This song is for us old timers when we went from AM radio to FM. It was so much better, hence no static at all. The speaker industry appreciated it too, lol.
Agreed. It always makes me feel old...that young people don't get the impact of that line (no static at all). For decades AM radio was the go-to for music.
Absolutely. Rock was only on AM stations and FM was mostly Classical or "Easy Listening" type music. Then FM rock stations appeared and EVERYTHING changed. No Static at All.
This was the opening track to the film "FM" - sunrise coming up over LA, and the song was so fitting for the image. The film is no great shakes but quite a few good appearances by Linda Ronstadt, Tom Petty, and others. But FM the song just sets it's own tone - perfect.
The sax was courtesy of Pete Christlieb, who also performed the sax solo on "Deacon Blues." At that time, he was part of the Tonight Show Band and went over to the studio. He noticed that Becker and Fagen were using jazz chord changes rather than rock chord changes...so he felt right at home and improvised his solo. Only took two takes...which is an incredibly small number due to the studio perfection that the Dan demanded.
It was the title theme for the 1978 film FM, a comedy drama film about internal conflicts at an FM radio station erupting into an on-air revolt against the management. Cleavon Little plays a dj with the handle Prince of Darkness.
@@mikecaetano I LOVE that movie! I've heard it said that it was the worst movie with the best soundtrack ever! You can't get it anywhere that I know of, but I have it on VHS! Might have to watch it this weekend!
The shift to FM radio was the biggest thing that hit us. We went from crappy AM static to crystal clear sound. This song is the perfect fit for that with its smooth clarity.
AM radio was all three-minute songs and tons of commercials. FM radio came along and was clear, and some late-night DJs would play entire sides of albums without interception. It was like night and day.
One of the FM stations in my area actually used that as an advertising hook, calling it "The Seventh Day." Every Sunday evening, they would play 7 full albums back to back, with no commercials. Everybody knew, with a wink and a nod, that the cassette decks were out and rolling on the whole thing. Can you imagine that happening today. You would be sued by the band, by the studio, by the RIAA and ASCAP, before the music ended.
Word has it that Don Henley is threatening copyright infringement for use of his backup vocals in this song. Nah, not really. But if it DID happen, remember you heard it here 1st. 😅😂😅
I was born at the end of 1959. I was the perfect age to experience the evolution from AM radio to FM. With FM, as a teenager, all of a sudden you could listen to a whole album late at night in your room with the lights off with no commercials and cool, smart DJs, drive around LA listening on your car radio.. KLOS and KMET in Los Angeles! Such a great time to grow up.
That was one of the best things about early FM radio was that there were a lot of DJs who knew their music and loved to turn the listeners on to new bands. Prog rock benefitted greatly from FM which could play those 14 minute songs. And a lot of those DJs would do feature albums late at night which no doubt translated into album sales.
That time period was a musical “gold rush” of sorts. I doubt that music boom will ever be repeated, 60’s-70’s into the early 80’s it was a constant stream of great music.
Same experience. Add to the late night listening a great set of headphones. I listened to KSAN out of San Francisco and I will always be grateful to live this music scene in the Bay Area.
This song...and most Steely Dan songs...make me feel as if I own a yacht, an island, $100K and a private beach . Oh and a convertible VW Beetle . Love it!!
This song didn't come out in 1982, it was part of a soundtrack for a movie called "FM" which came out in '78. It was added to a Steely Dan compilation album in '82. The movie had a lot of songs from then current rock people (Tom Petty, Linda Ronstadt, etc...) but Steely Dan got the title song and killed it. One cool bit of trivia (I'm old and remember all this stuff from that time)... traditional terrestrial radio was AM and FM... this song was very popular but AM stations didn't want to play it because it advertised the FM format. They put out a cut for AM called "No Static At All", leaving off the FM line, but it never took off. Most of us were 100% on board with FM.
I thought they had a cut where some DJs would take the A from Aja and put it over the F since they are held for a similar amount of time, so it would sound like it said "AM, no static at all"
Growing up in the 70's with all the diverse music... it was funny to be a Steely Dan fan and get grief because they were jazzy. Now looking back on their discography - they get a lot of praise for being jazzy.
The "F. M. No static at all, " was meant to mimick the id theme of every FM radio station on the early 70s. Most popular top-40 music was on AM radio (with static and in Mono! And lots of frantic DJ chatter and LOTS of commercials). FM radios were less common. You'd have to have "grown up car" or a fancy portable or one on a home hifi tuner. So FM stations played more "grown-up" music, like jazz. The DJs were more chill, they'd play longer stretches of music between commercials, which were also softer pitched than the frenetic AM commercials. There were also public radio stations on FM with NO commercials. Gradually, as FM radios became more popular, stations playing long form rock songs popped up.
