Exploring musical connections one track at a time…
Here’s a fun musical connection: the pianist Keith Jarrett sued Steely Dan over similarities between ‘Gaucho’ (1980) and his track ‘Long As You Know You’re Living Yours’ from the album Belonging (1974). Walter Becker and Donald Fagen acknowledged the influence and officially credited Jarrett, admitting: “Hell, we steal. We’re the robber barons of rock ‘n’ roll.”
Continue reading “The Keith Jarrett Trio – Endless”
In our previous post, Dan wrote on the Steely Dan (not to be confused with British folk rock group Steeleye Span) Silver-inspired classic ‘Rikki Don’t Lose That Number’. Last weekend marked the 40th year anniversary of their 1980 album Gaucho and so it seemed a natural way to continue our journey of musical connections.
Continue reading “Steely Dan – Gaucho”
Pop fans may be hearing more jazz than they realise. James Brown’s 1967 single ‘Cold Sweat’ is indebted to Miles Davis’ ‘So What’, the opening track on Kind of Blue (1959) – which came full circle when Davis was inspired by Brown’s funky sounds for On the Corner (1972). Van Morrison (who recently became an “antifascist” because he didn’t want to wear a mask) based ‘Moondance’ (1970) on Kenny Burrell’s jazz guitar classic ‘Midnight Blue’ (1963). And the intro of Horace Silver’s ‘Song For My Father’ is lifted verbatim by Steely Dan’s 1974 hit, ‘Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.’
Continue reading “Steely Dan – Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”