Steely Dan performed on The Midnight Special August 31, 1973 Follow us on Social Media: / themidnightspecialtvshow / themidnightspecialtvshow / themidnightspecialtvshow / tmstvshow
These Steely Dan clips are a godsend as the band made very few live televised appearances - this clip is 50 years old and it's great to see Fagen, Becker, Skunk, et al tearing it up.... cheers Midnight Special.
Steely Dan is one of those bands you can not listen to for years, hear one of their songs, and you go right back to listening and enjoying like it was the first time.
Just saw this and I was like thinking the same thing! Now I just need to find my Steely Dan cd's, dust them off and listen to some great music again!!!
Donald Fagen on piano/vocals Walter Becker/bass Jeff “Skunk” Baxter and Denny Dias/guitar Jim Hodder/drums Royce Jones/alt percussion and backup vocals Gloria “Porky” Granola and Jenny “Bucky” Soule/backup singers
Seriously Paula, Mr. Baxter was walking on friggin WATER, you feel me? Donald Fagan was also just so amazing, straight from the heart, and right through the soul, and the most excellent backup singers were just perfectly concise and spot on, and obviously very thrilled to be part of whole consortium, and who WOULDN’T be? BTW: If I misread your handle and it’s Paul (or “Paul A.”), don’t bother with any gender reassignment, I love ALL of you Steely Dan fans faithfully and fully, regardless of your personal plumbing! - Namaste! Glenn Jones PS: I’d never seen this clip before, and I’m totally down with admitting I wept like a hungry infant! Because other than laughing at the beauty and absurdity of life, that’s what I DO, and I also highly recommend others to do likewise, but I will allow that it’s “their call” (ain’t I just the picture of generosity and tolerance?)… - XOXOXO!
Oh, to have been there! This and 'Lost Wages' are just so ferocious. I love the shot of the drummer just chewing gum and playing like it's no big thing....
Musical artists have been back playing for decades. The Beatles did it. Buddy Holly did it. Whether an artist does this or not depends greatly on the venue, among other things. The Beatles and Buddy Holly are "real music." Them using backing tracks doesn't negate that. And whether your boomer mind can wrap itself around the concept, "real music" exists today as well. Just because you stopped looking for it doesn't mean it isn't there. A tree still makes a noise when it falls in the woods regardless, it turns out.
Steely Dan's first 4 albums stand up to virtually any other bands first 4 albums. Most bands take some time to find the their groove. Steely Dan had it right from the start. I would say Countdown to Ecstasy is one of the greatest second albums of all time. Brilliant stuff.
Fagen is a pure savant of a songwriter. He just knows how to tell a story, and to pace it perfectly, while he's naturally coming up with great melodies. He's got IT.
@foto21 - his songwriting is one of the greatest ever as far as I am concerned. I remember listening to this song as a kid and loving the musicianship and singing along. Not until later in life as an adult did I realize what he meant by the phrase "35 sweet goodbyes". The poor kids nowadays have to deal with the "subtle" lyrics of songs like WAP. Other brilliant examples of Dan Fagan's include "Charlie Freak" and "Home at Last." There has never been another like him.
Probably the best live performance in the history of live performances.... Just flawless, no autotune, just perfect arrangements , musicianship. And kudos to the mixer awesome mix.
Blimey! 50 years of being a Dan fan and this is my FIRST glimpse of the almost-mythical backing singers "Porky and Bucky" (Gloria Granola and Jenny Soule).
This video has just reached 1 million views. It just goes to show not only the importance of Steely Dan as a group, but also of The Midnight Special as an archive of unique and historical performances.
It always amazes me how Steely Dan was so far ahead of their time with the music they created. Walter Becker & Donald Fagen were true geniuses who mastered their craft, while also making things look effortless. I often wondered why Steely Dan didn’t have more bands trying to copy them. But then I realized that the uniqueness of Steely Dan’s music was in its’ complexity and sophistication. Steely Dan. A band unlike any other. Masters of music.
