Steely Dan - Josie (live TV 1995)

[7855waldo]

04:11 -Letterman doesn't even know the names of the people who he's shaing hands with.

HOW HARD would it be to find out before the show started?

He's SUCH a sleeze.

[7855waldo]

Superb band, horrible TV creep. Any way we can cut out the intro?

[msgflava]

@danielgfaria Headstock is a Sadowsky. They're a custom shop based out of NYC. They make great Strat and Tele styles as well as J and P basses.

[danielgfaria]

So, can anyone tell me what kind of Telecaster is Becker using? Surely it's not a Fender?

[BronzebackJack]

My Favorite SD Tune & Live Performance Of It 8)

[nippegmt]

Happy Birthday Walter

[BoozehammerOfGalem]

3:49 The final lick that Becker plays is the melody of "If I Only Had a Brain" from the Wizard of Oz. Weird!

[77hebrew]

Now,this is what I call the performing arts,wow that was GREAT.

[JamaisMEC]

I LOVE Fagen's badass look. He kinda looks like a thug-loanshark with a Fender Rhodes..."so good"...the way he says it there would be worth the price of admission.

[sixstringfretter]

@JamaisMEC lol I was thinking that he looked like he could be a mafia soldier, and then I read your comment! Funny. He is so talented and has that "look". Steely Dan is awesome.

[JamaisMEC]

@sixstringfretter Perhaps odder still is that I'm feeling certain Letterman doesn't have a clue who they really are. Who are you, Mr. Letterman, and what have you accomplished that will transcend the generations like Steely Dan compositions? [:^)

[BabbleonSistas]

Named my daughter, born 2010, for this song. My wife and I agreed on the name and she had no clue until I told her...That was once the birth certificate arrived! She didn't bite on Rikki, or Peg.

[LordReay]

@BabbleonSistas that is freakin' awesome. Seriously. I love The Dan. And to me, everything Fagan has done solo is just plain sol-id. Love it all.

But God help me, I can't play a single song of theirs. He uses chords that are a might too tough for a beginner like me.

[heathcol1]

they still sounded great in 95

[peppermintteagroup]

bassist ist similar to snipes

[TheComputerfreak2]

who are the assholes disliking this

[JamaisMEC]

Compared with Steely Dan...Letterman sucks. Loved the intro to Deacon Blues that Don played as the video was ramping down...

[feelee15]

i wish drew zing took the solo

[effsixteenblock50]

@feelee15 yeah, nothing against WB but I'll take all the DZ I can get!

[funkydrumr51]

And that's not correct about Walter being kept back in the mix; look (and listen) to the beginning... he's right out front. And yeah, he is good. Check 2:55 through 3:20.

[funkydrumr51]

Is that Peter Erskine on drums????!!!

[info267]

@funkydrumr51 You are correct! This is the first video I have ever seen, with Peter playing with them. I know he played with them for just a short time.

[MrPaco137]

@info267 Does any body knows where is Benny Diaz and what was hes ethnic background? Remember that he hired D Fagen & W Beckers at the very begining

[Bluesman63]

@MrPaco137 It was Denny Dias but I'm not sure of his ethnic background. And you are correct, Steely Dan was originally Denny's band, as he hired on these two eccentric songwriters Becker & Fagen. Denny left the band after the recording of the Pretzel Logic album but has remained close friends with the guys, even contributing a great solo to the song "Aja" off of The Dan's huge album of the same name. Denny now lives in LA and has played with the Dan a few times when they toured here.

[MrPaco137]

@Bluesman63 OK thanks youre right, do you know if there is a tour for this year, I dont care where Im going,

[drumr72]

@funkydrumr51 I believe it is Peter. He was awesome with them.

[methenyjazz]

@funkydrumr51 YES U R RIGHT 2

[impatientcat]

Drew Zing on the rhythm guitar, right!? He was with them in '91-'92 - at least when I saw them in Atlanta (in the old Omni). He carried the show. Becker was turned down in the mix for most of the duration.

[methenyjazz]

@impatientcat YES U R RIGHT

[impatientcat]

@methenyjazz Good times! What a great show it was :)

[steveyraynelson]

I still don't get it....why did they have to use all those (don't get me wrong) studio guitar guys, Walter Becker is one of the most underrated guitarists out there!

