You Never Know Who Your Friends Are
Studio album by
Al Kooper
ReleasedSeptember 1969
Recorded1969
GenreRock, blues rock, R&B
Length42:04
LabelColumbia
ProducerAl Kooper
Al Kooper chronology
I Stand Alone
(1968)		 You Never Know Who Your Friends Are
(1969)		 Easy Does It
(1970)
Singles from You Never Know Who Your Friends Are
  1. "You Never Know Who Your Friends Are"
    Released: February 1969
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Robert ChristgauD[2]
Rolling Stone(unfavorable) [3]

You Never Know Who Your Friends Are is the second solo album by American multi-instrumentalist Al Kooper, issued in 1969 on Columbia Records.

Background

Kooper wasted no time recording this album, coming just seven months after his debut release. It is a continuation of sorts of his debut; the album contains another eclectic mix of rock, rhythm and blues, jazz, pop, and blues, though without the psychedelics that had somewhat permeated through I Stand Alone. Utilizing a large group of musicians under the direction of Charlie Calello, known collectively as "The Al Kooper Big Band", Kooper also strayed away from the heavy string orchestrations of his debut.

Relying on more original compositions, with nine of twelve tracks by Kooper, and the remaining three by Harry Nilsson and Motown Records staff songwriters, the album further helped to cement Kooper's reputation. The album reached #125 on the Billboard 200 on October 25, 1969, and was on the charts for six weeks.[4][5]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Al Kooper; except where indicated

  1. "Magic in My Socks" – (3:55)
  2. "Lucille" – (3:24)
  3. "Too Busy Thinkin' 'bout My Baby" (Norman Whitfield, Janie Bradford – 3:20)
  4. "First Time Around" – (2:48)
  5. "Loretta (Union Turnpike Eulogy)" – (3:48)
  6. "Blues, Part IV" – (5:04)
  7. "You Never Know Who Your Friends Are" – (2:53)
  8. "The Great American Marriage / Nothing" – (3:19)
  9. "I Don't Know Why I Love You" (Lula Mae Hardaway, Don Hunter, Paul Riser, Stevie Wonder – 3:22)
  10. "Mourning Glory Story" (Harry Nilsson – 2:16)
  11. "Anna Lee (What Can I Do for You)" – (3:18)
  12. "I'm Never Gonna Let You Down" – (4:37)
  13. "Bloodtrocuted" – (3:36) CD remastered bonus track

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

  • Al Kooper – producer
  • Glen Kolotkin, Roy Segal, Stan Tonkel – engineers
  • Ron Coro – cover art direction and design

References

  1. ↑ Eder, B. (2011). "You Never Know Who Your Friends Are - Al Kooper | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert (January 29, 1970). "Consumer Guide (7)". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  3. ↑ Burks, John (15 November 1969). "You Never Know Who Your Friends Are". Rolling Stone. San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. (46): 37.
  4. ↑ "Release and Charts - Columbia Records releases". Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Billboard 200 chart - October 25, 1969". Retrieved May 15, 2017. Mistakenly attributed to Champagne.
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