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My Old School
I remember the thirty-five sweet goodbyes
When you put me on the Wolverine
Up to Annandale
It was still September
When your daddy was quite surprised
To find you with the working girls
In the county jail
I was smoking with the boys upstairs
When I heard about the whole affair
I said, whoa no
William and Mary won't do
[CHORUS]
Well, I did not think the girl
Could be so cruel
And I'm never going back
To my old school
Oleanders growing outside her door
Soon they're gonna be in bloom
Up in Annandale
I can't stand her
Doing what she did before
Living like a gypsy queen
In a fairy tale
Well, I hear the whistle but I can't go
I'm gonna take her down to Mexico
She said, whoa no
Guadalajara won't do
[repeat CHORUS]
California tumbles into the sea
That'll be the day I go
Back to Annandale
Tried to warn you
About Chino and Daddy Gee
But I can't seem to get to you
Through the U.S. Mail
Well, I hear the whistle but I can't go
I'm gonna take her down to Mexico
She said, whoa no
Guadalajara won't do
[repeat CHORUS]
1973
YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED
Email Address
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WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT...
- Ya gotta love Robert Palmer. 'Was a very talented man. I really enjoy some of his music. Thanks Larry.
Barry H. 2/18/11- Love the voice of Teddy Pendergrass! Becky T. 2/4/11
- I love the Philly soul sound of Blue Magic! Keep 'em coming, Larry.
BB 1/28/11- Amy Pritchett & Avery Dylan. Two stories long overdue. As these two rise up in the Athens Music scene, they want their voices heard. The Obama Blues does just that. If you ever get the chance to see these two in concert...from experience,you won't be disappointed. JWP 1/7/11
- Sweet! What a GREAT song! Keep the hits comin' Mr. Freeman! You're the BEST! Amy P. 10/15/10
- Wow! Who turned on the time machine. Many great nights at Frog Pond, Terry's, Old College, the Sigma Chi house or wherever Dirk & Tony were playing. Good fun, Great music!! Still love seeing Dirk around A town. Fred L. 8/5/10
- Nice! Amy P. 8/5/10
- Just discovered this site! What an enjoyable trip down the musical memory lane. Thanks, D. Buck
3/26/10- Wow, what a great "blast from the past" to hear "Lost Between Two Worlds"! Saw Tony here in Columbia TN last summer and Dirk will always be a brother to me!
Peggy J. 2/13/10- Love this web site! B. Free turned me on to it and now I can't wait to log in on Friday morning!
M. Small 11/06/09- Congratulations for all for work! I love the music of Dione Warwick ... A hug. Later. Felipe C. 10/21/09
- Just found out about your web-site, it's wonderful! I'll be watching for my friday e-mails, thanks Freddy Seagraves (The Jesters Band) 9/22/09
- Just found this website - WOW!! AJ 8/08/09
- Great song! "Wildflower" Brings back a flood of memories!! Thanks for all the time you put into this fun site!
7/23/09- I remember listening to Skylark on a Mini Radio walking to Burney Harris Middle School from Normal Town
8th grade !!! R.Free 7/17/09- "Three Dog Night was my first "rock" concert at the Coliseum at UGA when I was in 7th grade! I wonder if the lead singer can still fit into that tight white fringed jacket?" L.N. 7/3/09
- First date with my wife, Three Dog Night, Omni in Atlanta, July 29, 1973....seems like yesterday.
Thanks Larry! C.A. 7/3/09- Hey Larry. Love Robert Palmer and I Loooove that smooth sound. How about some Lionel Richie.
Thanks. Mom. 6/26/09- Randy and Tina Raburn turned me
on to this (Robert Palmer) and Ilove it. Out in Oregon.Thanks. V.T. 6/26/09- LOVE the stories behind the performers and their songs.
Robbie 5/24/09- Ain"t heard that one "Brother Louie" in a while. hoss858 5/24/09
- You (Dirk and Tony) are one of my fondest memories of UGA!!!!! My best friend and I STILL sing, "Silly Little Girl" when we are on road trips together! Deb Mc. 6/23/09
- Larry, thanks for turning me on to this album (Yesterday & Today - The Beatles) way back in 19XX! It's remained one of my favorite Beatles albums of all time.
Dennis M. 6/19/09- Thanks for the lyrics to Louie Louie. I've always thought that they were the Kingsmen's lyrics recorded under the influence of Jack Daniel. Now we know it was rum. A great tune. I've never heard anybody say that they didn't like it. rjenkins 5/29/09
- Love the site! Sheree 5/8/09
- Have never seen a female lead singer play the guitar like that--Go Larry,thanks for your efforts to entertain your classmates! tbirdamf 5/8/09
- OMG, I didn't recognize this one (39-21-40 Shape) till it started playing! Love it.
Dale 4/19/09- Larry, I just had to get up and move with (Shake A Tail Feather) that one! Keep it up!
Jeff 4/3/09- That really was a blast from the past! The last time I saw Dirk and Tony perform was at Jon Tuck’s graduation party in the mid seventies. What a party! Love the photo. And we all thought we looked so cute back then – foolish folks! Thanks for the memory. Leslie P. 3/20/09
- I have the songs on my Ipod now in the car...............cruisin' in the afternoon just got better!
L.D. 3/20/09 - Great site!! I really appreciate Dirk and Tony spotlight.They've entertained multitudes when they worked together and still are today on their own.
R. Jenkins 3/20/09- Thank you, thank you, Larry! I always enjoy the music you select but this (Dirk and Tony) is the best yet!! Talk about memories!
Melody P. 3/20/09- "Oh yeah - played this many times today. I sent it on to a few folks who are not on the list. The pictures almost made me sad - too much time has flown by. Loved hearing the song again. So glad you were able to get it on there. I think I played it 3 times at least." Betsy K. 3/20/09
- Dirk, Looking GOOD my brutha!! I love the earlier pics of you and Tony. I hope to get to Athens again one of these days, soon, and hear you sing. You are a treasure! Bobby D.
