Listen to Steely Dan cover the classic Joni Mitchell song ‘Carey’
There wasn’t any direct contact between Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell in the 1970s. During that period, both artists were pioneers in mixing jazz with rock music, each taking a unique approach to the sounds of the day. Mitchell mixed in her folk background with pop and jazz, while Steely Dan found elements of progressive rock and yacht rock in their own explorations.
While Mitchell and the Dan didn’t officially collaborate, they were certainly admirers of each other’s work. Back in 2001, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were busy recording their album – Everything Must Go – when they received a call. They were asked to record a song for what would eventually become 2007’s A Tribute to Joni Mitchell, which featured covers from the likes of Prince, Björk, Sufjan Stevens, and even Mitchell’s former flame, James Taylor.
The Dan obliged, recording their version of the classic Blue track ‘Carey’. Utilising the same musicians that were used on Everything Must Go, Becker and Fagen reinterpreted the track in their own style, bringing in a healthy amount of jazzy inversions and slick production to make the track sound unmistakably Steely Dan-like.
Joni Mitchell’s official website even reported on the track’s recording back in 2001. “The song was finished over a period of six days (including the tracking day) in New York earlier this month; according to reports from the Steely Dan camp, that’s ‘the fastest Steely Dan song ever.’ Donald Fagen singing ‘Carey’? This should be interesting!”
For whatever reason, Steely Dan’s version of ‘Carey’ ultimately wasn’t included on the tribute album. It could be because the original album, A Case of Joni, was retooled and reworked extensively by the time it eventually came out as A Tribute to Joni Mitchell. Maybe the Dan got cold feet about including the track after a long gestation period.
Whatever the case was, Steely Dan’s version of ‘Carey’ has yet to see an official release. It was only after Becker’s death that the cover first saw the light of day as a leak. You can hear the track all over YouTube now, and maybe an archival release or a compilation will let the track see inclusion in the official Steely Dan discography.
Check out Steely Dan’s take on ‘Carey’ down below.
