1970s, Rock

Everyone’s Gone to the Movies

June 18, 2018

First recorded (as a demo) by Donald Fagen & Walter Becker with Flo & Eddie (1971).
Hit album version by Steely Dan (1975).

From the wiki: “This was the first song Steely Dan recorded, predating Steely Dan’s debut album Can’t Buy A Thrill. They first put it to tape in 1971 in a version with backing vocals by Flo and Eddie (Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan) of The Turtles.

“The song tells the story of a man who shows 8mm porn movies to young boys. With its lilting melody and catchy chorus, it’s easy to misinterpret the track as a playful kids’ song about going to the movies. At least one theater operator in the United States used the chorus of this song on the speakers prior to the coming attractions (without understanding the, uh, significance of the lyrics). ”

Ruby Baby

July 24, 2017

First recorded by The Drifters (R&B #10 1956).
Other hit versions by Dion (US #2/R&B #5 1963), Billy “Crash” Craddock (US #33/MOR #23/C&W #1 1974).
Also recorded by The Beach Boys (1965, released 1993), Donald Fagen (1982).

From the wiki: “‘Ruby Baby’ was written by the hit songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (‘Hound Dog‘, ‘On Broadway‘). It was first recorded by the Drifters, who scored an R&B hit with the song in 1956. Dion covered ‘Ruby Baby’ in 1963, scoring a Top-5 hit. In 1974, Billy ‘Crash’ Craddock topped the US Country chart with his cover version.

“The Beach Boys recorded ‘Ruby Baby’ during sessions for their 1965 album Beach Boys’ Party!, but the recording remained unreleased until the band’s 1993 box set Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys. Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen covered ‘Ruby Baby’ for his 1982 solo album, Nightfly.”

Gaucho

February 22, 2015

Based on “Long As You Know You’re Living Yours” by Keith Jarrett (1974).
Hit album version by Steely Dan (1980).

From the wiki: “During the two-year span during which the album Gaucho was recorded, Steely Dan was plagued by a number of creative, personal and professional problems: MCA, Warner Bros. and Steely Dan waged a three-way legal battle over the rights to release the album; during the course of the Gaucho sessions, while walking home late one Saturday night, Becker was hit by a car and sustained multiple fractures in one leg, a sprain in the other leg, as well as other injuries.

“On top of all that, after the Gaucho album was released, Jazz musician Keith Jarrett threatened the band with legal action for the writing credit to the title song ‘Gaucho’. Jarret won, with his name added to the songwriting credits beginning with the release of the Citizen Steely Dan 1972-1980 box set in 1993.”

East St. Louis Toodle-Oo

September 2, 2013

Written and first recorded by Duke Ellington & His Kentucky Club Orchestra (1926).
Hit version by Duke Ellington & His Washingtonians (US #10 1927).
Covered by Steely Dan (1974).

From the wiki: “‘East St Louis Toodle-Oo’ is a composition written by Duke Ellington and Bubber Miley and recorded several times by Ellington for various labels from 1926-1930 using various band names. The original recording features a growling plunger-muted trumpet part played by co-composer Miley, one of the first jazz trumpeters to utilize the style. This style was carried on by later Ellington trumpeters Cootie Williams and Ray Nance.

Tagged: Steely Dan