Stereo AM was a thing for just a short while.. I suppose to combat the FM stations cropping up all over the place, but it didn't last long. As a kid living in Michigan, a cool thing to do, late at night, was to listen to AM stations down in Texas or Louisiana. The radio waves would 'skip' off the atmosphere. You couldn't receive them during the day because of other interference from TV, the Sun, etc.. I guess we were more easily amused back then..
That sax solo is just ear candy for me. It's listenable jazz for my brain, it logics back and forth going in and out of the melody but always returns. So chaotic yet fulfilling.
One of my favorites in my top five sax solos along with the ones in Pink Floyd's "Money", "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", Danny Gatton's song "Pretty Blue", and the short one in Supertramp's "Bloody Well Right".
The brilliance of Donald Fagan & Walter Becker cannot be overstated, their absolute dedication to squeezing out the perfect sound was always for our benefit.
I've been watching you guys so long. This 65 yo grandma feels like she is watching you feel like I did the first time I heard all these great old songs you get turned onto for the first time. I subscribe to a few, but I still enjoy and appreciate the reaction and comments from you both more than any other. Keep it up dudes.
One of the greatest Steely Dan outros ever. And there is another version of "FM" that features a guitar-based outro that is equally good, or for some, even better. Keep going with more Steely Dan, guys. There are SO MANY more!
This is my favorite SD song. It reminds me of when we were able to begin listening to FM radio. What a difference in the quality of songs we were exposed to. It was a huge thing in our young lives.
Oh man - you guys shoulda listened to "Steely Dan - FM - extended version!". Steely Dan released 2 versions of this song back in the day: one with the saxophone solo you just heard; one with a guitar solo by Walter Becker. In the "extended version", a guy on RUclips seamlessly merged both versions so you get to hear both solos.
Released May 19, 1978, the title theme for the 1978 film FM. There are 4 versions of the song, the 1982 release of the compilation album Gold uses the 4:50 full-length version.
Whole album sides, NO commercials and you would have to listen for an hour to find out who the dj was! That was FM. There are actually three versions of this song.
I absolutely LOVE SD........the musicianship, the complexity of the musical arrangements, the instrumental layering.....superbly pleasing to my audio palette!
Andy: you previously listened to a different version of the song which had an extended guitar solo rather than a sax solo in the coda. The lead guitar in this song is played by Walter Becker, the other half of SD (RIP), which was unusual as they typically utilized top notch session guitarists. You commented that that extended guitar solo reminded you of David Gilmore. And indeed it does.
Love this song... there is a live feel about it which just grooves, it is a perfect soundtrack song. Also the FM soundtrack is one of the best rock compilation albums made.
FM = Frequency Modulation, a radio broadcast method in the VHF spectrum that eliminates much interference, popping and static, is more true to the original input and is Dolby stereo friendly, but gives up range (broadcast distance usually up to 100 miles max) in the process. The '70s saw an expansion in FM stations across America, much to the delight of musicians and listeners alike. It sounds like AJA as it was recorded directly after that album, hence in that period of The Dan's evolution. It was the theme song for the film FM (1978) and title/lead track off the soundtrack album, which won a 1979 Grammy for Best Engineered Album, non-classical.
I like changes like on "The girls don't seem.. " CMaj7 Bm7 Am7 G F#7 B7 E6/9 A13 BM7 Am7 Em7 C#m7b5 C13 B7sus4 The sax is mainly played over DM7 C#aug7#9 CM7 B7b9 B7 Em7 A7 C7 Baug7#9 repeating,
I remember going to this famous Mexican Restaurant with all the people in my high school graduating class. The day are classes ended. 1978. Yeah, we knew Steely Dan. I just remember how smooth and sophisticated this song was. Then, summer came and we went our separate ways. Then, in the fall of 1978, I went to college. That's when "Aja" came out. What a great bookend to the music I listened to in the 70's.
Unless I missed it, you still haven't hit one of their classic and most rocking tunes: "Don't Take Me Alive" off of the Royal Scam album. Not only a total heater but opens with one of the most famous and nastiest chords ever laid down on tape (by legendary jazz guitarist Larry Carlton). You can't call yourselves true Steely Dan aficionados until you've given it a spin. Looking forward to your reaction!
