Becker and Fagen used at least 42 different studio musicians, 11 engineers, and took over a year to record the tracks that resulted in 1980's Gaucho — an album that contains only seven songs.
I didn't know that.
Have you seen The Making of Peg. On it, one of the session men comments on that subject.
Becker and Fagen used at least 42 different studio musicians, 11 engineers, and took over a year to record the tracks that resulted in 1980’s Gaucho — an album that contains only seven songs.
Gadd has played for just about everyone big, for decades. I just learned (from my drum teacher) that Gadd was called on by the guy who created The Hustle. He invented the now-classic rock/disco groove pattern of 16ths on the high-hat, with 2 and 4 on the snare (for the non-musical: “chicka chicka BANG-a chicka, chicka chicka BANG-a chicka”).
His Aja solo (actually the whole piece) is sublime. I understand that he recorded a bunch of takes (like most Fagen and Becker productions) but he first take is the one we hear. He also was quite a substance user at the time, and had a little bourbon to take the edge off the coke.