Gaucho Amigos

50. "The Hitmaker" ft. Bernard Purdie Jan 14, 2025

Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, the legendary drummer who played on several songs on The Royal Scam and Aja, and whose influential "Purdie Shuffle" is featured on "Babylon Sisters" and "Home at Last," joins the podcast to talk all about his collaborations with Steely Dan.

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49. "The Long Goodbye" ft. Jake Morris Jan 07, 2025

Jake Morris, the longtime drummer for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, joins the podcast for a rambling chat about his love of Steely Dan, Malkmus, indie rock touring, and his own excellent new solo album The Long Goodbye.

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

48. "Funked Up Muzak" ft. Steve Huey Dec 10, 2024

"Hollywood" Steve Huey, co-creator of the original "Yacht Rock" web series and featured interview subject in HBO's new movie Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary, joins the podcast to further discuss the complicated relationship between the music of Steely Dan and the genre of jazz-inflected soft rock that has been retroactively dubbed "yacht rock."

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

47. "Make Mine a Double, Sam" ft. Scott Hull / Robyn Flans Oct 22, 2024

Mastering engineer Scott Hull, who worked on Two Against Nature and Kamakiriad, joins the podcast to reflect on his experiences collaborating in the studio with Donald and Walter. Also, music journalist Robyn Flans (author of It's About Time: Jeff Porcaro) joins to share stories about the late, great session drummer Jeff Porcaro's experiences with Steely Dan.

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

46. "This All Too Mobile Home" ft. Dinky Dawson Sep 23, 2024

Sound engineer Dinky Dawson joins the podcast to discuss his experiences live mixing, recording and spending time with Steely Dan on their 1974 tour, which would end up being their final tour for almost 20 years. Dinky also shares some news about the potential release of a newly discovered 1974 show.

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

45. "Respect the Seven Second Delay" ft. Don Breithaupt Sep 10, 2024

Don Breithaupt, who wrote the 33 1/3 series book on Aja,joins the podcast to talk about his lifelong relationship to Steely Dan's music as a writer, singer-songwriter, and fan. Don passes on some of the musical wisdom he received from interviewing Donald Fagen for his Aja book, and discusses the influence of Steely Dan on his long-running musical band and project Monkey House.

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

44. "Angular Banjos Sound Good to Me" ft. Elliot Scheiner Jul 16, 2024

Engineer, mixer, and producer Elliot Scheiner, who won Grammys for his work on Aja, Gaucho, and Two Against Nature, joins the podcast to talk all about his experiences working on those classic Steely Dan albums, and more.

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

43. "We Work Well Together" ft. Thomas Dolby Jun 18, 2024

Producer and singer-songwriter Thomas Dolby joins the podcast to primarily discuss his collaborations with another band whose songs contain obtuse lyrics and complex chord sequences, Prefab Sprout. Thomas shares his experiences producing the albums Steve McQueen (1985) and Jordan: The Comeback (1990), and also talks a bit about his own solo work and of course, Steely Dan.

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

42. "The Trip We Made to Hollywood" ft. Elliott Randall May 21, 2024

Guitarist Elliott Randall joins the podcast to talk all about his experiences with Steely Dan over the years, from playing shows and recording with Donald and Walter in 1960's New York, to later joining them in L.A. to lay down guitar solos on songs like "Reelin' in the Years" and "Green Earrings." Elliott also looks back on friendships with several beloved musicians including Jimi Hendrix, Laura Nyro, and others.

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

41. "They Never Knew it Went Down" ft. Andy Cush May 07, 2024

Writer and bassist Andy Cush (Pitchfork, Garcia Peoples) joins the podcast to discuss the challenges of tackling the Steely Dan hits with his new cover band Katy & the Liars, and shares how Chuck Rainey's bass parts on "Kid Charlemagne" and "Peg" inspired him to learn how to slap the bass.

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

40. "The Corner Office" ft. Max Zuckerman Apr 23, 2024

Max Zuckerman's debut solo album The Corner Office, with its perfectly arranged jazz-pop epics about creeps and sleazebags, is very reminiscent of a certain band...Max joins the podcast to talk about his own work and creative process, his love of Steely Dan, and other musical influences including Brazilian groups like Azymuth and Japanese City Pop.

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

39. "Gotta See a Joker" ft. Allison Rapp Apr 16, 2024

Classic rock journalist Allison Rapp (Ultimate Classic Rock) joins the podcast to discuss some of her favorite songs from the Dan-verse, including "Daddy Don't Live in That New York City" and Tori Amos' cover of "Do It Again," and shares what it was like to see Steely Dan on their current tour with the Eagles. Also, Alex shares a brief follow-up on the "lost" Gaucho song "Heartbreak Souvenir."

