A Better condition version of "Dallas" by Steely Dan - one of the first official releases by the band that has not been remastered for any album releases apart from single promos.
@@kb9788 But Fagen had that special something that very few possess. I'm not sure what you mean by talented? Fagen's voice was pushed by the label when he didn't even want the role. It's legendary. Hodder's vocals are fantastic on Midnight Cruiser, but he'd never have made it as the defining voice of Steely Dan.
@@sakuraflares7054 I can say from going to art school about 70% of artists hate their work, 25% are neutral/healthy and then like 5% arrogant/overconfident about it. Sometimes the hatred fuels them to make better work, sometimes it directly demotivates them. SD was definitely closer to the former.
This song blindsided me. I'd been a Steely Dan fan for years, then one day I'm out driving and this song comes on the radio and I found it really compelling - a great country rock song. I was flabbergasted when the announcer said it was Steely Dan. Couldn't believe I hadn't recognised it immediately.
@@caretakerfochr3834 it's not Fagen singing... he always has a 'smirk' sound in his voice. this song wouldn't be the same without Jim Hodder's open-hearted vocals
@@caretakerfochr3834 I am sure you would've recognised the vocal had it been Donal Fagen instead of the drummer Jim Hodder singing it. Goes to show, it didn't matter who was singing, Becker/Fagen could come up with great tunes!
I still think it's interesting to listen to - it's history... No one forces anybody to listen. In my opinion it shows the musical development of Steely Dan's journey. What a treat! :)
@@mikedag1176 It blows my mind that 1. They _rejected_ so much of it along the way. Most acts would give vital body parts to be able to release material half as good as what Steely Dan abandoned. 2. As of the Universal Studios fire of 2008-06-01, the original tapes were destroyed, which probably means that we'll never see high-fidelity releases of most of Steely Dan's previously unreleased material.
This is my first time hearing this tune. It's a good tune, and there is distinct classic Steely Dan musicality to it. The chord progressions, vocal arrangements, and harmonies are there, even though this is early in their writing career. I like it.
Really?! I say that because up until 3:16 ago I thought that Poco wrote it. It's the definitive version imo. Sounds more like their writing style than SD. Listen to the lp "Head Over Heels" and tell me that song was written by SD. Farthest group I would've ever thought to do this song.
@@plantfeeder6677 The keyboard and harmonies have distinctive Steely Dan style. It comes through much more so in the chorus and bridges, not so much in the verses.
@@odiumpugnator472 huh...well may be that Walter and Don might've spun a few Poco discs back in the early days. They did do a few "country" flavored songs. Seriously, listen to the entire album Head Over Heels and tell me that song didn't fit right in like they wrote it. Still can't believe this is Steely Dan
@@plantfeeder6677 I'm not going to argue with you. If you don't hear it or get it, then talk to Steely Dan about it. I stated what I think, and I'll stick to it. You of course are free to do the same.
@@odiumpugnator472 not arguing with you at all dude. just surprised it is what it is. it is by no means the best song on Head Over Heels but it fits so perfectly with the feel of the album. I'm as happy as I am surprised this was a Steely Dan song
I would NEVER have guessed this to be a Steely Dan song just on hearing. I stumbled on it in a playlist as I was expanding my knowledge of a group that has been recording since I was in kindergarten. Donald and Walter might have filed this under 'stinko' but it's starting to grow on me for the sheer novelty of it. I'm probably going to slip it into a playlist that includes stuff from the likes of Brewer & Shipley, then tease my friends when they're trying to identify it.
At first it appears a simple, almost country ballad. When it reaches the last syllable of Dallas, -las, it swings into the kind of minor ninth chord that few country music folks would be able to find, but which gives the Steely Dan thrill to the song.
Some Steely Dan songs I've come across on RU-vid, such as "Android Warehouse," Roll Back the Meaning," and "The Bear" are as good as-if not better than-the band's better-known music. "Dallas" fits into that category. I have no idea why Walter Becker and Donald Fagen consider(ed, in Becker's case) the song "stinko..." I love Steely Dan songs that feature steel guitar ("Pearl of the Quarter" and "Razor Boy" come to mind). Jeff Baxter plays a mean steel guitar- that's for sure!
