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{{Infobox album |
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{{ Album infobox | <!-- See Misplaced Pages:WikiProject_Albums --> |
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| Name = The Royal Scam |
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| name = The Royal Scam |
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| type = studio |
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| Type = ] |
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| Artist = ] |
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| artist = ] |
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| Cover = The Royal Scam album cover.jpg |
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| cover = The Royal Scam album cover.jpg |
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| alt = |
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| Background = orange |
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| Released = May, ] |
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| released = May 1976 |
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| Recorded = 1976 |
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| recorded = November 1975–March 1976 |
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| studio = *], Los Angeles |
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| Genre = ] |
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*], New York City |
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| Length = 41:11 |
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| genre = |
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| Label = ] |
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*]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Stuessy|first1=Joe|last2=Lipscomb|first2=Scott David|year=2006|title=Rock and Roll: Its History and Stylistic Development|publisher=]|page=320|isbn=0131930982|edition=5th|quote=The Royal Scam (1976) also utilized numerous extra players and had a clearer jazz-rock fusion sound.}}</ref> |
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| Producer = ] |
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*]<ref>{{cite book|last=Obrecht|first=Jas|page=117|chapter=20 Important Rock Albums|title=Rock Guitar|editor-last=Cassabona|editor-first=Helen|year=1989|publisher=]|isbn=0881889083|quote=...Steely Dan issued its funk-oriented ''The Royal Scam''...}}</ref> |
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| Reviews = |
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| length = 41:12 |
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* ] ] |
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| label = ] |
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*] (B) |
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| Last album = '']'' <br /> (1975) |
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| producer = ] |
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| prev_title = ] |
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| This album = '''''The Royal Scam''''' <br /> (1976) |
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| prev_year = 1975 |
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| Next album = '']'' <br /> (1977) |
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| next_title = ] |
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| next_year = 1977 |
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| misc = {{Singles |
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| name = The Royal Scam |
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| type = studio |
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| single1 = ] |
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| single1date = May 1976 |
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| single2 = The Fez |
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| single2date = September 1976 (US) |
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| single3 = Haitian Divorce |
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| single3date = November 1976 (UK)<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr00stro/page/782/mode/2up|title=The Great Rock Discography|year=1995|page=782 |isbn=9780862415419 |last1=Strong |first1=Martin Charles }}</ref> |
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}} |
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}} |
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}} |
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Originally released in May ], '''''The Royal Scam''''' was an album by rock group ]. The album went ] and peaked at #15 on the charts. ''The Royal Scam'' is the most ]-friendly of Steely Dan's albums, featuring guitar work by Walter Becker and studio musicians including ], ], ] and ]. |
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'''''The Royal Scam''''' is the fifth ] by American rock band ], released in May 1976, by ]; reissues have been released by ] since it acquired ABC in 1979. It was produced by ]. In the United States, the album peaked at number 15 on the ] chart, and it has been certified ] by the ] (RIAA).<ref name="BillboardAlbum"/> |
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The song ''Kid Charlemagne'' is partially inspired by ]. |
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==Music and lyrics== |
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With ]-leaden verses about ], ], and hardships faced by ]s, ''The Royal Scam'' is arguably Steely Dan at their most ]. The album cover, which shows a well-dressed, possibly ] man sleeping underneath (or perhaps dreaming of) mutating ]s, is a ] take on the ] (although Fagen and Becker claim to have hated the cover design when it was released). The cover was designed by Zox, and at least a portion was originally created for a ] album from ]-] that was never released . The mood of the album stands in contrast with the band's mellower and hugely successful follow-up, '']''. |
