Chevy Chase, Fagen, Becker ... and Chamaeleon Church

It's no secret that TV- and film comedian Chevy Chase played in a band with Donald Fagen and Walter Becker before they went on to form Steely Dan. It was one of many constellations in those college days.
Now and then Chevy - who plays drums and keyboards - is asked about those time in interviews. And today we came across a new one in dailycamera mainly about Chevy's involvement in The Boulder International Film Festival. But he does get one question about the old music days:

Camera As a longtime Steely Dan fan, I have to ask about this story I've heard for years that you played drums in an early version of that band.

CC Yeah. We were together in college. I miss all that fun we had. We didn't call ourselves Steely Dan; we weren't ready for that. We were more into the jazz idiom. I was a drummer at the time and I really wanted to learn piano better and that's really what I concentrated on and one of the reasons I didn't really continue with them. It wasn't like they asked me to be part of Steely Dan -- by then I was doing other things. But we had fun and I just think they're terrific. I think they're a real great American band.

If they had wanted to continue talking music they could perhaps have gone on to the group Chamaeleon Church, where Chevy was a member for the single album that the group recorded and released in 1968. A bit pop and a bit progressive.

On the album Chevy sings lead vocals on one song; Here's A Song, and we've added that to the Radio Dupree playlist together with another song from the album.

And here's yet another one we found on YouTube!

Zappa Plays Zappa enters world tour

Dweezil Zappa brings the Zappa Plays Zappa band on a world tour this year.
It starts off with some North American dates in February and March. Then it's off to Japan and Australia in April. The extensive European tour leg is planned for May and June, (including Vilnius!). Two concerts are planned in Sweden. See zappa.com for more information.

Elvis Costello covering "Show Biz Kids"

Two minutes of the song opened the latest episode of Spectacle. Here's the video:

And if it should disappear before you get a chance to see it PopMatters described Elvis' version of the Steely Dan song thusly:

Still, none of these performances can touch Costello’s opening run through Steely Dan’s “Show Biz Kids”—as Pete Thomas and his daughter Tennessee provide a double-thunder backbeat, Costello lays down a dirty fuzz-wah guitar solo and impassioned vocal, lifting the song up to a primal pedestal.

Lumpy Money here at last

Got it today! The packet got delayed in the customs. Cost me about $20 extra! With the overseas postage fee this makes a ridiculously expensive album. ...but now we have it, and a couple of tracks are already spinning on Radio Dupree.
Did I say that the package is superb, and the music...Worth waiting for!
/Siggy, the Duprees

Donald Fagen dishes it out

In what has become a bit of a tradition, journalists writing sub-par articles involving half-assed swings at Steely Dan or Donald Fagen end up dead over on donaldfagen.com.

The latest casualty is Craig Hlavaty writing for the Houston Press. Leading up to the Grammys he wrote an article last week titled Moments the Grammy Awards Would Rather Forget that included the sentences:

The Grammys always seem to be about five years behind pop culture, which in the past has been blamed on an aging voting pool. It's kind of hard to get a 65-year-old retired music executive to recognize Radiohead for Kid A when Steely Dan is also nominated. Hell, that suit probably did a country mile of coke with Donald Fagen backstage at the L.A. Forum in 1978.

Full article here.

Clicking the link Trivia Expert Deceased over on donaldfagen.com will bring you to a short text where a Craig Hlavaty meets his maker during a somewhat unusual tattoo episode.

Sundance Channel "Showbiz Kids" reminder

Just a reminder that Wednesday 11 you can catch Elvis Costello and guests doing Steely Dan's Showbiz Kids.

Wednesday, February 11th at 9:00pm
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with She & Him, Jenny Lewis, Jakob Dylan" - Elvis welcomes indie duo She & Him, comprised of actress Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, singer-songwriter Lewis; and singer-songwriter Dylan.

We do like that the Honda ad happens to spell out whatwe think
of geo-restricted sites on the Internet: FAIL!!!

Since the Internet has "evolved" the way it has we're happy to report that Sundance Channel's site is one of those loveable sites that throws up a "you're not welcome here"-sign in your face when you try to access stuff. That way of doing it reflects badly on all involved - all the way up to Robert Redford himself.

And if you should read this and be part of the Sundance machinery; please stop at once! We do not give you the right to read what we've created here. Why? Just because you live someplace else, that's why. Now, go back and get this copyright madness sorted. We're all on the same planet. OK?

