RIP Walter Becker ( Steely Dan)

Started by admin, September 03, 2017, 09:25:23 AM

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http://walterbecker.com

https://mobile.twitter.com/erik1966lutig/status/904360786482606080?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet


QuoteDonald Fagen:

Walter Becker was my friend, my writing partner and my bandmate since we met as students at Bard College in 1967. We started writing nutty little tunes on an upright piano in a small sitting room in the lobby of Ward Manor, a mouldering old mansion on the Hudson River that the college used as a dorm.

We liked a lot of the same things: jazz (from the twenties through the mid-sixties), W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, science fiction, Nabokov, Kurt Vonnegut, Thomas Berger, and Robert Altman films come to mind. Also soul music and Chicago blues.

Walter had a very rough childhood - I'll spare you the details. Luckily, he was smart as a whip, an excellent guitarist and a great songwriter. He was cynical about human nature, including his own, and hysterically funny. Like a lot of kids from fractured families, he had the knack of creative mimicry, reading people's hidden psychology and transforming what he saw into bubbly, incisive art. He used to write letters (never meant to be sent) in my wife Libby's singular voice that made the three of us collapse with laughter.

His habits got the best of him by the end of the seventies, and we lost touch for a while. In the eighties, when I was putting together the NY Rock and Soul Review with Libby, we hooked up again, revived the Steely Dan concept and developed another terrific band.

I intend to keep the music we created together alive as long as I can with the Steely Dan band.




Walter on Bass


mchad


A sad day. One half of an outstanding musical duo now gone. There are so many great songs throughout their catalogue.


Majiken

Take what you need, put back a bit more, leave the place behind you better than it was before :-)

www.majiken.rocks

Kevin M

Sad news. Like so many artists of that era, he was another great talent.

gumbo

Really sad!!!
...this seems to be the 'Year of Loss'....   :'(
Read slower!!!   ....I'm typing as fast as I can...

aliensporebomb

My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

billbax

Walter Becker's passing is a sad loss to everyone.

Isolated multitrack.
Apparently this is Walter Becker playing bass with drums and vocals on 'Snowbound'.  The playing is lovely, accurate and tasteful.  I'd be happy if that was me playing bass.

Smash

Great, unique and recognisable guitarist  :(

Think that's come off the 5.1 SACD / DVD - often a great source of either isolated vocals or instrumentals

Paresh

Why did they use studio guitarists so often?
paresh

Elantric

#9
Quote from: Paresh on September 05, 2017, 10:23:27 AM
Why did they use studio guitarists so often?

They were perfectionists , and the original "SteelyDan Band" (with Baxter / Dias)  dissolved after the third LP, as Becker / Fagen preferred studio  / songwriting and  did not enjoy touring   
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steely_Dan
Quote] The pair is also known for their near-obsessive perfectionism in the recording studio:[8][9] Over the year they took to record Gaucho (1980), an album of just seven songs, Becker and Fagen hired at least 42 studio musicians and 11 engineers.[10]

Re Steely Dan Guitar solos - the Common talk among top LA session players went like this

Session player A: Hey I just spent last night recording solos for the new Steely Dan LP

Session player B: Hey I just spent this morning overdubbing new solos ( and replacing yours) for the new Steely Dan LP


They had many "lead guitarists" besides Jeff Baxter, Denny Dias.

Elliot Randall, Jay Graydon, Larry Carlton, Rick Derringer, Dean Parks, 


--
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/is-there-a-list-of-steely-dan-guitar-solo-credits.289086/
Okay, here's what I was able to cobble together from Wikipedia (who knows how accurate and they don't have solo credits from a few albums).

