Early Steely

 From Record World, written by Pat Baird

Back in 1969, Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (then under the wing of Jay & The Americans' JATA Productions) wrote the score for a "youth" film entitled "You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It (Or You'll Lose That Beat)." The film, produced by Peter Locke, had an even less than limited run in the theaters but Southern Music, the co-publisher of the score, put the original soundtrack out on their Spark label. Although the record did about as well as the film, Southern's Mario Conti purchased the master several years later.

Now that Fagen and Becker have gone on to so much greater things, the publishing company is again making the disc available as a "collector's item" through mail order ads in such publications as Rolling Stone and Melody Maker for $6 per. The record, produced by Kenny Vance, contains seven songs with such Steely-esque titles as "Flotsam & Jetsam" and "Dog Eat Dog" and, unlike so many artists" "catalogue" works, is an excellent representation of Fagen and Becker's early development.

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European tour cancellation article

 

From Circus Raves, written by ???

Steely Dan had to cancel a sold-out European tour when singer Donald Fagen came down with severe strep throat. Donald wanted to ignore the devastating pain, but when it kept getting worse and worse Elton John's personal physician was called in, and taking one look at the reddened tonsils of the moody Dan, he gave the strict orders to "Go Home!" The Steely Dans plan to make up the dates in December.

Dunhill Inks Steely Dan

From Cash Box, written by ???

Jay Lasker, ABC/Dunhill president, has announced the signing of Steely Dan, a new rock group, to the label. Coinciding with the announcement of the signing, Steely Dan's premier album for the label, "Can't Buy a Thrill," is being rush-released and is scheduled to ship in early September.

The six-man band is comprised of composers Walter Becker and Donald Fagen performing on electric bass guitar and keyboards respectively; Jim Hodder, percussionist; guitarists Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Denny Dias; and vocalist David Palmer. Each member of the band is an accomplished musician and each has spent a number of years pursuing his own career until producer Gary Kannon brought their collective talents to the label and recorded them as a group.