Steely Dan: cassettes of missing track "Second Arrangement" found

LOST STEELY DAN ‘SECOND ARRANGEMENT’ TAPES FOUND

In a new Facebook post, his daughter Cimcie (of engineer Roger Nichols) shared a picture of a compact cassette labeled “Second Arr,” and explained that "three work tapes left the recording studio the night before the infamous Steely Dan ‘Second Arrangement’ deletion. We’ve never played it. Probably smart to play and transfer at the same time. What should we do with it?”

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/steely-dan-lost-second-arrangement-tapes/

 

Yes, what should they do with it?

Give it to me, that’s what! Or, how about...Mofi, release the entire Steely Dan oeuvre in a box, with one bonus lp. Or even just Gaucho with a bonus 45 of FM b/w Second Arrangement.

Something!

 

I’m not a lawyer but, assuming the song is copyrighted, wouldn’t Donald Fagen and the estate of Walter Becker (or whoever the copyright holders of the song are) be the ones to decide how to proceed, at least legally?

 

I don't care what they do with it as long as we get to hear it.

 

If Fagen is the one pulling the strings I wouldn’t bet on that happening.

 

Have Fagen and the Becker estate settled their legal differences?

 

They should take it to @jamiehowarth at Plangent. He’s done some amazing things with cassettes.

 

Thanks - We would love a shot at this and feel we are uniquely qualified- our techniques for cassette are advanced. I knew Roger pretty well - our first great review was an article he wrote up in Sound on Sound which i’m forever grateful, Awesome guy, Hoping his daughter finds us.

 

Any news about the cassette? Does it contain Second Arrangement? Has it been transferred to digital? Will it be released?

P.s. (edit) Did a search last night to try to find some info on this topic and came across this, which surprised me:

 

I’ve never understood the fascination with this song. I wouldn’t remotely rank it among their best. I’m not even sure I like it better than anything on Gaucho.

 

I used to agree with your assessment about "The Second Arrangement." Yet the more I listened in spite of its compromised fidelity, I found myself hooked and able to sing it in my sleep. On the Gaucho album I would take it over "Glamour Profession" or "My Rival" any day of the week.

It's worth noting that when I saw them play it at the legendary Rarities show at the Beacon in 2011, grown men in the audience were weeping during the performance, myself included.

 

I’d take T2A over My Rival any day. My ideal Side two would be:
T2A
TOOM
Gaucho
3WM

 

It definitely replaced My Rival in my estimation.
I also prefer the other lyric

I am a refugee and I like things just the way they used to be
Im the same damn fool you used to know
So broken hearted
One last goodbye...

 

Honestly I would prefer My Rival and Glamour Profession over it - and that's not saying much. It's not terrible, but it sounds too derivative of stuff they'd done - yet without much of a hook IMO.

It would definitely be neat to hear them pull it out of the hat, but I can't imagine weeping over it. But to each his own.

 

This is probably my least favorite of the Gaucho outtakes (I love Kulee Baba, Can't Write Home About You and Talkin 'bout My Home), but that's beside the point: "something might be happening in a distant or near future" is how the news should be read. And that's something in the SD Universe.

 

Yeah given the attitude toward their past albums I don't expect we will ever see an official release of the song. I like Talkin’ About My Home as well, imo tSA is the essential missing piece of the 70’s catalog.

 

Thanks for posting this. I hadn't heard it before. I like the song, although the live performance is lackluster, and Fagen's vocals sound out of tune.

 

My thoughts exactly. But it gives me hope that the track might be released after all, if the tape actually contains the pre-erasing incident version and that it is salvageable.

As for the song, I think it has got that special something - especially the demo with bass, piano and vocals. The live version above is lackluster and repetetive, so is the supposed second attempt floating around although it is better... Still would really live to hear the version that was erased. Why not?

 

I think Donald should consider a Demo's album. I think there is almost enough there if they have the sound fidelity. Kulee Baba, The Bear, Second Arrangement, Can't Write Home About You, Talkin about my home.... The piano and bass version of 2nd arrangement is choice.

 

I love this song, it would have been one of my favourites on Gaucho, at least much better than My Rival, Time Out Of Mind and Glamour Profession. I still don't get it why it was never re-recorded properly for The Nightfly or Two Against Nature. It's a great Steely Dan song that deserves a good home.

 

I like it better than about half of Gaucho.

 

Given the state of DF’s voice in 2021 — and the sky-high expectations of the SD audience for such a mythological piece — maybe it would be better to sidestep and farm out T2A to another artist to sing. You’d need a David Crosby or Veronica Swift to nail the changes and harmonies while staying in a world-weary pocket, but there’s an opportunity to be had out there for someone, right?

 

That's been done and fairly well, too (although I will say that I feel like the tempo is a little quick on this version). Try it at playback speed of 0.9 or 0.95 and it works just a bit better for me.

 

I like the idea of giving Crosby a crack at it. His voice is in great shape to tackle something like that. What's difficult, though is that we've already heard it with Fagen's kind of unique cadence and phrasing.

Someone who could really do it justice and who really does that phrasing well would be Don Breithaupt. Here's a decent example (and with Drew Zingg on the guitar solo!):

 

Holy crap — he sounds like a hybrid vigor combination of Becker and Fagen. Yet another artist to dive into thanks to SHMC…