[thecat030]

late night + letterman + steely dan + in the mid 1990's = awesome

[6stringbodhisattva]

a whole tone down...was it because don couldn't reach the high notes?

[thecat030]

@6stringbodhisattva it was so tom barney could use the 5th string on his quilted maple top ESP bass (~):x kidding...I dont' know why?

[BareFootKicker9]

No one, no group/duo, no artist, no entity- has EVER composed & written lyrics, like Fagan & Becker!*

[LifeinSlowLane]

@BareFootKicker9 , Dude, very well spoken! Nice to know that there are a few really intelligent music lovers, fusion lovers out there. No doubt about it....Fagan & Becker are in a class all by their lonesome selves.

[kja427]

I'm kind of curious; Which JOSIE were Steely Dan talking about? You'd have to have some noteriety to have a song like this written and performed about you. Whae someone finds out, please let me know.

[shellybellysf]

Love that coda..if I only had a brain..great post thx

[arri200]

95 -2011 they look a little different but they were in the groove at the Bimbadgen concert last month. Thanks for the post.

[markbra]

Peter Erskine on Drums !

D.F. likes very good musicians

[greenearrings]

So glad this surfaced!! nice to see Tom Barney (bass) Drew Zingg (guitar) & Catherine Russell (left vocalist - she's on current tour)

[loonpolice1]

Fantastic and man is a territorial life-form living on a sphere, bound for global conflict over clan supremacy.

[msmcis]

FANTASTIC! 

[MrTanchuleria]

Bill Ware III on Vibes

[meliachild]

Love it.

[78brownchevycamaro]

This is so great. Thanks for this oppertunity that I missed otherwise. I was at there last concert in 1972 at the, long beach auditorium, ca. (still wondering if I got the yr right)

[logosthedestroyer]

Nice to see Pete Erskine on this one

[taildragger53]

One of the funkiest songs ever done.

Beautifully written...so clever.

[davidmmcg]

Sweet quote of "If I Only Had a Brain" from Walter Becker in the coda.

[yzguy01250]

so weird seeing fagan without glasses!

[MrGianc]

the way how he plays piano remember me Ray Charles

[bcdhifi]

@MrGianc Funny thing is Donald Fagen is a huge Ray Charles fan.

[tulllguy]

Fagan looks like Howard Sprague from Andy Griffith show.

[2112kturner]

Yes, Erskine on drums, Washington on bass. RIP Cornelius Bumpus - we miss your horn.

[arame29]

pete erskine on drums, correct?

[antoinemcgillicuddy]

These two guys were the ones everyone laughed at and made fun of in high school. Little did they know that they were making fun of two of the finest musicians of our time.

[GoGoGadgetBeer]

STFU, Dave. I wanna hear Steely Dan! Fagen and Becker pwn your sorry ass!

[MultiSteelydan]

ogni giorno che passa ringrazio Dio di averli creati! It´s impossible to express with words, how much love and passion i have for this band! I´ve never loved a band, the way i love them, they´re absolutely genial!

Donald and Walter, I believe I´m your greatest italian fan :-)

[peddalang]

GEILER SONG :)

[001ZEPPLINGYOPSL]

Like this version shows a different intro as opposed to the studio version. Fabulous and great feel song.

[MrFildela]

trop la classe

[HomesliceDrummer]

Is that Erskine on the drums?

[joedevich]

@HomesliceDrummer - Oh yeah. Like buttah.

[SD9Driver]

rhythm section is water-tight as always ; )

[captsouth]

Walter's guitar sounds like silk

[zondacar1]

mmmmmmmmmmmmm......Raphaela

[littlebutterfly19]

Ever good! Love this...

Thanks for sharing

[thatboyhov]

The best!

[doguecreek]

I like Becker's bit of "If I Only Had a Brain" (Wizard of Oz) at the end!

[wired2myguitar]

Great live  version in the same key as studio recording.

[kristianjl]

@wired2myguitar Yeah, seems they lowered the key a full step on other live performances.

[CelticFool]

Would have loved to see that Deacon Blues they started there at the end too ! Lucky Audience !

[GregOdrums]

@CelticFool think that was the house band kickin in for the ad break - but yeah, lucky audience!

[MrJohnDC]

Great performance. Thanks for posting.