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In common with other Steely Dan albums, ''The Royal Scam'' is littered with cryptic allusions to people and events, both real and fictional. In a BBC interview in 2000, songwriters ] and ] revealed that "]" is loosely based on ], the notorious drug "chef" who was famous for manufacturing hallucinogenic compounds, and that "The Caves of Altamira" is about the loss of innocence, the narrative about a visitor to the ] who registers his astonishment at the prehistoric drawings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.steelydan.com/bbc.html|title=BBC Chat - 3/4/00|website=www.steelydan.com|access-date=1 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090413164154/http://www.steelydan.com/bbc.html|archive-date=13 April 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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"The Fez" has the distinction of being, other than the instrumental "]" on '']'' (1974), the only Steely Dan song with a credited writer other than Becker and Fagen. Of keyboardist ]'s contribution to the song, Becker has said that "There is an instrumental melody that Paul started playing in the session, and when we decided to build that melody up to a greater position, since we had some suspicion that perhaps this melody wasn't entirely Paul's invention, we decided to give him composer credit in case later some sort of scandal developed and he would take the brunt of the impact", while Griffin has said that Fagen already had the keyboard riff, and he just took it in a different direction.<ref name = "Sweet">{{cite book|first=Brian|last=Sweet|title=Steely Dan: Reelin' in the Years|publisher=Omnibus Press|year=2018|isbn=978-1787600638}}</ref> Fagen later said of Griffin, "There are some musicians who are hacks, and then there are guys like Paul who can create something so different and unique they make the record."<ref>{{cite web|website=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/25/nyregion/paul-griffin-62-session-pianist-for-a-multitude-of-pop-musicians.html|title=Paul Griffin, 62, Session Pianist For a Multitude of Pop Musicians|date=June 25, 2000|first=Jon|last=Pareles|accessdate=December 22, 2022}}</ref> Chris Willman described the song in an August 22, 1993, article in '']'' as "a cheerful ode to the importance of always wearing a ]".<ref> Retrieved February 24, 2023.</ref> |
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===Reference to the Eagles=== |
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"Everything You Did" features the lyric: "Turn up the ], the neighbors are listening." About the origin of the reference, ] of the Eagles said: "Apparently, Walter Becker's girlfriend loved the Eagles, and she played them all the time. I think it drove him nuts. So, the story goes that they were having a fight one day and that was the genesis of the line." Later in 1976, in a nod back to Steely Dan for the free publicity,<ref> Rule Forty Two.com. Glenn Frey: "We just wanted to allude to Steely Dan rather than mentioning them outright, so 'Dan' got changed to 'knives'"</ref> and inspired by the group's lyrical style,<ref> Feldermusic. "At the time we were also quite fond Steely Dan and listening to a lot of their records. And one of the things that impressed us about Steely Dan was that they would say anything in their songs and it did not have to necessarily make sense you know"</ref> the Eagles included the line: "They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast", in their hit-song "]". Frey explained: "We just wanted to allude to Steely Dan rather than mentioning them outright, so 'Dan' got changed to 'knives', which is still, you know, a penile metaphor."{{efn|Referring to the fact that Steely Dan was named after a dildo mentioned in ]' novel '']''.}} Given that the two bands shared a manager (]) and the Eagles have proclaimed their admiration for Steely Dan, this was more likely part of a friendly rivalry than a feud.<ref name="TinyDancer">Excerpted from the 2006 book ''Is Tiny Dancer Really Elton's Little John?: Music's Most Enduring Mysteries, Myths, and Rumors Revealed'' byGavin Edwards, published by Three Rivers Press.</ref> ], who sang backing vocals on ''The Royal Scam'', joined the Eagles in 1977, after being a featured vocalist and bassist with Poco. |
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==Packaging== |
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The album's cover features an image of a man in a suit sleeping on a bus stop bench in Boston and dreaming of ]s with monstrous animal heads at the top. ] originally created the painting of the skyscraper/beast hybrids for an unreleased ] album, and designer ] suggested superimposing a photograph of a sleeping vagrant taken by Charlie Ganse to make the cover for ''The Royal Scam''.<ref name = "Sweet">{{cite book|first=Brian|last=Sweet|title=Steely Dan: Reelin' in the Years|publisher=Omnibus Press|year=2018|isbn=978-1787600638}}</ref> In the liner notes for the 1999 remastered reissue of the album, Fagen and Becker jokingly called it "the most hideous album cover of the seventies, bar none (excepting perhaps '']'')." |
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==Reception== |
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{{Album ratings |
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| rev1 = ] |
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| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-royal-scam-mw0000195860|title=The Royal Scam – Steely Dan|publisher=]|access-date=January 11, 2019}}</ref> |
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| rev2 = '']'' |
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| rev2score = {{Rating|3|4}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Kot|first=Greg|author-link=Greg Kot|date=August 16, 1992|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/08/16/thrills-scams-and-nightflys/|title=Thrills, Scams and Nightflys|newspaper=]|access-date=February 15, 2017}}</ref> |
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| rev3 = '']'' |
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| rev3score = B<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=3314|chapter=Steely Dan: The Royal Scam|access-date=January 11, 2019|title=]|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|publisher=]|year=1981|isbn=0-89919-026-X}}</ref> |
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| rev4 = '']'' |
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| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Steely Dan|title=]|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=]|edition=5th concise|year=2011|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8}}</ref> |
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| rev5 = '']'' |
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| rev5Score = 6/10<ref>{{cite book|last=Strong|first=Martin Charles|author-link=Martin C. Strong|title=The Great Rock Discography|publisher=]|year=2002|isbn=1-84195-312-1|chapter=Steely Dan}}</ref> |
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| rev6 = '']'' |
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| rev6score = 3/5<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Graff|editor1-first=Gary|editor2-last=Durchholz|editor2-first=Daniel|title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Farmington Hills, MI|year=1999|isbn=1-57859-061-2|chapter=Steely Dan|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612}}</ref> |
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| rev7 = '']'' |
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| rev7score = 8.3/10<ref>{{cite web|last=Cook-Wilson|first=Winston|date=November 20, 2019|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/steely-dan-the-royal-scam/|title=Steely Dan: The Royal Scam|work=]|access-date=November 24, 2019}}</ref> |
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| rev8 = '']'' |
