He’s a fantastic story teller!

[@user-yc9wh6qz5g]

This guy is cool. Just look at him he's the truth. We all need a chance.

[@larrygeetar9309]

You all should read Al's book, Backstage Passes and Back Stabbing Bastards. The first chapter he starts by saying something like, "OK, I'm gonna start with a story that's been told by a lot of people but I'm the one who was there and I'm telling you the way it really happened." Al Kooper has always been one of my very favorite musicians. The book is a great read for anyone interested in true tales of a rock and roll wanderer and visionary.

[@jimhoffmann]

I will look for that, thanks.

[@janetwebb1507]

LMHO

[@firstnamelastname-im5iz]

I bought Backstage Passes in 1979 and read about that recording session. His book was full of great stories, especially the great New York City power blackout of 1965.

[@stevenwiederholt7000]

"It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission." Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper :-)

[@Stratomaster989]

Hearing this song as a young child , It was always the organ that grabbed me . Well done Mr Kooper on a happy accident that turned out amazing !

[@clarkewi]

Kooper's organ in the intro is a key part of this great song.

[@jimbeaux4988]

Imagine that's your first real organ part on a record.

[@misterknightowlandco]

Thats like if jon lord bugged a producer to get in on a deep purple session and his first time on the b3 was smoke on the water

[@joemarshall4226]

The most important organ part in rock history! Without that organ, there would be no fold-rock. I guess he also played on Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, Visions of Johanna, etc....

[@mamachip]

Imagine that's your first real organ part, PERIOD, and in two weeks, you're hanging with Bob in the Village in the 60's, and famous for being and organ player.

[@thomasmccormack1183]

No Guts No Glory! Thanks Al love everything you've done and do.

[@johnmoreno96]

Amazing how music history takes place, unplanned by chance, the right musician doing something right and a “masterpiece” created. I have listened to LARS thousands of times and never tire of it.

[@brotzmannsax]

"My organ style was based on ignorance" wow, what a great, unbelievable story getting himself on that session. The only other organ player who sounded as good playing that song was Garth Hudson in my opinion.

[@donnajones1603]

"Chest Fever" my all time favorite Band song .....

[@tunesmith7437]

Here is the perfect SERENDIPITOUS MOMENT FULLY ILLUSTRATED. Rock on Al.

[@Deliquescentinsight]

What an incredible opportunity, Al comes across as such a humble man but he is super talented, wonderful story!

[@luvbasses5487]

I was very fortunate to have heard this story told to me, directly by Al himself. See, 15 years ago Al formed a band of all Berklee professors in Boston called “The Funky Faculty.” My close friend Tom, bassist in that band had me tag along to gigs and such for the better part of two years. I’d take photos with my Nikon F100 and share the pics with Al and other members after development. Well lucky me.... Al used one of my photos for the inner sleeve of his Black Coffee CD. Was an exciting time....getting to hang out and talk to a session legend. I’m forever grateful.

[@jimhoffmann]

Awesome story and memories.

[@roaring_angels]

Awesome story!

[@luvbasses5487]

...one time Tom and I went over to Al’s home, in Somerville, Massachusetts. Al led us downstairs to his studio and while kind of nosing around, we noticed a closet with its doors ajar. On the shelving were tapes. Labeled master tapes. The Sweet Home Alabama and Freebird masters! My heart definitely skipped a beat upon seeing these right before my eyes. Tom and I were like two little kids, snooping around the Christmas presents, giggling like a couple fifth graders....! Man we had so much fun.

[@impalaman9707]

Even better was his organ playing on "Postiively 4th Street"! I find myself whistling that organ phrase all the time!! Very tuneful and melodic!!

[@ralphroe5625]

I think this is my favorite "behind the scenes" story I have ever heard. Life is sometimes opportunity and sheer luck colliding like two meteors.

[@defoperator7993]

This is such a great story, technique isn’t always the most important thing.. soul is what matters

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thanks DF.....Joe

[@0Imtheslime0]

Could listen to Al Kooper tell stories from the 60´s and 70´s all day long..

