Tag Archives: Donald Fagen

David Crosby: For Free

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On July 23, 2021, “Three Blind Mice” and “BMG Right Management” labels released “For Free”, the eighth and final David Crosby album. It was recorded August – December 2020, at “The Bamboom Room” in Altadena, California, “Hz Werks” in Van Nuys, California, “Joe Jack’s Studio” in Santa Ynez, California, “Groove Masters” in Santa Monica, California, “Stubbs Recording” in Spring Hill, Tennessee, “Tomorrow’s Sound Today” in Memphis, Tennessee, and was produced by James Raymond.

Personnel:

  • David Crosby – vocals, mixing
  • James Raymond – acoustic piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, synthesizers, synth guitar solo, synth bass, synth acoustic guitar, drum programming, Fender Rhodes, percussion, backing vocals, horn arrangements, recording, mixing
  • Shawn Tubbs – acoustic and electric guitar
  • Steve Postell – acoustic guitar, backing vocals
  • Greg Leisz – pedal steel guitar
  • Dean Parks – acoustic and electric guitar
  • Andrew Ford – bass
  • Elijah Thomson – bass
  • Gary Novak – drums
  • Steve DiStanislao – drums
  • Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums
  • Steve Tavaglione – tenor saxophone, EWI
  • Walt Fowler – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Sarah Jarosz – vocals
  • Brian Wilson – count-in vocal
  • Michael McDonald – backing vocals
  • Gracie Raymond – backing vocals
  • Becca Stevens – backing vocals
  • Michelle Willis – backing vocals
  • Dan Garcia – recording, mixing
  • Shawn Tubbs – guitar recording
  • Dean Parks – guitar recording
  • Nate Hassely – engineer assistant
  • Joel Jacks – engineer assistant
  • Jason Mariani – engineer assistant
  • Kaushlesh “Garry” Purohit – engineer assistant
  • Bernie Grundman – mastering
  • Louise Hendy – artwork, design
  • Joan Baez – sleeve artwork, original painting

Track listing:

  1. River Rise – David Crosby, James Raymond, Michael McDonald
  2. I Think I – David Crosby, James Raymond, Steve Postell
  3. The Other Side of Midnight – James Raymond
  4. Rodriguez for a Night – David Crosby, Donald Fagen, James Raymond
  5.  Secret Dancer – David Crosby, James Raymond
  6. Ships in the Night – David Crosby
  7. For Free – Joni Mitchell
  8. Boxes – James Raymond
  9. Shot at Me – David Crosby – Dean Parks
  10. I Won’t Stay for Long – James Raymond

Paul Griffin

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On June 14, 2000, Paul Griffin died aged 62. He was musician (piano, keyboards), performed and recorded with hundreds of musicians including: King Curtis, Bob Dylan, Steely Dan, Don McLean, the Isley Brothers, Van Morrison, the Shirelles, Dionne Warwick. Dion DiMucci, George Benson, Tom Rush, Wilson Pickett, Michael Franks, John Denver, Peter, Paul and Mary, David Clayton-Thomas, Gloria Loring, Melba Moore, LaVern Baker, Janis Siegel, Solomon Burke, Jackie Lomax, Marlena Shaw, Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Don Mclean, Carly Simon, Juddy Collins, Cheryl Lynn, Gloria Gaynor, Stephanie Mills, Donald Fagen,  Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Garland Jeffreys, Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt and Laura Nyro.

Jeff Porcaro

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On August 5, 1992, Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro died aged 38. He was a songwriter, musician (drums), and record producer, best known as the drummer with Toto. He was one of the most south after session drummers in popular music, played on hundreds of albums and worked with numerous artists such as Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, George Benson, Greg Lake, Seals & Crofts, Les Dudek, Joe Cocker, Steely Dan, The Jacksons, Tommy Bolin, Jackson Browne, Leo Sayer, Boz Scaggs, Carly Simon, Eric Carmen, Valerie Carter, Lisa Dal Bello, Hall & Oates, Diana Ross, Colin Blunstone, Larry Carlton, Allen Toussaint, Dave Mason, Warren Zevon, Ruben Blades, Bim, Jerry Williams, Al Stewart, Marc Jordan, Rickie Lee Jones, Janne Schaffer, Lowell George, Aretha Franklin, Jon Anderson, Luis Miguel, Love and Money, Patti Austin, Mariya Takeuchi, The Brothers Johnson, Peter Frampton, Bee Gees, Char, Christopher Cross, Randy Crawford, Al Jarreau, Amii Ozaki, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Eye to Eye, Donna Summer, Elton John, Melissa Manchester, Donald Fagen, Herbie Hancock, Don Henley, Michael McDonald, Lionel Richie, Paul Simon, Randy Newman, Russ Taff, Chicago, David Gilmour Joe Walsh, Eric Clapton, Peter cetera, Earth Wind & Fire, roger Hodgson, David Benoit, Dr. John, Steve Porcaro, Nik Kershaw, Poco, Clair Mario, Celine Dion, Natalie Cole, Madonna, Jude Cole, Sandy Patty, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Bolton, Cher, Dire Straits, Richard Marx, Bonnie Raitt, Rod Stewart, B-52’s, Go West, 10CC, Roger Waters, Paul Young, and David Crosby. In 1993, Porcaro was posthumously inducted into the “Modern Drummer Hall of Fame”.

