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Super Session



 
 
The album Super Session grew out of a single nine hour jam in 1968 by guitarist Mike Bloomfield
Mike Bloomfield

Michael Bernard Bloomfield , an United States musician, guitarist, and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois, became one of the first popular music superstars of the 1960s to earn his reputation entirely on his instrumental prowess....
 and multi-instrumentalist Al Kooper
Al Kooper

Al Kooper is an United States songwriter, record producer and musician, probably best known for organizing the group Blood, Sweat & Tears, though he did not stay with the group long enough to share its popularity....
 and Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills

Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash ....
 of CSNY fame. Kooper and Bloomfield had both previously worked in support of Bob Dylan, in concert and appearing on his ground-breaking classic, Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited

Highway 61 Revisited is Bob Dylan's sixth studio album, released in 1965 by Columbia Records. It is Dylan's first album to be recorded entirely with a full rock music band, after he experimented with the approach on half of Bringing It All Back Home....
.

Kooper, fresh from having assembled and recorded the inaugural incarnation of Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears

Blood, Sweat & Tears is an United States music group, originally formed in 1967 in New York City. Since its beginnings in 1967, the band has gone through numerous iterations with varying personnel and has encompassed a multitude of musical styles....
, booked two days of studio time with Bloomfield in May 1968 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles

Los ?ngeles is the Capital of the Biob?o Province, in the municipality of the same name, in Regions of Chile VIII , in the center-south of Chile....
.






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The album Super Session grew out of a single nine hour jam in 1968 by guitarist Mike Bloomfield
Mike Bloomfield

Michael Bernard Bloomfield , an United States musician, guitarist, and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois, became one of the first popular music superstars of the 1960s to earn his reputation entirely on his instrumental prowess....
 and multi-instrumentalist Al Kooper
Al Kooper

Al Kooper is an United States songwriter, record producer and musician, probably best known for organizing the group Blood, Sweat & Tears, though he did not stay with the group long enough to share its popularity....
 and Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills

Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash ....
 of CSNY fame. Kooper and Bloomfield had both previously worked in support of Bob Dylan, in concert and appearing on his ground-breaking classic, Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited

Highway 61 Revisited is Bob Dylan's sixth studio album, released in 1965 by Columbia Records. It is Dylan's first album to be recorded entirely with a full rock music band, after he experimented with the approach on half of Bringing It All Back Home....
.

Kooper, fresh from having assembled and recorded the inaugural incarnation of Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears

Blood, Sweat & Tears is an United States music group, originally formed in 1967 in New York City. Since its beginnings in 1967, the band has gone through numerous iterations with varying personnel and has encompassed a multitude of musical styles....
, booked two days of studio time with Bloomfield in May 1968 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles

Los ?ngeles is the Capital of the Biob?o Province, in the municipality of the same name, in Regions of Chile VIII , in the center-south of Chile....
. They recruited keyboardist Barry Goldberg
Barry Goldberg

Barry Goldberg is a blues and rock music keyboardist, songwriter and record producer....
 and bassist Harvey Brooks
Harvey Brooks

Harvey Brooks is an American bassist. He has played in many styles of music , and was folk rock's first notable bass guitarist.Brooks came out of a New York music scene that was crackling with activity in the early 1960s....
, both members of the band that Bloomfield was in the process of leaving, Electric Flag
Electric Flag

The Electric Flag was a blues rock music soul music group, led by guitarist Mike Bloomfield, keyboardist Barry Goldberg and drummer Buddy Miles, and featuring other well-known musicians such as vocalist Nick Gravenites and bassist Harvey Brooks....
, and well-known session drummer "Fast" Eddie Hoh. On the first day the quintet recorded the first side of the album, tracks one through five of the CD
Compact Disc

A Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store Data , originally developed for storing digital audio. The CD, available on the market since October 1982, remains the standard physical medium for sale of commercial Sound recording and reproduction to the present day....
 version; the next day, Bloomfield, who was a heroin
Heroin

Heroin is a opioid synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy. It is the 3,6-acetate ester of morphine . The white crystalline form is commonly the hydrochloride salt diacetylmorphine hydrochloride, however heroin Freebase may also appear as a white powder....
 addict, abruptly disappeared after suffering an attack of what was euphemistically referred to as "chronic insomnia." Kooper hastily called on Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills

Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash ....
 to sit in for Bloomfield on what would become the second side of the album, tracks six through nine, including a lengthy cover version of Donovan
Donovan

Donovan , is a Scotland singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk music scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, Popular music, psychedelic rock, and world music....
's "Season of the Witch
Season of the Witch

Season of the Witch, also known as Hungry Wives, and Jack's Wife, is George A. Romero's third film. It was filmed in 1971, and released in 1973....
."

