Steely Dan Once Wrote a Jingle for Schlitz Beer in the 1970s

(via American Songwriter) By Tina Benitez-Eves

Somewhere in between Steely Dan‘s debut, Can’t Buy a Thrill, and the 1973 follow-up, Countdown to Ecstasy, the band recorded a jingle for the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based brewing company Schlitz Beer.

The untitled song was recorded during an eight-month break between the band’s first and second albums. “It was soon after ‘Reelin’ in the Years’ that someone called and asked if the guys would write a song for the Schlitz commercial,” shared Gary Katz, the band’s longtime producer. “And as I remember it, Donald [Fagen] said, ‘OK, but we’re gonna write it.’ By which he meant, they didn’t want to do a commercial somebody else wrote.”

Co-founding guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, added “The band was still pretty young in its career, so everybody was reaching out for whatever opportunities there were.”

Read more: https://americansongwriter.com/listen-steely-dan-once-wrote-a-jingle-for-schlitz-beer-in-the-1970s/

Video of the Week: How Steely Dan Finally Made their Perfect Album

50 years later, Steely Dan’s ‘Pretzel Logic’ still sounds fresh

By 1974, Steely Dan’s two albums had helped established the band as a viable business proposition. With Pretzel Logic, they began a quest for studio perfectionism that would last for decades to come.

(via NPR’s Fresh Air) by Ken Tucker

Video of the Week: What Makes This Song Great? Steely Dan–Kid Charlemagne

Video of the Week: Steely Dan VH1 Storytellers Remastered Full Concert (2000)

Donald Fagen (Vocals, Fender Rhodes, Keytar)

Walter Becker( Guitar)

Ricky Lawson (Drums)

Tom Barney (Bass)

Ted Baker (Piano, keyboards)

Jon Herington (Guitar)

Cornelius Bumpus (Saxophone)

Chris Potter (Saxophone)

Michael Leonhart (Trumpet)

Jim Pugh (Trombone)

Victoria Cave (Backing Vocals)

Carolyn Leonhart (Backing Vocals)

Cynthia Calhoun (Backing Vocals)

00:00:00 – FM (No Static at All)

00:01:16 – Introduction

00:01:44 – Questions 1

00:04:06 – Peg

00:08:28 – Questions 2

00:09:48 – Kid Charlemagne

00:14:43 – Intro to Bad Sneakers

00:15:14 – Bad Sneakers

00:19:02 – Questions 3

00:21:20 – Piano interlude

00:21:50 – Josie

00:26:25 – Do It Again

00:28:09 – Questions 4

00:30:50 – Cousin Dupree

00:35:56 – Questions 5

00:39:22 – What a Shame About Me

Video of the Week: Guitarist Replicates the Solos of Steely Dan’s ‘The Royal Scam’

From Tom’s Facebook page:

This is the quintessential Steely Dan guitar album featuring the iconic Kid Charlemagne solo from Larry Carlton along with a bucketful of amazing solos from Elliott Randall, Denny Dias, Walter Becker and Dean Parks. Sit back and enjoy!

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My gear for this video:

Epiphone Casino

Gibson SG Standard

Logic Pro X

Steinberg CI2 Audio Interface

Fender Rosewood Telecaster

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