This was the song in the opening scene of the movie "FM" when the program manager was driving form his home to the station, evading police along the way. He was driving maybe an MG? Some small two-seater. The movie was less than memorable, but the soundtrack album was an instant classic! FM (No Static at All) - Steely Dan Night Moves - Bob Seger Fly Like an Eagle - Steve Miller Band Cold as Ice - Foreigner Breakdown - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Bad Man - Randy Meisner Life in the Fast Lane - Eagles Do It Again - Steely Dan Lido Shuffle - Boz Scaggs More Than a Feeling - Boston Tumbling Dice - Linda Ronstadt Poor, Poor Pitiful Me - Linda Ronstadt Livingston Saturday Night - Jimmy Buffet There's a Place in the World for a Gambler Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel It Keeps You Runnin' - The Doobie Brothers Your Smiling Face Life's Been Good - Joe Walsh We Will Rock You - Quee
This came out in 1978, the Movie FM was about a bunch of Disc jockeys holding a radio station hostage because the owners were trying to change the "Format" LOL. Best SOUNDTRACK EVER, PERIOD. See Below LP Side One "FM (No Static at All)" - Steely Dan - 4:52 "Night Moves" - Bob Seger - 3:27 "Fly Like an Eagle" - Steve Miller Band - 3:04 "Cold as Ice" - Foreigner - 3:20 "Breakdown" - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - 2:44 "Bad Man" - Randy Meisner - 2:38 Side Two (Order of songs on inside jacket show side three songs before side two songs) "Life in the Fast Lane" - Eagles - 4:46 "Do It Again" - Steely Dan - 5:54 "Lido Shuffle" - Boz Scaggs - 3:42 "More Than a Feeling" - Boston - 4:45 Side Three "Tumbling Dice" - Linda Ronstadt - 4:51 (Live Version) "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" - Linda Ronstadt - 4:15 (Live Version) "Livingston Saturday Night" - Jimmy Buffett - 3:10 "There's a Place in the World for a Gambler" - Dan Fogelberg - 5:41 "Just the Way You Are" - Billy Joel - 4:49 Side Four "It Keeps You Runnin'" - The Doobie Brothers - 4:13 "Your Smiling Face" - James Taylor - 2:43 "Life's Been Good" - Joe Walsh - 8:05 "We Will Rock You" - Queen - 2:04 "FM - Reprise" - Steely Dan - 2:54
I remember going to this famous Mexican Restaurant with all the people in my high school graduating class. The day our classes ended. 1978. We all knew and loved Steely Dan. (Too bad they never toured.) I remember how smooth and sophisticated this song was. Then, in the fall of 1978, I went to college. That's when "Aja" came out. What a great bookend to the end of the greatest decade of music ever.
So glad to be born and raised during the pre satellite era and understand what it was and where it has gone. Great Steely Dan song that just nails the meaning of the days gone by. And of course a killer song with that jazz fusion.
Steely Dan was a band from 1972 to 1980. This was recorded for the film FM in 1978, right after the Aja album came out. It was compiled later on the Gold record.
When I was in school I was asked who’s my favorite group and said steely Dan and boy was I made fun of and told Debbie Gibson is forever. Well where’s Debbie now??
I can remember when FM finally hit the airwaves, it was wild to actually hear music in stereo on your radio. Less static and sounds you couldn’t hear on AM radio. ✌🏻
A lot of old timers here probably remember trying to hold their recorders up to the speakers to record their favorite songs on an "AM Only" radio during rain or a thunderstorm. Every ten seconds or so the song would be disrupted by the static crackles on the radio from the lightning outside. When FM stations came into existence, it was like a magical musical wonderland. 13Q and WIXZ were the major AM players here in Pittsburgh, and then came WDVE, 96KX, and B94 on the FM dial.
And btw, Andy isn’t misremembering - the single version actually does end with a guitar solo. This version combined the original and a reprise from the movie soundtrack that featured the sax. This hybrid version removed the guitar at the end, and replaced it with the sax.
Recorded about the same time as Aja, hence the similar vibe. Check out the different versions of this one, including the version that swaps the sax solo at the end with a guitar solo, which is the one I grew up with.
College days when I found FM. But 🎉Hs 60s, early 70s I was able to get stations KOMA & Wls at night. Thank my mama for always having music in the house. Love & miss her
Steely songs just always take you into a setting and mood as the narrative spins your own imagination..love your thoughts via Reeling, in that for me it's always imaged a summer day whereas FM is incredible on summer night patio with margaritas lol.. I love your introspective Steelyness! 🎶🍻
I remember on my transistor radio listening to FM and getting so much static. Am was much clear...lol Memories of rotary phones, record players, Photo Mat, America's Top 40 with Casey Kasem. Best times!❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤😂😂
even some FM stations wouldn't play the second sax solo back when this was released. glad you got to hear the full version. RIP 94.7 KMET in Los Angeles!
