“Like A Rolling Stone” was recorded 50 years ago this week. Reportedly Bob Dylan had been writing the song over weeks and even referred to the song as “vomit.” Al Kooper was invited by a friend in the band to hang out as they recorded and he sat in the control room. As they progressed to recording this song, he saw an opportunity so he hung out by the organ and knew so little about the instrument that he didn’t know how to turn it on. Luckily it was already on and he just started playing. Bob stopped at one point and requested that the organ be turned up louder.

Rolling Stone magazine reports, “You can hear how I waited until the chord was played by the rest of the band before committing myself to play in the verses,” Kooper wrote. “I’m always an eighth note behind everyone else, making sure of the chord before touching the keys.” The unique style of playing not only gave the song a signature component, but it also introduced Dylan to a musical collaborator he would return to time and time again in the coming years. Kooper is undoubtedly an extremely talented musician.

It is often so critical just to show up, and for Al Kooper resulted in playing a key part in what is often referred to one of the greatest songs of all time.