Dirty Work: The Oral History of Recording with Steely Dan – Part VI
Donald and Walter make the world's greatest musicians feel replaceable.
What follows is Part VI of “Dirty Work,” my oral history of recording with Steely Dan. (Read the introduction, Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V.) Only paid subscribers to Expanding Dan get access to all seven parts.
Part VI: Survival of the Fittest
Gary Katz: We always went into the studio with the expectation every musician we hired was going to play what we wanted well. We didn’t always get exactly what we wanted every time.
Elliot Scheiner: If Donald, Walter, and Gary didn’t like what a band was doing, they wouldn’t hesitate to fire them. Donald and Walter would imply a few suggestions and hope that the players understood what was wanted. And when they didn’t play it right, Walter and Donald would turn to Gary and say, “Fire these guys.” The next day, it’d be a totally different band.
Donald Fagen: Disappointment mixed with dread pretty much nails [the feeling]. We were sorry for the player and sorry for ourselves. Walter and I would go out for a smoke and leave Gary Katz to deal with the aftermath.
Gary Katz: Donald and Walter were wussies! Especially Donald, who didn’t want to face anything uncomfortable. When someone we hired wasn’t working out, Donald would turn to Walter and say, “Wanna go get a sandwich?” And as they walked out the door, Donald would tell me, “Fire him.” Everyone would laugh except me.