Rickie Lee Jones: Pirates

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On July 15, 1981,”Warner Bros” label released “Pirates”, the second Rickie Lee Jones. It was recorded January 1980 – April 1981, at “Warner Bros. Recording Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Lenny Waronker and Russ Titelman.

Personnel:

  • Rickie Lee Jones – vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion, horn arrangements
  • Buzz Feiten– guitar
  • David Kalish – guitar
  • Steve Lukather– guitar
  • Dean Parks– guitar
  • Clarence McDonald– keyboards
  • Randy Kerber– keyboards
  • Neil Larsen– keyboards
  • Russell Ferrante– keyboards
  • Donald Fagen– synthesizer
  • Rob Mounsey– synthesizer
  • Sal Bernardi – vocals, harmonica
  • Chuck Rainey– bass
  • Victor Feldman– drums, percussion, keyboards
  • Steve Gadd– drums
  • Art Rodriguez – drums
  • Lenny Castro– percussion
  • David Sanborn– alto saxophone
  • Tom Scott– baritone and tenor saxophone
  • Jerry Hey– trumpet, flugelhorn, horn
  • Randy Brecker– trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Ralph Burns– orchestral arrangements
  • Michael Boddicker– synthesizer
  • Nick DeCaro – orchestral arrangements
  • Arno Lucas– backing vocals
  • Leslie Smith – backing vocals
  • Joe Turano – backing vocals
  • Loyd Clifft, Mark Linett– engineer
  • Mike Salisbury – design
  • Brassaï– front cover photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Rickie Lee Jones, except where noted.

  1. We Belong Together
  2. Living It Up
  3. Skeletons
  4. Woody and Dutch on the Slow Train to Peking – Rickie Lee Jones, David Kalish
  5. Pirates (So Long Lonely Avenue)
  6. A Lucky Guy
  7. Traces of the Western Slopes – Sal Bernardi, Rickie Lee Jones
  8. The Returns

Poco: Head Over Heels

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In July 1975, “ABC” label released “Head over Heels”, the eighth Poco studio album. It was recorded in 1975 and was produced by Mark Henry Harman, Paul Cotton, Rusty Young, Timothy B. Schmit, and George Grantham.

Personnel:

  • Paul Cotton– vocals, guitar
  • Rusty Young– vocals, steel guitar, guitar
  • Timothy B. Schmit– vocals, bass
  • George Grantham– vocals, drums
  • Garth Hudson– keyboards
  • Mark Henry Harman – keyboards, piano, cello
  • Donald Fagen– synthesizer
  • Victor Feldman– percussion
  • Steve Forman – percussion
  • Al Garth – violin
  • Jimmie Haskell– strings
  • Milt Holland– percussion
  • Michael Von Verdick – vocals
  • Mark Henry Harman – recording

Track listing:

  1. Keep on Tryin’ – Timothy B. Schmit
  2. Lovin’ Arms – Rusty Young
  3. Let Me Turn Back to You – Paul Cotton
  4. Makin’ Love – Rusty Young
  5. Down in the Quarter – Paul Cotton
  6. Sittin’ on a Fence – Rusty Young
  7. Georgia, Bind My Ties – Paul Cotton
  8. Us – Rusty Young
  9. Flyin’ Solo – Timothy Schmit, Jacob Otis Brennan
  10. Dallas – Donald Fagen, Walter Becker
  11. I’ll Be Back Again – Timothy Schmit

Steely Dan: Everything Must Go

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On June 10, 2003, “Reprise” label released “Everything Must Go”, the ninth Steely Dan studio album. It was recorded 2001 – 2003, at “Sear Sound”, “Skyline Studios” and “River Sound” in  New York City, “Hyperbolic Sound” in Maui, “Bearsville Studios” in Bearsville, and was produced by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. It was the last studio album with founding member Walter Becker before his death in 2017.