FM radio introduced multiple songs being played consecutively while the DJs were doing I don't know what (wait, yes I do!) Longer album tracks resulted and we were off and running. Great time to be alive. Always good to hear Steely Dan. How about hitting Fagen's first solo The Nightfly? Real good tunes on that one.
This song is for us old timers when we went from AM radio to FM. It was so much better, hence no static at all. The speaker industry appreciated it too, lol.
Amplitude Modulation vs. Frequency Modulation!
Agreed. It always makes me feel old...that young people don't get the impact of that line (no static at all). For decades AM radio was the go-to for music.
Absolutely. Rock was only on AM stations and FM was mostly Classical or "Easy Listening" type music. Then FM rock stations appeared and EVERYTHING changed. No Static at All.
@@anerdtoolate2795I used to listen for hours. Of course, it helped that music was actually good back then…
Pepperidge Farm remembers! So do I!
You cannot express enough how FM radio impressed us in the 70's. This was HUGE, like going from black and white to color
I knew that’s what it was about, but do u know how long it was between AM and FM? Like how many years later did FM finally make it to the airwaves? 🤔
Playing songs like this from Steely Dan will increase your party’s cool quotient by at least 39%. I did a study.
I have to absolutely Agree. They just are a vibe. I grew up listening to the Dan.
Facts!
You know, 17% of all statistics are made up :)
I was part of the study 😅
😂😂😂
" I had a friend who was an AM radio disc jockey. When ever we walked under a bridge I couldn't hear him." Steven Wright
I thought I'd heard every Steven Wright joke! haha
good one. never heard that one before. But kids these day would have no clue! LOL
I love Steven Wright!
Hahahahaha
Yes! The same reason I can pick up AM Radio stations from 1,000 miles away late at night.
This was the opening track to the film "FM" - sunrise coming up over LA, and the song was so fitting for the image. The film is no great shakes but quite a few good appearances by Linda Ronstadt, Tom Petty, and others. But FM the song just sets it's own tone - perfect.
Damn, this song still kicks ass after 46 years, the saxophone sounds awesome.
Definitely sounds better on FM than AM.
@@michaeloreilly2533 Better than WiFi too
The sax was courtesy of Pete Christlieb, who also performed the sax solo on "Deacon Blues." At that time, he was part of the Tonight Show Band and went over to the studio. He noticed that Becker and Fagen were using jazz chord changes rather than rock chord changes...so he felt right at home and improvised his solo. Only took two takes...which is an incredibly small number due to the studio perfection that the Dan demanded.
The guitar solo version is much better.
@@frankmarsh1159 There is an extended version that someone made up, that has both versions mashed together.
@@jjr007 on a channel called AbleApe
Pete is a family friend. He also owns a drag racing team.
Hometown hero growing up in LA. His record “Apogee” with Warne Marsh is special.
It's been said that Steely Dan is what professional musicians listen to when they're not gigging.
This song was recorded and released in 1978, the album Gold was a compilation released in 1982...
It was the title theme for the 1978 film FM, a comedy drama film about internal conflicts at an FM radio station erupting into an on-air revolt against the management. Cleavon Little plays a dj with the handle Prince of Darkness.
Thanks. I thought I was losing it because I definitely remembered listening to this before the 80s.
Thanks I feel sane now 😊
@@joemachine4714 Me Too!!!! That pool party didn't happen in 1982. (that soundtrack was so good)
@@mikecaetano
I LOVE that movie! I've heard it said that it was the worst movie with the best soundtrack ever! You can't get it anywhere that I know of, but I have it on VHS! Might have to watch it this weekend!
Back to Steely Dan? Well, it's about time!
Any major dude will tell you
Green Earings
The shift to FM radio was the biggest thing that hit us. We went from crappy AM static to crystal clear sound. This song is the perfect fit for that with its smooth clarity.
Much clearer and in stereo!
Jeff Porcaro on drums...the grooveMASTER!
Lots of folks don’t understand what FM was. And how life changing it was. 😊
AM radio was all three-minute songs and tons of commercials. FM radio came along and was clear, and some late-night DJs would play entire sides of albums without interception.
It was like night and day.
One of the FM stations in my area actually used that as an advertising hook, calling it "The Seventh Day." Every Sunday evening, they would play 7 full albums back to back, with no commercials. Everybody knew, with a wink and a nod, that the cassette decks were out and rolling on the whole thing.