[@ds2jim]

good ol' Al Kooper. one of the coolest guys, ever, and probably the closest thing there is in rock music to Forrest Gump- being at the right place at the right time. read his book. this one story only scratches the surface!

[@kanealson5200]

My God what a great story from a great storyteller. One thing that comes across as well as this Al Kooper is an extremely likeable guy and someone you'd like to spend the day with.

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thanks for watching your Kane….. Joe C.

[@PC160]

That cut was THE song heard EVERYWHERE at Newport, '65 (Dylan "goes electric"). You could NOT escape hearing it! Amazing! All capped by Dylan's performance Sunday night.

[@suzyflorida1193]

He obviously had more talent than he thought. He's not fooling me one bit. Great story anyhow.

[@janetwebb1507]

LUV LUV t Organ sound on Like a Rolling Stone AND Positively 4th Street-- SO Hugely Impactful for t entire song. A-mazing Great Story & testimony. WOW. Thanx God!

[@zebratangozebra]

Saw Al Kooper in 1968 at Hobart College, Geneva NY. I was 18 . Will always remember their concert.

[@martinhasson4942]

That's the Day I became " An Organ Player " What a Magical Story!

[@galileoshift8330]

that organ part is my fu@kig favorite too...it always stood out melodically counterpoint my fav song too w/all along the watch tower

[@Tonetwisters]

Ended up playing Hammond, as I recall ... licks that made the song, and he wasn't even a keyboard guy. This is a great story. I loved this song DEARLY, first time I ever heard it. Yeh, Al ... I been a guitar player for 58 years, played out weekends for 35 years. Now I'm 72 years old and just as always ... ZERO per cent talent and NO per cent ambition anymore! I'm just happy on those days that I can breathe and, maybe walk without so much pain!

[@worldcupwonders]

I don’t care what he is make the organ louder - what a great quote that is

[@rievans57]

What a great fucking story. God bless you Al Kooper.

[@hqco3rdmedbattalionfmfpac953]

I watched 20 x , Al is a Mack !!! Love his drive 🇺🇸⚓️ hip

[@johnmacgregor324]

One of the better musician interviews. Great to hear the unlikely story of the song we were all listening to back then.

[@paulbadoo9326]

He came up with the most recognizable lick of the song, responding to every "how does it feel" with the organ.

[@wasfazed]

how can you not love Al Kooper

[@Challender]

Al Kooper could listen to him tell his rock stories all day. Damn Al that was a totally ballzy thing to do no one else can say that talk about right place right time.

[@janeewalker]

I love you Al Kooper !! And your polka dot shirt - and your guts and your organ playing !!! I have read your book several times. Love it.

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thanks for watching Jane…….Joe

[@3340steve]

You are a thousand times talent Al Kopper.....thanks for blowing my mind.....over and over again.....

[@Harpplayer504]

Great Job Al,you had balls!

[@ramona.vargas7298]

Greatest Motivational Story Ever.

[@pamelamacneil1331]

What a great story!

[@iamrichrocker]

i could listen to these ol' warriors all night long..matter of fact..everybody should listen to these folks..they knew music..real music...thx for the video..

[@jamminwithjambo7729]

People ....Listen to Al Kooper And The Kooperators.... Al's song writing and playing is top notch.

[@larydixon4824]

This story is Golden ! It's such a perfect example of the recording processes during those incredible days when everything was based on actual Talent, there was no pitch correction and no one would even consider the idea of a time grid.. At that time everything was New and exciting.. The music industry in the 21st century has lost the Human Element that made all of those records so Powerful and memorable.. What a great time for music ! Thank you so much for sharing this great story.. Lary

[@xotimojaco2540]

Al is acredited to having been the organist on Positively 4th Street, Just Like a Woman and I Want You. To me, that organ sound, as a 10 year old kid in a car headed to church on a Sunday morning, was somehow unique among the Stones, Beatles, Supremes ect....of that era.

[@impalaman9707]

Didn't he also play the opening organ on "Freebird", just before the piano kicks in, when he was producing Lynyrd Skynyrd? That sounded very "churchy", too!

[@xotimojaco2540]

@@impalaman9707 I can't find that but maybe?