3/20/09- Awesome!! Debbie G. 3/20/09
- Loved hearing this song again!!! When will y'all be playing together again? Gilbert M. 3/20/09
- Good morning & Happy first day of Spring!!!! What a great way to start my morning, Dirk and Tony!
Patti W. 3/20/09- You did a wonderful job on this week!!!! Dirk and Tony takes ya back a long way to some good times!!!
Thanks, Rhonda T. 3/20/09- Tina R. shared this and it was great fun. Thanks from Oregon. 03/13/09
- Great to see you bashing the drums in the group video that your mum sent, we spotted her dancing. Also enjoyed the music played by the group. Uncle Jack & Aunt Carole in the U.K. 02/19/09
- Thanks bsh69r, I missed that. Two heads or more are better than one.
02/17/09 friday@fridayinathens.com- Correction: The song that's played here was done by Scott McKenzie and is called "San Francisco". The MP3 is mistitled. Aside from that, I love your site...absolutely a great site and will keep revisiting it. :-) bsh69r 02/16/09
- Really enjoying the site. Love the featured act (The Zombies) and their music. Great work you do.
A service. Barry H. 02/06/09
- This ("Ain't That Peculiar") used to be the song back then! Heidi R. 01/29/09
- One of my all time favorite groups "The Intruders", doing one of their best! I play this one on my home system at least once a week. Your buddy, Dirk H. 12/05/08
- You’ve created something wonderful with your Friday website. Something positive to look forward to each week. Can’t wait to see what’s on the plate for this week. Leslie P. 11/17/08
- Thanks for the wonderful music I enjoy it... Great site Connie 9/11/08
- Larry, Live for "Fridays"....I even get up and put on my tornado red shoes and tap along to the songs!!!
A.P. 7/11/2008- Growing up as an "old school" listener, I love this kind of music. Thanks so much for putting real music on so we all can hear what it was like back then. This music is NOT DEAD, it's still alive; and people like "us", the listeners keep it alive!
Babedoll 7/9/2008- This "Private Number" was always a great song. Too bad they did not have more hits. I loved this song. Harper 7/9/2008
- Don and Juan were one of the great Doo-Wop singing Duo's out there. Love 'em! "All That's Missing Is You" is one of their rarest records! Northern Soul! Brian Y. 7/2/2008
- Larry; What would Friday's be without you and Friday is Always coming in Athens? Jimmy J 6/30/2008
- Thank you for this site, I'm french and
I have 40 years. I am a collector of vinyl and American music oldies, soul, funk. Il are very few in my french cas.Je this site is fantastic because I found some artist American and that I discovered the other, bravo and keep this site. 5/20/2008- Hey! I haven't heard this song since I was visiting LLC in the summer of 1972. I was crazy about her... wow! Thanks for sharing this song with the public! MSH 5/19/2008
- The words to this song (Expressway to Your Heart) are quite interesting. Larry keep the tunes coming.
TC jJ 5/19/2008- First timer for me. I love your terrific format and exciting info. I feel like I'm back in Athens. ES 5/14/2008
- IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS----THIS IS THE BEST!!!! Unknown 5/9/2008
- I love it. I am learning about all of these singers and I'm only
16 years old. Unknown 5/8/2008- Hey you,
I LOVE that song by the Casinos this week. I think it's one of the prettiest "pop" songs ever written and a great slow dance song. :) I keep getting a flash back of a girl/boy party in 6th or 7th grade. I remember slow dancing with someone - maybe Kevin. I can almost see the room (someone's basement/ rumpus room) and I know the guy had on a sweater but I can't quite see the face. I'll keep you posted. Anyway - thanks for playing it for me. Take care. B. - 4/25/2008- Larry - Thanks so much for Otis!
Can you find "Then You Can Say Goodbye" by The Casino's? Thanks! Betsy 4/18/2008- Thanks for sharing the one hit wonder.
I'm surprised this only made it to #7 as its played quite often as an oldie. Keep the sounds coming. JJ 4/13/2008- Lovin the tunes, Larry.See ya in June. Randy R. 3/21/2008
- Mr. Larry; Thanks for all you do for us little people.
Sincerely JJ 3/7/2008- Thanks Larry! Nothing like a Dirty Old Woman! Betsy
3/3/2008- This is very cool.My kind of music. Thanks. George S.
2/29/2008- Larry, Does anyone remember the days at Legion Field with POCO & Pure Prairie League and the music park behind the pool and all the good times concerts concerts?
Bill M. 2/29/2008- Mr. Green sure does have a smooth voice. I'm surprised he didn't do even better. JJ 2/18/2008
- Hey Larry - Ever heard of "Dirty Old Woman" by Denise La Salle? You make my Fridays. Betsy
2/15/2008- Enjoyed Joe Cocker. Thanks folks. - Jim 2/8/2008
- This is a great song. Larry keep the tunes coming.
TC YF JJ 2/8/2008- A WONDERFUL site- Thanks for keeping GOOD MUSIC- Alive. - Big Doc-Bdge, GA 2/8/2008
- Greetings to all at FIA!
I've been longing to hear "The Bus' by the late, great Billy Preston. Any chance you got that in your vaults? Here's to a soulful 2008! Carlos - Cleveland, OH 1/29/2008- Hey Larry, I just read about Miles and Jimi being friends. How about some Hendrix soon.