Personnel:

  • Donald Fagen– lead vocals, organ, synthesizer, piano, Hohner Clavinet, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, solo synth, percussion, horn arrangements, arrangements
  • Walter Becker– lead vocals, bass, solo guitar, percussion, arrangements
  • Jon Herington– guitar
  • Hugh McCracken– guitar
  • Ted Baker – piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer
  • Bill Charlap– piano, Fender Rhodes
  • Keith Carlock– drums
  • Gordon Gottlieb – percussion
  • Walt Weiskopf– alto and tenor saxophone
  • Chris Potter– tenor saxophone
  • Roger Rosenberg – baritone saxophone
  • Tony Kadleck – trumpet
  • Michael Leonhart– trumpet
  • Jim Pugh– trombone
  • Ken Hitchcock – clarinet
  • Tawatha Agee– backing vocals
  • Ada Dyer – backing vocals
  • Michael Harvey – backing vocals
  • Carolyn Leonhart– backing vocals
  • Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals
  • Catherine Russell– backing vocals
  • Brenda White-King – backing vocals
  • Sam Berd – technician
  • Art Smith – drum technician
  • Sam Berd – piano tuner
  • Tom Doherty, Roger Nichols, Dave Russell, Elliot Scheiner – engineer
  • Suzy Barrows, Tom Doherty, Steve Mazur, Keith Nelson, Todd Parker, Matt Scheiner – engineer assistant
  • Elliot Scheiner – mixing
  • Joe Peccerillo – mixing assistant
  • Darcy Proper – mastering
  • Larry Alexander – editing

Track listing:

All tracks by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen.

  1. The Last Mall
  2. Things I Miss the Most
  3. Blues Beach
  4. Godwhacker
  5. Slang of Ages
  6. Green Book
  7. Pixeleen
  8. Lunch With Gina
  9. Everything Must Go

Christian McBride: Sci-Fi

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On September 11, 2000, “Verve” label released “Sci-Fi”, the fourth Christian McBride studio album. It was recorded in February 2000, at “Avatar Studios”, and was produced by Christian McBride.

Personnel:

  • Christian McBride – upright and electric bass, keyboards
  • David Gilmore– acoustic and electric guitar
  • Herbie Hancock– piano
  • Shedrick Mitchell – piano, electric piano
  • Toots Thielemans– harmonica
  • Ron Blake– soprano and tenor saxophone
  • James Carter– bass clarinet
  • Rodney Green – drums
  • Dianne Reeves– vocalese
  • Joe Ferla – recording, mixing

Track listing:

All tracks by Christian McBride, except where noted.

  1. Aja – Walter Becker, Donald Fagen
  2. Uhura’s Moment Returned
  3. Xerxes
  4. Lullaby for a Ladybug
  5. Science Fiction
  6. Walking on the Moon – Sting
  7. Havona – Jaco Pastorius
  8. I’ll Guess I’ll Have to Forget
  9. Butterfly Dreams – Stanley Clarke
  10. Via Mwandishi
  11. The Sci-fi Outro

Herbie Hancock: The New Standard

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On February 19, 1996, “Verve” label released “The New Standard”, the fortieth Herbie Hancock album. It was recorded in 1995, at “Manhattan Center Studios” in  New York, and was produced by Guy Eckstine and Herbie Hancock.

Personnel:

  • Herbie Hancock– piano
  • Michael Brecker- tenor and soprano saxophone
  • John Scofield- acoustic and electric guitar, electric sitar
  • Dave Holland- acoustic bass
  • Jack DeJohnette- drums, electric percussion
  • Don Alias– percussion
  • Oscar Brashear, Les Lovitt – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Gene Cipriano – oboe, English horn
  • Suzette Moriarty – French horn
  • Maurice Spears – trombone
  • Sam Riney – flute
  • Lili Haydn, Margaret Wooten – violin
  • Cameron Stone – cello
  • Bob Belden – arrangements
  • Patricia Lie – art direction
  • James Minchin, Jimmy Katz – photography

 Track listing:

  1. New York Minute – Don Henley, Danny Kortchmar, Kai Winding
  2. Mercy Street – Peter Gabriel
  3. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) – John Lennon, Paul McCartney
  4. When Can I See You – Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds
  5. You’ve Got It Bad Girl – Stevie Wonder, Yvonne Wright
  6. Love Is Stronger Than Pride – Sade Adu, Andrew Hale, Stuart Matthewman
  7. Scarborough Fair – traditional
  8. Thieves in the Temple – Prince
  9. All Apologies – Kurt Cobain
  10. Manhattan (Island of Lights and Love) – Herbie Hancock, Jean Hancock
  11. Your Gold Teeth II – Donald Fagen, Walter Becker

Steely Dan: Can’t Buy A Thrill

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In November 1972, “ABC” label released “Can’t Buy a Thrill”, the debut Steely Dan studio album. It was recorded in 1972 at “The Village Recorder” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Gary Katz. The album cover features a photomontage by Robert Lockart.