Never rated Walt on guitar, for me he was always the bassist in this band. As traumatic as the subject matter is, "Razor boy" is a superbly crafted song.
Which means Poco, who honestly could've easily have written this song as SD, were better song writers than people give them credit for. Go listen to "Head Over Heels"...the album this song is on. A hidden gem if there ever was
It sounds like POCO! Geez wasn't anyone here alive in the mid-seventies. This sounds like Poco...the only band to release this song on an lp(Head Over Heels)that when you listen to, will convince you wasn't written by SD.
In an interview, Skunk Baxter said 'Dallas' was to be the first Steely Dan single, but Becker & Fagan decided against it because there were concerns that this unknown band named Steely Dan - kind of like Dastardly Dan or some cowboy outlaw, might be perceived as a being a country group. I first heard this tune on Poco's 'Head Over Heels' album, which was prior to Timothy B Schmidt going to the Eagles. He also did session singing with Steely Dan and is heard on 'Josie' and the albums Pretzel Logic, and The Royal Scam.
I've had this in my collection since 1972 when it was released in UK on a sampler album and have always loved it, I was most surprised when I first bought Can't Buy A Thrill to find it wasn't on there.
I heard Poco's version first. Before I listened to Steely Dan's version, I was hoping that Jim Hodder sang lead on it, and I was delighted when I discovered that he did
Fagen is a great songwriter but kind of a Music Nazi, if he can’t sing it, the song disappears or is turned into some POS cocktail song. Another example is “Dirty Work” which had more FM Rock play than any of the singles, he fired Palmer and dropped the song for years. Then it came back horribly sang by this smooth jazz female singer just terrible.
@@kb9788 You're right about the popularity of "Dirty Work," sung by David Palmer. By the summer of '73 every bar band worth a damn was playing it as their go-to slow-dance song.
Although what The Dan became was genius this song with Hodder on vocals is a masterpiece. And god rest his soul. Drowning in a pool is a meaningless way to go for a such a talent.
the more I listen to this wonderful piece of music, the more I hear the legends Fagan and Becker. undoubtedly they "took over" and drove the production to it.
Nice to hear "Dirty Work" and "Brooklyn" lead vocalist David Palmer's voice on the refrain "I remember when they told me so." When Poco covered this that line was sung by Timothy B. Schmit.
This is one of those under the radar tunes from Steely Dan.I have not heard this since late 1970's and can't understand why they would regard this song as ' inferior'. I just love it. Every time!
Going through old LPs, found this song and Sail the Waterway on an EP released in the UK in 1977, ABE12003, which also included Do It Again and Haitian Divorce.
From what I understand, This was part of some throwaway songs that Timothy B. Schmidt was told he could have. This was one that everyone in Poco liked. In fact, George Grantham had said this was his favorite track on the Head of Heals album
@@thomasrobertson9643 it fit so well with the "original" material for that album. Their songs "Down in the Quarter", "Sittin' on a Fence", and "I'll be Back Again are my favorites from that lp. Was a move to a bluesier/darker side of music for them but their vocals always brought that ray of sunshine through. It's not a bad listen if you ever get a chance
@@plantfeeder6677 I Own and have listened to the album many times over the years. There’s not a single dead track. With Dallas and Paul Cottons down in the quarter are both dark and very deep songs
I really like this one. With the varied chorus and steel guitar it could well fit on "Can't Buy a Thrill". There's a lot more to be discovered among Becker/Fagen's early compositions/promos. Personally I really like "A Little with Sugar", "Sun Mountain", "Take It Out on Me" and "Yellow Peril".
