Description
Get the Steely Dan T Shirt . Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1972 by core members Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Blending elements of jazz, traditional pop, R&B, and sophisticated studio production with cryptic and ironic lyrics, the band enjoyed critical and commercial success starting from the early 1970s until breaking up in 1981. 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 (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. Becker later said bluntly, “We did it for the money.”[13] A series of demos from 1968 to 1971 are available in bootleg form.[14] 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. Although some of these songs (“Caves of Altamira”, “Brooklyn”, “Barrytown”) were re-recorded for Steely Dan albums, most were never officially released.
Get the Steely Dan T Shirt . Becker and Fagen joined the touring band of Jay and the Americans for about a year and a half.[15] They were at first paid $100 per show, but partway through their tenure the band’s tour manager cut their salaries in half.[15] 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 success after moving to Brooklyn, although Barbra Streisand recorded their song “I Mean To Shine” on her 1971 Barbra Joan Streisand album. Their fortunes changed when one of Vance’s associates, Gary Katz, moved to Los Angeles to become a staff producer for ABC Records. He hired Becker and Fagen as staff songwriters; they flew to California. Katz would produce all their 1970s albums in collaboration with engineer Roger Nichols. Nichols would win six Grammy Awards for his work with the band from the 1970s to 2001.[16]
Get the Steely Dan T Shirt 100% Cotton Free Shipping
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.