Black Friday  = Walter Becker

"Bodhisattva"
Denny Dias (1st solo)
Jeff Baxter (2nd solo)



"Kings" – 3:45
▪   Guitar solo by Elliot Randall

"Midnite Cruiser" – 4:08
▪   Guitar solo by Jeff Baxter

"Only a Fool Would Say That" – 2:57
▪   Guitar solo by Jeff Baxter

"Deacon Blues," Pete Christlieb (sax)


"Reelin' in the Years" – 4:37
▪   Guitar solos by Elliot Randall

"Fire in the Hole" – 3:28
▪   Steel guitar solo by Jeff Baxter

"Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me)" – 4:21
▪   Steel guitar solo by Jeff Baxter

"Change of the Guard" – 3:39
▪   Guitar solo by Jeff Baxter

Rick Derringer - slide guitar on "Show Biz Kids"

▪   Denny Dias - guitar (solo on 'Your Gold Teeth II')
▪   Rick Derringer - guitar (solo on "Chain Lightning")
▪   Dean Parks - guitar (solo on "Rose Darling")
▪   Elliott Randall - guitar (solo on "Throw Back the Little Ones")
▪   Larry Carlton - guitar on "Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No More"

"Kid Charlemagne" – 4:38
▪   Guitar solo by Larry Carlton

"Don't Take Me Alive" – 4:16
▪   Guitar solo by Larry Carlton

"Sign in Stranger" – 4:23
▪   Guitar Solo by Elliott Randall

"The Fez" (Becker, Fagen, Paul Griffin) – 4:01
▪   Guitar solo by Walter Becker

"Green Earrings" – 4:05
▪   Guitar solos by Denny Dias (1st) and Elliott Randall (2nd)

"Haitian Divorce" – 5:51
▪   Talk box guitar solo by Dean Parks, altered by Walter Becker

"Everything You Did" – 3:55
▪   Guitar solo by Larry Carlton
"The Royal Scam" – 6:30
▪   Guitar solo by Larry Carlton

Peg = Jay Graydon

"Time out of Mind" = Mark Knopfler

Glamour Profession" = Steve Khan


vtgearhead

With respect, it's hard to believe that anyone other than Diaz and Baxter played on Reelin' In the Years.  Night By Night is not on that list, but I'm about 99% sure that's the Skunk.

Elantric

#11
Quote from: snhirsch on September 05, 2017, 11:51:41 AM
With respect, it's hard to believe that anyone other than Diaz and Baxter played on Reelin' In the Years.  Night By Night is not on that list, but I'm about 99% sure that's the Skunk.

Correct!
http://somethingelsereviews.com/2014/09/28/best-steely-dan-guitar-solos/


These are rare gems worth listening to-

the original Steely Dan Band recorded at various venues in LA area: UC Irvine,  Sopwith Camel (a small club in Glendale CA) and JJ's ( San Diego, CA)






drbill

Quote from: snhirsch on September 05, 2017, 11:51:41 AM
With respect, it's hard to believe that anyone other than Diaz and Baxter played on Reelin' In the Years.  Night By Night is not on that list, but I'm about 99% sure that's the Skunk.

If the lead on Reelin' isn't Elliot Randall, then a lot of people are telling the story wrong.
GP-10, KPA
BM i2.13p, '76 Les Paul Deluxe w/GK-3, MiM RRS, Ibanez RG420GK, Charvel strat copy w/GK-2a, FTP

Elantric

#13
Quote from: drbill on September 05, 2017, 01:10:58 PM
If the lead on Reelin' isn't Elliot Randall, then a lot of people are telling the story wrong.

Indeed correct
"Reelin' in the Years" – 4:37
▪   Guitar solos by Elliot Randall

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Randall

QuoteRandall plays a 1963 Fender Stratocaster. The neck pickup is a 1969 Gibson Humbucker. He often plays through a Fender Super Reverb. He was listed as an endorser for Dimarzio pickups in the company's product brochure circa 1981.
In an article in Guitar Player magazine (July 2007) Randall was asked what rig he used to record the solo on "Reelin' in the Years". He states, "That was my '63 Fender Stratocaster with a PAF humbucker in the neck position, straight into an Ampeg SVT bass amp. The SVT wouldn't have been my first choice for an amp--or even my fifth choice--but it worked a storm on that recording!"