@@PAJA63 well I should hope so seeing how they wrote it. Give Poco credit, they played it straight up and added their talent. Didn't change much of it. Honestly, for the last 46 years, I've thought Poco wrote this😅
@@PAJA63 and if you get a chance, listen to Head Over Heels by Poco. You may be surprised if you've never heard it. At least you'll know you already like one song😊
In 1972, ABC distributed promotional copies of Steely Dan's first single, "Dallas", backed with "Sail the Waterway". It is unclear whether "stock" copies were ever released to the general public; the single sold so poorly that promotional copies are more abundant. The two songs were re-released on vinyl several times as b-sides and on EPs throughout the 1970s and 1980s. As of 2012, "Dallas" and "Sail the Waterway" are the only officially released Steely Dan tracks that have not been reissued on cassette or compact disc. In an interview (1995), Becker and Fagen called the songs "stinko."
Yep. A copy of the trade ad for the EP reissue of Dallas, Sail the Waterway, Do It Again, Haitian Divorce was included the booklet for the Citizen Steely Dan box set, which supposedly had all the released studio output of the band from 1972-'80. Fans were confused why Dallas & Sail the Waterway were excluded from the set.
yeah i've got a promo copy of that single, i remember when i found it thinking "huh? an early steely dan song i never heard? what album's it from?" - i'd never even heard of it. glad i bought it 'cause i've never come across another copy before or since.
I feel cheated that this wasn't on the Steely Dan boxed set. Yes, it has a 'country' tinge, but it's still has those recognizable Steely Dan elements in it.
@@plantfeeder6677 ...... A lot of artists end up hating their own songs, even ones that were hits. Regardless of Steely Dan's opinion of it, "Dallas' is still a Steely Dan song and it will always be Steely Dan's debut single. And it will always be a cover song by Poco, and apparently not one they thought enough of release as a single.
@@plantfeeder6677 ...... At least Steely Dan released it as a single. Poco should have. Poco released two singles from the HEAD OVER HEELS album, "Keep on Tryin'" and "Makin' Love". "Keep on Tryin'", written by Timothy B. Schmitt, was a minor mid-chart hit that reached #50. "Makin' Love" failed to chart. "Dallas" would have been a much better single choice than "Makin' Love".
@@nashburnette7247 I believe Keep on Tryin' and Down in the Quarter were the single releases from Head Over Heels. Don't know what the b sides were. That's all Dallas was. A 'b' side on a single and a filler on an album.
@Apache King all these years I thought that the writers of this song were in Poco, I do like the Poco version better maybe cause I've heard it for all of these years, never knew Steely Dan did this song.
On the Poco version notice how Timothy nails those backing vocals, just like you'd expect to hear on a Steely Dan recording. Gee, I wonder why that is. 😁
You've gotta love Don and Walt, this is my first hearing of the song and of course I like it! No it's not typical Steely Dan but it's got some of the quirky feel of their songs and truthfully, even when they write a "stinko" it's still good by anyone else's standard. If they've written a bad song then I've not heard it!
Not "stinko" at all!. We shouldn't judge this against R SCAM or AJA, but to me it fits in pretty nicely with CAN'T BUY A THRILL. Much more conventional sounding, with a nod toward the country rock. Quite intelligent piece of work. Think I would have liked it at the time, and I like it now.
If you Google old interviews with Becker and Fagen, you will see that they referred to these two songs as "stinko". Perhaps upon more reflection they will re-evaluate these songs and they will be re-mastered for digital release at some point.
This fine track coupled with Sail the Waterway should have been on CBAT ! Its omission has always been a mystery to me given the quality, coupled with its failure to find a home on any SD cd in the 40 years since it was recorded , like the wicker mans lost footage only adds to the allure . Thanks to kind hearted souls and YT we get to hear what the band clearly did nt want us to hear and in this case that has to be a good thing !
This song feels it should be part of a montage in a cult film that we still talk about today. Definitely a different Steely Dan tune, but one that I'll never forget.
teldar2009 Me too....WHY would Becker & Fagen actually record this tune if they thought it was stinko...they would have had to play it before hitting the "record" button.....oh well...one man's stinko is another man's Riches!! The Dan of Steel...cheers all
Yeah, I like this song too, great electric piano riff, congas and pedal steel. Very unique production and instrumentation. The vocals work, I wish they did some more tracks in this vain.
