The Gathering Storm

Hey Les:

Here's the latest batch of correspondence re the "Hall of Fame" issue - let's post this ASAP. They're eating this one up.

Dear Donald and Walter;

Love your letter to Hall of Fame! The public needs to know what's really going on here. I'd like to link it to my page if you don't mind. I've wanted to address this issue on my web site, but it'd look like sour grapes.

As one of the musicians who saw some of his musical creations publicized in the Hall of Fame's publicity material for the 1996 induction, and then was told he was never a bandmember and NO, no backstage belt either; I just wanted to let you know that it's nice to see fellow AF of M'ers take a stand.

A lot of bands don't know what's really going on until after the induction experience, and the fans most certainly don't know.

I'm going to let some of my fellow "non-bandmembers" and "no back stage belt eithers" Jerry Allison (Crickets), Bunk Gardner & Jimmy Carl Black (Mothers of Invention), and members of Big Brother and the Holding Company and others know about your page.

Always loved your music too. You guys are great writers.

Musically Yours,

Joey Covington

Dear Joey,

Thanks very much for your interest in the Steely Dan website. As you know, much of the material on the site is humorous or is intended to be humorous, and thus nothing to get excited or worried or worked up over. Misunderstandings occur not infrequently and this is considered by the authors of the page to be the cost of doing business in the domain of satire. It seems to me that you may be focusing on a specific point (i.e., the Hall of Fame's selection of eligible inductees) that , in the context of a lighthearted, "ironic" piece, may not carry the charge that you and/or your parental introjects have inferred.

At any rate, I am not familiar with your work and so I am not sure why you expect to be inducted into the Rock'N'Roll Hall of Fame. I fully intend to check out your home page when I get a chance and perhaps then the scales will fall from my eyes. In the meantime I would like to point you towards "Denny's Corner", where a more straightforward presentation of Steely Dan lore is available.

I would like to thank you for bringing to my attention the fact that Jimmy Carl Black has been fucked over by the Hall of Fame people - he is a true sixties icon and as charter member of The Mothers he belongs in there, dammit. My landscape engineer William Neil is a personal friend of Jann Wenner's and I intend to mention this outrage to Billy at the next opportunity so that this injustice can be corrected at once.

Thank you for your support.

Walter Becker

Dear Jann, Ahmet, or Whomsoever:

Enclosed is a letter we have received here at the Steely Dan website -- a reader's response to our first memo to the Hall of Fame Commissioners. This letter is from a purported member of the Jefferson Airplane, past or present, who for some reason believes he has been wronged by the Hall of Fame and/or the commissioners. I sense that beneath the seemingly reasonable surface text of this pleasant note there is a subtextual turbulence - my read is that this guy is pretty fucking pissed and ready to explode. I have been involved with the internet now for over a year, which I believe qualifies me to make this kind of call, and I am rarely wrong about one of these ballistidors when I spot them coming on. As you can see by the tone of my reply, I am attempting to jolly this guy along for the time being but I fear he won't be put off indefinitely. So the point, gentlemen, the point is that there is no time to waste in dealing with this question of disgruntled old (and new) bandmembers, of who is inducted and when and WHERE whoever is inducted and whoever is NOT inducted and...guys, hey, let's put this issue to bed before any more animosities are aroused and before somebody gets hurt.

By the way, I have asked my representative to put our offer to donate the famous old 3M digital multitrack recorders into a formal written proposal, so that you may consider it more carefully, again taking into consideration what is fair, what is in the best interest of the Hall, and in the best interest of the individual commissioners and their families as well. Please consider this offer carefully and let me know your thinking on this matter at the earliest convenient date. Incidentally, I'm sure Donald will back me up on all of this.

aloha out,

Walter Becker

From The Law Offices of Baldino, Losi, Lansky, Schultz & Madden
"It's Not Personal - It's Business!"

To Mr Jann Wenner et al
Re: Steely Dan Hall of Fame Induction

Gentlemen:

I have been asked by my clients Becker and Fagen to outline their position on the matter of their induction into the so-called Rock Hall of Fame. It is our hope that this matter can be resolved in a friendly and also a timely manner, without recourse to legal or illegal action. It is our sad experience at BLLS & M that illegal action begets legal action, and vice versa - so let's see if we can't come up with something that is in the interest of the commissioners and of my clients as well.

The situation as I understand it is this:

1. My clients Becker and Fagen have tendered an offer in good faith - namely, that in exchange for some recording equipment to be donated to the museum, for use in a display honoring their contributions to contemporary modern rock music, you and/or your representatives will do the following:

a) arrange to have the band Steely Dan perform at their induction ceremony, on the televised broadcast, for the sum of $380,000

b) provide a written appraisal of the value of the donated equipment at a figure not less than $950,000

c) guarantee that our clients will be allowed to determine precisely which bandmembers will be inducted into the Hall, and also who will be present at the telecast. Please note that our clients wish to exercise this prerogative in the case of other bands to be inducted into the Hall this coming year as well as Steely Dan, such as "The Eagles", etc. - that is, they will choose which members, if any, will be inducted, as they are determined to insure that the singular honor of inclusion into the Hall should not be diminished or diluted by the inclusion of nonessential bandmembers or other undeserving individuals.

d) will graciously welcome as inductees for 1998: the great Jimmy Carl Black; the groundbreaking Fugs; and the excellent writing team, Anders & Poncia.

2. It is our understanding that Mr Jann Wenner has accepted these terms and conditions on behalf of the Hall of Fame, by accepting from Messrs Becker and Fagen the following down payment: one case of Yurgulun's Best Honey Mustard, manufactured in Connecticut. The 3M machines are en route to Mr Wenner's hunting lodge in Colorado - it is believed that the machines may actually fire up under the reduced atmospheric pressure at Jann's high altitude mountain aerie. The machines should be arriving C.O.D. sometime around September 1.

So, gentlemen, it appears that a deal has been consummated and my clients and I are awaiting the agreed-upon compensation (deposit for live performance fee, remuneration for consultations to the B of D of the Hall of Fame, etc.; total due = $700,000 now, $700,000 after the show, plus air fares and expenses). If there are any questions I can be reached at my horse ranch in the Adirondacks at: 914-387- 6423.

Thank you for your consideration

Joseph "Uncle Joe" Stephano, Esq.

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7/24/97