From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Gaucho (album)
Gaucho (album)
Gaucho chord changes that were a distinctive mark of earlier
Steely Dan songs are less prominent on Gaucho, with the
record’s songs tending to revolve around a certain
rhythm or mood. Gaucho proved to be Steely Dan’s final
studio album before a 12-year hiatus.
Background
Exceptional difficulties plagued the album’s production.
By 1978, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker had established
themselves as the only two permanent members of
Steely Dan, using a revolving cast of session musicians
to record the songs they wrote together. However, the
pair’s working relationship began to strain, largely due to
Becker’s increasing drug use.[4]
Studio album by Steely Dan During the course of the Gaucho sessions, Becker was
hit by a car while walking home late one Saturday night
Released November 21, 1980 to his apartment on the Upper West Side.[5][6] Becker
Recorded 1979-1980 at Soundworks, A & R Studios, Sigma Sound managed to push the woman he was with out of harm’s
Studios, Automated Sound Studios, NYC; Village way, but sustained multiple fractures in one leg, a sprain
Recorders, West LA in the other leg, as well as other injuries.[5][6] During his
Genre Jazz rock
six-month recovery,[7] he suffered from secondary infec-
tions.[5] While Becker was in the hospital, he and Fagen
Length 37:58 continued their musical collaborations via telephone. [6]
Label MCA Becker’s personal problems continued to mount
when his girlfriend, Karen Roberta Stanley, died of a drug
Producer Gary Katz overdose at his home on January 30, 1980.[8][9] Her family
Steely Dan chronology attempted to sue him for $17.5 million in January 1981,
claiming that he had introduced the woman to cocaine,
Aja Gaucho Alive in America morphine, barbiturates, and heroin.[9] The court later
(1977) (1980) (1995) sided in Becker’s favor.
Also preceding Gaucho’s release was a three-way dis-
Gaucho is the seventh studio album by the American Jazz pute between the band, MCA Records, and Warner Bros.
rock band Steely Dan, released in 1980. The sessions for Records regarding ownership of the album.
Gaucho represented the peak of Steely Dan’s recording
studio perfectionism and obsessive recording tech-
niques.[1][2] To record the album, the band used at least
Composition
42 different musicians, spent over a year in the studio, Hal Leonard’s Best of Steely Dan alleges that Gaucho is "a
and far exceeded the original monetary advance given to concept album of seven interrelated tales about would-be
the band by their record label.[3] hipsters."[10] The lyrics of "Hey Nineteen" are about an
During the two-year span in which the album was aging hipster attempting to pick up a girl who is so young
recorded, the band was plagued by a number of creative, that she does not recognize "’Retha Franklin" playing on
personal and professional problems.[4] MCA, Warner the stereo.[11] The song closes with the ambiguous line,
Bros. and Steely Dan had a three-way legal battle over "The Cuervo Gold, the fine Colombian, make tonight a
the rights to release the album. After the record was re- wonderful thing."[11] The end of "Hey Nineteen" leaves
leased, jazz musician Keith Jarrett successfully sued the it up to the listener whether the narrator is consuming
band for writing credit on the song "Gaucho". tequila and drugs with the love interest, or if he is in fact
Gaucho marked a significant stylistic change for alone.[11]
Steely Dan, introducing a more minimal, groove- and Stewart Mason of AllMusic says that "Time Out of
atmosphere-based format. The harmonically complex Mind" is "a barely veiled song about heroin, specifically a
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Gaucho (album)
young man’s first experience with the drug at the hands "From noon till six we’d play the tune over and
of a pretentious, pseudo-religious crank talking of ’chas- over and over again, nailing each part. We’d go to
ing the dragon’ with the ’mystical sphere direct from dinner and come back and start recording. They
Lhasa.’"[12] Others have noted that ’chasing the dragon’ is made everybody play like their life depended on it.
a slang term for smoking heroin by putting it on tinfoil, But they weren’t gonna keep anything anyone else
heating the underside of the foil with a cigarette lighter played that night, no matter how tight it was. All
and inhaling the fumes. they were going for was the drum track."
The title song "Gaucho" was intended as a tribute to
Jazz pianist Keith Jarrett. Drummer Bernard Purdie plays his signature half-time
shuffle beat, the Purdie shuffle, on "Babylon Sisters."
Recording "The Second Arrangement", outtakes
and bootlegs
Recording sessions
The first track completed for the album was "The Second
With 1977’s Aja, the duo had become accustomed to
Arrangement." The song had been a favorite of producer
recording with Los Angeles-based session musicians; the
Gary Katz and engineer Roger Nichols.[14] In late Decem-
transition back to using New York players during the
ber 1979, after weeks of working on a particular record-
Gaucho sessions proved difficult, as the musicians were
ing of the track, approximately 3/4 of the song was ac-
unenthusiastic about Becker and Fagen’s obsessive, per-
cidentally erased by an assistant engineer who had been
fectionistic recording style. Sessions for Gaucho began in
asked by Katz to ready the track for listening.[4][14] It
New York City during 1978.[7]
was Nichols who broke the bad news about the assistant’s
Fagen and Becker hired Mark Knopfler to play the
mistake to the band;[14] when Fagen was told the news,
guitar solo on "Time Out of Mind" after hearing him play
he walked out of the studio without saying a word.[14]
on Dire Straits’ hit single "Sultans of Swing." Several
The band attempted to re-record the track, but even-
hours of Knopfler’s playing were recorded at the session,
tually abandoned the song entirely.[14] Steely Dan biogra-
but his contributions as heard on the record are limited
pher Brian Sweet has written that the group abandoned
to a matter of seconds.