I love it too and hate it not being available on 1999 reissue Can't Buy a Thrill CD as a bonus track along with God know what else. Plus, it sounds so much better than POCO, and they do other songs with pedal steel guitar that give their music country sound.
I first heard this in 1980 on a local Trenton pop music station WPST in the middle of the night. I guess during those hours there was more flexibility in going out of format. I loved it when I heard the song but was disappointed when I could not find the song. It was not until 1988 that I found the EP that had the track.
Wow...this song has been out on record since 1975. Only SD didn't do it. The better version can be found on the lp "Head Over Heels" by Poco. Listen to that entire album and tell me this doesn't fit their exact style of music on that record.
I was born in Dallas. It used to be a great place to live. Now, it's a great place to work, but I wouldn't want to live there. As for this song, it's not bad, but I doubt I'll ever want to hear it again.
@@telliott huh...I just did a "hey google...play the album Head Over Heels by Poco and it popped up right here on YewTube. That's usually how I find songs and albums. There is a lot of music on yewtube. Don't know about other streaming services
@@mikebacciarini5400 you sure are right. Always thought it sounded like Rusty but it's Paul. I always thought Rusty shared the bulk of the singing with TBS. Turns out it was Paul doing the heavy lifting for the band after Ritchie left.
I heard Fagen and Becker say that they didn't like this tune. But I think it's kinda cool. Not exactly to the level of Royal Scam or Aja but still good. Would've fit in on "Can't Buy a Thrill" I think.
Working on learning Poco version for a newly formed Country Rock band ( for kicks)- wanted to hear the original. Except for key G vs. A - very similar... Love this song!
SD had several country-sounding tunes early on with their use of the slide guitar. A better version of Dallas would be Pearl of the Quarter. Much better with Donald singing over Hodder.
Fagen's voice is too (I'd suspect he'd consider this a compliment) "urbane" for this tune. I also suspect that this is a big reason why it's been referred to as "stinko". It's NOT, but if they control the copyright, (and if these tracks have been found and they just don't want it out) that sort of speculation will keep it from ever seeing the light of day. I like both of those tunes. There is a diversity of presentation on "Thrill" that's not altogether a bad thing. I do admit that it's hard to imagine THAT iteration having better longevity legs than the one we know. The Eagles may have already had that corner of the future locked up...
MCSnake666 has posted Poco's cover of this early Dan tune from their "Head Over Heels" LP. Fun to compare "Skunk" Baxter's pedal steel solo here with that of Poco's Rusty Young. Both are absolute gods on the instrument.
It's too bad Donald and Walter couldn't tolerate this or "Sail The Waterway". I think they're gems. That said, I am curious, is Jim Hodder singing about the city Dallas or a girl with that name?
Thanks for uploading a good version of this song. I only had an old scratchy 45 version. I like this version although Paul Cotton's vocals sound better from Poco's Head Over Heels album.
I have to think that there has to be some Intellectual Property bad blood going on in the deep background with respect to this. If Mosaic can clean up acetates and '78's and make them sound "acceptable" for re-release, I'd think something could help this. (This sounds pretty good, really...) It shouldn't take too long using whatever the newest next-gen software suite is to get this good enough to be re-released on SOME high-fidelity physical format. It wouldn't be Stereo, but still...
This is listed as an official single on Wiki. Is that an error, or was it really a Steely Dan single? I thought it was just a demo. It sounds like a demo for their debut album.
Its their first single, relased before CBAT. They pulled it off the radio cause they'd fear people would think they are a country band (Skunk baxter dixit)
@@GAoctavio Really? Well, if he said it, I believe it. Fagen & Becker have disowned it 😄It does seem far weaker than anything on CBAT. I read that no one's sure if it was ever officially released as a single but, that if it was, it was extremely limited and axed almost immediately. That's all I could find on it. The original sound quality makes it sound like a demo. That's why I wondered if it was an official single. Thanks for the input.
