Gaucho (album) Studio album by Steely Dan Released November 21, 1980 Recorded 1978-1980 at Soundworks, A & R Studios, Sigma Sound Studios, Automated Sound Studios, NYC; Village Recorders, West LA Genre Jazz rock Length 37:58 Label MCA
Gaucho is the seventh studio album by the American Jazz rock band Steely Dan, released in 1980. The sessions for Gaucho represented the peak of Steely Dan's recording studio perfectionism and obsessive recording technique. To record the album, the band used at least 42 different musicians, spent over a year in the studio, and far exceeded the original monetary advance given to the band by their record label
During the two-year span in which the album was recorded, the band was plagued by a number of creative, personal and professional problems.[4] MCA, Warner Bros. and Steely Dan had a three-way legal battle over the rights to release the album. After it was released, jazz musician Keith Jarrett successfully sued the band for writing credit on the title song "Gaucho".
According to Ken Micaleff in an article in Modern Drummer, the title song's drum track was assembled from 46 different takes. The drummer on the session, Jeff Porcaro, is quoted as saying:
Gaucho won the 1981 Grammy Award for Best Non-Classical Engineered Recording. Track listing
All songs written by Becker and Fagen, except where noted Side one
"Gaucho" (Becker/Fagen/Jarrett) – 5:32 "Time Out of Mind" – 4:14 "My Rival" – 4:34 "Third World Man" – 5:13
Personnel
Walter Becker - bass, guitar Donald Fagen - organ, synthesizer, keyboards, electric piano, vocals Anthony Jackson - bass Chuck Rainey - bass Don Grolnick - keyboards, electric piano, clavinet Rob Mounsey - synthesizer, piano Pat Rebillot - keyboards, electric piano Joe Sample - electric piano Hiram Bullock - guitar Larry Carlton - guitar Rick Derringer - guitar Steve Khan - acoustic guitar, electric guitar Mark Knopfler - lead guitar on "Time out of Mind" Hugh McCracken - guitar Wayne Andre - trombone Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone, vocals Randy Brecker - trumpet, flugelhorn Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone Walter Kane - bass clarinet George Marge - bass clarinet David Sanborn - alto saxophone, vocals David Tofani - tenor saxophone, vocal Steve Gadd - percussion, drums Rick Marotta - drums Robbie Buchanan - piano, synthesizers and vocals Jeff Porcaro - percussion, drums Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - drums Crusher Bennett - percussion Victor Feldman - percussion, keyboards Ralph MacDonald - percussion Nicky Marrero - percussion, timbales, vocals Patti Austin - vocals, background vocals Frank Floyd - background vocals Diva Gray - vocals, background vocals Gordon Grody - vocals, background vocals Lani Groves - vocals, background vocals Michael McDonald - vocals, background vocals Leslie Miller - vocals, background vocals Jennifer James - vocals, background vocals Zachary Sanders - vocals, background vocals Valerie Simpson - vocals, background vocals Toni Wine - vocals, background vocals
Production
Producers: Gary Katz Executive producers: Paul Bishow, Roger Nichols Executive engineer: Roger Nichols Assistant engineers: John "Doc" Daugherty, Gerry Gabinelli, Craig Goetsch, Tom Greto, Barbara Isaak, Georgia Offrell, John Potoker, Linda Randazzo, Marti Robertson, Carla Bandini Production coordination: Jeff Fura, Margaret Goldfarb, Shannon Steckloff Mixing: Elliot Scheiner Mix down: Elliot S