Gaucho was
Steely
Dan's last album before the band's 10-year breakup from June
1981 to October 1991. The album, released in 1980, was also the
band's last studio album until the 2000 release of
Two Against Nature. Despite
exceptional difficulties in the album's production (e.g.,
Walter Becker getting hit by a car as well as
his girlfriend's 1980 overdose death, a dispute over which company
had the rights to the album, attempts to get the record company to
lower the price from $9.98 to the original $8.98 and the accidental
erasing of an entire track—"The Second Arrangement"—by a recording
engineer), the album reached #9 on the charts and went
platinum twice. "
Hey
Nineteen" reached #10 on the singles charts.
It went to #1 in
Canada
as well.
The release of the album saw a significant stylistic change in the
music of Steely Dan up to that point, introducing a more minimal,
groove and atmosphere based format for the songs. Songs usually
revolved around a certain rhythm or mood, a definite departure from
the
suite-like style of
Aja's title track. This focus on
single-groove-driven songs would appear again in the records
released after the pair's return from hiatus,
Two Against Nature and
Everything Must
Go. The title track was intended as a tribute to
Keith Jarrett, and was originally credited
only to
Donald Fagen and Becker.
However, after hearing the album, Jarrett insisted that the track
uses a part of his composition "Long As You Know You're Living
Yours," and threatened Steely Dan with legal action. Becker and
Fagen were then forced to add his name to the credits and to
include him in future royalties. Fagen and Becker band hired
Mark Knopfler to play the
guitar solo on "Time Out of Mind" after hearing him
play on
Dire Straits' hit single
"
Sultans of Swing." Several hours
of Knopfler's playing were recorded at the session, but his
contributions as heard on the record are limited to a matter of
seconds.
Drummer Bernard Purdie plays his notorious "
Purdie Shuffle" on "Babylon Sisters."
Track listing
All songs written by Becker and Fagen, except where noted
Side one
- "Babylon Sisters" – 5:49
- "Hey Nineteen" – 5:06
- "Glamour Profession" – 7:28
Side two
- "Gaucho" (Becker, Fagen, Keith Jarrett) – 5:30
- "Time Out of Mind" –
4:11
- "My Rival" – 4:30
- "Third World Man" – 5:18
Personnel
- Walter Becker - bass, guitar, lyre, vocals
- Donald Fagen - organ, synthesizer,
keyboards, lyre, electric piano, vocals
- Anthony Jackson -
bass
- Chuck Rainey - bass
- Don Grolnick - keyboards, electric
piano, clavinet
- Rob Mounsey - synthesizer, piano
- Pat Rebillot - keyboards, electric
piano
- Joe Sample - electric piano
- Hiram Bullock - guitar
- Larry Carlton - guitar
- Rick Derringer - guitar
- Steve Khan - acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Mark Knopfler - guitar,
vocals
- Hugh McCracken - guitar
- Wayne Andre - trombone
- Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone, vocals
- Randy Brecker - trumpet, flugelhorn
- Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone
- Walter Kane - bass clarinet
- George Marge - bass clarinet
- David Sanborn - alto saxophone, vocals
- David Tofani - tenor saxophone, vocal
- Steve Gadd - percussion, drums
- Rick Marotta - drums
- Robbie Buchanan - piano,
synthesizers and vocals
- Jeff Porcaro - percussion,
drums
- Bernard "Pretty" Purdie -
drums
- Crusher Bennett - percussion
- Victor Feldman - percussion,
keyboards
- Ralph MacDonald -
percussion
- Nicky Marrero - percussion, timbales,
vocals
- Patti Austin - vocals, background
vocals
- Frank "Harmonica Frank" Floyd - background vocals
- Diva Gray - vocals, background vocals
- Gordon Grody - vocals, background vocals
- Lani Groves - vocals, background vocals
- Michael McDonald -
vocals, background vocals
- Leslie Miller - vocals, background vocals
- Jennifer James - vocals, background vocals
- Zachary Sanders - vocals, background vocals
- Valerie Simpson - vocals,
background vocals
- Zack Snaders - background vocals
- Toni Wine - vocals, background vocals
Production
- Producers: Gary Katz
- Executive producers: Paul Bishow, Roger Nichols
- Executive engineer: Roger Nichols
- Assistant engineers: John "Doc" Daugherty, Gerry Gabinelli,
Craig Goetsch, Tom Greto, Barbara Isaak, Georgia Offrell, John
Potoker, Linda Randazzo, Marti Robertson, Carla Bandini
- Production coordination: Jeff Fura, Margaret Goldfarb, Shannon
Steckloff
- Mixing: Elliot Scheiner
- Mix down: Elliot Scheiner
- Coordination: Michael Etchart
- Sequencing: Roger Nichols, Wendel
- Tracking: Elliot Scheiner, Bill Schnee
- Mastering: Bob Ludwig
- Overdubs: Jerry Garszva, Roger Nichols
- Surround mix: Elliot
Scheiner
- Rhythm arrangements: Paul
Griffin, Don Grolnick, Rob Mounsey, Steely Dan
- Horn arrangements: Rob Mounsey,
Tom Scott
- Piano technician: Don Farrar
- Special effects: Roger Nichols, Wendel
- Consultant: Daniel Levitin
- Art direction: Vartan, Suzanne Walsh
- Design: Michael Diehl, Suzanne Walsh
- Design assistant: John Tom Cohoe
- Photography: Rene Burri
- Photo research: Ryan Null
- Liner notes: Walter Becker, Donald Fagen, Frank Kafka
- Liner note translation: Victor Di Suvero
Charts
Album
| Year |
Chart |
Position |
| 1981 |
Black Albums |
19 |
| 1981 |
Pop Albums |
9 |
|
Singles
| Year |
Single |
Label & number |
Chart |
Position |
| 1981 |
"Hey Nineteen" (B-side: "Bodhisattva"
(live)) |
MCA 51036 |
Black Singles |
68 |
| 1981 |
"Hey Nineteen" |
MCA 51036 |
Pop Singles |
10 |
| 1981 |
"Time Out Of Mind" (B-side: "Bodhisattva"
(live)) |
MCA 51082 |
Mainstream Rock |
13 |
| 1981 |
"Time Out Of Mind" |
MCA 51082 |
Pop Singles |
22 |
|
Awards
Grammy Awards
| Year |
Winner |
Category |
| 1981 |
Gaucho |
Best Engineered Recording, Non Classical |
|
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