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| rev8score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite journal|title=Steely Dan: The Royal Scam|journal=]|issue=165|location=London|date=June 2000|page=131}}</ref> |
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| rev9 = '']'' |
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| rev9score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="RSreissue">{{cite magazine|last=Scoppa|first=Bud|date=October 14, 2004|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/steelydan/albums/album/321794/review/6487010/the_royal_scam|title=Steely Dan: The Royal Scam|magazine=]|issue=959|location=New York|access-date=August 22, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001161920/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/steelydan/albums/album/321794/review/6487010/the_royal_scam|archive-date=October 1, 2007|url-status=dead|ref=RSreissue}}</ref> |
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| rev10 = '']'' |
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| rev10score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Steely Dan|last=Sheffield|first=Rob|author-link=Rob Sheffield|pages=|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|title=]|publisher=]|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8}}</ref> |
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}} |
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Upon its release, the album was not met with as much critical acclaim as its predecessors, with many reviewers finding that it did not show any musical progress. The original '']'' review was more positive, however,<ref name="RSreview">{{cite magazine|last=Tucker|first=Kenneth|author-link=Ken Tucker|date=July 1, 1976|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/the-royal-scam-19760701|title=Steely Dan: The Royal Scam|magazine=]|issue=216|location=New York|access-date=December 26, 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725154826/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/steelydan/albums/album/321794/review/6487010/the_royal_scam|archive-date=July 25, 2008|ref=RSreview}}</ref> and the magazine later gave the album five stars out of five in a Hall of Fame review.<ref name="RSreissue"/> |
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In 2000, the album was voted number 868 in the third edition of ]'s book '']''.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=]|author=Colin Larkin|author-link=Colin Larkin|publisher=]|date=2000|edition=3rd|isbn=0-7535-0493-6|page=267}}</ref> |
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==Singles== |
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*"Kid Charlemagne" spent three weeks on the ] chart, reaching a peak position of number 82 in July 1976.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://chart-history.net/wp-content/uploads/arch-steely-dan.pdf |title=Chart - History Singles |website=chart-history.net |access-date=11 November 2022}}</ref> |
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*"The Fez" spent five weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 59 in October 1976.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://billboard.elpee.jp/single/The%20Fez/Steely%20Dan/ |title=The Fez |website=billboard.elpee.jp |access-date=11 November 2022}}</ref> |
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*"Haitian Divorce" spent nine weeks on the ], peaking at number 17 in January 1977.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/haitian-divorce/ |title=Haitian Divorce |website=www.officialcharts.com |publisher=The Official UK Charts Company |access-date=10 November 2022}}</ref> |
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==Track listing== |
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==Track listing== |
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{{Track listing |
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All songs by Becker and Fagen, except where noted |
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| all_writing = ] and ], except where noted |
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| headline = Side one |
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| extra_column = Solo(s) |
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| title1 = ] |
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| extra1 = guitar: ] |
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| length1 = 4:39 |
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| title2 = The Caves of Altamira |
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| extra2 = tenor saxophone: ] |
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| length2 = 3:34 |
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| title3 = Don't Take Me Alive |
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| extra3 = guitar: Larry Carlton |
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| length3 = 4:16 |
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| title4 = Sign In Stranger |
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| extra4 = piano: ]; guitar: ] |
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| length4 = 4:24 |
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| title5 = The Fez |
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| writer5 = Becker, Fagen, ] |
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| extra5 = guitar: ] |
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| length5 = 4:01 |
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}} |
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{{Track listing |
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#"Kid Charlemagne" - 4:38 |
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| headline = Side two |
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#"The Caves of Altamira" - 3:33 |
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| extra_column = Solo(s) |
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#"Don't Take Me Alive" - 4:16 |
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| title6 = Green Earrings |
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#"Sign in Stranger" - 4:23 |
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| extra6 = guitar: ] (bridge) and Elliott Randall (main) |
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#"The Fez" (Becker, Fagen, Paul Griffin) - 4:01 |
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#"Green Earrings" - 4:05 |
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| length6 = 4:05 |
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| title7 = Haitian Divorce |
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#"Haitian Divorce" - 5:51 |
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| extra7 = ] guitar: ] (altered by Walter Becker) |
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#"Everything You Did" - 3:55 |
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| length7 = 5:51 |