Love the website, Joy 1/18/2008- Great to get the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Thanks, Pat M. 12/28/07- A great way to enjoy the history of music and the beautiful sounds of the blues. Robert B. 12/7/2007
- Enjoyed your special on the Rolling Stones. I would like to see more on Blues Artist old and young. Keep it Groovin. Robert B. 11/28/2007
- Larry, Johnny Guitar Watson really brings back some wasted brain cells! Wore out the grooves in that album the year it came out. Thanks David L. 11/9/07
- Watson is the man!!! Your Bro. Young Robert! 11/9/07
- OMG, This song (Humble Pie - Thirty Days In The Hole) so reminds me of you Larry and 1972! LOL Andrie - 10/5/07
- I love this website, I have to listen to this each and every day. Thank you very much. I will share this with all my
co-workers and friends. Nate 9/30/07- Love this site! I call it "Continuing Music Education"! I know the songs, but I didn't know all the stories behind the people who performed them. Andrie - 9/23/07
- Can you dig up Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel by Tavares? Thanks! D. - Cleveland OH 8/17/07
- The site is wonderful Larry and the music is just awesome!!! I love visiting It's Friday In Athens!!!! Please keep this going forever!!!! - Dierdra L. - President/CEO, Getan Records, THE LIGHTHOUSE GOSPELETTES!!! Athens, GA 7/29/07
- It's Friday? How about "Don't Roll Your Bloodshot Eyes at Me" for a little local flavor? Mark B. 7/27/07
- Consider the Manhattans on Friday’s! Frank P. 7/27/07
- Larry!!!! You MADE my day with "Build Me Up"! I'm on vacation in Santa Barbara and sent it to my co-workers with the threat that I can now play it anytime I want! Psych! Hello Don M in the bay area and to Betsy! Everyone raves about your site, Larry! It's awesome! Gratefully yours, Scotty 7/20/07
- Hey Larry, Before the summer's over we need something from the summer of love for its 40th anniversary. It's for us in the bay area. Don M. 7/13/07
- Hey Larry The music is just great.Would also like to hear'The Horse' by Cliff Nobles. Thanks. Double Divine 7/6/07
- Hey Larry, Remember those instrumentals that played before the top of the hour on AM Radio? How about "The Horse" by Cliff Nobles or "Soul Finger".
Thanks! Betsy K. 6/30/07- Larry, If I ever need a D.J. Guess what,You The Man!!! Thanx: Corndog 6/22/07
- Yes! it's Friday and I'm up here jammin' in Cleveland, OH. How about some Soul Generation - Body & Soul (That's the Way It's Got to Be) Ya'll remember that one? Have a great weekend! losplus 6/22/07
- How about Earth, Wind and Fire? Angie G. 6/6/07
- Hooray for Friday!! Mary A. 6/1/07
- This group (The Four Tops) is great. Thanks VM Jimmy J. - 5/25/07
- Thanks for a Friday of Dusty Springfield, The Look of Love. Erica from Red Lobster, thanks for the look. - F.L. 4/5/07
- I love this site! Any chance I could hear "Coldest Days Of My Life" by the Chi-Lites? - 4/4/07
- I would love to hear "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous
Brothers or "Fats" Domino's "Ain't That a Shame" or "Blueberry Hill." Thanks, Patrick - 3/30/07- Hey Larry! You are amazing! I have my whole office dancing to these! Just great! Can you do a BeeGees for my boss and slip in Build Me Up Buttercup? I sing it anyway at work, may as well have the music to go along with it (the more to torture my co-workers with! Looking forward to all the Fridays-with-Larry! :) Scotty - 3/30/07
- Oh, my goodness, you found "Black Pearl." I nearly fainted this am, when I opened the site. Thank you sooooo much. Blessings P.W. Smith - 3/30/07
- Please add "Black Pearl" by The Checkmates...not sure what year, but thinking mid 60's. Thanks sooooooo much.
P. Smith - 3/23/07- This is a great website. My mom always listened to the "Oldies" station here, and I wanted to be just like my Mom, so I started listening to it and I loved it, and this website has some of my favorites. M. Pierce - 3/22/07
- Hey, I love the t-shirt. I have had it on
since I got home from Arizona. You did a good job. That was a great song last Friday (Wang Dang Doodle) - didn't know it but who ever requested it is someone I would like to hang with. And then
today we had The Zombies....that took me back to 8th grade and one of my first boy/girl parties. They were always held in someone's basement and the lights would go off by 9:00. That song always seem to bring on lots of smooching. I will not be naming names.... ;) Thanks again, Betsy- This is awesome!!! Thanks for the great site and fabulous music!! WooHoo!! Jen B. - 2/18/07
- I could not have picked a better artist. Thanks, Pat M.
- Thank you Larry - You have made my day! Betsy K.
- Mr. Larry, I really enjoyed Roy Head-Hey Hey. YF
Jim J. - 2/5/07- This always gets my Friday off to a great start! Love it!
Debbie - 1/26/07- Every once in a while my mornings are worth rising for, this has been one of them with Tina Turner.
Thanks Bill S. - 1/19/07- Keep up the good work. JJ - 1/19/07
- Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year 2007! I remember at this time in 1969 we were really gettng into Abbey Road! But oh, how I love the sweet soul music of the 60's and 70's as well. Thanks for your work in keeping this music alive. And keep on sending it, Brother! Dennis M. - 12/29/06
- Moonchild Diva in Motown - found the site by looking for Billy Stewart! I think you answered my question...who played bass on Billy's recordings? SO THANK YOU for clearing up the mystery! - 12/11/06
- Billy Stewart , alright, one of my favorites. Also, Jerry Butler, Major Lance, Willy Tee....
Your friend, Dirk H.- Thanks for Billy Stewart Larry - You have made
my day! Betsy K. - 12/8/07- I look forward to Friday's email. This is great.
Linda L. - 12/8/07- Wow! From your personal E-Mail account. I forward "Its Friday in Athens!!!" on to my friends often. The folks here at work are trying to figure me out. Their 56 year old C.E.O. sits in his office every Friday morning booming out R&B. Though it works for me, its not the type of behavior they expect from someone in my position. BLUES BANKER!
