What could be better than New York in the Fall? Well, some things… Special reasons for being there. As it worked out, the Yankees went down in the first round of the playoffs and that meant no more live baseball for me for this year. Someone tried to persuade that a trip to Citi Field would be worthwhile but we all have our loyalties and so I passed on the Mets. Something else to do. And with me that usually means if not baseball then music.
Earlier, I’d been approached by a publishing house to compile a list of Steely Dan songs and their lyrics. Don’t know what else will come of that (if anything) but The Dan are very much to my taste and I came across some obscure ones like this one which they performed a few times in 2003 and then again in 2006:
“The Steely Dan Show”
Boys and Girls
They come from all around
From dear old Stockholm
To Copenhagen town
Forget their troubles
In tasty rhythm ‘n’ rhyme
So here you are
And now it’s party time
Wrap your mind
Around this sound
And let the goodness ripple down
Goodbye to Lonely Street
You’re in the Catbird Seat
At THE STEELY DAN SHOW
They come from all around
From dear old Stockholm
To Copenhagen town
Forget their troubles
In tasty rhythm ‘n’ rhyme
So here you are
And now it’s party time
Wrap your mind
Around this sound
And let the goodness ripple down
Goodbye to Lonely Street
You’re in the Catbird Seat
At THE STEELY DAN SHOW
If you got backpacks
And pointy little shoes
Late-model roadsters
Or just those walkin’ blues
A case of heartache
That you’re too numb to fight
A secret sorrow
That keeps you up all night
Well don’t you fret
It’s not your fault
Just lay it all on Don and Walt
Just trip out on these hits
The groove that never quits
At THE STEELY DAN SHOW
And pointy little shoes
Late-model roadsters
Or just those walkin’ blues
A case of heartache
That you’re too numb to fight
A secret sorrow
That keeps you up all night
Well don’t you fret
It’s not your fault
Just lay it all on Don and Walt
Just trip out on these hits
The groove that never quits
At THE STEELY DAN SHOW
So buy a program
And/or a hat
You don’t pass up a deal like that
It’s only promo stuff
But hey it’s good enough
For THE STEELY DAN SHOW
And/or a hat
You don’t pass up a deal like that
It’s only promo stuff
But hey it’s good enough
For THE STEELY DAN SHOW
(c) Becker / Fagen 2003
‘Tis a simple little ditty but it is quite evocative in its own way so when I was asked if I would like to be paid to fly out to New York to catch the band’s residency at the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan, New York, I didn’t long hesitate. One of my favourite bands in one of my favourite cities. What’s not to like. The original intention was to see the whole run of 8 shows and write about them when I got back home. Other pressures prevented from completing that goal but 6 six days in New York were spent and produced this and the following two reports as well as some bits and pieces that vested interests stop me from repeating here for the time being.
Let’s begin with some basic questions. Who’s in this Steely Dan band, Darren?
Well, the two principals are a guy called:
Walter Becker who is on rhythm and lead guitars and vocals
and a guy called:
Donald Fagen who is on keyboards and vocals.
This year they are ably supported by:
Jim Beard who has been on keyboards with them since 2008
Keith Carlock who has been hitting drumskins for the Dan since 2003
Jon Herington, guitars and something of a band leader since 2000
Carolyn Leonhart (previously Escoffery-Leonhart), backing vocals since the turn of the Millennium
Michael Leonhart on trumpet, also since 2000
Paulette McWilliams, the newest addition who only joined the ban during the second part of this year’s tour.
Cindy Mizelle. Cindy sang back up from 2003-2008 and has returned to the band since 2011.
Jim Pugh. Trombone since 2000
Roger Rosenberg. Roger (baritone saxophone) joined the band in 2006 and has been a fixture since then.
“Ready” Freddie Washington also joined in 2006 and has been carrying the bass guitar rhythms since that time.
And finally, Walt Weiskopf who has been blowing his alto and tenor horns since 2003.
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This year after scheduling a tour of the West Coast of the U.S. with Elvis Costello and the Imposters and playing amongst other dates the Coachella festival, Becker and Fagen decided to windup their much lauded “rockabye gollie angel 2015” tour with dates at the Beacon Theatre, just off Broadway in New York. For the last several years, it has become a staple venue for Steely Dan and this year was to be no different with an eight date residency planned:
The nights were laid out as follows:
October 6th – Aja plus selected hits
October 7th – Greatest Hits
October 9th – Gaucho plus selected hits
October 10th – The Royal Scam plus selected hits
October 13th – Aja plus selected hits
October 14th – Greatest Hits
October 16th – “By Popular Demand”
October 17th – “The Most Unforgettable Night of Whatever featuring Spectacular Musical Guests, Glorious Tunes, and Whatever the Party Calls For!”
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And what did the party call for, Darren? What did they actually play? Well, for those out there who want to know what the whole residency brought in terms of songs here it is. Those who would rather move onto something a little less detailed might want to wait for reports two and three appearing here in the next few days…. But for the completists here goes:
Aja (from Aja)
Babylon Sisters (from Gaucho)
Black Cow (from Aja)
Black Friday (from Katy Lied)
Bodhisattva (from Countdown to Ecstasy)
Caves of Altamira (from The Royal Scam)
Daddy Don’t Live in that New York City No More (from Katy Lied) (with Walter Becker on lead vocals)
Deacon Blues (from Aja)
Dirty Work (from Can’t Buy A Thrill) (with the Danettes on lead vocals)
Do it Again (from Can’t Buy A Thrill)
Don’t Take Me Alive (from The Royal Scam)
Everything Must Go (from Everything Must Go)
Everything You Did (from The Royal Scam)
F.M. (No Static At All) (aside from the soundtrack of the same name, this originally appeared on the Steely Dan compilation “Gold”)
Gaucho (from Gaucho)
Glamour Profession (from Gaucho)
Godwhacker (from Everything Must Go)
Green Earrings (from The Royal Scam)
Haitian Divorce (from The Royal Scam)
Hey Nineteen (from Gaucho)
Home At Last (from Aja)
I Got the News (from Aja)
I Want to Do Everything For You (originally recorded by Joe Tex, never officially released by Steely Dan)
Josie (from Aja)
Kid Charlemagne (from The Royal Scam)
My Old School (from Countdown to Ecstasy)
My Rival (from Gaucho)
Pearl of the Quarter (from Countdown to Ecstasy)
Peg (from Aja)
Pretzel Logic (from Pretzel Logic)
Razor Boy (from Countdown to Ecstasy) (lead vocals by the Danettes)
Reelin’ in the Years (from Can’t Buy A Thrill)
Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (from Pretzel Logic)
The Royal Scam (from The Royal Scam)
Show Biz Kids (from Countdown to Ecstasy, massively rearranged)
Sign In Stranger (originally from The Royal Scam but here the version from Alive in America)
Teenie’s Blues (originally by Oliver Nelson and never officially released by Steely Dan)
The Fez (from The Royal Scam)
The Untouchables Theme (composed by Nelson Riddle) (never released by Steely Dan)
Third World Man (from Gaucho)
Time Out of Mind (from Gaucho)
This left only the “Two Against Nature” album unrepresented in the NYC shows. Earlier in the tour both Janie Runaway and the title track had been given outings.
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Each night brought between 19 & 21 of these audio treats and next time we will look at the shows in a little more detail.
Freddie Washington (bass), Mr Donald Fagen (vocals & keyboards), and Carolyn Leonhart (b.vocs)