[@impalaman9707]

I just checked Wikipedia to be sure. He did play the organ on "Freebird"!

[@andrewhenderson8320]

Never get tired of this story. Good old Tom Wilson you better thank him for the recording😎👍

[@trevorgwelch7412]

Al's a low key guy and been a real pro since he was 14 years old . Amazing ... Hope he has pictures of Dylan and Hendrix .

[@jimmystrickland1830]

What a great interview! Al Kooper is just awesome, what a great story teller, great insights!

[@DJK3115]

OMG That is truly amazing! I've always loved Al Kooper. One of my favorite albums of all time is Child is Father to the Man. Although Blood Sweat & Tears was made up of many talented musicians, Al's work really stood out to me. Thanks for posting this interview!

[@RockHardRiffs]

Luck is preparedness meeting opportunity. What a great story!

[@techobsessed1]

Good luck is also the absence of bad luck. We wouldn't be hearing this story if he'd had some bad potato salad the night before and spent the day in the bathroom, rather than a recording studio.

[@jhamptonjr]

That is an unforgettable organ part. Peace!

[@MrBradymoss]

So glad this story was told with sincerity by Al. He is a great guy and excellent musician.

[@dwaynewladyka577]

Highway 61 Revisited is an iconic album, for sure. So good! Cheers!

[@summerlakephotog8239]

I lived in a LA when “Like a Rollin Stone” was number one on local radio. KHJ and KMET played this longest hit song ever over and over. The organ were the song’s signature sound. What a great story.👏

[@johnnorth9355]

To this day since first release this is my all time favourite track for so many reasons including that organ part.

[@professorhamamoto]

Incredible story. Ambition can't be taught or learned, thass what I learned from this.

[@Sawlon]

What a great story!!!

[@lucky-rowe2623]

What an amazing story and it reminds me of my Aunt Carlie . She love Bob Dylan and it was my job to put on his album when she would arrive to Thanksgiving to our home each year.

[@waynewhiteside]

Great story. I saw Al with Super Session at the Filmore East back in the day. Thank you for airing this.

[@jeffthepoet7]

What a great story. Makes ya smile. At 21, Al was 90% ambition and 10% talent. "Now I'm 90% talent and 10% ambition."

[@gtw541]

Damn good story! Thanks to all involved!

[@cynthiashepherd7754]

I have Watch The story being told on know direction home The story being told on know direction home many Times and it's 1 of my favorite stories. This 1 is very close But more Detailed. Love this 1 too I'll be watching it many times. There's so many good Dylan songs it's hard to have a favorite But mine is like a rolling stone

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thanks for watching Cynthia….Joe

[@countdown2xstacy]

Same here. Hard to pick a Bob Dylan favorite but Like a Rolling Stone is probably #1 for me too. Love how Al Kooper tells the story.

[@spyderlogan4992]

Wow...such a great, great story told by the man himself. I've read interviews of his experience, but to hear him tell it live, is wonderful. Thanks~!

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thanks again Spyder...Joe

[@tenparab]

I love that story and never tire of hearing Al tell it.

[@jamesewanchook2276]

I love Al. Kooper, B. Dylan and the great song, thanks!

[@jofinsky8400]

Great story. Love Al Kooper, one of my all-time musical heroes -- BST, Super Session and beyond.

[@Peter-iq6rc]

This is out of a movie...what a story

[@amherst88]

Love that story, never get tired of listening to it -- Dylan knew what he wanted his art to sound like and, as most artists and filmmakers know well, 'accidents' can be the best parts.

[@mikeharpist]

The lesson for any wannabe musician is: The best music you will ever play will be the stuff that comes from deep inside you-beyond technique.

[@patsurtees4129]

I agree with that, my husband Len played bass on the Peter Green Katmandu album which was mostly jammed and on the 'Who's that knockin' track he said that was the best he ever played as It was recorded on a first meet of Peter and Vincent Crane .