T. Turgeon - - Thanks for Joe T. Luv'd it! Roy Head and the Traits?
Hope you had a good Turkey Day. T. Turgeon - 11/27/07- I keep waiting for Jackie Wilson and Billy Stewart....I have
decided that like me, you have an older brother or sister who had you listening to this music as a kid. Hope all is well your way. Betsy K. - 11/25/06- How about a little Joe Tex? T. Turgeon
- Thanks, "I LOVE IT! Makes my day! M.N. - 9/29/06
- WOW WOW WOW AN OUTSTANDING REVIEW OF THE real STYLE OF MUSIC - Atlanta Cooking - 9/23/06
- In my time, this is the most fascinating music I have ever heard. **86 - 8/17/06
- Keep up the great and extremely important work. We met I believe at Michael Guthrie's house a few weeks ago at the HVARII Reunion. I am a great lover of our R&B and it's great to see someone who truly cares about it. Ole!
T. Turgeon - 8/2/06- Again, the "It's Friday" series is great - I love it every week and have sent it on to so many folks -
thanks again. Betsy K.
- Aretha is my personal favorite so far! Peggy M.
- LOVE THIS...I NEED SOMETHNG TO GET ME THROUGH THE DAY !!!! C. Lady - 6/3/07
- Great! Perfect! Dance Music I Love It!!! Laine L.
- I think you missed your calling as a DJ! Nicki S.
- Keep 'em coming!! I really enjoy listening to "my kind of music". Thank you. Mary M.
- I like getting your email every Friday, keep it coming!
Carlas A.
- DON'T FORGET THE 'QUEEN OF SOUL'........ ARETHA!!!!! YOUR MAKING MY FRIDAYS. RONK
- MY FRIENDS REALLY LIKE FRIDAY IN ATHENS! ONE IS SENDING EVERYONE AT THE COURTHOUSE AN EMAIL. Ron H.
- THANKS SO MUCH EACH WEEK! Nancy W.
- This makes me smile! Ray C.
- Great job, keep up the good work. Terry T.
- I SAVE UNTIL FRI AFTERNOON, BY 5:00 P.M. I'M REVVVVED!!! RONK - 5/19/06
- Thanks for this humanitarian service to get us crunk for district wide planning. Wilson Pickett reminds us to put a “spotlight on Otis Redding y’all”. Yeah,yeah, oh yeah. Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-Faaa! Karl S.
- Thanks. What a pleasant surprise to get to work and open this e-mail- glad I started with yours first. Melanie B.
- Thanks for the Friday emails Larry!! I really enjoy them.
Kim S.- Thanks for the sound of good music. I really do love my oldies but goodies. E. Luke - 5/19/06
- Thanks!!! This is great! Jane B.
- Great site! How about some Sam Cooke??? - 5/19/06
- Thanks for the music! Steve P.
- I love this! Thanks. Dianne M.
- I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your Friday emails. Thanks for including me! Betsy K.
- I appreciate the link – good stuff!
Jon W.- I LIKE IT!!!!!! Thanks and HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Barbara S.
- THIS IS GREAT!!!!!! Susan R.
- So in your spare time you try to cheer up everyone? Thanks, Lori R.
- I love these songs. Thanks. Terri S.
- Awesome……Thanks for doing this, we all look forward to it every week. I’ve sent it to everyone I know!
Debi D.- I needed this today! Thanks. Susan S.
Good selection for this fabulous Friday!!!!!- Thanks for the Music this morning. I think I could listen to this all day, if people didn't think I was crazy for MOVING in my chair. Have a great weekend. Joyce G.
- This is awesome! Thanks, Debi D.
since March 24, 2006
About The Artist
Steely Dan is an American jazz-rock band centered on core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. The band reached a peak of popularity in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone magazine has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies."
The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan's
"cerebral, wry and eccentric" lyrics, often filled with sharp sarcasm, touch upon such themes as drugs, crime, and their true-to-life "contempt of west coast hippies." The pair are well-known for their near-obsessive perfectionism in the recording studio, with one notable example being that Becker and Fagen used at least 42 different studio musicians, 11 engineers, and took over a year to record the tracks that resulted in 1980's Gaucho — an album that contains only seven songs.
Steely Dan toured from 1972 to 1974, but in 1975 became a purely studio-based act. The late 1970s saw the group release a series of moderately successful singles and albums. They disbanded in 1981, and throughout most of the next decade, Fagen and Becker remained largely inactive in the music world. During this time, the group steadily built and maintained "a cult following." In 1993, the group resumed playing live concerts; the early 21st century saw Steely Dan release two albums of new material, the first of which earned a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. They have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and in March 2001, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
History
Early years
Donald Fagen and Walter Becker met at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in 1967. Fagen was passing by a cafe called The Red Balloon when he heard Becker rehearsing the electric guitar. He would later recount the experience during an interview: "I hear this guy practicing, and it sounded very professional and contemporary. It sounded like, you know, like a black person, really." He immediately introduced himself to Becker, and asked him "Do you want to be in a band?" They quickly realized that they enjoyed similar music, and even listened to the same jazz radio stations; not long after, they began writing songs together.
The two soon began playing in local groups. One of these bands, first known as The Bad Rock Group and later as The Leather Canary, included future comedy star Chevy Chase on drums. They played covers of songs written by The Rolling Stones ("Dandelion"), Moby Grape ("Hey Grandma"), and Willie Dixon ("Spoonful") along with a handful of originals. Terence Boylan, another Bard musician, remembered that Fagen immediately took to the Beatnik lifestyle while attending college: "They never came out of their room, they stayed up all night. They looked like ghosts — black turtlenecks and skin so white that it looked like yogurt. Absolutely no activity, chain-smoking Lucky Strikes and dope." Fagen himself would later remember it as "probably the only time in my life that I actually had friends."
