Another (Would Have Been) 70 - Steely Dan's Walter Becker
There are many rock birthdays in February, but specifically tomorrow, the late, great Walter Becker would have turned 70. Becker sadly left this world back in September of 2017 as a result of esophagael cancer, but along with his musical partner, Donald Fagen, he created an ensamble known for its varied compositions, cryptic lyrics, and generally modern day jazz interpretations.
In honor of what would have been Becker's 70th birthday, I will present to you some facts you may or may not have known about Steely Dan.
It all started during college life.
Yep! Becker and Fagen met each other way back in 1967 as students at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. However, seeing an opportunity in Los Angeles, the pair moved out in 1971 and rented an apartment together at the advice of record manager Gary Katz who got them a deal with the then ABC Records. The track, My Old School, from their 1973 LP Countdown to Ecstasy, actually tells of a drug raid that happened while Fagen and Becker were going to Bard College and how they were turned over to prosecutor "Daddy G," G. Jordon Liddy.
They were mostly a duo for the length of their career
Their 1972 debut, Can't Buy a Thrill, which featured their breakthough hit Do it Again, saw Becker playing bass, Fagen playing keyboards and singing lead on all (but three) songs, vocalist David Palmer (who sang on Dirty Work and Brooklyn and also performed lead vocals due to Fagen's stage fright), drummer Jim Hodder, who sang on Midnight Cruiser, guitarists, Danny Diaz and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (the latter of which was responsible for the electric zither solo on Do it Again). and an array of session players including Elliot Randall and Victor Feldman. 1973's Countdown to Ecstasy was recorded in a simillar fashion (sans Palmer, who by the time it came to making the second LP convinced Fagen to get over his stage fright).
The next few LPs saw them working exclusively with session players and becoming a studio-only band. I personally like to think of Steely Dan as the Beatles of jazz fushion just because of how experimental their writings and sounds were. Notable players included the Porcaro brothers - Mike, Jeff, and Steve, who would eventually form Toto, jazz guitarist Larry Carolton, jazz keyboardists Michael Omaritan and Joe Sample, and Doobie Brothers' Michael McDonald. Jeff "Skunk" Baxter was also a member of the Doobies for a time.
On a side note - the band did plan on touring in support of their 1977 LP Aja; however, plans were abandoned after the selected session players began to debate compensation.
They were never meant to be
Becker and Fagen had ZERO intention of forming a band. Their vision was to write songs for other artists to make. About the only oomph to come out of this was Barbara Streisand who recorded I Mean to Shine for her 1971 LP.
They only started a band to take the advice of ABC Records Staff Producer Gary Katz who, after hearing their tracks, decided that they were to complex for other artists and that they would be better off recording the songs themselves. Speaking of formation...
Their name references a dildo from the Beat Generation
Growing up with the Beat Generation of novels in the 50s, Becker and Fagen coined the name Steely Dan after a revolutionary, steam-powered dildo (sex toy) referred to in the novel Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs.
Their breakup has got to be among the worst.
Towards the end of the 70s, MCA bought out ABC Records meaning everyone signed to ABC had to switch. Around the same time, Walter Becker lost his girlfriend to overdose and a number of lawsuits followed in particular for jazz veteran Keith Jarrett on account on basing the title track of their 1980 LP, Gaucho, in his song For as Long as You Know You're Living Yours. To that Fagen responded that there was no intention in infringement and it was only one of their favorite songs.
Even before any of this happened, a recording engineer deleted a near complete song, The Second Arrangement. This happened after producer Gary Katz and engineer Roger Nichols asked the engineer to prep the track for listening back. Although the band tried to re-record it, they gave up on the idea in favor of other tracks. Even so, they issued a few bottleg version of the track on their outtakes collection, Lost and Found, and on a limited edition of Gaucho called The Lost Gaucho.
Afetwards, all that had happened was too much. They took a break in 1981 to set their sights on solo endeavors, and did not reunited until the early 90s.
There is a dictionary for fans!