Can you imagine that happening today. You would be sued by the band, by the studio, by the RIAA and ASCAP, before the music ended.
Those were the days, we thought would never end.
Won a Grammy for Best Engineered Recording. The only single to ever do so. Steely Dan Aja won the same reward the year before...
Several of the Eagles sang back-up on this track. Mutual respect from the bands.
Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit. And Jeff Porcaro (Toto) on drums!
Word has it that Don Henley is threatening copyright infringement for use of his backup vocals in this song.
Nah, not really. But if it DID happen, remember you heard it here 1st. 😅😂😅
@@TresLanes😂
Interesting!!
@@TresLanes 😆😆😆😆😆🤣
I was born at the end of 1959. I was the perfect age to experience the evolution from AM radio to FM. With FM, as a teenager, all of a sudden you could listen to a whole album late at night in your room with the lights off with no commercials and cool, smart DJs, drive around LA listening on your car radio.. KLOS and KMET in Los Angeles! Such a great time to grow up.
That was one of the best things about early FM radio was that there were a lot of DJs who knew their music and loved to turn the listeners on to new bands. Prog rock benefitted greatly from FM which could play those 14 minute songs. And a lot of those DJs would do feature albums late at night which no doubt translated into album sales.
It was a great time to grow up, never again.
That time period was a musical “gold rush” of sorts. I doubt that music boom will ever be repeated, 60’s-70’s into the early 80’s it was a constant stream of great music.
Same experience. Add to the late night listening a great set of headphones. I listened to KSAN out of San Francisco and I will always be grateful to live this music scene in the Bay Area.
Album oriented radio. What a gift back in the day.
Steely Dan were the alchemists of cool.
You can never go wrong with Steely Dan.
From the movie that inspired "WKRP in Cincinnati." It was a silly movie but the soundtrack was incredible.
This song...and most Steely Dan songs...make me feel as if I own a yacht, an island, $100K and a private beach . Oh and a convertible VW Beetle . Love it!!
Song gets better and better the more you listen to it.
This song didn't come out in 1982, it was part of a soundtrack for a movie called "FM" which came out in '78. It was added to a Steely Dan compilation album in '82.
The movie had a lot of songs from then current rock people (Tom Petty, Linda Ronstadt, etc...) but Steely Dan got the title song and killed it.
One cool bit of trivia (I'm old and remember all this stuff from that time)... traditional terrestrial radio was AM and FM... this song was very popular but AM stations didn't want to play it because it advertised the FM format. They put out a cut for AM called "No Static At All", leaving off the FM line, but it never took off. Most of us were 100% on board with FM.
I'm old right there with you buddy.
Totally correct. I remember when the movie came out and wanting to see it as I was a teen and in love with FM rock stations!
I concur I bought this when it came out.
I thought they had a cut where some DJs would take the A from Aja and put it over the F since they are held for a similar amount of time, so it would sound like it said "AM, no static at all"
22 year old me remembers when this was brand new..... driving at night, warm weather, windows down....
Funk, groove, vibe, and no static at all.
Alex is thinking of Hey Nineteen
Yes!!!
Growing up in the 70's with all the diverse music... it was funny to be a Steely Dan fan and get grief because they were jazzy. Now looking back on their discography - they get a lot of praise for being jazzy.
My friends and I loved them BECAUSE they (and we) were jazzy!
The "F. M. No static at all, " was meant to mimick the id theme of every FM radio station on the early 70s. Most popular top-40 music was on AM radio (with static and in Mono! And lots of frantic DJ chatter and LOTS of commercials). FM radios were less common. You'd have to have "grown up car" or a fancy portable or one on a home hifi tuner. So FM stations played more "grown-up" music, like jazz. The DJs were more chill, they'd play longer stretches of music between commercials, which were also softer pitched than the frenetic AM commercials. There were also public radio stations on FM with NO commercials. Gradually, as FM radios became more popular, stations playing long form rock songs popped up.
Stereo AM was a thing for just a short while.. I suppose to combat the FM stations cropping up all over the place, but it didn't last long. As a kid living in Michigan, a cool thing to do, late at night, was to listen to AM stations down in Texas or Louisiana. The radio waves would 'skip' off the atmosphere. You couldn't receive them during the day because of other interference from TV, the Sun, etc.. I guess we were more easily amused back then..
@vailmcc yes, and IIRC, it came later - in the 80s? I never knew anyone who had a stereo AM reciever
Some FM stations near me would play whole albums, mostly in the evening. Maybe they still do, I don't listen to the radio that much these days.
The album you pulled this from is ‘82, but the song is 1978 - title track from the movie FM.