Some overdubbed horns were later added while the album was being mixed, which were eventually subtracted from the bonus tracks on the CD version. The album, which cost just $13,000 to make, was a top-20 hit which garnered a Gold Record award. Kooper forgave Bloomfield, and the two of them made several concert appearances after the album was released. One of these concerts was made into a live album.

Multi-Channel version

In late 2004 Al Kooper released this statement:

The reason for this is that a legal challenge has been made that Super Audio disks contain up to three complete recordings of a work; one in the Hybrid CD compatible layer and two in the SACD
Super Audio CD

Super Audio CD is a read-only optical disc audio storage format that can provide higher accuracy as well as surround sound compared to the Red Book ....
 layer, a stereo version and a possible multiple channel version.

Of course, if this is true, record companies could be legally liable for up to three sets of royalties. Since this would make the record much more expensive, it appears that most companies are avoiding this issue, if there is any contention at all, by simply cancelling the release of the SACD
Super Audio CD

Super Audio CD is a read-only optical disc audio storage format that can provide higher accuracy as well as surround sound compared to the Red Book ....
 version.

Track listing


Side one

  1. "Albert's Shuffle" (Bloomfield, Kooper) – 6:54
  2. "Stop" (Ragovoy
    Jerry Ragovoy

    Jordan "Jerry" Ragovoy is an United States songwriter and record producer. His best-known song "Time Is on My Side" was made famous by the The Rolling Stones, although it had been sound recording and reproduction earlier by Kai Winding and Irma Thomas....
    , Shuman
    Mort Shuman

    Mort Shuman was an United States singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s rock and roll hit record, including "Viva Las Vegas "....
    ) – 4:23
  3. "Man's Temptation" (Mayfield) – 3:24
  4. "His Holy Modal Majesty" (Bloomfield, Kooper) – 9:16
  5. "Really" (Bloomfield, Kooper) – 5:30


Side two

  1. "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
    Highway 61 Revisited

    Highway 61 Revisited is Bob Dylan's sixth studio album, released in 1965 by Columbia Records. It is Dylan's first album to be recorded entirely with a full rock music band, after he experimented with the approach on half of Bringing It All Back Home....
    " (Dylan) – 3:30
  2. "Season of the Witch
    Season of the Witch

    Season of the Witch, also known as Hungry Wives, and Jack's Wife, is George A. Romero's third film. It was filmed in 1971, and released in 1973....
    " (Donovan
    Donovan

    Donovan , is a Scotland singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk music scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, Popular music, psychedelic rock, and world music....
    ) – 11:07
  3. "You Don't Love Me" (Cobbs
    Willie Cobbs

    Willie Cobbs is a blues singer and harmonica player. He is best known for his song, "You Don't Love Me".Cobbs was born in Smale, Arkansas and moved to Chicago in 1951, occasionally performing in local clubs....
    ) – 4:11
  4. "Harvey's Tune" (Brooks
    Harvey Brooks

    Harvey Brooks is an American bassist. He has played in many styles of music , and was folk rock's first notable bass guitarist.Brooks came out of a New York music scene that was crackling with activity in the early 1960s....
    ) – 2:07


2003 Bonus Tracks

  1. "Albert's Shuffle" (Bloomfield, Kooper) – 6:58 (remix without horns)
  2. "Season of the Witch" (Donovan) – 11:07 (remix without horns)
  3. "Blues for Nothing" (Kooper) – 4:15 (outtake)
  4. "Fat Grey Cloud" (Bloomfield, Kooper) – 4:38 (live at the Fillmore West)


External links