aliensporebomb

I think Walter played more than one solo on both "Two Against Nature" and "Everything Must Go" but I don't have a list of credits handy (my CDs are downstairs in a set of huge IKEA bookcases).
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

Elantric

Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker's widow Delia reveals the circumstances surrounding Becker's death in a new letter to the band's fans.
Two months after Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker died unexpectedly on September 3rd, his cause of death remained a mystery. However, in a letter to Steely Dan's fans, Becker's widow Delia reveals to Rolling Stone that her husband died following an "extremely aggressive form of esophageal cancer."

"For me personally, his death was a devastating blow, as I know it was for many of you," Delia Becker wrote. "I am just beginning to emerge from its heartbreaking impact."

In the weeks prior to Becker's death, he missed Steely Dan's Classic East and West concerts due to an unspecified ailment. "Walter's recovering from a procedure and hopefully he'll be fine very soon," Donald Fagen said at the time.

However, as Delia Becker writes, Walter was actually undergoing "an intense regimen of chemotherapy" at the time to combat the cancer, which "seemed to have come out of nowhere and had spread with terrifying speed."

Just four months after his diagnosis, Becker died at his New York City home "surrounded by his family, his music, and a blustery rainstorm — one of his favorite sounds — blowing outside the window."

Read Delia Becker's full letter below:

QuoteAs Walter Becker's wife of many years, I wanted to share with his fans some information regarding his death that has not previously been reported. I realize this is overdue, and I hope you will understand why. For me personally, his death was a devastating blow, as I know it was for many of you. I am just beginning to emerge from its heartbreaking impact.

Walter died in the course of being treated for an extremely aggressive form of esophageal cancer. The cancer was detected during one of his annual medical checkups and its presence came as a grim surprise to Walter, his doctors and to me. It seemed to have come out of nowhere and had spread with terrifying speed.

Walter chose an intense regimen of chemotherapy at Sloan Kettering though, between the cancer's aggressiveness and the overwhelming toxicity resulting from the chemotherapy treatments, Walter died less than four months after the cancer was detected.

Walter passed peacefully in our New York City home, surrounded by his family, his music, and a blustery rainstorm — one of his favorite sounds — blowing outside the window. In keeping with his wishes, he was cremated without ceremony or memorial in New York City.

Understandably, Walter wanted privacy during the course of his illness and he hoped for recovery. He wanted to be able to return to the stage and once again perform for his fans. It's important to me, as it was to Walter, that you all know he never intended to keep anyone in the dark about his condition. He just ran out of time much sooner than any of us thought possible.

The tsunami of tributes and remembrances that have followed Walter's passing has been deeply moving. Even his "Number 1 Fan" — me — would not have predicted anything close to the depth and breadth of public expressions from those whose lives were enriched by Walter — by his talent, his kindness, and his skill at inspiring some wicked fun.

Thank you, everyone, for helping me and his loved ones know that Walter's mark on the world — and on all of you — will not soon fade.

[/i]

mchad


Thanks for posting Elantric.

A desperately cruel end to a life devoted to great art.

aliensporebomb

That's so sad.  He was a big inspiration to me.  He had a rough life but four months?  Terrible.
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.



admin


gumbo

Quote from: admin on September 23, 2019, 03:32:24 PM
https://www.julienslive.com/m/view-auctions/catalog/id/312


Thanks for that Steve...
...I've bookmarked that site to show to anyone who accuses me of having too much gear......    :o :o
Read slower!!!   ....I'm typing as fast as I can...

admin

#22
Quote from: gumbo on September 24, 2019, 06:26:32 AM

Thanks for that Steve...
...I've bookmarked that site to show to anyone who accuses me of having too much gear......    :o :o

Should have seen the Juliens "Les Paul Estate" Auction catalog back in 2012
https://www.juliensauctions.com/press/2012/les-paul.html

admin

#23