--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Originally, we had a band known as Steely…" description: "\"Originally, we had a band known as Steely Dan. As we moved away from the band, we got whoever was appropriate for specific tunes. In a lot of cases, we..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d82/walter-becker-8870_band_originally-we-had-a-band-known-as-steely_2780226.jpg" --- # Originally, we had a band known as Steely Dan. As we moved… ![“Originally, we had a band known as Steely Dan. As we moved away from the band, we got whoever was appropriate for specific tunes. In a lot of cases, we gravitated toward jazz players who had more sophisticated harmonic concepts.” quote by Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d82/walter-becker-8870_band_originally-we-had-a-band-known-as-steely_2780226.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d82/walter-becker-8870_band_originally-we-had-a-band-known-as-steely_2780226.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d82/walter-becker-8870_band_originally-we-had-a-band-known-as-steely_2780226.jpg) > “Originally, we had a band known as Steely Dan. As we moved away from the band, we got whoever was appropriate for specific tunes. In a lot of cases, we gravitated toward jazz players who had more sophisticated harmonic concepts.” [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The band evolved by selecting musicians whose sophisticated harmonic skills matched each song’s needs, highlighting intentional artistic collaboration. **In simple terms:** Choose collaborators for fit, not just fame. Key Takeaway Select musicians based on song requirements. Themes collaboration musicality artistic intent genre adaptation harmony Mood analytical creative Type musical professional When to use this quote - recording sessions - live performances - arrangements Key Concepts music theory band dynamics creative process Questions to Reflect On - How do you match talent to project? - What defines “appropriate” for a tune? A Different Perspective May undervalue chemistry. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Jazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jazz/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [My primary influences were the best jazz players from the 50's and 60's and later some of the pop people from the same time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/my-primary-influences-were-the-best-jazz-players-from-the-50-s-and-60/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [In the '70s... there were rock players, and there were jazz players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/in-the-70s-there-were-rock-players-and-there-were-jazz-players/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [I think the challenges for me was to go into the studio with these incredible jazz players and come up to their level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-coolidge/i-think-the-challenges-for-me-was-to-go-into-the-studio-with-these/) [Rita Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-coolidge/) > [ I like musicians who look at the public. You have to bring the music to the largest number. Otherwise, we'll \[the Jazz players\] stay… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-bridgewater/i-like-musicians-who-look-at-the-public-you-have-to-bring-the-music/) Dee Dee Bridgewater > [Back in the day in my teens I was listening to Joe Pass and Wes Montgomery a lot; before that I was listening to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-carlton/back-in-the-day-in-my-teens-i-was-listening-to-joe-pass-and-wes/) [Larry Carlton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-carlton/) > [My own Brubeck Institute in California is turning out fantastic young jazz players, and I know great things will happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-brubeck/my-own-brubeck-institute-in-california-is-turning-out-fantastic-young/) [Dave Brubeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-brubeck/) > [I think that drummers have come a long way, but they haven't forgotten players like Gene Krupa, or the other jazz players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ward/i-think-that-drummers-have-come-a-long-way-but-they-haven-t-forgotten/) [Bill Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ward/) > [Most of the time when people say something sounds like Steely Dan, and I listen to it, it doesn't. And I'm not even sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/most-of-the-time-when-people-say-something-sounds-like-steely-dan-and/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [All the classic jazz players all sang and a lot of 'em sang blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/all-the-classic-jazz-players-all-sang-and-a-lot-of-em-sang-blues/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [Most jazz players work out their solos, at least to the extent that they have a very specific vocabulary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-konitz/most-jazz-players-work-out-their-solos-at-least-to-the-extent-that/) [Lee Konitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-konitz/) > [As a kid, I used to go see all the jazz players, Oscar Peterson, Stan Kenton, Dave Brubeck, Dizzy Gillespe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-coleman/as-a-kid-i-used-to-go-see-all-the-jazz-players-oscar-peterson-stan/) [Jim Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-coleman/) > [My style is a little quirky. I can't play as fast as most professional jazz players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fagen/my-style-is-a-little-quirky-i-can-t-play-as-fast-as-most-professional/) [Donald Fagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fagen/) > [My main influences have always been the classic jazz players who sang, like Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole and Jack Teagarden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/my-main-influences-have-always-been-the-classic-jazz-players-who-sang/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [But the truth is that L.A. was never entirely real anyway, as Steely Dan, Randy Newman, Warren Zevon, Larry David and Alan Ball all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-hoskyns/but-the-truth-is-that-l-a-was-never-entirely-real-anyway-as-steely/) [Barney Hoskyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-hoskyns/) > [My dad used to love Steely Dan, the Stones, Jethro Tull and all that. There was always Steely Dan going in my dad's car,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/my-dad-used-to-love-steely-dan-the-stones-jethro-tull-and-all-that/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) ## More by Walter Becker > [Cynicism, I contend, is the wailing of someone who believes that things are, or should be, or could be, much, much better than they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/cynicism-i-contend-is-the-wailing-of-someone-who-believes-that-things/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [If it feels like we're re-creating something rather than creating something, we don't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/if-it-feels-like-we-re-re-creating-something-rather-than-creating/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [There's a great freedom in writing by yourself. You can write anything you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/there-s-a-great-freedom-in-writing-by-yourself-you-can-write-anything/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [Most of our songs are about relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/most-of-our-songs-are-about-relationships/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [That's sort of what we wanted to do: conquer from the margins, sort of find our place in the middle based on the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/that-s-sort-of-what-we-wanted-to-do-conquer-from-the-margins-sort-of/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [You have a kid, and it's like, 'He's gotta go to college! Gotta have some clothes!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/you-have-a-kid-and-it-s-like-he-s-gotta-go-to-college-gotta-have-some/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [I think what television and video games do is reminiscent of drug addiction. There's a measure of reinforcement and a behavioural loop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/i-think-what-television-and-video-games-do-is-reminiscent-of-drug/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [I guess actually playing on the records and touring is a great forced practice regimen for me. And you learn a lot playing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/i-guess-actually-playing-on-the-records-and-touring-is-a-great-forced/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [We are constantly competing with the monsters from the id.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/we-are-constantly-competing-with-the-monsters-from-the-id/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [I love guys like Charlie Parker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/i-love-guys-like-charlie-parker/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > ['Deacon Blues' was special for me. It's the only time I remember mixing a record all day and, when the mix was done, feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/deacon-blues-was-special-for-me-it-s-the-only-time-i-remember-mixing/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [It seemed like the more complex the music we were playing, the less able we were to guarantee its consistency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/it-seemed-like-the-more-complex-the-music-we-were-playing-the-less/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [Our career had a sort of funny shape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/our-career-had-a-sort-of-funny-shape/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [I think that there's the self-imposed pressure to come up with something that's good. For guys like us, that's much more important than any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/i-think-that-there-s-the-self-imposed-pressure-to-come-up-with/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [I can never believe how much time and energy and money and talent and everything else is being poured into horrible ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/i-can-never-believe-how-much-time-and-energy-and-money-and-talent-and/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) [Explore all 77 Walter Becker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. And we were always trying to get ahead, trying to rehearse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerosmith/i-d-been-playing-in-bands-for-something-like-seven-years-at-this/) [Aerosmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerosmith/) > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) Browse all 6,497 Band quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Originally, we had a band known as Steely Dan. As we moved away from the band, we got whoever was appropriate for specific tunes. 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