the song in favor of focusing on "Third World Man."[15]
The album’s mixing sessions proved to be just as dif-
"The Second Arrangement" was never played live by
ficult as the recording sessions: it took Becker, Fagen,
Steely Dan until a rarities show on September 17, 2011,
Nichols and Katz over 55 tries to properly mix the
and remains unreleased to this day.[14] However, a hand-
50-second fade out of "Babylon Sisters".[5][13]
ful of demo and outtake recordings of the song exist in
bootleg form.[16]
Drum recording In addition to "The Second Arrangement", a number
Even though the session players hired for Gaucho were of songs were written for the album, but ultimately left
amongst the most talented from both the East and West off Gaucho. A number of these songs were included on a
Coast session fraternities, Fagen and Becker were still not bootleg titled The Lost Gaucho, which represents recordin-
satisfied with the basic tracks for some of the songs, par- gs from early in the album’s sessions. Song titles include
ticularly with regard to the timing of the drum tracks. In "Kind Spirit", "Kulee Baba", "The Bear", "Talkin’ About
a 2006 interview for SOS Magazine, Donald Fagen stated My Home," as well as "The Second Arrangement".[15] An
that he and Becker told recording engineer Roger Ni- early version of "Third World Man" with alternate lyrics
chols: is included under the title "Were You Blind That Day."[15]
"’It’s too bad that we can’t get a machine to play This recording dates from the Aja sessions.
the beat we want, with full-frequency drum
sounds, and to be able to move the snare drum and
kick drum around independently.’ Nichols replied Release
’I can do that.’ This was back in 1978 or something, Just prior to release the band members had another ar-
so we said ’You can do that???’ To which he said gument with MCA over the retail price. MCA made Steely
’Yes, all I need is $150,000.’ So we gave him the Dan a test case for its new "superstar pricing" policy,
money out of our recording budget, and six weeks whereby new albums by top selling artists would sell for
later he came in with this machine and that is how $9.98, one dollar more than usual.
it all started." Following release of the album Keith Jarrett insisted
that the song "Gaucho," which was initially credited only
According to Ken Micaleff in an article in Modern Drum- to Becker and Fagen, used a part of his composition "Long
mer, the title song’s drum track was assembled from 46 As You Know You’re Living Yours." Jarrett threatened
different takes. The drummer on the session, Jeff Por- Steely Dan with legal action. Becker and Fagen were then
caro, is quoted as saying:
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Gaucho (album)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [17]
New York Times (positive)[18]
PopMatters (positive)[19]
Robert Christgau (B-)[20]
Rolling Stone [21]
forced to add his name to the song credits and include 7. "Third World Man" – 5:13
him in future royalties.
Personnel
Reception • Walter Becker - bass, guitar
• Donald Fagen - organ, synthesizer, keyboards,
Reviews electric piano, vocals
The album was given 4½ stars from Rolling Stone’s Ariel • Anthony Jackson - bass
Swartley, who said of the album: "After years of hiber- • Chuck Rainey - bass
nation in the studio, the metamorphosis that began with • Don Grolnick - keyboards, electric piano, clavinet
The Royal Scam is complete. Steely Dan have perfected • Rob Mounsey - synthesizer, piano
the aesthetic of the tease."[22] The New York Times gave • Pat Rebillot - keyboards, electric piano
Gaucho a positive review,[23] later deeming it the best al- • Joe Sample - electric piano
bum of 1980, beating out Talking Heads Remain in Light • Hiram Bullock - guitar
and Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures.[24] The album also • Larry Carlton - guitar
received positive reviews from the Montreal Gazette,[25] • Rick Derringer - guitar
Robert Christgau of the Village Voice, and PopMatters. • Steve Khan - acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Not all reviews were glowing. Gaucho received a luke- • Mark Knopfler - lead guitar on "Time out of Mind"
warm review from the Pittsburgh Press’s Pete Bishop.[26] • Hugh McCracken - guitar
• Wayne Andre - trombone
Sales charts • Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone, vocals
Even with MCA Records’ price increase from $8.98 to 9.98, • Randy Brecker - trumpet, flugelhorn
the album reached #9 on the US charts and was certified • Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone
platinum. "Hey Nineteen" reached #10 on the U.S. singles • Walter Kane - bass clarinet
charts, and went to #1 in Canada. The album reached #27 • George Marge - bass clarinet
on the UK chart. • David Sanborn - alto saxophone, vocals
• David Tofani - tenor saxophone, vocal
Awards • Steve Gadd - percussion, drums
• Rick Marotta - drums
Gaucho won the 1981 Grammy Award for Best Non-Classi-
• Robbie Buchanan - piano, synthesizers and vocals
cal Engineered Recording.
