Credits

Celebrating 50 Years

Thanks for the memories…

Some years ago Paul and Donna Christensen had the chance to work next to Bob Hope and marvel at his talent. Mr. Hope was famous for saying, “Thanks for the memories.” That simple phrase reflects how they feel about the past 49 years.

Over the years, the Omega Crews have had the privilege of working with many of the most talented artists in the business as well as having the opportunity to work on some of the most exciting entertainment events. They have received many accolades for their award-winning efforts.

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Omega Productions

20 hours ago

Commemorating the birth of Al Hirt, another artist we recorded and shot in the 90s for a Jerry Lewis Telethon in NOLA along with Pete Fountain. The project was a live national up-link originating from a riverboat in the Mississippi River. It’s the only gig we did where the venue was not present when we arrived to set up. The boat was in Baton Rouge and arrived later. Produced by Gene Weed, who was one of Dick Clark’s producers. #musicicons #musichistory #omegaliveproductions

Commemorating the birth of Al Hirt, another artist we recorded and shot in the 90s for a Jerry Lewis Telethon in NOLA along with Pete Fountain. The project was a live national up-link originating from a riverboat in the Mississippi River. It’s the only gig we did where the venue was not present when we arrived to set up. The boat was in Baton Rouge and arrived later. Produced by Gene Weed, who was one of Dick Clark’s producers. #musicicons #musichistory #omegaliveproductions ... See MoreSee Less

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Omega Productions

2 days ago

Ok, Little Feat fans, there’s a new live concert video release now available on Blu-Ray from Amazon. See the YouTube details for how to purchase. #musicicons #musichistory #omegaliveproductions Omega Productions
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Omega Productions

2 days ago

Austin City Limits is the longest running music show in television history. It's produced in Austin airing on PBS stations across the country. The show is celebrating a big milestone of 50 years and it's partnered up with Google Fiber to preserve the show for future generations. Casey Claiborne has the story in this week's Tuning In. #musicicons #musichistory #omegaliveproductions Omega Productions
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Austin City Limits turns 50: Tuning In

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Loading Video… This browser does not support the Video element. Austin City Limits turns 50: Tuning In Austin City Limits is the longest running music show in television history and it's produced ri...

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Omega Productions

4 days ago

Lots of birthdays to remember, including this reminder on Roy Orbison. #musicicons #musichistory #omegaliveproductions ... See MoreSee Less

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Omega Productions

4 days ago

Here’s some unknown history on Al Kooper, another artist we recorded. He was not known for being out front as a solo performer, but had a profound impact on so many over the years. #musicicons #musichistory #omegaliveproductionsBehind The Music
Al Kooper (not Alice!) is the Zelig of the music business. From the days of the Brill Building to Blood, Sweat & Tears, to Lynyrd Skynyrd - Al Kooper was there!

During a career that’s lasted for 50 years, Al Kooper has participated in many of rock’s most glorious milestones. As well as playing the keyboard parts on Bob Dylan’s Like A Rolling Stone and the Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want, the ubiquitous New Yorker also took part in Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland sessions.

Lynyrd Skynyrd were just a bar band until Kooper, the founding member of Blood Sweat & Tears, discovered them. Simon & Garfunkel, Alice Cooper, Tom Petty, Stephen Stills – Kooper has known more stars than Patrick Moore.
A professional musician since his early teens, Al Kooper enjoyed his first real taste of pop music success during the nascent days of rock and roll as popular music. He joined The Royal Teens, who had a Top 5 hit with the tune "Short Shorts" in 1958 and a Top 30 hit a year later with "Believe Me." Kooper was hooked. "I was hanging around the fringes of the music business," he says of the period after he did his time with the Royal Teens.

Bob Dylan

One of the friends he made during this time, producer Tom Wilson, invited Kooper to watch a Bob Dylan session. By the afternoon's end, Al had played the signature organ riff on Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone," alongside blues guitarist Mike Bloomfield. His association and friendship with Bloomfield lasted until the guitarist's untimely death in 1981, spawning the million-selling Super Session album with Stephen Stills, as well as the highly regarded Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield & Al Kooper. His relationship with Dylan has been ongoing for the last 30 years. Kooper has played with him on record and on stage, as well as having produced his "New Morning" album. The catchy organ part on Dylan's first chart-topping single led to many offers of session work. "I'd get tons of calls," Kooper muses. "Some of them, I didn't even want to do, but I didn't want to say no. So, I'd just charge them triple scale, thinking that would deter them. It didn't."

The Blues Project

One offer he couldn't refuse was to join the Blues Project. Along with guitarist Danny Kalb, bassist Andy Kulberg, guitarist Steve Katz, and drummer Roy Blumenfeld, the Blues Project helped spearhead the 60's urban blues sound with critically hailed records and widely acclaimed live performances. "Two Trains Running" on Kooper's fiery live album, SOUL OF A MAN (currently out of print), illustrates just how remarkable the Blues Project can still sound live. That album also contains live takes of the Project chestnuts - " I Can't Keep From Cryin'' Sometimes," "Flute Thing" and "Violets Of Dawn."

George Harrison

I worked on George’s Somewhere In England album, in 1981. Sense of humour-wise we really connected. I was living in Hollywood and my doorbell rang at 11 o’clock at night. And it was George, this Beatle, coming completely unannounced to a house that he’d never even visited before. That’s the kind of stuff he did.