If anyone catch the show and the opening performance of Showbiz Kids, please let us know how it sounded. We'll probably find it somewhere on the Internet eventually, where the lawyers and suits aren't looking.

Waiting for Lumpy Money

Here we go again...The painful waiting for some very special packet to arrive in the mail. This time it is Lumpy Money, the new three cd release from the Zappa Family Trust.
The idea was to rip the music into the computer and play it on Radio Dupree as Album of the Month, but I'm afraid you will have to wait a little more. The mail man seem to deliver either crap or...nothing at all. Today there was only some advertisement garbage and a little snow in the mail box. Been waiting for almost three weeks now. Other fans seem to have received their orders already. But it probably takes much longer time to ship to a distant place as Scandinavia.
So this is what you have to go through when you are one of those persons who say "Hell, no. I won't download this music, and I certainly won't download it in an illegal way. I'll pay some good money to get the real good sounding thing with artwork and all, and by doing so I will support Gail Zappa to put out things like this and Buffalo and Wazoo..."
Well, listeners, what can I say but "Hang in there!"
//Siggy, Radio Dupree office

Steely Dan 2009 tour? Part 2

We wrote about it in January; the signs that Steely Dan might be considering touring again in 2009, perhaps taking the show on the road to Europe once again.

Nothing is official but we can't help but to keep connecting the dots.

Yesterday kdc wrote a comment to our January 14 post:

Well, the Umbria Jazz website did publicise Steely Dan in Perugia for July 2009... but I've just checked again and they have been removed! What does that say?

We went to http://www.umbriajazz.com and all we could see were Burt Bacharach, Paolo Conte, James Taylor and Simply Red. No sign of Steely Dan.

But we did find a discussion forum where the Umbria Jazz festival and James Taylor is discussed. They also have a link to a press release about the just finished Umbria Jazz Winter festival. Using our non-existant Italian we can still deduct from the final paragraph of the press release that at least Umbria Jazz and Steely Dan must have been in discussions:

Translated it roughly says: See you in Perugia for Umbria Jazz 09 July 10 - 19. Some of the artists featured are Burt Bacharach, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Paolo Conte, Simply Red.

The plot thickens...

P.S. Thanks to kdc for the original info!

Larry Carlton on tour in Europe

Legendary guitarist Larry Carlton is touring Europe this month. Here are the dates:

8 Boerderij Zoetermeer Netherlands
10 Colos-Saal Aschaffenburg Germany
11 Festhalle Viersen Viersen Germany

12 Fabrik­ Hamburg Germany
13 Jazz Oase Siegen Siegen Germany
14 Casino Basel Switzerland

15 Kammgarn Kaiserslautern Germany
16 Spirit Of 66 Limbourg Belgium
17 Atelier Luxembourg Luxemburg

18 Hotel Bayerischer Hof Munich Germany
19 New Age Club Treviso Italy
21 Teatro Comunale (Reggio Emilia) Boretto Italy

23 Palermo Teatro Metropolitan Catania Italy (Sicily)
24 Teatro Metropolitan Catania Palermo Italy (Sicily)
25 Blue Note Milan Italy

26 Blue Note Milan Italy
27 Jazz Festival Grenoble France
29 Jazz Cafe London UK

31 Pacific Road Arts Centre Birkenhead, Wirral UK

April:
2 Auditorio de Tenerife, TENERIFE Spain
3 Paraninfo de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Spain

Yes to Henry!

Way back in time - that's 1972 - Rick Wakeman recorded the album The Six Wives Of Henry The VIII. A prog classic released 1973.
37 years ago Rick Wakeman also tried to perform the music from the album at Hampton Court, residency of Henry VIII. But to no avail. He didn't get the neccesary permissions.

That is; until now. It's 500 years since Henry VIII became king, and May 1 the full album will be performed at Hampton Court. According to an article in Times Online it will be a "mock-rock Tudor experience with Wakeman clad in a cape and surrounded by his customary rack of 20 keyboards. There will be a choir, a full orchestra, a company of ballet dancers and several other “surprises”.

Enough to bring newly retired drummer Bill Bruford, who played on the original album, out of retirement?

The Cramps lead singer Lux Interior dead

Official statement:

For Immediate Release:

February 4, 2009

Lux Interior, lead singer of The Cramps, passed away this morning due to an existing heart condition at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California at 4:30 AM PST today. Lux has been an inspiration and influence to millions of artists and fans around the world. He and wife Poison Ivy’s contributions with The Cramps have had an immeasurable impact on modern music.