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#"The Royal Scam" - 6:30 |
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| title8 = Everything You Did |
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| extra8 = guitar: Larry Carlton |
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| length8 = 3:56 |
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| title9 = The Royal Scam |
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| extra9 = guitar: Larry Carlton |
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| length9 = 6:31 |
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| total_length = 41:12 |
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}} |
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==Personnel== |
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==Personnel== |
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;Steely Dan |
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*] - ], ], ] |
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*] - ], vocals, background vocals |
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* ] – keyboards, lead vocals, background vocals |
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*] - guitar |
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* ] – guitar, bass guitar |
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*Gary Coleman - ] |
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*] - guitar |
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*] - percussion, keyboards |
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*] - vocals, background vocals |
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*Bob Findley - horn |
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*Chuck Findley - horn |
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*Paul Griffin - keyboards, vocals |
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*Don Grolnick - keyboards |
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*] - ] |
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*Dick Hyde - horn |
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*Richard Hyde - ] |
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*Slyde Hyde - horn |
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*] - saxophone |
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*] - vocals, background vocals |
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*John Klemmer - horn |
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*] - ] |
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*] - vocals, background vocals |
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*] - guitar |
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*] - vocals, background vocals |
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*Dean Parks - guitar |
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*] - drums |
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*] - bass |
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*] - guitar |
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*] - bass, vocals, background vocals |
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;Additional musicians |
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==Production== |
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{{Div col}} |
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*Producer: Gary Katz |
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* ] – keyboards |
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*Engineer: Roger Nicholas |
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* ] – keyboards |
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*Mixdown engineer: Barney Perkins |
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* ] – guitar |
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*Sound Consultant: Dinky Dawson |
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* ] – guitar |
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*Horn arrangements: Walter Becker, Donald Fagen, Chuck Findley |
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* ] – guitar |
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*Art direction: Ed Caraeff |
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* ] – guitar |
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*Cover art: Zox |
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* ] – bass guitar |
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*Typography: Tom Nikosey |
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* ] – drums (3,8) |
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* ] – drums (all except 3,8) |
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* Gary Coleman – percussion |
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* ] – percussion, keyboards |
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* ] – trumpet |
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* Bob Findley – trumpet |
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* ] – trombone |
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* ] – saxophone |
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* ] – saxophone |
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* ] – saxophone |
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* ] – backing vocals |
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* ] – backing vocals |
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* ] – backing vocals |
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* ] – backing vocals |
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* ] – backing vocals |
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* Gary Sherman – horn arrangements |
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{{div col end}} |
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{{col-start}} |
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{{col-2}} |
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;Production |
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* ] – producer |
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* ] – engineer, mixing engineer |
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* ] – engineer |
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* Barney Perkins – mixing engineer |
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* ] – mastering engineer |
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* Stuart "Dinky" Dawson – sound consultant |
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* Karen Stanley – nurse |
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* ] – art direction and design |
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* Charlie Ganse – cover art |
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* ] – cover art |
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* Tom Nikosey – typographic design |
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{{col-2}} |
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;Reissue |
