The PSP badge 'Talent borrows, genius steals' brief that says 'Take the hook of a popular song, change one word and make that the title or hook of your song,' allowed me to indulge in paying tribute to one of my favourite song writing partnerships, that of Fagen and Becker of Steely Dan. I had the hook from the song 'The Fez' from their 1976 album 'The Royal Scam' in mind for this particular brief. Dan fans will know it, many younger folks might not. The substitution of 'fez' for 'hat' in the lyric is also a corny take on my name as well, some may notice... It's a surreal mix of the personal and nonsense, using a number of well known Steely Dan track and album titles.
Cover pic Raja V@Unsplash
lyrics
1970 was hot, but aged 20 I was not
And though the world was dry, the music made me high
And thank you Mr Fagen, for the inspiration
And you too Mr Becker, you could not do better
You’re never going to do it without the hat on
I’ll ask myself which one I’ll wear today
A natural groove, that you both sat on
With the Royal Scam you really showed the way
I was reelin’ in the years, when I had tears for fears
Tried not to lose that number, that Rikki made me wonder
And though I was kind of raw, I was filled with awe
Then the next thing to see, was a countdown to ecstasy
You’re never going to do it without the hat on
I’ll ask myself which one I’ll wear today
A natural groove, that you both sat on
With the Royal Scam you really showed the way
If this band was a car, you know it has travelled far
I’d be driving a Stingray, to the caves of Altamera
With a song on the radio, do it again I know
The songs will stay with me, and keep me feeling free
You’re never going to do it without the hat on
I’ll ask myself which one I’ll wear today
A natural groove, that you both sat on
With the Royal Scam you really showed the way X 2
credits
from Positive Songs Project,
released September 20, 2020
Mike Hatton - composition, basses, guitar, lead vocal; Suzi Woods - backing vocals
Mike Hatton is a vastly experienced self-taught bassist who has been performing since 1978 in a range of ensembles covering
a wide spectrum of music. Mike is no stranger to Jazz, Blues. Latin, Rock, Reggae, classical and a range of melodic approaches, and has incorporated his cross genre experiences into his recorded and performing solo work....more
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