The Cramps emerged from the original New York punk scene of CBGB and Max’s Kansas City, with a singular sound and iconography. Their distinct take on rockabilly and surf along with their midnight movie imagery reminded us all just how exciting, dangerous, vital and sexy rock and roll should be and has spawned entire subcultures. Lux was a fearless frontman who transformed every stage he stepped on into a place of passion, abandon, and true freedom. He is a rare icon who will be missed dearly.

The family requests that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.

Official homepage * The Cramps on Wikipedia

Radio Dupree Top 20 - February 2009

1. (-) Steve Morse - Bodhisattva
The Royal Dan: A Tribute

2. (-) Steely Dan - Chain Lightning
Katy Lied

3. (14) Domenic Troiano - Eleanora Fagan
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection

4. (-) George Duke - Funny Funk
My Soul - The Complete MPS Fusion Recordings

5. (-) Frank Zappa - Heavenly Bank Account
You Are What You Is

6. (4) Donald Fagen - Mary Shut The Garden Door
Morph The Cat

7. (1) Steely Dan - King Of The World
Countdown To Ecstasy

8. (-) Pink Floyd - Sheep
Animals

9. (16) The Rotary Connection - Peace At Last
Peace

10. (3) Walter Becker - Upside Looking Down
Circus Money

11. (11) Yes - Harold Land - Yes
12. (-) David Bowie - Repetition - Lodger
13. (-) The Jimi Hendrix Experience - May This Be Love - Are You Experienced
14. (15) The Beatles - Wait - Rubber Soul
15. (2) Walter Becker - Three Picture Deal - Circus Money
16. (-) Genesis - Mad Man Moon - A Trick Of The Tail
17. (-) Warren Zevon - Detox Mansion - Genius - The Best Of Warren Zevon
18. (-) Frank Zappa - San Ber'dino - Baby Snakes DVD
19. (-) David Byrne and Brian Eno - I Feel My Stuff - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
20. (18) Atomic Rooster - S.L.Y. - Atomic Ro-o-ster
-------------------------------------------------------
Chart compiled by listeners voting on the songs they hear on Radio Dupree

In May it will be three years old; The Royal Dan: A Tribute. The CD where a number of guitarists deliver instrumenatl versions of Steely Dan songs. Dan Castellana's take on Bodhisattva is our number 1 this month, but it's just one of many Dan-related songs that made the Top 20.

A surprising no-show was our Album of the Month; Joni Mitchell's Court And Spark. We had expected at least one song on the chart, but there you go.

This is also the first month we have more than one, two or maybe three songs surviving from last mont's chart. As you can see half of the 20 were on last month's chart as well. We expect things will be back to normal again in March with one or two of the above staying around for another chart.

Pop shock: Tom Jones natural hair colour official!

Tom Jones a few decades apart. Same hair colur though.

He's been around since the 60's, and so has his hair colour. Tom Jones hit he big time with It's Not Unusual in 1965 and a string of hits followed.

Always the hunk wooing the women with ample displays of chest hair and getting those knickers thrown on stage in return, Tom has managed to stick around selling out shows and having the occasional successful record into the 21 Century.

By the looks of it the 68 year old singer has decided that his natural hair colour is good enough these days and paraded a grey-haired look at an awards show in Poland. Click here for the pictorial evidence!

OK. So what's this? The Radio Dupree blog going celebrity gossip? No, don't worry. It's just that it's nice to see an artist that has realised that maybe it's not the looks that has kept him around, and that looking your age may be a good thing.

And whatever you think of the music he makes you have to agree that Tom Jones has a great voice. And here's the proof:

Mizar6 2009

One of our friends in cyberspace has moved house. At least the address has changed and Gina is busy reconstructing Mizar6. Looking better than ever here:

http://www.writingaffairs.com/blog/mizar6/

Just wait til we get our hands on Lumpy Money...

It's a new month and we were planning to have the most recent Zappa Family Trust release Lumpy Money as Album of the Month. And we will, as soon as it appears in the mailbox.
Lumpy Money is a three CD set with two mixes each of the 60's albums We're Only In It For The Money (by Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention) and Lumpy Gravy (Zappa's first solo album).
* Disc one includes Zappa's original 22 minutes long orchestral edit of Lumpy Gravy made for Capitol Records, in mono. It also includes a mono 1967 mix of We're Only In It For The Money.
* Disc two features two 80's mixes of the Lumpy and Money albums.
* Disc three: extra material as studio outtakes and interview snippets.