[@miraclemeditations3919]

I LOVE THIS STORY!!!! He was at the right place, at the right time, he believed in himself, he had one opportunity, he took full advantage of it, and he changed his life. Wow! This reminds me of my own personal memory about that album. I had a buddy, Mike Digini, in the old neighborhood who often needed a loan of a few bucks. A few bucks in those days was like twenty or thirty now. Anyway, he "sold" me his Highway 51 album for a few bucks with the idea that he could buy it back from me whenever he wanted. We had done that many times before. Most of the time I didn't even play the albums he sold me. I would just wait for him to buy them back whenever he could. Anyway, I listened to this one and was blown away! When he wanted to buy it back I said no way! I couldn't stop listening to it. I didn't have any idea who Bob Dylan was - I didn't even know how to pronounce his name- but I knew a classic when I heard one.

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Hi Miracle.... great story... thanks for sharing... Joe

[@neilphelan145]

Wonderful listening to this man. And then there was Super Session!! Talk about a masterful recording!!

[@maryrobertson5250]

Thanks Al Kooper for your candid interview. ' I really wanted to play on Bob Dylan's session'. Your truth is refreshing. ..."you're just a guitar player Al" says the session recorder. But the Hammond organ becomes a tripping the lights fantastic moment.. Love this amazing moment in time. ♡ Dylan's instrumental tribute to Like a Rolling Stone. 90% ambition 10 % talent. 100% invested into Bob Dylan's orchestral magic. It stands suspended in music history like multi-faceted prism... 'Like A Rolling Stone' solidified this generation's heartbeat into an awakwning to our rising consciousness.

[@tele68]

What a fascinating story. Al plays on one of my favorite Butterfield albums (In My Own Dream) His blues solos are so good.

[@BuddaGuedes]

What an incredible story! Thanks for sharing. And by the way that’s the Hammond way to be played.

[@dburton7929]

What a great story.... Sometimes, you just never really know, where the road have taken will lead you.

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thanks for watching D...... Joe

[@markmarkofkane8167]

I liked the song Positively 4th Street too.

[@chriscorman734]

I absolutely adore this story and Al Kooper is an American treasure.

[@bornjust2003]

This has to be one of the all time best musician stories ever LOL LOL

[@scottmclennan6114]

Al Kooper could have made a great lawyer if he wasn’t in the music biz. He has a nice way of interpreting reality as he thinks it needs to be.

[@michaelhall6340]

Don't let al kid ya,he knew his shit even back then. Great ear, improv skills, master in the studio who worked with everyone who was someone from Lennon to Skynyrd. Al was a humble genius.

[@colinwilliams553]

What an AWESOME storyteller.. odvoious he was there.. bless him.

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thanks for watching Colin... joe

[@snertster]

Great story!!

[@whyme3286]

That was a great interview!

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thanks...

[@astolatpere11]

What a story ... thanks Al.

[@deannilvalli6579]

Great to hear it from his own mouth, after hearing so many second hand references to this story. Brilliant!

[@countdown2xstacy]

Man, Al Kooper is about as cool as it gets.

[@keithnaylor1981]

Amazing story! I wonder how many millions of musicians would have loved to be invited to a Dylan session in 1965!

[@kitano0]

One of the best rock n' roll stories...

[@fivestring65ify]

Loved this interview. Situations like this is when the magic happens.

[@michaelvirgini2388]

I went back to listen to the song as soon as I finished watching the video. It’s incredible that you can hear exactly what Kooper is talking about: his playing is straight ahead with the chord changes, his approach allows him to avoid playing “on top of” the other musicians and you can actually hear him “hang back” a split second before playing on some of his phrases. Also his playing is similar to Bobs harmonica lines so they end up complementing each other. What a great story for a great song.

[@doncahooti]

and then a dozen other albums copied them .. and he and Dylan laughed over it .

[@ryanmosher8445]

Wow hell of a story

[@johnpapanikolas8064]

If you listen to the recording, you'll hear the organ coming in an 8th note late on each chord change because Al Kooper wasn't sure of what he was doing -- and it's perfect. How hilarious. . . . But that's part of the genius of Bob Dylan. He recognized that organ sound was important and turned it up.

[@TheScudabear1]

Fantastic interview...what a guy!