What ever happened to that movie? Killer soundtrack, I believe WKRP in Cincinnati was bastard child of FM the Movie
@@AaronJoseph-t4bi saw the reissue soundtrack bandn last fall was big price forget how much
That sax solo is just ear candy for me. It's listenable jazz for my brain, it logics back and forth going in and out of the melody but always returns. So chaotic yet fulfilling.
One of my favorites in my top five sax solos along with the ones in Pink Floyd's "Money", "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", Danny Gatton's song "Pretty Blue", and the short one in Supertramp's "Bloody Well Right".
The brilliance of Donald Fagan & Walter Becker cannot be overstated, their absolute dedication to squeezing out the perfect sound was always for our benefit.
Quite possibly my favorite Steely Dan song. Never tire of it.
I've been watching you guys so long. This 65 yo grandma feels like she is watching you feel like I did the first time I heard all these great old songs you get turned onto for the first time. I subscribe to a few, but I still enjoy and appreciate the reaction and comments from you both more than any other. Keep it up dudes.
One of the greatest Steely Dan outros ever. And there is another version of "FM" that features a guitar-based outro that is equally good, or for some, even better. Keep going with more Steely Dan, guys. There are SO MANY more!
Came here to say that. In my FM market growing up, the version played was with the guitar outro. Still prefer that version.
That generation was defined by the difference between AM and FM. No static at all was liberating!
This is my favorite SD song. It reminds me of when we were able to begin listening to FM radio. What a difference in the quality of songs we were exposed to. It was a huge thing in our young lives.
The triumphant return of Steely Dan to the freedom shack, on a Friday no less. Thank you Gentlemen.
Oh man - you guys shoulda listened to "Steely Dan - FM - extended version!". Steely Dan released 2 versions of this song back in the day: one with the saxophone solo you just heard; one with a guitar solo by Walter Becker. In the "extended version", a guy on RUclips seamlessly merged both versions so you get to hear both solos.
It's a must listen
The name of the RUclips channel is " AbleApe "
Recorded 1977, released May 19, 1978, title track of movie "FM".
I could listen to Steely Dan all day long!!!! The instrumentals are so good. My #1 band of all time!!!!
Released May 19, 1978, the title theme for the 1978 film FM. There are 4 versions of the song, the 1982 release of the compilation album Gold uses the 4:50 full-length version.
great movie
🥰
Oh yeah, I thought there was a film. I remember Tom Petty being in it.
@@jlmain5777 Linda Ronstadt and Jimmy Buffet was in it too
One of my favorite bands! Back in the day you had to go with FM to hear the best rock!
Whole album sides, NO commercials and you would have to listen for an hour to find out who the dj was! That was FM. There are actually three versions of this song.
Steely Dan- Royal Scam- Album of Month- Patreon
yes
Arguably as good as Aja!
My mom had that album
@@xasmithI prefer it
In some ways better..
Yaay! Friday AND Steely Dan. You can't go wrong with that!
I absolutely LOVE SD........the musicianship, the complexity of the musical arrangements, the instrumental layering.....superbly pleasing to my audio palette!
"Haitian Divorce" next, please.
Steely does reggae in such a solid way with this song. It's a keeper.
My favorite from them!
So good!
Talk box guitar is incredible throughout.
My favorite. The back story is pretty interesting too.
Steely Dan is so sophisticated. It really takes a seasoned ear to appreciate it fully. Love you guys.
This is such a smooth bluesy-jazzy song. It was a pretty big hit for Steeely Dan back when it dropped. I love the Sax!
Longest. Fade. Ever.
Love this song. Lush instrumentation and production. Such a great groove. This was the soundtrack for my college years, guys!
Andy: you previously listened to a different version of the song which had an extended guitar solo rather than a sax solo in the coda. The lead guitar in this song is played by Walter Becker, the other half of SD (RIP), which was unusual as they typically utilized top notch session guitarists. You commented that that extended guitar solo reminded you of David Gilmore. And indeed it does.
It definitely does, I much prefer that version
The one with the guitar solo outro is the original version.
Love this song... there is a live feel about it which just grooves, it is a perfect soundtrack song. Also the FM soundtrack is one of the best rock compilation albums made.
Definitely a favorite. It was for a movie soundtrack. The movie was dead in a week, but this song lives on.
FM = Frequency Modulation, a radio broadcast method in the VHF spectrum that eliminates much interference, popping and static, is more true to the original input and is Dolby stereo friendly, but gives up range (broadcast distance usually up to 100 miles max) in the process. The '70s saw an expansion in FM stations across America, much to the delight of musicians and listeners alike. It sounds like AJA as it was recorded directly after that album, hence in that period of The Dan's evolution. It was the theme song for the film FM (1978) and title/lead track off the soundtrack album, which won a 1979 Grammy for Best Engineered Album, non-classical.