Those days. When we were so lucky to get live performances on all these TV shows. To see them now is such a reminder of how great these shows and bands were.
Skunk built that guitar for the 'My Old School' recording sesh He said later he knew exactly how it would sound before he played it. Looks like a Rickey pickup at the neck.
I went to Bard College, the school referenced in the song's title, in the mid-1980s. And, somewhat ironically, my daughter is now a junior at William and Mary. And we both love Steely Dan.
It was sometimes referenced as another William and Mary but Fagen was pissed about the marijuana bust so it was no longer a William and Mary to him. Points to anyone who knows who the Asistant DA was that is referenced in the song.
I was 21 in '73. All the chicks were absolutely the bomb back then.....no ugly ass Sailor tattoo's on them, no piercing Bullshi55, no purple and green hair.....just the hottest, long haired, thin, knock-out good looks............natural and gorgeous. Friday and Saturday's we all went to the bars. No DJ's, no juke boxes, just live bands everywhere playing current cover songs and boy did we dance, chicks would come in, you bought them and drink and ever single girl wanted to dance and we danced until 2 AM. Sunday we burnt our clothes as they were ruined from all the sweat! No gangs, no thugs, no guns in the bars, very few with cover-charges....just smiling having hella fun times. God I think I danced with a 1,000 potential wifes......the babes were oh my.......everywhere. We had so much fun!
This is by far one of the finest and most original rock bands in music history. Steely Dan was basically two unbelievable geniuses. Donald Fagan and Walter becker.the duo was incredible. From king of the World to the caves of altamira, one great song after another, wonderful.
Thank you, "The Midnight Special," for leaving no doubt as to Steely Dan's live performance abilities in 1973. When my wife and I saw them play "My Old School" on tour in April 1974, they let Skunk Baxter sing the lead vocal in addition to playing these incredible lead guitar solos. Hard to understand how this song only went to #63 on the singles charts, because over the years it has become every Steely Dan tribute band's set closer.
I think it didn't rank higher because it was in competition with all their other material. Also, fans like to sing along, and this one's not so easy to sing along. That's a dumb fact but it was certainly true in the 70s. This was an FM deep cut that fans loved, but it was not made for AM, which still dominated.
@@beenaplumber8379 Agreed. In 1973 Steely Dan was mostly a cult favorite among college students. That's why so many of their 1974 tour dates were on college campuses.
@@vickihughes5751The question wasn't "Was it less popular?" The question was "Why was it not more popular?" My answer might be wrong, sure, but one thing to keep in mind is that different markets can have very different airplay patterns. You might have been lucky enough to live in a market where the song did much better on AM than it did where other people live.
This is a treasure! What a performance. Skunk Baxter manages to be so raw on those leads, but at the same time perfect for the vibe. Such a great guitarist. And he definitely had "the look." Loved his stuff with the Doobies.
I'm 62, and remember it clearly. It was Friday night right after school started but before Labor Day. My neighbor/sweetheart 11 year old stayed at our house while her parents were gone. Blazing hot. We were laying on a sheet barely dressed watching this when my mom came it to see what the racket was about. Still, in 1973 we slept on the floor that night with no ridiculous drama.
I was a frustrated 13yr old wanting more from music I listened to when along came Steely Dan and my musical taste became more complicated, sophisticated and joyous. Thank you Steely Dan. You, Pink Floyd, the Doobies, Roxy Music, Bowie and Led Zeppelin renewed my love of music ... and still do, 50yrs later.
If Midnight Special isn't in the Library of Congress then it should be!! Another great performance from a groundbreaking show. Thank you Burt Sugarman.
Fantastic video! One of my favorite songs, featuring the one and only Jeff "Skunk" Baxter shredding hard on lead guitar, back in the days when rock music ruled the world! These guys all earned their pay on this one. My sincere thanks to the folks at The Midnight Special archives!
Man what energy!!!...I grew up in a liqueur store and spent nights there as dad closed up the store. I had a little black and white tv in the back and I would watch this and SNL...the memories!
