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Steely Dan - Fagen & Becker Trivia Quiz

Donald Fagen & Walter Becker are the backbone & genius behind Steely Dan. These questions may seem geared for Steely Dan "insiders", but I've left enough clues so the casual fan can perform like a pro.

A multiple-choice quiz by machineamc. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
machineamc

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
157,243

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
2791

Awards
Editor's Choice

Last 3 plays: Guest 73 (10/10), Guest 174 (7/10), mcdubb (10/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. While attending Bard College Steely Dan founders, Donald Fagen & Walter Becker, had a session band called "The Leather Canary".
What "Saturday Night Live"/ Hollywood celebrity & fellow Bard alumnus, was their drummer during this time? Hint

Bill Murray

Chevy Chase

Garrett Morris

Laraine Newman

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Fagen and Becker's mutual admiration of this 40's jazz saxophonist is reputed to be the "spark" that kindled their friendship.
In fact they wrote an entire song about him entitled "Parker's Band" on 1974's "Pretzel Logic" LP.
Name the musician. Hint

Charlie Parker

John Coletrane

Dizzy Gillespie

Cole Porter

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. What two Steely Dan band members, one a charter member & lead guitarist, and the other a backing vocalist & keyboardist, broke with Steely Dan to join the Doobie Brothers? Hint

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter & Michael McDonald

Keith Knudsen & Jeff "Skunk" Baxter

Tiran Porter & Tom Johnston

Patrick Simmons & Tom Johnston

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Fresh out of college and looking for work in the music industry, Fagen and Becker found work at ABC records as writers and backup musicians. They wrote the song "I Mean To Shine" for this 70's pop diva funny girl. Hint

Marilyn McCoo

Barbra Streisand

Shirley Jones

Dionne Warwick

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. During the same period Fagen & Becker were writing songs for ABC, they were also touring musicians for this ABC recording band, whose last hit single was the 1970 remake of the Drifters classic "There Goes My Baby". Hint

Vanity Faire

1910 Fruitgum Company

The Lovin' Spoonful

Jay and the Americans

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. A May 8th 1969 drug bust at Bard College, netted 44 arrests. Two of those included Becker and Fagen. Name the 1973 Steely Dan song, off the album "Countdown to Ecstasy", that recounts this traumatic moment in their scholastic lives. Hint

Razor Boy

Chain Lightning

My Old School

Pearl Of The Quarter

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. The Steely Dan hit song "F.M." was written for the soundtrack of which 1978 movie? Hint

Grease

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

F.M.

Animal House

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Steely Dan scored the soundtrack for this largely forgetable 1971 low budget film starring Richard Pryor and Robert Downey Sr.
Apparently it's so bad it still hasn't been released on video. Hint

Stir Crazy

You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It ( Or You'll Lose That Beat)

Silver Streak

Car Wash

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. The Steely Dan song "Kid Charlemagne", from the 1976 release "The Royal Scam", is based on the secret life of a Grateful Dead sound technician.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. In the song "Dr. Wu" from the 1975 album "Katy Lied", the character Dr. Wu is a real doctor who aided Fagen in overcoming a drug addiction.

True

False

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 18 2024 : Guest 73: 10/10
Dec 15 2024 : Guest 174: 7/10
Dec 15 2024 : mcdubb: 10/10
Dec 10 2024 : oliviat: 9/10
Dec 02 2024 : Guest 209: 8/10
Nov 24 2024 : jonathanw55: 4/10
Nov 22 2024 : reeshy: 4/10
Nov 14 2024 : Guest 208: 9/10
Nov 13 2024 : rossian: 6/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. While attending Bard College Steely Dan founders, Donald Fagen & Walter Becker, had a session band called "The Leather Canary". What "Saturday Night Live"/ Hollywood celebrity & fellow Bard alumnus, was their drummer during this time?

Answer: Chevy Chase

In a salon.com interview with Amy Reiter, Chase claimed that he "quit them" and that when Steely Dan was eventually formed in 1972 they "begged him to return".
Alrighty then...

2. Fagen and Becker's mutual admiration of this 40's jazz saxophonist is reputed to be the "spark" that kindled their friendship. In fact they wrote an entire song about him entitled "Parker's Band" on 1974's "Pretzel Logic" LP. Name the musician.

Answer: Charlie Parker

In the song "Parker's Band" the lyric line "relaxing at Camarillo" is the name of a Parker tune regarding his 1947 stay at the Camarillo State Hospital for a nervous breakdown.

3. What two Steely Dan band members, one a charter member & lead guitarist, and the other a backing vocalist & keyboardist, broke with Steely Dan to join the Doobie Brothers?

Answer: Jeff "Skunk" Baxter & Michael McDonald

Steely Dan producer Gary Katz said upon McDonald's leaving the band; "Michael's role as a backup singer is the ultimate waste of talent."
Boy was he right!

Answer: Barbra Streisand

A forgettable song on the 1971 "Barbra Joan Streisand" album.

Answer: Jay and the Americans

Jay Black, the "Jay" of Jay and the Americans, called Fagen and Becker "Starkweather and Manson" after taking note of their disposition.
I'm assuming that's reference to Charles Starkweather and Charles Manson, two noted serial killers.
Just a guess.

Answer: My Old School

It has been stated by Walter Becker himself, per a Steely Dan interview, that G. Gordon Liddy of Watergate fame, and currently a national syndicated talk show host, was the assistant DA during the drug raid and wrote Becker a special warrant for his arrest, since they didn't have one for him initially.

7. The Steely Dan hit song "F.M." was written for the soundtrack of which 1978 movie?

Answer: F.M.

Not too many people remember the movie. Most everyone remembers the song.
The soundtrack is much better than the movie starring Martin Mull, Alex Karras, and Cleavon Little.

8. Steely Dan scored the soundtrack for this largely forgetable 1971 low budget film starring Richard Pryor and Robert Downey Sr. Apparently it's so bad it still hasn't been released on video.

Answer: You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It ( Or You'll Lose That Beat)

The soundtrack is very cheesy (my review) and now available on CD.
Amazon.com has a little clip of the title song if you're curious.

9. The Steely Dan song "Kid Charlemagne", from the 1976 release "The Royal Scam", is based on the secret life of a Grateful Dead sound technician.

Answer: True

His name was Augustus Owsley Stanley III. He was listed as the Grateful Dead's live stage sound technician, but was better known by the FBI, and thousands of Dead Heads, as an LSD magnate.

10. In the song "Dr. Wu" from the 1975 album "Katy Lied", the character Dr. Wu is a real doctor who aided Fagen in overcoming a drug addiction.

Answer: true

He's real.
The late Dr. Jing Nuan Wu was an acupuncturist and drug therapist who lived in the Washington DC area.

Source: Author machineamc

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
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