'They're gone': Donald Fagen's premature obituary for Steely Dan

In July 2024, I published a newsletter headlined “Donald Fagen: ‘There is no more Steely Dan.’” The piece included a transcript of Fagen’s November 1989 appearance on K-Rock radio, during which he spoke at length with “Rock and Roll Madame” Jo Maeder and spun some favorite records.

At the time Fagen was promoting the New York Soul concerts he was doing with an all-star band at the Lone Star Roadhouse, the precursor to the New York Rock and Soul Revue. “This is not—repeat, not—a Steely Dan concert of any kind,” he warned the station’s listeners, “so don’t come expecting that show which will never be, probably, and just doesn’t exist.”

That newsletter, part of the “From the Archives of Brian Sweet” series, would end up being the top Expanding Dan edition of 2024. So I was particularly excited, while recently digitizing more of Sweet’s collection of interview tapes, to stumble upon the recording of Fagen’s K-Rock spot.

Hearing the broadcast in full is a real treat because, between the conversation segments, Fagen and Maeder play so much great music. There are cuts by Ennio Morricone, Henry Mancini, Yellowjackets, Betty Harris, Willie Dixon, Joe Simon, Dr. John, and a live recording of Phoebe Snow singing “Bring It on Home To Me” during Howard Stern’s birthday broadcast at the West Bank Cafe.

Buy Reelin’ in the Years, by Brian Sweet, directly from the publisher, Omnibus Press.