After Fagen graduated in 1969, the two moved to Brooklyn and tried to peddle their tunes in the Brill Building in midtown Manhattan. Kenny Vance, a member of the pop group Jay and the Americans, who had a production office in the building, took an interest in their material that led to work on the soundtrack of the low-budget Richard Pryor film You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat in 1971. Becker later spoke bluntly of the soundtrack: "We did it for the money." A series of demos made between about 1968 and 1971 are available in bootleg form. This collection features approximately twenty-five tracks, and is notable for its stripped down production and decidedly lo-fi nature (many songs are just Fagen and his piano), contrary to future Steely Dan works. In addition, although some of these songs ("Caves of Altamira," "Brooklyn," "Barrytown") were re-recorded for Steely Dan albums, the majority of them were never officially released.
Becker and Fagen joined the touring band of Jay and the Americans for roughly a year and a half. They were at first paid $100 per show, but partway through their tenure the band's tour manager cut their salaries in half. The group's lead singer, Jay Black, dubbed Becker and Fagen "the Manson and Starkweather of rock 'n' roll," referring to cult leader Charles Manson and spree killer Charles Starkweather.
They had little immediate success after the move to Brooklyn, although Barbra Streisand recorded their song "I Mean To Shine" on her 1971 Barbra Joan Streisand album. Little other significant headway was made by the pair until one of Vance's cronies, Gary Katz, moved to Los Angeles to become a staff producer for ABC Records. He hired Becker and Fagen as staff songwriters and they flew to California. Katz would produce all their 1970s albums with a collaboration with engineer Roger Nichols.
After realizing their songs were too complex for other ABC artists, at Katz's suggestion they formed their own band with guitarists Denny Dias and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, drummer Jim Hodder and singer David Palmer, and Katz signed the band to ABC as recording artists. Being fans of Beat Generation literature, Fagen and Becker named the band after "Steely Dan III from Yokohama," a strap-on dildo referred to in the William Burroughs novel The Naked Lunch. The addition of Palmer as a second lead vocalist was due to a combination of Fagen's resistance to singing in front of an audience and the label's feeling that his voice was not "commercial" enough. Fagen lacked confidence in his voice and was known to have suffered from occasional bouts of stage fright.
In 1972, ABC sent out promotional copies of Steely Dan's first single, "Dallas," backed with "Sail the Waterway." It is unclear if "stock" copies were ever released to the general public, and if they were, the single sold so poorly that promotional copies are more abundant today (whereas the reverse is true for most releases). The two songs were re-released on vinyl a handful of times as b-sides and on EPs throughout the 1970s and 1980s; as of 2009, "Dallas" and "Sail the Waterway" remain the only officially released Steely Dan tracks to have not been reissued on cassette or compact disc. Becker and Fagen would tell an interviewer in 1995 that the songs hadn't been reissued because they felt the tracks were "stinko."
Can't Buy a Thrill and Countdown to Ecstasy
Their debut album, Can't Buy a Thrill, was released in 1972 and made an immediate impression with the hit singles "Do It Again" and "Reelin' In the Years," reaching #6 and #11 respectively on the Billboard singles chart. Those and the Palmer-sung "Dirty Work" eventually became staples on classic rock radio. "Reelin' In the Years" also features an acclaimed guitar solo by Elliott Randall.
Because of Fagen's reluctance to sing live, David Palmer handled most of the vocal duties on stage. During the first tour, it became apparent to Katz and Becker that Palmer's interpretation of the material wasn't having the same impact, and eventually convinced Fagen that he was the one who best conveyed the attitude and meaning of the songs. Palmer quietly left the group during the recording of the second album, soon hooking up with Carole King, with whom he wrote the 1974 #2 hit, "Jazzman."
The lineup of Can't Buy a Thrill and its follow up, Countdown to Ecstasy, was very band oriented. Denny Dias handled the rhythm guitar as well as the famous electric sitar solo on "Do It Again," and Jeff Baxter handled lead guitar duties. Jim Hodder played drums as well as singing on one track, "Midnite Cruiser." As for Becker and Fagen themselves, Becker played bass and sang some sparse backup vocals while his partner Fagen played all keyboards (piano, electric piano, organ) and sang lead on every track but three.
Countdown to Ecstasy, released in 1973, failed to match the level of commercial success of the first album (probably to the surprise of few, as it was much more jazz/blues oriented than its predecessor). Becker and Fagen blamed this on having to rush-record the album between tour dates and they weren't entirely happy with some of the performances on the record. The album's singles included "Show Biz Kids" (curiously chosen for release as a hopeful hit) and "My Old School," both considered "classic" Steely Dan by fans and critics alike, but failing to make any significant impact on the charts. However, "My Old School" (and, to a lesser extent, "Bodhisattva") did become a minor FM Rock staple as years passed, and remains so to this day. "Bodhisattva" was also notable as the only readily available live recording of Steely Dan for many years (as the B-side of the 1980 single "Hey Nineteen").
Pretzel Logic and Katy Lied
Steely Dan returned to prominence with their third LP Pretzel Logic in early 1974, a diverse set that produced another hit single, "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", a US Top Ten hit (#4 on the Billboard chart) which became yet another enduring AM rock radio staple. It is also notable as the only Steely Dan album to contain a song by another composer—their note-for-note transcription of Duke Ellington's and Bubber Miley's "East St Louis Toodle-oo". This song also holds other importance as the only instrumental ever done by Steely Dan, the only Steely Dan song to feature a banjo, and the only song on which Donald Fagen is credited with playing the saxophone (he also plays the piano solo). Album cuts "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" and the title track would go on to be fan favorites.