• Jeff Porcaro - percussion, drums
• Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - drums
Track listing • Crusher Bennett - percussion
• Victor Feldman - percussion, keyboards
All songs written by Becker and Fagen, except where not-
• Ralph MacDonald - percussion
ed
• Nicky Marrero - percussion, timbales, vocals
• Patti Austin - vocals, background vocals
Side one
• Frank Floyd - background vocals
1. "Babylon Sisters" – 5:55 • Diva Gray - vocals, background vocals
2. "Hey Nineteen" – 5:10 • Gordon Grody - vocals, background vocals
3. "Glamour Profession" – 7:29 • Lani Groves - vocals, background vocals
• Michael McDonald - vocals, background vocals
Side two • Leslie Miller - vocals, background vocals
4. "Gaucho" (Becker/Fagen/Jarrett) – 5:32 • Jennifer James - vocals, background vocals
5. "Time Out of Mind" – 4:14 • Zachary Sanders - vocals, background vocals
6. "My Rival" – 4:34 • Valerie Simpson - vocals, background vocals
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Gaucho (album)
• Zack Snaders - background vocals 1981 "Hey Nine- MCA Pop Singles 10
• Toni Wine - vocals, background vocals teen" 51036
1981 "Time Out MCA Mainstream 13
Production Of Mind" (B- 51082 Rock
side: "Bod-
• Producers: Gary Katz
hisattva"
• Executive producers: Paul Bishow, Roger Nichols
(live))
• Executive engineer: Roger Nichols
• Assistant engineers: John "Doc" Daugherty, Gerry 1981 "Time Out MCA Pop Singles 22
Gabinelli, Craig Goetsch, Tom Greto, Barbara Isaak, Of Mind" 51082
Georgia Offrell, John Potoker, Linda Randazzo, Marti
•
Robertson, Carla Bandini
Production coordination: Jeff Fura, Margaret
References
Goldfarb, Shannon Steckloff [1] Canada.com: Steely Dan still feeling the groove.
• Mixing: Elliot Scheiner [2] MSN Inside Music - Re:Masters: Steely Dan Think
• Mix down: Elliot Scheiner Fast and Tour.
• Coordination: Michael Etchart [3] PopMatters review: "Steely Dan - Guacho."
• Sequencing: Roger Nichols, Wendel [4] ^ Mojo article: "The Mojo Interview."
• Tracking: Elliot Scheiner, Bill Schnee [5] ^ The Tuscaloosa News article: "Steely Dan Keeps
• Mastering: Bob Ludwig Tackling Tough Topics."
• Overdubs: Jerry Garszva, Roger Nichols [6] ^ Anchorage Daily News article: "Rockers in need find
• Surround mix: Elliot Scheiner a friend indeed."
• Rhythm arrangements: Paul Griffin, Don Grolnick, [7] ^ Sydney Morning Herald article: "Walter Becker and
Rob Mounsey, Steely Dan Donald Fagen are rock n’ roll recluses."
• Horn arrangements: Rob Mounsey, Tom Scott [8] The Madison Courier article: "Personalities."
• Piano technician: Don Farrar [9] ^ The Miami News article: "Steely Dan founder
• Special effects: Roger Nichols, Wendel named in drug death allegation."
• Consultant: Daniel Levitin [10] The Best of Steely Dan songbook, published by Hal
• Art direction: Vartan, Suzanne Walsh Leonard. pp. 5.
• Design: Michael Diehl, Suzanne Walsh [11] ^ Allmusic song review: "Hey Nineteen."
• Design assistant: John Tom Cohoe [12] AllMusic song review: "Time Out of Mind".
• Photography: Rene Burri [13] AllMusic song review: "Babylon Sisters."
• Photo research: Ryan Null [14] ^ Steely Dan: Reelin in the Years by Brian Sweet - page
• Liner notes: Walter Becker, Donald Fagen, Frank 137
Kafka [15] ^ Big O Worldwide article: "The Lost Gaucho."
• Liner note translation: Victor Di Suvero [16] Steely Dan Database: "The Second Arrangement"
song info.
[17] Allmusic review
Charts [18] New York Times review
Album [19] PopMatters review
Year Chart Position [20] Robert Christgau review
[21] Rolling Stone review
1981 Black 19
[22] Rolling Stone page: "Gaucho review."
Albums
[23] New York Times article: "STEELY DAN’S NEW
1981 Pop Al- 9 SONGS."
bums [24] New York Times article: "The Pop Life; The 10 best of
Singles the albums issued in 1980."
Year Single Label & Chart Position [25] Montreal Gazette article: "Steely Dan’s Gaucho takes
number a smooth ride."
1981 "Hey Nine- MCA Black Sin- 68 [26] Pittsburgh Press article: "Spontineity, Energy
teen" (B- 51036 gles Missing in Latest Album By Steely Dan."
side: "Bod-
hisattva" External links
(live))
• Complete lyrics
4
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Gaucho (album)
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Categories:
• Steely Dan albums
• 1980 albums
• Albums released in Super Audio
• Albums produced by Gary Katz
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