You Never Know Who Your Friends Are is the second solo album by American multi-instrumentalist Al Kooper, issued in 1969 on Columbia Records.
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.
Tracks
1 Magic In My Socks (Al Kooper) 03:57
2 Lucille (Al Kooper) 03:25
3 Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (Barrett Strong; Janie Bradford; Norman Whitfield) 03:22
4 First Time Around (Al Kooper) 02:49
5 Loretta (Union Turnpike Eulogy) (Al Kooper) 03:49
6 Blues, Part IV (Al Kooper) 04:39
7 You Never Know Who Your Friends Are (Al Kooper) 02:55
8 The Great American Marriage – Nothing (Al Kooper) 04:47
9 I Don’t Know Why I Love You (Don Hunter; Lula Hardaway; Paul Riser; Stevie Wonder) 03:24
10 Mourning Glory Story (Harry Nilsson) 02:17
11 Anna Lee (What Can I Do For You) (Al Kooper) 03:20
12 I’m Never Gonna Let You Down (Al Kooper) 04:40
Musicians
| Bass | Chuck Rainey |
| Bass | Jerry Jemmott |
| Bass | John M Miller |
| Drums | Al Rogers |
| Drums | Bernard Purdie |
| Guitar | Al Kooper |
| Guitar | Eric Gale |
| Guitar | Ralph Casale |
| Guitar | Stuart Scharf |
| Organ | Al Kooper |
| Organ | Ernie Hayes |
| Organ | Frank Owens |
| Organ | Paul Griffin |
| Piano | Al Kooper |
| Piano | Ernie Hayes |
| Piano | Frank Owens |
| Piano | Paul Griffin |
| Synthesizer | Al Kooper |
| Sax | George Young |
| Sax | Joe Farrell |
| Sax | Seldon Powell |
| Sax | Sol Schlinger |
| Trombone | Bill Watrous |
| Trombone | Jimmy Knepper |
| Trombone | Ray Desio |
| Trombone | Tony Studd |
| Horns | Bernie Glow |
| Trumpet | Ernie Royal |
| Trumpet | Marvin Stamm |
| Vocals | Charlie Calello |
| Vocals | Albertine Robinson |
| Vocals | Connie Zimet |
| Vocals | Hilda Harris |
| Vocals | Lou Christie |
| Vocals | Michael Gately |
| Vocals | Robert John |
Other Musicians
1 Magic In My Socks
2 Lucille
| Background Vocals | Charlie Calello |
| Background Vocals | Lou Christie |
| Background Vocals | Michael Gately |
| Background Vocals | Robert John |
4 First Time Around
5 Loretta (Union Turnpike Eulogy)
| Guitar | Al Kooper |
| Organ | Al Kooper |
| Piano | Al Kooper |
7 You Never Know Who Your Friends Are
| Background Vocals | Charlie Calello |
| Background Vocals | Michael Gately |
| Background Vocals | Robert John |
8 The Great American Marriage – Nothing
10 Mourning Glory Story
| Background Vocals | Charlie Calello |
| Background Vocals | Michael Gately |
| Background Vocals | Robert John |
11 Anna Lee (What Can I Do For You)
| Background Vocals | Charlie Calello |
| Background Vocals | Michael Gately |
| Background Vocals | Robert John |
12 I’m Never Gonna Let You Down
| Trumpet | Marvin Stamm |
| Vocals | Marvin Stamm |
Liner Notes
Producer – Al Kooper
Arranged By – Al Kooper
Engineer – Glen Kolotkin, Roy Segal, Stan Tonkel
Design – Ron Coro
Photography – Alice Ochs, Antonia Hattay, Fred Lombardi, Roy Blumenfeld, Don Hunstein
Mastered At Customatrix
Copyright CBS