During the tour for the previous album, the band had added Sonny & Cher's young session drummer Jeff Porcaro (later a member of Toto) and also added vocalist-percussionist Royce Jones and vocalist-keyboardist Michael McDonald. Porcaro and McDonald would become prominent on this and future Steely Dan recordings and would illustrate the duo's increasing reliance on session musicians. For example, "Parker's Band" features both Jim Gordon and Jeff Porcaro playing drums, and both styles can easily be distinguished by panning between the left and right stereo channels on the album. This album also marks the first time Walter Becker would play guitar (6 string electric guitar) on a Steely Dan album.
A rift between Becker-Fagen and the other members of the group (particularly Baxter and Hodder) began to develop when the latter two seemed more intent on touring. Becker and Fagen disliked touring and wanted to withdraw from the road to concentrate solely on writing and recording. The other members also felt discouraged by their diminishing roles in the studio and gradually left the group, although Dias stayed on for some Aja tracks and McDonald continued to contribute vocals up to the 1980 Gaucho; Baxter left to join The Doobie Brothers, where he was later joined by McDonald. The band retired from touring after a July 4, 1974 concert at the Santa Monica Civic Center in California. A recording of the show's opening track, "Bodhisattva", would later be released as a B-side.
The 1975 LP Katy Lied saw the duo using a diverse group of session players, including Porcaro and McDonald, as well as guitarist Elliott Randall, jazz saxophonist Phil Woods, saxophonist/bass-guitarist Wilton Felder, percussionist-vibraphonist Victor Feldman, keyboardist (and later producer) Michael Omartian and guitarist Larry Carlton, with only Dias remaining from the original group. The album went gold on the strength of the songs "Black Friday" and "Bad Sneakers", but Becker and Fagen were so dissatisfied with the sound of the album (caused by a faulty DBX noise reduction system) that they publicly apologized for it (on the album's back cover), and for years refused to even listen to it in its final form. Often considered a "transitional album," it also included such gems as "Doctor Wu" (which also got minor FM airplay for many years) and "Chain Lightning".
The Royal Scam and Aja
The Royal Scam was released in May 1976 on ABC Records and is the group's most guitar-oriented record, in part due to Carlton's contributions, and it also features session drummer Bernard Purdie. Like Katy Lied, it sold well without the strength of a real hit single, although "Kid Charlemagne" and "The Fez" (in which keyboardist Paul Griffin earned a rare co-writing credit) would become two fan favorites. Also popular in Dan circles as well as at modern Steely Dan shows are the hard rocking "Don't Take Me Alive", the shuffling "Sign in Stranger", and the ethereal "Caves of Altamira." "Haitian Divorce" became a surprise minor hit in the UK.
Their sixth LP, the jazz-influenced Aja saw Becker and Fagen using the services of top-notch jazz-rock musicians including Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Wayne Shorter, and Chuck Rainey. Aja won several awards, shot into the Top Five in the U.S. charts within three weeks of release, and was one of the first American LPs to be certified 'platinum' for sales of over 1 million albums. The first single off the album was "Peg," which featured Michael McDonald's backing vocals and peaked at US #11. Other singles included "Deacon Blues" (#19) and "Josie" (#26). The album cemented the duo's reputation as songwriters, as well as their reputation for studio perfectionism. The story of the making of the album has been documented in an episode of the popular TV and DVD series, Classic Albums. The album features such jazz and fusion luminaries as saxophonists Wayne Shorter, Pete Christlieb, and Tom Scott, drummer Steve Gadd, and ex-Miles Davis pianist/vibist Victor Feldman. It also featured Becker's trademark clean, jazzy guitar leads as a prominent solo voice where they had only appeared sporadically in prior releases.
Soon after the success of Aja, Becker and Fagen were asked to contribute the title track for the movie FM. The movie was one of the year's worst box-office disasters but the song was another hit, barely missing out on the Top 20 in the US and was another minor hit in the UK. The group still performs it today.
[edit] Gaucho and breakup
Becker and Fagen took most of 1978 off before beginning to write songs for the follow-up to Aja. The project would become plagued by technical, legal, and personal problems and ultimately cost them their partnership for many years.
In March 1979, ABC was bought by MCA Records, and for most of the next two years they were caught in contractual problems that prevented them from releasing the album. Becker and Fagen had planned on leaving ABC for Warner Bros. Records and wanted to release the next album on it, but MCA claimed ownership of the material, blocking Fagen and Becker from putting it out on any other label.
The first track completed for the album was "The Second Arrangement." The song was a favorite of producer Gary Katz and engineer Roger Nichols. In late December 1979, after weeks of working on a particular recording of the track, approximately 3/4 of the song was accidentally erased by an assistant engineer who was performing maintenance on the studio's tape machines. It was Nichols who broke the bad news to the band; Fagen walked out of the studio without saying a word when he was told about the song. Attempting to re-record "The Second Arrangement" proved to be too discouraging, and the song was eventually abandoned. However, a handful of demo and outtake recordings of the song exist in bootleg form.
Becker was also having personal difficulties. His girlfriend at the time, Karen Stanley, died of a drug overdose in their shared Upper West Side Apartment. Becker was hit with a $17 million wrongful death suit, later settled out of court in his favor, but he was shocked by the accusations and the tabloid press coverage that followed. His own substance abuse problems made matters worse. Not long after, Becker was struck by a taxi while attempting to cross a Manhattan street, shattering his right leg in several places and forcing him to use crutches. His sense of humor was evident in his statement to Rolling Stone magazine that he and the taxi were in breach of the laws of quantum physics, trying to occupy the same space at the same time.