I had this album back in the day and wore the grooves out.
A great soundtrack from a really terrible movie.
“And Somebody else’s favorite song”
One of my favorite lyrics.
I love the intentional dissonant note in the piano that is repeated twice after the sax solo.
I like changes like on "The girls don't seem.. " CMaj7 Bm7 Am7 G F#7 B7 E6/9 A13 BM7 Am7 Em7 C#m7b5 C13 B7sus4
The sax is mainly played over DM7 C#aug7#9 CM7 B7b9 B7 Em7 A7 C7 Baug7#9 repeating,
@@tommack9395 The sax also ventures outside the key during the solo vamp. It just pushes the right buttons and can be described as "delicious".
Let's not forget the stellar bass! Tone, precision, everything exactly right.
I remember going to this famous Mexican Restaurant with all the people in my high school graduating class. The day are classes ended. 1978. Yeah, we knew Steely Dan. I just remember how smooth and sophisticated this song was. Then, summer came and we went our separate ways. Then, in the fall of 1978, I went to college. That's when "Aja" came out. What a great bookend to the music I listened to in the 70's.
So much fun growing up as a teenager and listening to music like this 🎼🎶🎷
Here at the Western World is another great song by them that never appeared on an album other than greatest hits as I recall.
Unless I missed it, you still haven't hit one of their classic and most rocking tunes: "Don't Take Me Alive" off of the Royal Scam album. Not only a total heater but opens with one of the most famous and nastiest chords ever laid down on tape (by legendary jazz guitarist Larry Carlton). You can't call yourselves true Steely Dan aficionados until you've given it a spin. Looking forward to your reaction!
Static here is also a double entendre: the girls were happy so they gave the guys "no static (backtalk) at all."
My first time hearing this in headphones. What a treat.
This was the song in the opening scene of the movie "FM" when the program manager was driving form his home to the station, evading police along the way. He was driving maybe an MG? Some small two-seater. The movie was less than memorable, but the soundtrack album was an instant classic!
FM (No Static at All) - Steely Dan
Night Moves - Bob Seger
Fly Like an Eagle - Steve Miller Band
Cold as Ice - Foreigner
Breakdown - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Bad Man - Randy Meisner
Life in the Fast Lane - Eagles
Do It Again - Steely Dan
Lido Shuffle - Boz Scaggs
More Than a Feeling - Boston
Tumbling Dice - Linda Ronstadt
Poor, Poor Pitiful Me - Linda Ronstadt
Livingston Saturday Night - Jimmy Buffet
There's a Place in the World for a Gambler
Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel
It Keeps You Runnin' - The Doobie Brothers
Your Smiling Face
Life's Been Good - Joe Walsh
We Will Rock You - Quee
Finally!!! Such a great song!
this song is kind of the quintessential capsule of the fm sound of that particular period.
Even after all these years, this is still one of my go-to songs for auditioning speakers.
This came out in 1978, the Movie FM was about a bunch of Disc jockeys holding a radio station hostage because the owners were trying to change the "Format" LOL. Best SOUNDTRACK EVER, PERIOD. See Below
LP
Side One
"FM (No Static at All)" - Steely Dan - 4:52
"Night Moves" - Bob Seger - 3:27
"Fly Like an Eagle" - Steve Miller Band - 3:04
"Cold as Ice" - Foreigner - 3:20
"Breakdown" - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - 2:44
"Bad Man" - Randy Meisner - 2:38
Side Two (Order of songs on inside jacket show side three songs before side two songs)
"Life in the Fast Lane" - Eagles - 4:46
"Do It Again" - Steely Dan - 5:54
"Lido Shuffle" - Boz Scaggs - 3:42
"More Than a Feeling" - Boston - 4:45
Side Three
"Tumbling Dice" - Linda Ronstadt - 4:51 (Live Version)
"Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" - Linda Ronstadt - 4:15 (Live Version)
"Livingston Saturday Night" - Jimmy Buffett - 3:10
"There's a Place in the World for a Gambler" - Dan Fogelberg - 5:41
"Just the Way You Are" - Billy Joel - 4:49
Side Four
"It Keeps You Runnin'" - The Doobie Brothers - 4:13
"Your Smiling Face" - James Taylor - 2:43
"Life's Been Good" - Joe Walsh - 8:05
"We Will Rock You" - Queen - 2:04
"FM - Reprise" - Steely Dan - 2:54
The change from AM to FM also included the change from 2.5 minute maximum songs to longer album cuts. Big change.
