Steely Dan are iconic Rock And Roll Hall artists who have been a soundtrack of a generation. You definitely know them, or have heard one of their famous songs like “Reelin in the Years.”
Fans of the group know that the band consisted primarily of Walter Becker who passed away in 2017, playing guitar, bass and providing backing vocals along with lead singer Donald Fagan who also played the keyboard for their songs. After 1974, the band stopped touring to become a studio-only group until reuniting to tour starting in 1993.
They’ve been called “the perfect musical antiheroes of the 70s” by Rolling Stone Magazine, and were pioneers when it came to mixing genres in new and exciting ways. Depending on who you ask, Steely Dan were Jazz, Latin Rock, R&B, Blues and Punk (okay actually, probably not punk).
They disbanded in 1981 and reunited for their 1993 tour, though they’ve had many changes in their lineup during the years. In fact, there’ve been so many members and touring members of Steely Dan that the topic has its very own dedicated Wikipedia page.
While he’s not listed on that page, Steely Dan almost had a member that many people, including most fans, could never guess.
Their drummer was almost Chevy Chase.
While studying acting at Bard College, Chase met Becker and Fagan and struck up a friendship. He eventually joined the duo for the band “The Leather Canary” – described with some mix of derision and amusement as a “bad jazz band.”
Chase had perfect pitch and rhythm, and was a talented keyboardist and drummer. Take it from Fagan himself, who has said “ We went to college with Chevy and before we ever thought of the idea of Steely Dan we used to do pickup dates with Chevy on drums. He was a very good drummer.”
To be fair, Chase, while famous for his ego (we could write an entire article about the fight he had with Bill Murray shortly before hosting Saturday Night Live, a fun television show trivia question), he apparently didn’t think he was as good of a drummer as Fagan said, leaving the band saying they would be better off finding another drummer.
This man shouting “You’re a Medium Talent” to Chevy Chase remains an all-time brutal insult.
Quick Trivia Question Time:
Q: How many seasons was Chevy Chase on the cast of Saturday Night Live?
A: 1 (he left to pursue his film career)
Chase continued to chase (sorry) his dreams with a brief stint with the psychedelic rock band “Chameleon Church” but eventually found his destiny in comedy, becoming a superstar as one of the original players of Saturday Night Live.
Of course, Chevy Chase became an iconic (if somewhat problematic) comedian with massive success in both television and film. From Fletch to his National Lampoon films, he’s been in films that have grossed over $1.3 billion, and more recently has been in critically lauded television shows like Community and Chuck.
He also went on to win three Emmy Awards (two for his work on SNL and one for his writing on The Paul Simon Special.
Steely Dan, on the other hand, managed to find success on their own as well. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall-of-Fame in 2001, and have sold over 40 million albums throughout a decades-long career, inspiring dozens, if not hundreds, of genre-banding bands throughout the years, and are even being talked about now, with books like Quantum Criminals discussing the impact they had on the music scene.
Now sure, their initial run lasted only ten years, from 1971 until their breakup in 1981, with Becker moving to Maui to get sober and make his living farming avocados (he’s not the only artist in this series that will find a side-hustle in the farming industry to great success). When they reformed, their most recent tour involved a (modified) band opening for The Eagles for their final tour.
Actually, that’s a good reason for a quick music trivia question!
Q: Michael Jackson’s Thriller is the second highest selling album in the United States of all time, going platinum 34X. Going platinum 38X, what album is the highest selling United States album in history?
While Chase and Steely Dan never ended making sweet music together, it feels like they both ended pretty successful respectively.
Guess things worked out in the end.
Possible future trivia questions you might encounter at your next Whaddayaknow? Event:
Q: The name “Steely Dan” was taken from an item featured in a controversial novel. The novel was released in 1959 by William S. Burroughs and was subject to a landmark censorship case. Name the novel.
A: Naked Lunch
Q: This children’s animated show, which debuted in 1999, included a Steely Dan in their season 7 episode “A Day Without Tears” and had a Steely Dan reference with a song played by “Eely Dan.” Name the show.
A: Spongebob Squarepants
Q: In 1993, Chevy Chase launched his own late night talk show, which was cancelled after only 15 episodes. On what broadcast network did the show air?
A: Fox
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Jeff GoodSmith is the Lead Content Strategist for Whaddayaknow? He’s hosted trivia events across Chicago for the past ten years, leading over 1,000 events at 70+ bars and dozens of private events.
As the content lead for Whaddayaknow? Jeff helps share stories that celebrate the joy and excitement of trivia. Apart from keeping patrons informed on the latest W? upcoming events and special occasions, he uses his passion for storytelling to write content that is engaging for trivia lovers and the trivia curious alike.
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