''Circus Money'' is the second and final solo album by

Walter Becker Walter Carl Becker (February 20, 1950 – September 3, 2017) was an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and co-songwriter of the jazz rock band Steely Dan.Russonello, Giovanni,Listen to ...

, released on June 10, 2008, through the 5 Over 12 label (an imprint of

Mailboat Records Mailboat Records is an independent record label established in 1999 by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett after his vanity label Margaritaville Records was absorbed by Island Records when they were sold to Universal Music Group, owner of Bu ...

), and on July 14, 2008, through

Sonic360 Christopher John Allison (born 1961) is a British record producer and founder head of Sonic360 Records. Influenced by a range of musical styles encompassing rock, jazz, hip-hop, electronic, world and Latin. In his career spanning 1984 to the ...

, outside North America. Unlike Becker's previous solo release, this album does not have the participation of Becker's fellow

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band formed in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in 1971 by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Originally having a traditional band lineup, Becker and Fagen cho ...

founder and bandmate

Donald Fagen Donald Jay Fagen (born January 10, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and musician who is the co-founder, lead singer, co-songwriter, and keyboardist of the rock band Steely Dan, formed in the early 1970s with musical partner Walter Becker ...

. The cover artwork features graphic work inspired by a photograph of a Yup'ik mask, reproduced in

Ann Fienup-Riordan Ann Fienup-Riordan (born 1948) is an American cultural anthropologist known for her work with the Yup'ik of western Alaska, particularly on Nelson Island and the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta. She lives in Anchorage, Alaska. She received Historian o ...

's ''The Living Tradition of Yup'Ik Masks''. Becker wrote that after obtaining the rights to re-use the photograph (from Fienup-Riordan as well as the book's publisher and the original photographer), the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. With 4.4 ...

(where the mask is held) was notified of the intended use of the photograph. The museum attempted to block the use of the photograph, citing cultural sensitivity and the sacred nature of the mask. Following legal advice, it was deemed the museum had no legal basis for blocking the photograph's use.Circus Money , FAQ , Walter Becker
/ref>

Track listing

All songs written by

and

Larry Klein Larry Klein is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is based in Los Angeles. He began his career as a bassist, playing with jazz artists Willie Bobo, Freddie Hubbard, Carmen McRae, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Way ...

, except "Circus Money", written by Becker. # "Door Number Two" - 4:33 # "Downtown Canon" - 5:36 # "Bob Is Not Your Uncle Anymore" - 4:45 # "Upside Looking Down" - 4:08 # "Paging Audrey" - 6:48 # "Circus Money" - 4:15 # "Selfish Gene" - 4:38 # "Do You Remember the Name" - 4:14 # "Somebody's Saturday Night" - 4:29 # "Darkling Down" - 5:04 # "God's Eye View" - 6:02 # "Three Picture Deal" - 5:27 # "Dark Horse Dub"''*'' - 6:46 ''*International release only''

Personnel

Musicians *

– vocals, guitars (1, 2), bass (1–5, 7–12), guitar solo (7, 9, 10) * Ted Baker – keyboards (1–3, 5, 7, 10–12), acoustic piano (4, 6, 9), electric piano (9) *

Jim Beard James Arthur Beard (August 26, 1960 – March 2, 2024) was an American jazz pianist and keyboardist, composer, arranger and producer who worked with Steely Dan, Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Mike Stern, Dennis Ch ...

– acoustic piano (1, 3, 5, 7, 12), keyboards (5, 6, 8, 11),

clavinet The Clavinet is an electric clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds with rubber pads, each matching one of the keys and respond ...

(5),

calliope In Greek mythology, Calliope ( ; ) is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses". Mythology Calliope had two famous sons, OrpheusH ...

(7), RMI Rock-Si-Chord (12) *

Larry Goldings Lawrence Sam Goldings (born August 28, 1968) is an American jazz keyboardist and composer. His music has explored elements of funk, blues, and jazz fusion, fusion. Goldings has a comedic alter ego known as Hans Groiner. Life and career Golding ...

–

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

(2),

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...