I couldn't wait to graduate. I was thinking, "I'm never going back to "'My Old School"" Now that I am on the other end of the spectrum... I wish I could go back to"My Old School" I'm guilty of wishing my life away! 😔 Happy Thursday... thank you for sharing! 💖
This is one of the few live recordings of the beautiful, ever so talented Donald Fagen performing. It is such a pleasure, that all these years later, we are blessed enough to still view this video. Yes, the back up singers are very pretty, but I would much rather have watched Donald the entire time. He is such a gem. The few moments where his smile shines through his nerves makes my heart swell. Rock on, Dan! Sincerely, John Yacusza
Mine too. I've got 3 sons who are aged 11, 7 and 6 and I've been brainwashing them with Steely Dan for the last 12 or so months. My 6 year old is always saying "Put Steely Dan on, Dad" He loves My Old School 😎
These Steely Dan clips are a godsend as Fagen, Becker, Skunk, et al are tearing it up! Cheers Midnight Special! The band made very few live televised appearances - this clip is 50 years old and it's great to see.
@@themidnightspecialtvshowI purchased the Midnight Special DVDs when they were first available, then for some reason they stopped the series. Will more be available to buy?
54. 8-31-73 I would have been driving from Chicago back to Colorado to start sophomore year. Convoying with a couple of my friends and pretty sure there was at least one Steely Dan in the 8 track box.
Everyone is a product of their environment. Your generation is as much to blame for this one as the generations before you are to blame for yours, Greg. Personal responsibility wasn't invented by your generation, or summarily removed by the generation you bore.
I've known them forever , and always knew they were good. Or even very good. But for some reason, it took me 30 or 40 years to know they actually were GREAT... Only now I'm obsessed with their fantastic 70s string of albums. Weird phenomenon...
Wow! My Old School live from 1973. Absolutely incredible to watch. What a great performance by the band. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you so much for posting this video. Steely Dan fans like myself are so happy and grateful you did. I love this Midnight Special channel.
One of my favorite bands as a high school senior. They were mostly known as a studio recording group and it was very rare to find them playing in concert. Cool to see this.
Dam,I was 11 year's old growing up in a little beach town in Southern California at this time. It's like the music just fit. The ladies back then seemed so much more beautiful.
I started loving Steely Dan when I was 9 and "Hey 19" was the hit song. Didn't know what it was about but I knew I loved the sound. Then "IGY" when I was 11 and that sealed the deal, Donald Fagen fan for life!
OH. MY. FREAKIN. GOD! WHAT A TREAT TO STUMBLE UPON THIS. Genius level musicians, nothing like it now. i still listen to Steely Dan at home! THE VERY BEST MUSIC FOR ME.
Another treasure unearthed! Just saw Show Biz Kids a few weeks ago from this same performance and it bowled me over. Then Reelin' In The Years recently and now this one OMG! Where to start? Fagen and the late Walter Becker wrote so many wonderful songs. As a lot of people already know, television performances from their early years are pretty rare. Such a talented and well rounded band too, top notch musicians. Jeff the skunk Baxter is the consummate guitarist. He does it all from playing some memorable over the top solos to tasty licks or just playing some damn good rhythm parts and keeping it all together. Not every guitarist can do that and Jeff does it with aplomb. Denny Dias is no slouch either and in a way reminds me of a larger version of a bearded Jim Morrison! anyone else catch that? But seriously though great stuff! Love the whole performance and the two backup singer ladies only help to add more fun and flare to this incendiary performance... Love it!! Thank you for sharing this 🥰👍
The girl got busted and gave names to get off on a lighter sentence. Fagan was one. I'm never giving a red cent to my old school either for different reasons. NCSU for having the capacity for 15K students and admitting 20k. But we did win the NCAA basketball tournament in '83.
I am so honored that you responded to my comment. I, along with my elderly mother, have been enjoying your videos for years. Sorry if my writing is not the best, as I am from Mexico.
