Rikki Don't Lose That Number
| "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Steely Dan | ||||
| from the album Pretzel Logic | ||||
| B-side | "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" | |||
| Released | 1974 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Recorded | 1973 | |||
| Genre | Rock, Jazz fusion | |||
| Length | 3:58 (single) 4:30 (album) |
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| Label | ABC | |||
| Writer(s) | Walter Becker, Donald Fagen | |||
| Producer | Gary Katz | |||
| Steely Dan singles chronology | ||||
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"Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is a single released in 1974 by rock/pop/jazz group Steely Dan and the opening track of their third album Pretzel Logic. It was the group's most successful single of their career, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1974.
The song features Jim Gordon on drums, as does the bulk of the Pretzel Logic album. The guitar solo was played by Jeff "Skunk" Baxter.
Victor Feldman's flapamba[1] (a variant of a marimba)[2] introduction to the song (opening the album) is cut from the original ABC single version. The MCA single reissue (backed with "Pretzel Logic") includes the flapamba intro but fades out just before the actual end of the track. The introductory riff is a direct nod to Horace Silver's jazz classic, "Song for My Father".
In the March 24, 2006 issue of Entertainment Weekly, in an article titled "Back to Annandale", it was revealed that Rikki Ducornet was the apparent inspiration for the song due to a friendship songwriter Donald Fagen had with Ducornet while he attended Bard College. Ducornet was pregnant and married at the time, but recalls Fagen did give her his phone number at a college party while attending Bard and said that she believed she was the subject of the song. Fagen would not confirm the story.[3]
[edit] Personnel
- Lead Vocals: Donald Fagen
- Drums: Jim Gordon
- Bass: Walter Becker
- Acoustic Guitar: Dean Parks
- Solo Guitar: Jeff Baxter
- Piano: Michael Omartian
- Percussion: Victor Feldman
- Backup Vocals: Donald Fagen, Tim Schmit
[edit] Cover versions
In 1984, Tom Robinson recorded his version for the album 'Hope and Glory '.
In 1992, Hank Marvin did an instrumental of the song on his album 'Into the Light'.
In 1994, Far Corporation made a cover of the song for their album 'Solitude'.