I remember going to this famous Mexican Restaurant with all the people in my high school graduating class. The day our classes ended. 1978. We all knew and loved Steely Dan. (Too bad they never toured.) I remember how smooth and sophisticated this song was. Then, in the fall of 1978, I went to college. That's when "Aja" came out. What a great bookend to the end of the greatest decade of music ever.
So glad to be born and raised during the pre satellite era and understand what it was and where it has gone. Great Steely Dan song that just nails the meaning of the days gone by. And of course a killer song with that jazz fusion.
sax solo is the movie version. guitar solo is the single
Aahh, you found one of my Steely Dan faves! Thumping bass, hot sax, soaring strings, Congo drums; what more could you ask for?
Steely Dan was a band from 1972 to 1980. This was recorded for the film FM in 1978, right after the Aja album came out. It was compiled later on the Gold record.
The more you listen to this song the more you like it. Has become one of my favorites through the years. Great reaction guys! ☮️ ❤️ 🎶 🎸 🎶
One of my top 5 SD songs
When I was in school I was asked who’s my favorite group and said steely Dan and boy was I made fun of and told Debbie Gibson is forever. Well where’s Debbie now??
You must have gone to a very uncool high school!😂 Debbie Gibson???
I can remember when FM finally hit the airwaves, it was wild to actually hear music in stereo on your radio. Less static and sounds you couldn’t hear on AM radio. ✌🏻
Steely Dan - "Don't Take Me Alive"
A lot of old timers here probably remember trying to hold their recorders up to the speakers to record their favorite songs on an "AM Only" radio during rain or a thunderstorm. Every ten seconds or so the song would be disrupted by the static crackles on the radio from the lightning outside. When FM stations came into existence, it was like a magical musical wonderland. 13Q and WIXZ were the major AM players here in Pittsburgh, and then came WDVE, 96KX, and B94 on the FM dial.
The guitar solo you’re looking for is Don’t take me alive. AWESOME guitar solo.
This song killed my headache and stress ❤ again and always since the 70's.
Saw the movie when it came out...the soundtrack is the best part haha.
Don't Take Me Alive! One of the best guitar solos by Larry Carlton ever recorded. Off of The Royal Scam, an amazing album.
When you're so respected by other musicians that you can get The Eagles as your background singers! Also, great drums by Jeff Pocaro of Toto!
And btw, Andy isn’t misremembering - the single version actually does end with a guitar solo. This version combined the original and a reprise from the movie soundtrack that featured the sax. This hybrid version removed the guitar at the end, and replaced it with the sax.
You listened to the wrong version of "FM"! The version from the movie "FM" has the Walter Becker guitar solo fade out. A+ Song!
Best heard sitting in a dim lit room sipping on an expensive red wine.
Or even scotch on the rocks!😊
Recorded about the same time as Aja, hence the similar vibe. Check out the different versions of this one, including the version that swaps the sax solo at the end with a guitar solo, which is the one I grew up with.
"Listening to this song makes you 7% more cool"......A comment I read many years ago that someone posted about this tune 😃 I happen to agree!
College days when I found FM. But 🎉Hs 60s, early 70s I was able to get stations KOMA & Wls at night. Thank my mama for always having music in the house. Love & miss her
Steely songs just always take you into a setting and mood as the narrative spins your own imagination..love your thoughts via Reeling, in that for me it's always imaged a summer day whereas FM is incredible on summer night patio with margaritas lol.. I love your introspective Steelyness! 🎶🍻
I remember on my transistor radio listening to FM and getting so much static. Am was much clear...lol
Memories of rotary phones, record players, Photo Mat, America's Top 40 with Casey Kasem. Best times!❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤😂😂
takes me back to the days of our old FM radio station.... Z-102 Austin's Classic Rock (Now its something else)
FM is my absolute favorite Steely Dan banger! I'm so excited you've reacted to it!💜
even some FM stations wouldn't play the second sax solo back when this was released. glad you got to hear the full version. RIP 94.7 KMET in Los Angeles!
“Don’t Take Me Alive” is cool til the end. Double meaning there.
FM radio introduced multiple songs being played consecutively while the DJs were doing I don't know what (wait, yes I do!) Longer album tracks resulted and we were off and running. Great time to be alive. Always good to hear Steely Dan. How about hitting Fagen's first solo The Nightfly? Real good tunes on that one.
Best movie about a radio station!!! ENTIRE SOUNDTRACK ROCKS!!