They were at first paid $100 per show, but partway through their tenure the band's tour manager cut their salaries in half. Although some of these songs ("Caves of Altamira", "Brooklyn", "Barrytown") were re-recorded for Steely Dan albums, most were never officially released.īecker and Fagen joined the touring band of Jay and the Americans for about a year and a half. This collection features approximately 25 tracks and is notable for its sparse arrangements (Fagen plays solo piano on many songs) and lo-fi production, a contrast with Steely Dan's later work. Becker later said bluntly, "We did it for the money." A series of demos from 1968 to 1971 are available in multiple different releases, not authorized by Becker and Fagen. Kenny Vance (of Jay and the Americans), who had a production office in the building, took an interest in their music, which 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. 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." Īfter Fagen graduated in 1969, the two moved to Brooklyn and tried to peddle their tunes in the Brill Building in midtown Manhattan. They looked like ghosts-black turtlenecks and skin so white that it looked like yogurt. Terence Boylan, another Bard musician, remembered that Fagen took readily to the beatnik life while attending college: "They never came out of their room, they stayed up all night. They played covers of songs by The Rolling Stones (" Dandelion"), Moby Grape ("Hey Grandma"), and Willie Dixon (" Spoonful"), as well as some original compositions. One such group – known as the Don Fagen Jazz Trio, the Bad Rock Group and later the Leather Canary – included future comedy star Chevy Chase on drums. It sounded like, you know, like a black person, really." He introduced himself to Becker and asked, "Do you want to be in a band?" Discovering that they enjoyed similar music, the two began writing songs together.īecker and Fagen began playing in local groups. As Fagen passed by a café, The Red Balloon, he heard Becker practicing the electric guitar." In an interview, Fagen recounted the experience: "I hear this guy practising, and it sounded very professional and contemporary. History Formative and early years (1967–1972) īecker and Fagen met in 1967 at Bard College, in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.
0 Comments
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |