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So I was talking to Lenise Bent last night

4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
edited March 2010 in Strut Central
And she was telling me hilarious stories about the recording of AJA. She said that Tom Scott was originally supposed to do what became the guitar solo on Peg. She also said that the masters were hidden in the trunk of her car every night so that the record execs and suties couldn't find them, confiscate them and put it out before B&F thought they were absolutely perfect- which was taking WAYYY too long.golden era stuff for sure.point being, Peg would be real different without Michael McDonald and with Tom Scott soloing on it.
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  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    cool story...can you relate any of the other AJA related anecdotes?
  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    She said that they had an 1176 (limiter) in the vocal chain for Michael McDonald but that he had such incredible control over his vocals and vocal range that his singing was dead even across the whole track, the needle never moved on the limiter.

    She said that they specifically requested Wayne Shorter play on the album and paid loot to fly him out the sessions, and that Fagen actually dressed up that day (which was apparently never) and was really nervous and geeked around him (mind you these are the same dudes that were literally telling the top musicians in the world what to do on a regular basis)

    She said Chuck Rainey was the most amazing bass player she ever saw play (i got the feeling she had seen her fair share)
  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    She said Brecker always wore this t-shirt to the studio that said "almost right" but the latter half of "right" was like falling off the t-shirt in some no doubt awesome seventies screen print style.
  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    sweet, i love that kind of info, keep it coming please...

    i just looked up lenise bent and obviously i am super ignorant of the recording world but she has woprked on some mega albums: AJA, Tusk, Breakfast in America!!! damn

    can you get her to join soulstrut?
  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    hehe, man, it make take a few more bottles of wine.

    I love ladies like her, a real rarity in the recording world - not only because she's female but because she has an awesome passion for recording and music and the way things sound that is dying.

    she was standing there signing the background falsetto of Mike Mcdonalds chorus, i never could figure out the words to that. Something about when the shutter falls etc.

    She also explained that "Peg" was about a Porno actress in a porn movie, aka a Blue movie - so Blueprint blue, it sure looks good on you makes alot more sense to me now.
  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
    I love this thread already
  • shawnald_reaganshawnald_reagan 318 Posts
    no doubt, best thread in a minnit
    thanks 4yeargrad!
  • empanadamnempanadamn 1,462 Posts
    awesome background stories! thanks for sharing.
  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
    I like the story about Fagen dressing up when he knew Wayne Shorter was coming. He couldn't have Shorter thinking Fagen was some dirty hippy who'd roped him into playing on a rock'n'roll session, now, could he?
  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    Fagen apparently would ball his fists and jam them in his pockets incessantly as is nerves would fray while working on a project. He was moritifed of doing his own vocals becasue he held his vocal track up to the same standards as the rest of the musicians.

    Apparently Bernard Purdie was a f*cking monster on that session too, straight killing it. They had, quite literally, the absolute best session players that were available, the best engineers in the industry, check it:

    Personnel

    * Donald Fagen - synthesizer, keyboards, vocals, background vocals, whistle
    * Walter Becker - bass, guitar, electric guitar, vocals
    * Chuck Rainey - bass
    * Timothy B. Schmit - vocals

    * Paul Griffin - keyboards, electric piano, vocals, background vocals
    * Don Grolnick - keyboards, clavinet
    * Michael Omartian - piano, keyboards
    * Joe Sample - keyboards, electric piano, clavinet
    * Larry Carlton - guitar, electric guitar
    * Denny Dias - guitar
    * Jay Graydon - guitar, electric guitar
    * Steve Khan - guitar
    * Dean Parks - guitar
    * Lee Ritenour - guitar
    * Pete Christlieb - flute, tenor saxophone
    * Chuck Findley - horn, brass
    * Jim Horn - flute, saxophone
    * Richard "Slyde" Hyde - trombone
    * Plas Johnson - flute, saxophone
    * Jackie Kelso - flute, horn, saxophone
    * Lou McCreary - brass
    * Bill Perkins - flute, horn, saxophone
    * Tom Scott - conductor, flute, tenor saxophone, lyricon
    * Wayne Shorter - flute, tenor saxophone
    * Bernard Purdie - drums ("Home at Last", "Deacon Blues")
    * Steve Gadd - drums ("Aja")
    * Ed Greene - drums ("I Got the News")
    * Paul Humphrey - drums ("Black Cow")
    * Jim Keltner - percussion, drums ("Josie")
    * Rick Marotta - drums ("Peg")
    * Gary Coleman - percussion
    * Victor Feldman - percussion, piano, keyboards, electric piano, vibraphone
    * Venetta Fields - vocals, background vocals
    * Clydie King - vocals, background vocals
    * Rebecca Louis - vocals, background vocals
    * Sherlie Matthews - vocals, background vocals
    * Michael McDonald - vocals, background vocals


    f*cking GAME OVER
  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    EARTH KITT V.O. GTFOH!!!!

  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts
    Fagen apparently would ball his fists and jam them in his pockets incessantly as is nerves would fray while working on a project. He was moritifed of doing his own vocals becasue he held his vocal track up to the same standards as the rest of the musicians.

    Apparently Bernard Purdie was a f*cking monster on that session too, straight killing it. They had, quite literally, the absolute best session players that were available, the best engineers in the industry, check it:

    Personnel

    * Donald Fagen - synthesizer, keyboards, vocals, background vocals, whistle
    * Walter Becker - bass, guitar, electric guitar, vocals
    * Chuck Rainey - bass
    * Timothy B. Schmit - vocals

    * Paul Griffin - keyboards, electric piano, vocals, background vocals
    * Don Grolnick - keyboards, clavinet
    * Michael Omartian - piano, keyboards
    * Joe Sample - keyboards, electric piano, clavinet
    * Larry Carlton - guitar, electric guitar
    * Denny Dias - guitar
    * Jay Graydon - guitar, electric guitar
    * Steve Khan - guitar
    * Dean Parks - guitar
    * Lee Ritenour - guitar
    * Pete Christlieb - flute, tenor saxophone
    * Chuck Findley - horn, brass
    * Jim Horn - flute, saxophone
    * Richard "Slyde" Hyde - trombone
    * Plas Johnson - flute, saxophone
    * Jackie Kelso - flute, horn, saxophone
    * Lou McCreary - brass
    * Bill Perkins - flute, horn, saxophone
    * Tom Scott - conductor, flute, tenor saxophone, lyricon
    * Wayne Shorter - flute, tenor saxophone
    * Bernard Purdie - drums ("Home at Last", "Deacon Blues")
    * Steve Gadd - drums ("Aja")
    * Ed Greene - drums ("I Got the News")
    * Paul Humphrey - drums ("Black Cow")
    * Jim Keltner - percussion, drums ("Josie")
    * Rick Marotta - drums ("Peg")
    * Gary Coleman - percussion
    * Victor Feldman - percussion, piano, keyboards, electric piano, vibraphone
    * Venetta Fields - vocals, background vocals
    * Clydie King - vocals, background vocals
    * Rebecca Louis - vocals, background vocals
    * Sherlie Matthews - vocals, background vocals
    * Michael McDonald - vocals, background vocals


    f*cking GAME OVER

    Out. of. control.

    b/w

    Not coincidentally, this also looks like a laundry list of everyone who was ever involved with a direct to disc project in LA or Japan.
  • DJFerrariDJFerrari 2,411 Posts

    * Denny Dias - guitar

    Hahaha... my mom kicked him out of our house! They were in a band together a few years back and he and his family stayed at our house in Plymouth, MA for a weekend. He acted like a total prima donna expecting to be waited on hand and foot the whole time. Well, long story short, my mom wasn't having it and told him to get out... it was awesome!
  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    this thread just went from awesome to next level... ferrari's mom kicking slovenly denny dias to the curb!!!!!

  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts

    * Denny Dias - guitar

    Hahaha... my mom kicked him out of our house! They were in a band together a few years back and he and his family stayed at our house in Plymouth, MA for a weekend. He acted like a total prima donna expecting to be waited on hand and foot the whole time. Well, long story short, my mom wasn't having it and told him to get out... it was awesome!

  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    My dude!

    I can just imagine him packing up like F*ck that I played on Pretzel Logic.

    According to the ninners dude is a computer programmer now in LA. I'm fairly sure dude is still not welcome at your families spot. rofl
  • DJFerrariDJFerrari 2,411 Posts
    F*ck that I played on Pretzel Logic.

    That was pretty much the exact attitude he had! That doesn't mean you get to boss us around as a house guest. This ain't no Bed & Breakfast! She also said they were in a record store and he got all bummed out when he found a Steely Dan record in the Oldies section. Dude.
  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAH

    epic!
  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
    Loving the way that Aja clip autoplays whenever I look at the thread.

    b/w

  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    that's because this thread IS THE LAND OF STEELY DAN

    A CONTINENT OF THE MIND
  • mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts
    "Apparently Bernard Purdie was a f*cking monster on that session too, straight killing it. "

    There has been a story circluting for years that Purdie showed up for this gig with two easels that he would set up on either side of his kit. Each had a cardboard sign on it.

    One said "You went and did it!"

    The other said "You hired the HIT MAKER!"
  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    BAWAHAHAHAHA
  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts
    hahahaha this thread just got even better.
  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    "Apparently Bernard Purdie was a f*cking monster on that session too, straight killing it. "

    There has been a story circluting for years that Purdie showed up for this gig with two easels that he would set up on either side of his kit. Each had a cardboard sign on it.

    One said "You went and did it!"

    The other said "You hired the HIT MAKER!"

    i think the sign reads "you done hired the hitmaker" also a sign that read "did it again...the little old hitmaker!"

    you can sort of see it on the cover of purdie good.

  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts
    "Apparently Bernard Purdie was a f*cking monster on that session too, straight killing it. "

    There has been a story circluting for years that Purdie showed up for this gig with two easels that he would set up on either side of his kit. Each had a cardboard sign on it.

    One said "You went and did it!"

    The other said "You hired the HIT MAKER!"

    i think the sign reads "you done hired the hitmaker" also a sign that read "did it again...the little old hitmaker!"

    you can sort of see it on the cover of purdie good.


    Hahaha i never noticed that.
  • jleejlee 1,539 Posts
    just wanted to cosign this thread. awesomeness abounds.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    I was interviewing Joe Bataan again for the liner notes to "Singin Some Soul" and he was telling Purdie was hired to play drums on the album and basically motioned Joe to come over and asked him, "You want a hit, kid?" and then proceeded to give him a drum lesson on the best backbeat for the kind of music they were going to record.
  • jaymackjaymack 5,199 Posts
    i hope youve all seen the AJA CLASSIC ALBUMS episode.
    donald fagan rapping LT and Peter Gunz over Black Cow
  • phongonephongone 1,652 Posts
    damn, MOAR MICHAEL MCDONALD AND BERNARD PURDIE ANECDOTES PUHLEEZ.
  • jaymackjaymack 5,199 Posts
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