Articles

A series of rare, in-studio candid photographs of Steely Dan and the musicians they worked with have come to light. The images in the collection were all taken by Steely Dan's long-time recording engineer Roger Nichols (1944-2011) during the first three seminal Steely Dan albums. See the collection here. Coined the Roger Nichols Steely Dan "Through The Glass" Collection, some were actually taken through the glass window separating the studio control room and live room. The photos capture candid moments during the process of recording several seminal albums by the group and their elite cast of supporting musicians.  Pictured in the...

The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com. Just a couple of highlights from this week in music history! MAY 20: Happy birthday to Cher! She is one of the most successful and enduring entertainers in modern pop culture history.  Born Cherilyn Sarkisian in California on May 20, 1946, she rose to fame in the mid-1960s with Sonny Bono as part of the hugely popular duo Sonny & Cher. Their breakthrough hit “I Got You Babe” became an anthem of the era and launched the pair into television superstardom with The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.  Cher’s quick wit, glamorous...

Recorded in 1978-79 and released on November 21, 1980, Gaucho stands as one of the most meticulously crafted albums in popular music history. Created by Steely Dan—the studio-focused partnership of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker—the record represents both the peak of their perfectionism and a turning point in music production technology. At the center of its story is an unlikely “musician”: A custom-built drum machine named Wendel, invented by late recording engineer Roger Nichols (1944-2011), which would go on to receive its very own RIAA Platinum Album award. Roger Nichols and Wendel's RIAA Awards for Steely Dan's Gaucho album, along with...

The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com. Just a couple of highlights from this week in music history! MAY 13: Happy birthday to Stevie Wonder born May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan! Few artists have shaped popular music like Stevie Wonder. Emerging as a child prodigy on Motown Records in the 1960s, Stevie quickly became one of the most influential musicians in history. With his soulful voice, masterful keyboard skills, and groundbreaking songwriting, he created timeless classics like “Superstition,” “Sir Duke,” “Isn’t She Lovely,” and “I Just Called to Say I Love You." What makes Stevie Wonder truly...

For most musicians, receiving a RIAA Gold or Platinum record is one of the ultimate career milestones. These framed awards symbolize hit albums, sold-out tours, and years of hard work in recording studios and on the road. But that has never stopped curious artists--and also collectors-- from wondering: “Does this thing actually play?” and "Is it my record or not?"   Over the years, musicians, producers, industry insiders, and collectors have shared stories about artists attempting to place their own Gold or Platinum awards onto turntables just to see what would happen. Sometimes the experiments worked, or worked briefly. Other times...