Here comes that Santa Ana wind again, blowing us right into the slightly skewed world of Steely Dan.
It was never a question whether Strong Songs would do a Steely Dan episode, it was more a question of which song to focus on. In the end, Kirk chose "Babylon Sisters," a culmination of the band's incredible 1970s run that exemplifies Fagen and Becker's brand of pristine, laser-focused groove. It's also arguably the definitive recording of Bernard Purdie's signature Purdie Shuffle.
Written by: Walter Becker and Donald Fagen
Album: Gaucho (1980)
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
ALSO FEATURED/DISCUSSED:
“Sloop John B,” Bahamian folk song as recorded by The Beach Boys on Pet Sounds, 1966
“Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” by The Temptations from Law of the Land, 1972
“Cousin Dupree” by Becker/Fagen from Two Against Nature, 2000
“Reelin' in the years” by Donald Fagen from Can’t Buy a Thrill, 1972
“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” by Fagen/Becker from Prezel Logic, 1974
“Black Friday” by Becker/Fagen from Katy Lied, 1975
"Peg," "Aja," and "Home at Last" by Becker/Fagen from Aja, 1977
“Sing Sing Sing (With a Swing)” by Louis Prima performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra, 1936
“Cissy Strut” by The Meters from The Meters, 1969
Rob Brown’s Purdie Shuffle tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g41Ab8iDaD0
OUTRO SOLOIST: Kyle Molitor
Kyle is a Portland-based trombonist who plays in all sorts of bands, and was also featured on the year three Strong Songs theme msuic. Find him on Instagram @tbonemolitor and check out his latest single here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/kylemolitor/the-jazz-feat-toranpetto
STRONG MERCH!
Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com
KEEP IT SOCIAL
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NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST
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STRONG PLAYLISTS
Kirk has condensed his Strong Songs picks into a single new list, which you can find on Spotify and Apple Music, and YouTube Music.
SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!
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