Before I leave this posting, for the devoted and curious fans, there is an online dictionary. The dictionary covers not only lyrics for songs recorded during the classic time between 1971 and 1981, but also on Becker's and Fagen's solo works.
"Steely Knives" in Hotel California is a reference to Steely Dan
Enough said.
In honor of what would have been Becker's 70th birthday, I will present to you some facts you may or may not have known about Steely Dan.
It all started during college life.
Yep! Becker and Fagen met each other way back in 1967 as students at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. However, seeing an opportunity in Los Angeles, the pair moved out in 1971 and rented an apartment together at the advice of record manager Gary Katz who got them a deal with the then ABC Records. The track, My Old School, from their 1973 LP Countdown to Ecstasy, actually tells of a drug raid that happened while Fagen and Becker were going to Bard College and how they were turned over to prosecutor "Daddy G," G. Jordon Liddy.
They were mostly a duo for the length of their career
Their 1972 debut, Can't Buy a Thrill, which featured their breakthough hit Do it Again, saw Becker playing bass, Fagen playing keyboards and singing lead on all (but three) songs, vocalist David Palmer (who sang on Dirty Work and Brooklyn and also performed lead vocals due to Fagen's stage fright), drummer Jim Hodder, who sang on Midnight Cruiser, guitarists, Danny Diaz and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (the latter of which was responsible for the electric zither solo on Do it Again). and an array of session players including Elliot Randall and Victor Feldman. 1973's Countdown to Ecstasy was recorded in a simillar fashion (sans Palmer, who by the time it came to making the second LP convinced Fagen to get over his stage fright).
The next few LPs saw them working exclusively with session players and becoming a studio-only band. I personally like to think of Steely Dan as the Beatles of jazz fushion just because of how experimental their writings and sounds were. Notable players included the Porcaro brothers - Mike, Jeff, and Steve, who would eventually form Toto, jazz guitarist Larry Carolton, jazz keyboardists Michael Omaritan and Joe Sample, and Doobie Brothers' Michael McDonald. Jeff "Skunk" Baxter was also a member of the Doobies for a time.
On a side note - the band did plan on touring in support of their 1977 LP Aja; however, plans were abandoned after the selected session players began to debate compensation.
They were never meant to be
Becker and Fagen had ZERO intention of forming a band. Their vision was to write songs for other artists to make. About the only oomph to come out of this was Barbara Streisand who recorded I Mean to Shine for her 1971 LP.
They only started a band to take the advice of ABC Records Staff Producer Gary Katz who, after hearing their tracks, decided that they were to complex for other artists and that they would be better off recording the songs themselves. Speaking of formation...
Their name references a dildo from the Beat Generation
Growing up with the Beat Generation of novels in the 50s, Becker and Fagen coined the name Steely Dan after a revolutionary, steam-powered dildo (sex toy) referred to in the novel Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs.
Their breakup has got to be among the worst.
Towards the end of the 70s, MCA bought out ABC Records meaning everyone signed to ABC had to switch. Around the same time, Walter Becker lost his girlfriend to overdose and a number of lawsuits followed in particular for jazz veteran Keith Jarrett on account on basing the title track of their 1980 LP, Gaucho, in his song For as Long as You Know You're Living Yours. To that Fagen responded that there was no intention in infringement and it was only one of their favorite songs.
Even before any of this happened, a recording engineer deleted a near complete song, The Second Arrangement. This happened after producer Gary Katz and engineer Roger Nichols asked the engineer to prep the track for listening back. Although the band tried to re-record it, they gave up on the idea in favor of other tracks. Even so, they issued a few bottleg version of the track on their outtakes collection, Lost and Found, and on a limited edition of Gaucho called The Lost Gaucho.
Afetwards, all that had happened was too much. They took a break in 1981 to set their sights on solo endeavors, and did not reunited until the early 90s.
There is a dictionary for fans!
Before I leave this posting, for the devoted and curious fans, there is an online dictionary. The dictionary covers not only lyrics for songs recorded during the classic time between 1971 and 1981, but also on Becker's and Fagen's solo works.
"Steely Knives" in Hotel California is a reference to Steely Dan
Enough said.
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