Still Wide Open to ideas

Steely Dan contributor on his new album and the passing of the great Walter Becker

‘Working with Don and Walter was a crash course in song structure and arrangement’

Michael Mcdonald found fame with two of the most dazzling bands of the 1970s, Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers. The singer and keyboard player from Ferguson, Missouri, then carved out a formidable solo career. But it wasn’t until after a guest slot on fellow soul maestro Thundercat’s song Show You The Way that he relaunched his songwriting with this year’s album Wide Open. It is his first new material for 17 years.

“I did feel a certain amount of pressure to do at least one more album of original compositions,” Michael says. “Once I got back into the ring I would probably find myself with two or three records in mind of original stuff.”

Prior to Wide Open, Michael, 65, made three albums of classic Motown covers, but his ideas still flowed. “I enjoyed those projects so much but during that period I was logging ideas for songs, making demos in my studio in Nashville.

“For the most part, this album was founded on the original demos. In many cases the vocals you’re hearing are basically original demo vocals. We thought about replacing and bettering them, but as we got deeper into the project we realised that those original vocals would do better. It wasn’t worth losing that original feel.”

Wide Open affirms Mcdonald’s career. At 22, his talent was spotted by Steely Dan, at the time probably the greatest band in America.

“Such a unique blend of characters, it taught me so much about songwriting,” he reflects.

“It was a real crash course in song structure, chord progression and arrangement. You learned so much from (founders) Donald and Walter by having a seat in their live band.”

Michael last toured with Steely Dan in 2005.

He has fond memories of guitarist Walter Becker, who died aged 67 in September.

“We always kind of resonated as people,” he remembers.

“Walter was somebody I saw in my off time when I wasn’t on the road with the band.

“We had mutual friends. I never saw him ever be anything but kind to literally anyone he ever met. We lived some of our bachelor years together and wrestled with a few demons, but his insatiable curiosity for music was something I was always impressed by.

“Walter never tired of listening to music. He always made me feel lazy in that respect, because I don’t know of anyone who had such an insatiable appetite for listening to what was going on around him in the music world, whether it was jazz or pop music.”

He last met Becker two years ago at the New Orleans Heritage Jazz Festival. “Walter was the Walter I always knew. He made the point of reaching out across the backstage area to say hi.

“I reached out to Donald after hearing of Walter’s passing. Of all the people in Walter’s life, it has to be the hardest on Donald. They had been together a long time on a lot of levels.” ■■Wide Open out now. UK live dates, March 2018