Do It Again (Steely Dan song)

"Do It Again"
Single by Steely Dan
from the album Can't Buy a Thrill
B-side	"Fire in the Hole"
Released	November 1972
Format	7" 45 RPM
Recorded	August 1972
Genre	Jazz fusion
Length	4:14 (7" version) 5:56 (album version)
Label	ABC
Writer(s)	Walter Becker, Donald Fagen
Producer	Gary Katz
Steely Dan singles chronology
"Dallas" (1972) "Do It Again" (1972) "Reelin' In the Years" (1973)

"Do It Again" is a song by American jazz-rock group Steely Dan, which was released as a single from their debut 1972 album Can't Buy a Thrill. The single version differed from the album version, shortening the intro, outro and two instrumental sections of the song.

Released in 1972, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 18, 1972 and reached #6 on the US charts in 1973.

On the 1972 release, the song was credited as "Trad" (for traditional), although it was actually written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen.^[1]

It was also included in the 2008 video game Guitar Hero World Tour.

Structure

The original version of "Do It Again" is in the key of G minor, with Donald Fagen on lead vocals. The song uses a large amount of syncopation in the vocal melody, not particularly common in rock music of the time.

The song was among the first in popular music^{[citation needed]} to include an organ solo featuring a pitch-shifting technique. The tune also features an electric sitar solo by Denny Dias.

Cover versions

• The Brazilian funk jazz instrumentalist Eumir Deodato recorded an extensive funk jazz orchestration on the 1973 concert recording Live at Felt Forum: The 2001 Concert. He has covered the song on numerous occasions in the studio and live. A Deodato hit collection released in 2007 bears the title Do it Again.
• Waylon Jennings recorded a cover of this song in 1980 on his album Music Man. Played at a faster pace, Waylon's version of the song is shorter than the original. This version also features his distinctive guitar solo in the middle of the song.
• In 1983, Italian dance music act Clubhouse released "Do It Again / Billie Jean", a mashup/medley of the track with Michael Jackson's (then recent) hit. This charted well across Europe. In the United States, while the Clubhouse version performed best in pop markets, a cover version by Slingshot performed better in R&B and dance markets. Another version of the same medley was made in that year by Brooklyn Express, a disco group from New York.
• Austrian pop star Falco covered the song on his 1988 album Wiener Blut.
• Art of Noise sampled the song for their version of Prince's "Kiss" with Tom Jones in 1988.
• The disco-funk orchestra Rhythm Heritage covered the song, coupling it with War's "Cisco Kid".
• A short lived funk/alternative band, The Organization, composed of all former Death Angel members, less Mark Osegueda, covered this song on their 1995 album Savor The Flavor.
• In 1997, Paul Hardcastle offered his version from the album Cover to Cover.^[2]
• Latin urban group Kumbia Kings released a Spanish-language rendition of the song, entitled "Ella Sabe" ("She Knows") on their 2004 album, Fuego.
• The electro-Latin 2007 release Bossa Nova Is Not A Crime by The Juju Orchestra features a cover with Carolyn Leonhart and Robert Smith^{[disambiguation needed ]} on vocals.
• Alternative rock band Smash Mouth covered the song in 2000 for the Jim Carrey film Me, Myself & Irene. The song is played during the end credits of the film.
• Italo disco act Asso covered the track during the 1980s.
• Soul singer Ronnie Jones included the song on his album Again (2006).
• American musician Tori Amos covered the song in 1998 during the recording sessions for her fourth album, From the Choirgirl Hotel. The song can be found on the UK edition of the single "Spark".
• The Jamaican band The Jolly Boys recorded a mento style cover of "Do It Again" on their 2010 album Great Expectations.

Sampled by

• Reggae fusion band Sublime in their cover of Peter Tosh's "Steppin' Razor" on their album Robbin' the Hood

References

1. ^ "DO IT AGAIN". ACE Title Search. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=340140994&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=20&start=1. Retrieved 2009-03-28. 
2. ^ "Cover to Cover overview". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r318238.