John Lennon

I knew John during the time he spent with Harry Nilsson [in the mid-70s], when he was exiled in LA. He was witty and lovely, especially if you saw him in daylight hours. During the evening he tended to be tipsy. I knew him in both conditions. When I was doing Lynyrd Skynyrd’s second album, the Record Plant studio became our clubhouse. One day John walked into the control room. After he’d gone, Skynyrd asked: “Was that John Lennon?” When I replied that it was, they sighed deeply and said: “Uh, we’re gonna have to take a break.” And they did.

Blood, Sweat & Tears

After two and a half years and three records with the Blues Project, Kooper started hearing another sound in his head. It started with the blues, but added killer horn charts without losing the rock edge. That idea became the trend-setting Blood Sweat & Tears. The original horn section included Dick Halligan on trombone, Jerry Weiss and Randy Brecker on trumpets and Fred Lipsius on alto sax.

Kooper left Blood Sweat and Tears in 1968 after just one album, CHILD IS FATHER TO THE MAN, taking a job with the Columbia Records A&R department. Here he began recording albums; first with Mike Bloomfield (the top-ten SUPER SESSION), then Shuggie Otis, and his own solo debut, I STAND ALONE. He continued to do session work, adding his keyboards to records by The Rolling Stones (Al played on "You Can't Always Get What You Want"), Jimi Hendrix ("Long Hot Summer Nights"), The Who ("Rael"), and innumerable others. He also scored the Hal Ashby film The Landlord in 1970.

Jimi Hendrix

I saw him at the Café Wah on what was probably the night he was grabbed by Chas Chandler and taken to England. I was the stage manager at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, and Jimi asked if I would sit in with him on Like A Rolling Stone. I had to turn him down because I was working. It was a mistake. But he lived a block from me when he moved to New York. We jammed together a lot and became very good friends indeed. Jimi was very shy and quiet, a sweetheart, the complete opposite of the ostentatious way he is perceived.

Lynyrd Skynyrd

I was producing an album in Atlanta, Georgia. In the evenings I’d frequent a club. This band with an unpronounceable name was playing there for six nights, two or three sets a night. By the third night, I sat in on guitar. By the fifth night I ended up at a party with a couple of the guys and discussed signing them to a production deal.

They were so good that I started my own label, Sounds Of The South, and we cut the first album in two weeks. Sure, Ronnie Van Zant was feisty, but he was one of the best bandleaders I ever met. He ruled Skynyrd with an iron hand. If anybody went up against him, they’d get punched out. They rehearsed harder than any band I’ve seen; all the guitar solos were written in advance.

The Who

I played on Mary Ann With The Shaky Hand and Rael, both from The Who Sell Out. [Keith] Moon was the lunatic that legend suggests. He once invited the writer Terry Southern and myself to his home in LA to watch the movie Night Of The Living Dead. It was the days before video, and a projector and screen were set up. In the middle of the film, Keith announced he was going out to buy cigarettes and beer. But he didn’t come back, leaving Terry and I sitting there with his girlfriend.

The Rolling Stones

After producing several albums in succession I came to England for a vacation in what I thought was secrecy. But the Stones tried to book me. I told them I wouldn’t do it; I just wanted to go shopping for records and clothes. Then I bumped into Brian Jones and he says: “Al, we’re so looking forward to the session with you.”

So I told myself I’d go, and if it wasn’t fun then I’d just get sick and leave. You Can’t Always Get What You Want was done on the first night. It was tremendous. But Jimmy Miller was busy rolling the joints and didn’t seem to do much in terms of producing. Mick Jagger was the real producer of that song.

The Tubes

Their self-titled debut from 1975 is probably the best-sounding record I ever made. I wanted a sound like a Broadway Original Cast album, with strings and horns but retaining a rock’n’roll feel. With seven members of the band all saying: “Make me louder!”I had to keep throwing them out of the studio as we mixed the record.

Parts of this feature were taken from www.loudersound.com and Al Kooper's website - www.alkooper.com

Kooper (on studio floor) talks riffs with guitarist Mike Bloomfield during the Super Session sessions in Los Angeles, 1968. Photo courtesy Al Kooper. ... See MoreSee Less

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Omega Productions

6 days ago

I was reminded today about this project we recorded with Bob Hope in Austin for a TV special with Morgan Fairchild, Dottie West and the Gatlin Brothers in the early 80s. Joe Cates, the same producer who handled the Johnny Cash special, headed this one. I remember Hope used art cards for his prompts. He had an assistant named Silvio Caranchini, who was his personal aide and handled all kinds of details. Silvio would stand or sit in the audience and palm through those gigantic cue cards. Truly old school. Bob Hope was amazing. He would come in with his wife looking quite unassuming and stand just off stage. But as soon as the announcer said his name, he transformed into another persona. He was so accommodating and a consummate professional. Thanks to Watt Casey for this great shot of Mr. Hope. #musicicons #musichistory #omegaliveproductions ... See MoreSee Less

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What was the title?

Omega Productions

1 week ago

We first recorded Hans Zimmer in the late 70s. Since then across a 40 year career, he has redefined the movie score and become one of the most celebrated composers in Hollywood. If you have Netflix, check this awesome BBC Doc, “Hollywood Rebel.” #MusicIcons #musichistory #omegaliveproductions
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Omega Productions

1 week ago

Ok, it’s here and funky. Little Feat have composed an album that’s their love letter to the blues entitled, ‘Sam’s Place.’ “Can’t Be Satisfied” plus many other blues classics are on this album. #MusicIcons #musichistory #omegaliveproductions Omega Productions
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Omega Productions

1 week ago

We lost another artist with whom we worked today, founding member of the Allman Brothers band, Dickey Betts. Lots of memories. #musicicons #musichistory #omegaliveproductions ... See MoreSee Less