(10) *

Henry Hey Henry Hey is an American keyboardist, songwriter, producer, arranger and musical director. He has worked with artists such as David Bowie,

– keyboards (4, 8) *

Jon Herington Jon Herington (born Jonathan Reuel Herington on April 14, 1954) is an American guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, and session musician. Career Herington was born in Paterson, New Jersey, and grew up in West Long Branch, New Jersey ...

– guitars,

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos that ...

(8) *

Dean Parks Weldon Dean Parks (born December 6, 1946) is an American session guitarist and record producer from Fort Worth, Texas. Parks has one Grammy nomination. Albums Parks was member of the North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los A ...

– guitars (2, 4, 9), guitar solo (4) *

– bass (6) *

Keith Carlock Keith Carlock (born November 29, 1971) is an American musician who has played drums with Toto, Wayne Krantz, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, Tal Wilkenfeld, John Mayer, Sting, Chris Botti, and Christopher Cross. In ' ...

– drums, percussion (1) * Gordon Gottlieb – percussion (2, 3, 7, 10, 12) *

Luciana Souza Luciana Souza (born 12 July 1966) is a Brazilian jazz singer and composer who also works in bossa nova, pop, classical and chamber music. She won a Grammy Award in 2007, and has been nominated for seven others, most recently in 2024. Souza is con ...

– vocal solo (7),

pandeiro The pandeiro () is a type of hand frame drum popular in Brazil. The pandeiro is used in a number of Brazilian music forms, such as samba, choro, coco, and capoeira music. The drumhead is tunable, and the rim holds metal jingles (''platinelas' ...

(9) * Chris Potter – tenor saxophone (1, 5, 6) * Roger Rosenberg –

bass clarinet The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common Soprano clarinet, soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays no ...

(11), baritone saxophone (12) * Carolyn Leonhart-Escoffery – backing vocals (1–5, 8–11) *

Kate Markowitz Catherine Judith "Kate" Markowitz (born 28 April 1956) is an American singer-songwriter known as a backup singer who has recorded and performed with a number of singers, most notably James Taylor but also Willy DeVille, Shawn Colvin, Mylène Farm ...

– backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9–12) * Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 9–12) * Windy Wagner – backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 6, 9–12) * Carmen Carter – backing vocals (2, 6, 9) *

Tawatha Agee Tawatha Agee (born November 14, 1954) is an American vocalist and songwriter. Her voice has been described in ''The New York Times'' as an "acrobatic, gospel-charged soprano." She was the lead singer of funk and soul band Mtume; her soulful lead ...

– backing vocals (5, 12) * Sharon Bryant – backing vocals (5, 12) *

Sweet Pea Atkinson Hillard "Sweet Pea" Atkinson (September 20, 1945 – May 5, 2020) was an American R&B singer known as one of the vocalists for the band Was (Not Was). Biography Atkinson was born in Oberlin, Ohio, and moved to Detroit as a child. He work ...

– backing vocals (11) * Sir Harry Bowens – backing vocals (11) *

Terry Dexter Terry Dexter is an American actress and contemporary R&B singer. Early life Dexter was born in Detroit, Michigan. She has a twin sister, and she describes her ethnicity simply as multiracial. Music career From the age of 9 to 14, Dexter was a ...

– backing vocals (11) Production * Larry Klein – producer * Helik Hadar – engineer, mixing * Jay Messina – engineer *

Elliot Scheiner Elliot Ray Scheiner (born March 18, 1947) is a music producer, mixer and engineer. Scheiner has received 27 Grammy Award nominations (winning eight), four Emmy nominations (winning two Emmy Awards for his work with the Eagles on their farewell t ...

– engineer * Jim Beard – additional engineer * Brian Montgomery – additional engineer * Justin Gerrish – assistant engineer * Chris Lupo – assistant engineer *

Bernie Grundman Bernie Grundman (born 16 December 1943, Minneapolis) is an American audio engineer. He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1984 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chr ...

– mastering at

Bernie Grundman Mastering Bernie Grundman (born 16 December 1943, Minneapolis) is an American audio engineer. He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1984 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chri ...

(Hollywood, California) * Roger Sadowsky – guitar and bass technician * Andrew Rathbun – musical transcription * Jill Dell'Abate – production coordinator * Cindi Peters – production coordinator * A. Denovo – design, photography * Carol Bobolts – design support

References

{{Authority control 2008 albums Albums produced by Larry Klein Walter Becker albums