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

38. "Heartbreak Souvenir" ft. Steve Khan Apr 02, 2024

Guitarist Steve Khan, who played on 5 of the 7 songs on Gauchoincluding the solo on "Glamour Profession," joins the podcast to talk all about his experiences collaborating with Steely Dan. Steve also shares his memories of recording on some of the "lost Gaucho" tracks, including "I Can't Write Home About You" and "Heartbreak Souvenir."

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

37. "Die Behind the Wheel" ft. Cory Hanson Mar 19, 2024

Wand frontman, guitarist, and singer-songwriter Cory Hanson joins the podcast to discuss how Steely Dan influences his creative process. He also shares his thoughts on classic rock, the eerie perfection of Aja, and some other musical influences ranging from Steve Howe to Sinatra.

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

36. "It Will Come Back to You" ft. Jazmine Hughes / Helen Newby Mar 04, 2024

Writer Jazmine Hughes joins the podcast to share her "Steely Dan testimony," explaining how she discovered their work through hip-hop samples, and later developed a newfound appreciation of their witty, off-kilter lyrics. Also, I talk to Helen Newby about her superb cello cover of "Peg."

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

35. "Don't Take Me Alive" ft. Rick Marotta Feb 13, 2024

Drummer Rick Marotta, the session specialist who played on classic Steely Dan songs like "Peg," "Hey Nineteen," "Time Out of Mind," and others, joins the podcast to share his experiences recording with Donald and Walter in the late 70's.

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

34. "In a Faded Yellow-Green" ft. Anna Martinez Feb 06, 2024

Graphic designer/artist Anna Martinez (better known as "Jive Miguel" on Twitter) joins the podcast to talk about how connecting with other Steely Dan fans was like "finding her people." Anna also shares her thoughts on some of the catalogue's puzzling artwork choices, and explains why she's taken on learning the melodica as an homage to Donald.

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

33. "Stalking the Dread Moray Eel" ft. Paul Grimstad Jan 23, 2024

Writer and film composer Paul Grimstad (The Sweet East) joins the podcast to discuss the particulars of Steely Dan's studio recording process and their mastery of arranging for rock music. Paul also shares how a piece on Gaucho he wrote for The Paris Review led to a correspondence and eventual interview with Donald himself.

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

32. "For the Little Guy" ft. Luke Rowell Dec 26, 2023

New Zealand-based computer musician Luke Rowell joins the podcast to discuss how a surging interest in Steely Dan has influenced his vaporwave music project Eyeliner, whether it be from Donald's piano tutorials or a shared love of "fake fake jazz".

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

31. "Lovers All Beware" ft. Bill Ware Dec 12, 2023

Vibraphonist Bill Ware (currently Home at Last) joins the podcast to talk about his experiences as a band member of Steely Dan from 1993-95. Bill shares some "behind the scenes" tour stories, and explains how Donald's creative process and compositional techniques became an important influence his own work.

A member of The FM Podcasts Network.

30. "The Other Side of No Tomorrow" ft. F.J. McMahon Nov 28, 2023

Singer-songwriter F.J. McMahon joins the podcast to tell the story behind his 1969 folk-rock masterpiece Spirit of the Golden Juice, and shares how his experiences in Vietnam and living in San Francisco during the 60's informed the songs on the only album he's ever released. Also, F.J. discusses his love of Steely Dan and explains why they were his favorite band throughout the 1970's.

29. "I Can't Cry Anymore" ft. Jack Hamilton Nov 14, 2023

Writer Jack Hamilton (author of Just Around Midnight: Rock and Roll and the Racial Imagination) joins the podcast to discuss Steely Dan's relationship to R&B and Motown, and how Donald and Walter's reclusiveness and decision to forgo touring helped create a cult following that endures today.

28. "The Early Years" ft. Kenny Vance Oct 31, 2023

Kenny Vance (singer and founding member of Jay and the Americans) joins the podcast to tell the story of how he discovered two young songwriters named Fagen and Becker at the Brill Building in the late 1960's, and shares what it was like to tour, record, and collaborate with Donald and Walter in the "pre-Steely Dan" era.

27. "Haulin' Boss Crude" ft. Rob Delaney Oct 17, 2023

Actor and comedian Rob Delaney (author of A Heart That Works) joins the podcast to talk about his newfound Steely Dan obsession, giving particular praise to their "rock band" era, and contrasting Donald's legacy with that of adjacent NYC-area rock legends Bruce Springsteen and Lou Reed.

22. "Festive Icons Along the Way" ft. Barney Hurley Aug 29, 2023

Samuel Purdey co-leader/songwriter and Steely Dan aficionado Barney Hurley joins the podcast to tell the origin story behind his incredible collection of Dan-related archival photographs and memorabilia. He also recalls his reaction to Two Against Nature's Grammy victory, and shares some of his impressions of life in New York City as a British Dan fan.

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