Another lawsuit dogged the band, this time regarding the title track for the album. Jazz composer Keith Jarrett claimed that the song had been based on one of his own compositions, entitled "Long As You Know You're Living Yours". Fagen later admitted he'd loved the song and was strongly influenced by it. Jarrett sued for copyright infringement and eventually settled for a sum of approximately one million dollars, the deal stipulating that Becker and Fagen keep the songwriting credit. Fagen later told the press that maintaining their reputations as songwriters was an important factor in the decision to settle for such a substantial sum. Gaucho was finally released in November 1980 and, despite the problems that had gone into recording the album, it was another major success. The first single, "Hey Nineteen", peaked at #10 on the pop chart in early 1981, and "Time Out of Mind" (featuring Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits on guitar) became a moderate hit in the spring. "My Rival" was featured in John Huston's 1980 Film Phobia. The album subsequently received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.
[edit] Time off
Becker and Fagen announced the hiatus of their partnership in June 1981. Becker subsequently moved to the Hawaiian island of Maui with his family where he became an "avocado rancher and self styled critic of the contemporary scene." Becker also stopped using narcotics around this period, a problem he had been struggling with throughout most of Steely Dan's original run. Fagen released his 1982 solo album The Nightfly, which went platinum in both the U.S. and the U.K. and yielded the Top Twenty hit, "I.G.Y. (International Geophysical Year)."
The two tried writing together again in the mid-1980s but were unhappy with the results. Fagen later contributed both the score and a song to the soundtrack of Bright Lights, Big City but generally did little or no music writing or recording for several years. He occasionally did production work for other artists, as did Becker; one notable credit was British group China Crisis, who were strongly influenced by Steely Dan.
Reunion (1993 - present)
Fagen and Becker took the first steps toward reconciliation in 1986, when Gary Katz oversaw the production of Zazu, an album by the former model Rosie Vela. Both Becker and Fagen are featured on that album, and it is believed to be the first time they performed together since the breakup. On October 25, 1991, Becker attended a concert of the New York Rock and Soul Revue, co-founded by Fagen and producer/singer Libby Titus (who was for many years the partner of Levon Helm of The Band and would later become Fagen's wife). 1993 saw Becker's production of Fagen's second solo album Kamakiriad. Fagen later said it was the most satisfying recording experience of his career. Returning the favour, Fagen co-produced Becker's solo album 11 Tracks of Whack in 1994.
During the same year, MCA released Citizen Steely Dan, a boxed set featuring their entire catalog on 4 CDs, plus 4 extra tracks: "Here at the Western World" (originally released on 1978's "Greatest Hits"), "FM" (1978 single), a 1971 demo of "Everyone's Gone to the Movies" and "Bodhisattva (live)", the latter recorded on a cassette in 1974 and released as a B-side in 1980.
Alive in America (1993–1994)
These events finally led to a reformation, and the mounting of a U.S. tour in 1993 to support Fagen's album (which sold poorly, even though the concerts were extremely well-reviewed). With Becker now mainly playing lead and rhythm guitar, they put together a band that included an additional keyboard player and lead guitarist, a bassist, three female backing singers, and a four-piece horn section. During this tour, Fagen introduced himself as "Rick Strauss" and Becker as "Frank Poulenc". They toured to great acclaim during 1993-96, performing mainly songs from the later Steely Dan albums plus a selection of re-arranged Dan classics, and they released a live CD compiled from recordings of several 1993 and 1994 concerts, Alive in America in 1995.
Two Against Nature (2000)
In 2000, they released their first studio album in twenty years, Two Against Nature. It was not only a return to form but proved to be one of the surprise successes of the year, and in February 2001, it earned them four Grammy Awards. They won in the categories for Best Engineered Album - Non-Classical, Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Pop Performance by Duo or Group with Vocal ("Cousin Dupree"), and Album of the Year. Their win for Album of the Year came as a shock as they defeated Eminem and his highly controversial album The Marshall Mathers LP. In March 2001, Steely Dan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the summer of 2000, they took to the road for another US tour followed by an international tour later that year. A DVD was also released under the same title, which is essentially a live-in-the-studio concert performance of popular tunes from throughout Steely Dan's career.
Everything Must Go (2003)
In 2003 Steely Dan released another album, Everything Must Go, and toured America thereafter. Becker and Fagen went for a looser approach in the studio and attempted to capture a more live feel. Walter Becker contributed his first lead vocal on a Steely Dan studio album on the song "Slang of Ages" (he had sung lead on his own "Book of Liars," on Alive in America). Also, it is the first Steely Dan album since 1973 to feature the same drummer (Keith Carlock) on every track; Jim Hodder was the sole drummer on 1972's Can't Buy a Thrill and 1973's Countdown to Ecstasy. This album also showed a return to form for Becker and Fagen's playing: Becker plays bass and lead guitar on every track while Fagen adds piano, electric piano, organ, synthesizers, and percussion on top of his vocals.
Steelyard "Sugartooth" McDan and The Fab-Originees.com Tour (2006)
The band embarked on a 33-date tour in the summer of 2006, a tour that followed Donald Fagen's tour in spring of 2006 in support of his first solo album in 13 years, Morph the Cat. Also featured on the bill was former collaborator Michael McDonald and his band. McDonald also sat in with Steely Dan during their encore, taking lead vocals on a jazzy version of "Do It Again" and filling out the band further on keyboards. The name of the tour is an homage to the fictional "inventor of the blues" presumably created by Becker and Fagen. The website, Fab-Originees.com, was simply a mirror of SteelyDan.com.
Heavy Rollers Tour (2007)
The band's Heavy Rollers Tour began May 5, 2007, at the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis, TN. The tour included North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, making it both the largest and most exhaustive Steely Dan tour ever. The tour took its name from lyrics in the song "Gaucho" ("We've got heavy rollers, I think you should know") from the album of the same name.
Think Fast (2008)
In early March 2008, Steely Dan announced on their website that they would be playing the Montreal Jazz Festival in July. This was then revised into a full summer tour, named Think Fast. Dates were selected mostly in the United States, with a few concerts in Canada.