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* Roger Nichols – remastering engineer |
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* Beth Stempel – coordinator |
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* Vartan – art direction |
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* Mike Diehl – design<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-royal-scam-mw0000195860/credits|title=The Royal Scam - Steely Dan - Credits - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=1 December 2018}}</ref> |
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* ] – consultant |
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{{col-end}} |
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==Charts== |
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==Charts== |
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{{col-begin}} |
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'''Album''' |
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{{col-2}} |
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{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 width="60%" |
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!align="left"|Year |
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===Weekly charts=== |
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!align="left"|Chart |
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{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
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!align="left"|Position |
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|align="left"|1976 |
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! scope="col" | Chart (1976) |
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! scope="col" | Peak<br />position |
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|align="left"|Pop Albums |
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|- |
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|align="left"|15 |
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!scope="row"|Australian Albums (])<ref name="Kent">{{cite Kent|page=292}}</ref> |
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|align="center"|30 |
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|- |
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{{album chart|Canada|24|chartid=4282a|rowheader=true|access-date=December 21, 2024}} |
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{{album chart|Netherlands|14|artist=Steely Dan|album=The Royal Scam|rowheader=true|access-date=November 8, 2021}} |
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{{album chart|New Zealand|3|artist=Steely Dan|album=The Royal Scam|rowheader=true|access-date=November 8, 2021}} |
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{{album chart|UK2|11|date=19760516|rowheader=true|access-date=November 8, 2021}} |
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|- |
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{{album chart|Billboard200|15|artist=Steely Dan|rowheader=true|access-date=November 8, 2021|refname=BillboardAlbum}} |
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{{col-2}} |
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===Year-end charts=== |
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'''Singles''' |
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{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
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{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 width="60%" |
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!align="left"|Year |
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!align="left"|Single |
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!align="left"|Chart |
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!align="left"|Position |
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|- |
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|- |
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|align="left"|1976 |
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! scope="col" | Chart (1976) |
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! scope="col" | Position |
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|align="left"|"Kid Charlemagne" |
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|align="left"|Pop Singles |
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|align="left"|82 |
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|- |
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|- |
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! scope="row" | New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-albums/1976-12-31 |title=Top Selling Albums of 1976 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart |publisher=] |access-date=November 8, 2021 }}</ref> |
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|align="left"|1976 |
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| 32 |
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|align="left"|"The Fez" |
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|align="left"|Pop Singles |
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! scope="row" | US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bestsellingalbums.org/year-end/Billboard_Top_Albums_1976|title=Top US Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end 1976|website=BestSellingAlbums.org|access-date=December 21, 2024}}</ref> |
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{{col-end}} |
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==Notes== |
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{{Notelist}} |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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* {{YouTube|9YxK-swFREo|"Don't Take Me Alive"}} |
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{{Steely Dan}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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==External link== |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Scam}} |
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The album's cover features an image of a man in a suit sleeping on a bus stop bench in Boston and dreaming of skyscrapers with monstrous animal heads at the top. Zox originally created the painting of the skyscraper/beast hybrids for an unreleased Van Morrison album, and designer Ed Caraeff suggested superimposing a photograph of a sleeping vagrant taken by Charlie Ganse to make the cover for The Royal Scam. In the liner notes for the 1999 remastered reissue of the album, Fagen and Becker jokingly called it "the most hideous album cover of the seventies, bar none (excepting perhaps Can't Buy a Thrill)."
Upon its release, the album was not met with as much critical acclaim as its predecessors, with many reviewers finding that it did not show any musical progress. The original Rolling Stone review was more positive, however, and the magazine later gave the album five stars out of five in a Hall of Fame review.
