By Michael Senft
The Arizona Republic
Whether you’re a fan of classic rock or smooth jazz, Tuesday’s concert featuring Michael McDonald and Steely Dan is a perfect match.
Both dominated the charts in the ’70s — Dan with such exquisite studio creations as Josie and FM, McDonald with the breezy California anthems of the Doobie Brothers, including Takin’ It to the Streets. And today both bands are staples on smooth-jazz radio — Dan thanks to its 1990s revival and McDonald with his soulful interpretations of Motown classics.
But Steely Dan, the duo of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, and McDonald have a much longer musical relationship. Before joining the Doobies, McDonald got his break in the music biz as a member of Dan, starting with the band’s 1974 tour on which he sang and played keyboards.
“The band was going on the road and they were looking for people to kind of sing background and play some keyboards,” McDonald says recently. “I never was much of a keyboard player, but I could sing all the high parts in my natural voice, so that got Donald’s attention and Walter’s attention.”
Becker picks up the story.
“We were trying to recreate some of our things that we did on record,” he says. “And even though he could sing those very high parts in his natural voice, he had a very strong midregister sort of range, too, and a real style, a very powerful singer. So, we immediately started to have Mike do some of the leads and other stuff — sing parts of our songs that were perfectly suited for him. Mike showing up just gave us a whole other direction to go in.”
That 1974 tour, however, would be Steely Dan’s last for 18 years as Becker and Fagen retired from road work until a 1992 reunion.
“Donald and I decided that we didn’t want to tour anymore because of the fact that we really wanted to write songs and make records,” Becker says. “Touring was fun in some ways, but it was a lot of wear and tear, and it took a lot of energy away from recording.”
Dan became a studio machine, crafting such meticulous LPs as The Royal Scam and Aja. McDonald was still present — his distinctive, keening background vocals can be heard on numerous Dan hits, including Peg, Time Out of Mind and Bad Sneakers. But by 1977, he was a full-fledged Doobie Brother, and by 1982, a solo superstar.
“The Doobie Brothers gig came about from another alumnus of the Steely Dan (era),” McDonald says. “(Dan guitarist) Jeff Baxter had been touring with the Doobies. And then, one of the other guys took ill … had to go on a hiatus for a while, Tommy Johnston.
“And so they called me to fill in, really, for him for the time being. And one thing led to another and I wound up staying with the band over the years.”
McDonald, Fagen and Becker did some live work in the early ’90s at Fagen’s New York Rock ‘n Soul Revues, which featured McDonald and others singing soul classics and the occasional Dan tune. McDonald and Fagen also appeared at a tribute concert for deceased Toto (and Steely Dan) drummer Jeff Porcaro, but the current tour marks the first time that McDonald has hit the road with Dan since 1974.
The details are still being worked out, but Becker promises that in addition to separate sets, Steely Dan and McDonald will definitely be rekindling their musical relationship onstage.
“It’s going to evolve organically,” he says. “Prospectively, I would say that there are certain songs that Mike played onstage with us back in the ’70s and recorded on as well… Those are strong contenders for his participation. But really, you know, I think it’s up to Mike. But it’s such a natural collaboration, it seems to me.”
McDonald agrees.
“We hadn’t done a lot of pre-planning on that part of it. I think in most cases with most bands that tour together it’s really what, you know, kind of happens naturally that works the best.”
From Arizona Republic, July 16, 2006
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