Left Bank Holiday and Rent Party (2009)
In early March 2009, Steely Dan announced they will be performing live in the summer of 2009. The segments of the tour that have been announced on the website are for European dates only, but the site also states that more dates are to be announced. In early April, it was announced that the Left Bank Holiday European tour would be accompanied by the United States Rent Party tour. The Rent Party tour will feature special shows in New York, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles, in which the band will play one of their classic albums in its entirety at each show as well as a selection of favorites.
Musical and lyrical style
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Steely Dan's enigmatic, sardonically humorous and topical lyrics add to the appeal of the songs. Although Becker and Fagen might have at first owed a certain lyrical debt to Bob Dylan, they rapidly developed a distinctive style and have since become one of the most accomplished and respected songwriting teams of their age.
Music
Overall sound
Special attention was given to the individual sound of each instrument. The recording was done with the utmost fidelity and attention to sonic detail, and mixed so that all the instruments are heard and none are given undue priority (a deft and accomplished use of the multi-tracking process). For example, in the song "Parker's Band", two drum kits are used, which gives the song an unexpected drive, without overpowering the sound; it is not even immediately apparent that there are two drum kits on the track. Their albums are also notable for the characteristically 'warm' and 'dry' production sound, and the sparing use of echo and reverberation — effects which were often heavily over-used on other rock recordings of this period. Long known as perfectionists, they often recorded take after take before selecting the player or performance that made the final cut on their albums.
[edit] Backing vocals
Becker and Fagen favor a distinctly soul-influenced style of backing vocal, which after the first few albums were almost always performed by a female chorus (although Michael McDonald features prominently on several tracks, including the 1975 song "Black Friday" and the 1977 song "Peg"). Venetta Fields, Sherlie Matthews and Clydie King were the preferred trio for backing vocals on the group's late 70's albums.
Other backing vocalists include Tawatha Agee, Carolyn Leonhart, Janice Pendarvis, Catherine Russell, Cynthia Calhoun, Victoria Cave, Cindy Mizelle, and Jeff Young.
Horns
Horn arrangements have been used on songs from all Steely Dan albums. They are usually jazz-oriented, and typically feature instruments such as trumpets, trombones and saxophones, although they have also used other instruments such as flutes and clarinets. The horn parts occasionally integrate simple synth lines to alter the tone quality of individual horn lines, for example in "Deacon Blues" this was done to "thicken" one of the saxophone lines. On the earlier albums Steely Dan featured guest arrangers. However, from Kamakiriad and on the arrangement work is credited to Fagen.
Use of unusual harmonies and chord sequences
Steely Dan are famous for their use of chord sequences and harmonies that explore the area of musical tension between traditional pop music sounds and jazz. To conventional rock listeners, this sometimes seemed to be avant-garde music. In particular, they are known for their use of the mu major chord, often simply known to rock musicians as the "Steely Dan chord". Other staples of the Steely Dan "Chord Dictionary" include so-called slash chords, for example B♭/C or E/A. A slash chord shows a triad with or without extensions (shown to the left of the slash) with a different note in the bass (shown to the right of the slash).
Lyrics
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Steely Dan's songs cover a wide range of topics, but in their basic approach they often create fictional personas that narrate the experience. The duo have said that in retrospect, most of their albums have a 'feel' of either Los Angeles or New York City, the two main bases where Becker and Fagen lived and operated (see below). Characters appear in their songs that evoke these cities. Themes of sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll appear, but never in a straightforward manner, neither encouraging nor discouraging, and many (if not all) of their songs are tinged with an ironic edge.
Additionally, many would argue that Steely Dan never wrote a real love song. However, some of the demo-era recordings show Fagen and Becker at their most romantic. Such songs include "This Seat's Been Taken", "Oh, Wow, It's You", "Come Back Baby", and "Rikki Don't Lose That Number". Other themes are also present, such as prejudice, aging, failure, poverty and middle-class ennui, but these are typically seen from an ironic and detached perspective. Many of their songs concern love, but none can be classed as straightforward love songs, since there is inevitably an ironic or disturbing twist in the lyrics. One may think the song is about love on first inspection, however, upon deeper analysis the listener realizes that the real story is about rape, prostitution, incest ("Cousin Dupree"), or some other socially unacceptable subject.
Steely Dan's lyrics contain subtle and encoded references, unusual (and sometimes original) slang expressions, a wide variety of "word games" and intriguing lyrical choices and constructions of considerable depth. The obscure and sometimes teasing lyrics have given rise to considerable efforts by fans to explain the "inner meaning" of certain songs. Jazz is a recurring theme, with references abounding in their songs, and there are numerous other film, television and literary references and allusions, such as "Home at Last" (from Aja), which was inspired by The Odyssey.
Some of their lyrics are notable for their unusual meter patterns; a prime example of this is their 1972 hit "Reelin' In the Years", which crams an unusually large number of words into each line, giving it a highly syncopated quality.
"Name-checking" is another Steely Dan lyrical device; references to real places and people abound in their songs. The song "My Old School" is a well-known example, referring to Annandale (Annandale-on-Hudson, New York is the location of Bard College, which both attended and where they met), and the Two Against Nature album (2000) contains numerous references to the duo's original home region, the New York metro area, including the district of Gramercy Park, The Strand bookstore and well-known upmarket food business Dean & DeLuca.
The band also often name-checks drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, in their songs: rum and cokes ("Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No More"), piña coladas ("Bad Sneakers"), zombies ("Haitian Divorce"), black cows ("Black Cow"), Scotch whisky ("Deacon Blues"), retsina ("Home at Last"), grapefruit wine ("FM"), cherry wine ("Time Out of Mind"), Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila ("Hey Nineteen") and kirschwasser ("Babylon Sisters") are all mentioned in Steely Dan lyrics.
Information origin www.wikipedia.com
