Dallas (Steely Dan song)

"Dallas" was written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen in New York, and was originally titled "Bye, Bye, Dallas". They chose to record it for the band they were forming, Steely Dan, because their record label contract stipulated that they had to release a single by the band before they would release an album. Becker and Fagen had not yet assembled the members of Steely Dan, and they first called their Long Island associate Denny Dias. However, Dias could not afford a plane ticket to California, where Becker and Fagen were, so he had to drive cross country and as a result was unable to make it in time for the recording sessions for the single. Jim Hodder arrived in California with the understanding that he was to be Steely Dan's drummer and backing vocalist, and was taken off-guard when he was handed lead vocal duties for "Dallas". Hodder had served as both drummer and lead vocalist for his previous band, Bead Game, but only because they were unable to find a suitable replacement for their original lead vocalist; however, Steely Dan's producer Gary Katz had also produced Bead Game's album and believed that Hodder had what it took to be a lead singer. The B-side of the single, "Sail the Waterway", was written by Becker and Fagen for Denny Doherty, but though he recorded a demo of the song he ended up not using it. ==Personnel==

Credits per Anthony Robustelli. • Donald Fagen – electric and acoustic pianos, backing vocal • Walter Becker – bass guitar, tambourine • Jeff Baxter – acoustic and pedal steel guitars, congas • Jim Hodder – lead vocal, drums • Tim Moore – backing vocal ==References==