See copyright notice at
 http://www.expectingrain.no/dok/div/copyright.html

Gook, Roosevelt

eddie@edlis.org (Ed Ricardo):

Who is Roosevelt Gook? Is he Bob Dylan playing piano on The Live Adventures Of Mike Bloomfield & Al Kooper (CBS 66216, ?1967)?

tgl10@aol.com (TGL10):

I might be totally wrong here, but I vaguely remember a Tom Rush LP in the late 60's (that was truly in another lifetime) called On The Road Again with Dylan on piano on a few cuts (so said the scuttlebut) and I think the pseudonom was Roosevelt Gook.

howells@netcom.com (John Howells):

Roosevelt Gook is a name used frequently by Al Kooper when he didn't want to credit his piano playing for one reason or another.


From: mike@mikesilk.demon.co.uk
26-NOV-1998 21:55:38.87
Subj:	Re: Roosevelt Gook

...
Dear whoever's daft enough to be reading stuff like this,

Re: Roosevelt Gook......I have my olde copye of "Take A Little
Walk With Me" by Tom Rush in front of me. There is a _track_ called "On
The Road Again", the whole record was produced by Al Kooper, and he
plays electric guitar and celesta on all tracks on side 1. 
Roosevelt Gook is credited with piano.....I don't think Al Kooper is
trying his hardest to remain anonymous;-)

I think that settles the matter:-)
Mike.

-- 
Mike Silk


Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 13:22:36 -0800 No it doesn't! I said Kooper used that name when he didn't want to take a PIANO credit, not to remain anonymous or hidden. This in no way refutes my notion that Roosevelt Gook is a name used by Kooper to avoid a piano credit for (perhaps) obscure musician union rules. Plus I seem to remember Tom Rush stating somewhere that Dylan did not play on the album, although I suppose it's possible that he was overdubbed later without Tom's knowledge. Anyway, Mike is sending me a copy of the album so I can listen to the piano. I think I can tell if it's Dylan playing or not :-) I can assure the world that the Roosevelt Gook that plays on one song on "The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper" is not Dylan. The style is too accomplished and too fancy for Dylan. That particular Roosevelt Gook is apparently Al Kooper himself in an overdub to the live album. -- John Howells howells@punkhart.com http://www.punkhart.com
From: edu@edlis.org (Eduardo Monteverdi Ricardo) Subject: Roosevelt Gook Indeed if you look at your "Take A Little Walk With Me" by Tom Rush (Elektra Records, EKL-308, EKS-7308, 1966) you will see Roosevelt Gook, piano for the first six tracks. Is this a Dylan crowd? Al Kooper is credited. Bruce Langhorne is credited. Bobby Gregg is credited. And in Al Kooper's sleeve notes we read, "It was not unusual to look up from finishing a tape and see Judy Collins or Bob Dylan visiting in the control booth" Control booth indeed. Does no one remember 1965/66? Everyone on the album is identifiable by well known name except Roosevelt Gook. That clinches it for me, Roosevelt Gook is Judy Collins! Oh and compare Turn Your Money Green with Tryin' To Get To Heaven! ;-) Boring people who don't want to believe in the mythical will tell you Al Kooper used the name Roosevelt Gook so he would not require payment twice for guitar and keyboards. So who got dear Mr Gook's payment? Or was he an unpaid contributor an act of charity?
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 07:18:20 -0800 From: John Howells (howells@punkhart.com) To: Mike Silk (mike@mikesilk.demon.co.uk) CC: edu@edlis.org, karlerik@monet.no Subject: Re: Roosevelt Gook Mike, Thanks for sending me a copy of the Tom Rush album "Take a Little Walk with Me" so I can hear Roosevelt Gook on piano. On the first couple of songs I was ready to believe it *could* be Dylan, but by the time I got to "Money Honey", I knew that it couldn't be him. Although Dylan is a decent pianist, he just doesn't play like that. It's too traditional, too ordinary. No, it sounds to me like none other than Al Kooper. Doing some more research on Roosevelt, I came up with this: >From the Lynyrd Skynyrd trivia quiz page: 2. Al Kooper, who originally signed the band was also known as? David Foster J.J. Cale Wicker Roosevelt Gook The result says: 2. Roosevelt Gook ... CORRECT ---------------------------------------------------------------- and this: Personnel listing for the Lynyrd Skynrd album "Skynyrd's Innyrds - Their Greatest Hits": Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines (guitars), Billy Powell (keyboards), Ed King (bass, guitar, slide guitar), Leon Wilkeson (bass, background vocals), Bob Burns, Artimus Pyle (drums). Additional personnel: Bobby Keys, Trevor Lawrence, Steve Madiao (horns), Roosevelt Gook (organ), Al Kooper (Moog synthesizer, piano), Bobbi Hall (percussion), Wicker, Toby, Cockroach, Moochie, Punnel, Wolfman, Kooder, Mr. Feedback, Gooshie (handclaps), Clydie King, Merry Clayton, Cassie Gaines, Jo Billingsley, Leslie Hawkins (background vocals). All songs written by members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, except "Call Me The Breeze" (J.J. Cale). Includes two previously unreleased outtakes and a CD-only bonus track. ---------------------------------------------------------------- and this: >From the M-Files "Lynyrd Skynyrd" web site: "(pronounced 'leh-nerd skin'-nerd)" was recorded at Studio One in Doraville, Georgia,(home base for the Atlanta Rhythm Section) and engineered by the brilliant Rodney Mills. Mills specialized in getting guitars to speak for themselves, and no band ever offered him a better opportunity. His work with Skynyrd began with "Simple Man", and continued throughout their career. Al Kooper was practically a member of the band on "(pronounced)"; under the pseudonym of "Roosevelt Gook" he played bass and mellotron and sang back-up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- finally this: >From Uncle Joe's Record Guide: Lynyrd Skynyrd Pronounced Leh'-nerd Skin'-nerd (22-21) 1st LP, released 9/73. Vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, keyboardist Billy Powell, bassist Leon Wilkeson and drummer Bob Burns had known each other and played in bands together since high school in 1965. When Leon Wilkeson left the band in 1972, they brought in guitarist Ed King (formerly of the Strawberry Alarm Clock) to handle the bass. After being discovered on the Georgia bar circuit in 1972 by producer Al Kooper (who'd worked with Bob Dylan and Blood Sweat & Tears), Skynyrd started recording this album in Doraville, Georgia in the spring of 1973. Producer Kooper (playing under the pseudonym Roosevelt Gook) supplied various instrumental parts, Robert Nix (of the Atlanta Rhythm Section) played drums on a track, Steve Katz (who'd also worked in Blood Sweat & Tears) supplied harmonica. Guitarist Jeff Carlisi (who later formed .38 Special) was given a "special thanks" in the album's liner notes. ---------------------------------------------------------------- This is where I got the notion that Roosevelt Gook was a name used by Al Kooper. The name ONLY comes up in conjunction with an Al Kooper project, and it's very unlikely that Bob Dylan ever had any connection at all to Lynyrd Sknyrd. Sorry to burst the "Bob Dylan is Roosevelt Gook" myth :-) -- John Howells howells@punkhart.com http://www.punkhart.com

Who's Who