Personnel:

  • David Palmer – lead and backing vocals
  • Donald Fagen– acoustic and electric pianos, plastic (YC-30) organ, lead and backing vocals
  • Jeff “Skunk” Baxter– guitar, pedal steel guitar, spoken word
  • Denny Dias– guitar, electric sitar
  • Walter Becker – electric bass, dual lead and backing vocals
  • Jim Hodder– drums, percussion, lead vocal, backing vocals
  • Elliott Randall– lead guitar
  • Jerome Richardson– tenor saxophone
  • Snooky Young– flugelhorn
  • Victor Feldman– percussion
  • Venetta Fields, Clydie King, Sherlie Matthews– backing vocals
  • Roger Nichols – engineer
  • Tim Weston – engineer assistant

Track listing:

All tracks by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker.

  1. Do It Again
  2. Dirty Work
  3. Kings
  4. Midnite Cruiser
  5. Only a Fool Would Say That
  6. Reelin’ in the Years
  7. Fire in the Hole
  8. Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me)
  9. Change of the Guard
  10. Turn That Heartbeat Over Again

Minutemen: Double Nickels On The Dime

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In July 1984, “SST” label released “Double Nickels on the Dime”, the third Minutemen studio album. It was recorded November 1983 – April 1984, at “Radio Tokyo Studios” in Venice, California, and was produced by Ethan James. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Double Nickels on the Dime” at number 413 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Boon– vocals, guitar
  • Mike Watt– vocals, bass
  • George Hurley– vocals, drums
  • Joe Baiza– guitar
  • John Rocknowski  – guitar
  • Dirk Vandenberg  – guitar
  • Ethan James– engineer

Track listing:

Side D

  1. Anxious Mo-Fo – D. Boon, Mike Watt
  2. Theatre Is the Life of You – D. Boon, Mike Watt
  3. Viet Nam – D. Boon
  4. Cohesion – D. Boon
  5. It’s Expected I’m Gone – Mike Watt
  6. #1 Hit Song – D. Boon, George Hurley
  7. Two Beads at the End – D. Boon, George Hurley
  8. Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth? – Mike Watt
  9. Don’t Look Now – John Fogerty
  10. Shit from an Old Notebook – D. Boon, Mike Watt
  11. Nature Without Man – Chuck Dukowski, D. Boon
  12. One Reporter’s Opinion – Mike Watt

Side Mike

  1. Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing – Mike Watt
  2. Maybe Partying Will Help – D. Boon, Mike Watt
  3. Toadies – Mike Watt
  4. Retreat – Mike Watt
  5. The Big Foist – Mike Watt
  6. God Bows to Math – Jack Brewer, Mike Watt
  7. Corona – D. Boon
  8. The Glory of Man – Mike Watt
  9. Take 5, D – Joe Baiza, John Rocknowski, Dirk Vandenberg, Mike Watt
  10. My Heart and the Real World – Mike Watt
  11. History Lesson – Part II – Mike Watt

Side George

  1. You Need the Glory – George Hurley
  2. The Roar of the Masses Could Be Farts – Dick Vandenberg, Mike Watt
  3. Robot’s Holy Orders – George Hurley
  4. West Germany – D. Boon
  5. The Politics of Time – Mike Watt
  6. Themselves – D. Boon
  7. Please Don’t Be Gentle with Me – Jack Brewer, Mike Watt
  8. Nothing indeed – George Hurley, Mike Watt
  9. No Exchange – George Hurley, Mike Watt
  10. There Ain’t Shit on T.V. Tonight – George Hurley, Mike Watt
  11. There Ain’t Shit on T.V. Tonight – D. Boon
  12. This Ain’t No Picnic – D. Boon
  13. Spillage – Mike Watt

Side Chaff

  1. Untitled Song for Latin America – D. Boon
  2. Jesus and Tequila – D. Boon, Joe Carducci
  3. June 16th – Mike Watt
  4. Storm in my House – D. Boon, Henry Rollins
  5. Martin’s Story – Martin Tamburovich, Mike Watt
  6. Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love – Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Michael Anthony
  7. Wu – Donald Fagen, Walter Becker
  8. Little Man with a Gun in His Hand – D. Boon, Chuck Dukowski
  9. The World According to Nouns – Mike Watt
  10. Love Dance – D. Boon