Aja (the song) recorded on first take?!

[Jack Dharma]

I just listened to an interview that said they recorded the song Aja
on the first try! Due to the fact the players are well trained sight
readers apparently made it possible I guess. That reminds me of what
I have heard about Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue" (Also recorded on the
first take).

Wow, the chord progressions are not for the faint of heart!

I'm imagining that certain parts we're overdubbed later, for example,
Walter Becker's "jazzy" guitar solo (angular banjos!). Also, the
harmonized guitars that precedes. Does anyone know if the vocals
we're actually sung while the first take was recorded?

I can imagine the studio musicians just jamming out the essentials
with the guitar riffs and vocals added later.

Jack

BTW: "Kid Charlamagne" outtro is totally funky: FMaj7 Em7 Dm7 CMaj7
Em7. I think Larry Carlton's solo here is actually better than the
one after the second verse!!!

[Howard]

I think it's true that the basic rhythm track was recorded in a very
small number of takes. But - without a doubt, much of what you hear on
the final track (guitar and sax solos, all the vocals, percussion,
brass etc) would have been overdubbed.

I think most of Steve Gadd's drum solo was done in the first one or
two takes - which is pretty incredible. I've heard the story told that
some of the other rhythm players on those first sessions were so
knocked out by Steve's playing, that they couldn't concentrate
properly on their own parts and made a few mistakes. A few more takes
had to be done so they could get their parts done properly.

My guess is that the basic rhythm track (drums, bass, rhythm guitar
and some of the keyboards) is probably a composite of the first 3 or 4
takes they did. Everything else was then overdubbed.

Howard

gcl...@netzero.net (Jack Dharma) wrote in message news:<cab5111d.02031...@posting.google.com>...

[Don Bailey]

Jack Dharma" <gcl...@netzero.net> wrote in message
news:cab5111d.02031...@posting.google.com...

Don't think so...

Too bad it was left off of the "Making of Aja" DVD.

I think Steve Gadd's drum solo was done in one take. (or two)
I KNOW that Donald worked with Wayne Shorter for several hours
on his solo.

db

[Steve2000indeja]

>I think most of Steve Gadd's drum solo was done in the first one or
>two takes - which is pretty incredible. I've heard the story told that
>some of the other rhythm players on those first sessions were so
>knocked out by Steve's playing, that they couldn't concentrate
>properly on their own parts and made a few mistakes. A few more takes
>had to be done so they could get their parts done properly.
>
>My guess is that the basic rhythm track (drums, bass, rhythm guitar
>and some of the keyboards) is probably a composite of the first 3 or 4
>takes they did. Everything else was then overdubbed.
>
>Howard

A lot of 70s (and 80s) 'basics' sessions started with trying to get a great
take which would become a 'keeper' basic track to build the song on through
overdubs.

It was not uncommon for Everyone to redo their part, including the bass.
Sometimes the drums were the only thing kept 'original' from the keeper take.

I've read that the Aja take they used for the keeper was the first or second
take, mainly because of Gadd's spontaneous, brilliant solo.

With the quality of musicians Steely Dan used for their Aja sessions, perhaps
more than just the drums were kept from that early sweet take.

Also, Larry Carlton is credited with 'rhythm arrangements on Aja. He's said
basically it was his job to take Don and Walt's musical complex musical ideas,
maybe chord voicings and chart/translate them so the session cats could read
them, get the idea and get on with it fairly quickly.

Not that they didn't do Lots of takes with many different rhythms sections on
other songs.

And, sure - the drums, bass and maybe a keyboard - the other instruments on the
basic keeper take were probably 'scratch' (redone) and lots of layers of other
instruments: harmony guitars, keyboards and horns -maybe not even thought of at
the time of the basic- would be overdubbed later.

As for the question of Don Fagen's lead vocal being a 'first take' or sang
along with the band... Fagen doesn't strike me as that kind of singer.

I could be wrong

I've always envisioned Don and Walt mainly in the control room watching their
roomful of golden session players translate their compositions into the magic
that is "Aja" - the song and album. Royal Scam too.

If you read the recent Jay Graydon interview in the Dandom Digest, you get a
feeling of who were the real producers on the Steely Dan sessions.

Gary Katz handled scheduling and the business end of cutting the records.
Liaison with the labels etc.

The Guys handled the music. Roger recorded it.

Steve

[Greg]

"Don Bailey" <d0n...@netzero.net> wrote in message news:a6nvp9$fm5ls$1@ID-

> I KNOW that Donald worked with Wayne Shorter for several hours
> on his solo.
>

I'm sure I heard that Shorter had requested a tape of the song prior to
going into the session, and that what we hear on the album was take #
1.Although Wayne apparently stayed to record lots of alternate takes, they
ended up using the first...

Greg