Donald Fagen feat. David Sanborn - The Finer Things (1982)

David Sanborn - alto saxophone
Steve Khan - guitar
Michael Omartian - piano
Chuck Rainey - bass
Ed Green - drums
Donald Fagen, Leslie Miller, Valerie Simpson - backing vocals
Donald Fagen, Rob Mounsey - string arrangement
Written by Donald Fagen
Produced by Donald Fagen and Gary Katz
From the movie "The King Of Comedy" by Martin Scorsese

[@AddSeymourJr]

Back in the mid 80s, a radio DJ named Keenan Wayne (He is a actually a friend named Keenan Pendergast) at 92Q in Nashville used to to a REAL quiet storm show from say 10 pm to 2 am and his show was a whole mood. R&B, pop, jazz all quiet storm - not just some idiot playing some slow songs. Anyway, he played this song and didn’t say who it was. He never got in the way of the music. I heard it at like 1 am and was like “damn, that’s a nice tune.” I never heard it again but the melody stuck with me big time for decades - after hearing it just once. I tried looking for it for years thinking it may be a Bob James song or something. Nothing for decades. Move up to the mid 2010s and I’m listening to random jazzy songs on KZbin and this song was suggested. Guess what it was! I freaked out! I was like 30 years later and THATS IT! And it turned out to be two of my all time favorites, Donald Fagen and David Sanborn!

[@prpwnage9296]

Cool story bro! Shame you had to go decades between listens. This is my first listen

[@IvorThomas]

I heard Ray Charles “Then I’ll Be Home” on a TV special as a kid and LOVED it but I thought the name was “Millions of My Own” and couldn’t find it for decades! Same thing!

[@AddSeymourJr]

RIP David Sanborn

[@Ruddermeister]

Don't tell me that's true! Ohhh man! So sorry to hear that.

[@willardlockejr2965]

@AddSeymourJr A class act and one helluva sax player. His musical legacy will never be forgotten. RIP Dave.

[@FrankGambaleTV]

One of my all-time favourite Donald Fagen songs! Gives me goosebumps everytime I hear it. Sanborn is spectacular...and oh my when the angels come in at the end... I want to cover this song with guitar melody!

[@valuecalc]

Who can resist those "saxy" songs from the 80s?

[@michellejones2416]

I miss the incredible music that wa produced in the eighty.. Mr. David Sanborn,,, Donald Fagin ..... Mr . Marseilles..Mr. Quincey Jones. So many , I miss

[@salspataro9389]

A most evocative song especially with a NYC sensibility (at least for me). Took forever to get on the TUBE...

[@arisdogani1272]

of course don produced this. listening to this song i always thought it was so reminiscent of steely dan. makes so much sense now😂

[@colbydobbs6399]

That vocal harmony on the B13 chord towards the end of the tune is just fantastically arranged and gorgeous. Sounds like Patti Austin singing that part too, which would make sense with the time period of this. She did a lot of work on “Gaucho” and “The Nightfly”.

[@robmounseymusic]

It does sound like Patti -- miss her

[@Bgoods]

what you mention on the B13 is worth listening to the whole song just to get to that payoff, such a cool section.

[@TheBluejaysuk]

Leslie Miller and Valerie Simpson.

[@colbydobbs6399]

@@TheBluejaysuk I read that, and it’s so wild because they sound sooooo much like Patti Austin! But alas, you are correct. Wonderful job by those two on this!

[@clamda]

Part of The Nightfly sessions, should have been on that album even though it’s perfect as it is

[@eroicay153]

the way sandra bernhard shoves a lit candelabra off the dining table is sending me rn.

[@nam1956]

Absolutely magical.....

[@steelyman08]

Thank you for uploading this! It's a previously unknown one to my ears. I kept hoping to hear his classy voice appear after a lengthy intro (-: Never mind, when 3:32 pops up, it all gets resolved. What a great upload. Was the movie any good?

[@dinorahdinorah85]

This is lovely! I heard this soudtrack hundreds of time and never get tired! goosebumps!

[@Berenicechaves1]

Um reggae Fageano pra salvar almas! Obrigada por publicar com essa super edição, Massimo Milano. Pra mim, essa gravação tornou-se indispensável e inesquecível.

[@darkmagusinlove]

Quantas vezes a gente ouviu essa canção, né, Berenice? :) Tão bom saber que esse som te faz bem. Tem alguma coisa no Fagen que desperta anticorpos salvificos: já experimentei isso comigo. Um beijo!

[@rockable55]

Very good indeed!

[@darkmagusinlove]

rockable55 thanks so much!

[@mamapyjama62]

Exquisite...

[@darkmagusinlove]

Thank you, Pete!

[@butchwilliams8581]

GREAT post! THANKS for sharing!

[@alexwhiteesp]

Beautiful!

[@darkmagusinlove]

Alex White thank you!

[@mp-gt9hf]

so beautifull....!!

[@daniellenaerts5750]

and a bit later i found this information King Of Comedy (Original Soundtrack) Artist: Various Title: King Of Comedy (Original Soundtrack) Format: CD Release Date: 2016 Label: Wounded Bird Records UPC: 664140376526 Genre: Soundtrack Album Tracks 1. Back on the Chain Gang / Pretenders 2. Tain't Nobody's Bizness (If I Do) / B.B. King 3. Swamp / Talking Heads 4. King of Comedy / Bob James 5. Rainbow Sleeve / Rickie Lee Jones 6. Between Trains / Robbie Robertson 7. Steal the Night / Ric Ocasek 8. Come Rain or Come Shine / Ray Charles 9. The Finer Things / David Sanborn 10. Wonderful Remark / Van Morrison

[@LucilleBrawl17]

How have I never heard this before?

[@darkmagusinlove]

LucilleBrawl how?? ;)

[@Ruddermeister]

Found this by chance...wow. And I thought I knew all of his music lol.

[@kendramiller3677]

Amazing

[@inigo7556]

Fabuleux !

[@mattihelariutta3346]

So much of this movie is in the movie Joker. Nothing wrong with pastiches though..! It has a few bits of the Taxi-driver as well. Like that music.

[@andreoates8405]

Awesome 😂 thank you brother what a delight😂

[@darkmagusinlove]

So glad you liked it, Andre! :) Thanks!

[@timyap4443]

I just had an angioplasty have been listening to this for 3 days now.

[@steelysesma]

Genial gracias por el momento...

[@darkmagusinlove]

gracias a ti, armando

[@graemefarquharson465]

The end of this great track plays in the taxi while Jerry Lewis is held at ransom

[@nobysTV]

👏👏👏

[@carmelor.carneobraca2955]

In Spain "El Rey de la Comedia"

[@mp-gt9hf]

is incredible the things what is possible found in internet.. books, music, docs and many more, in other way, i'snt.....!!!

[@KOSMICKEN09]

I have had a copy of the king of comedy soundtrack for a long time it's very good

[@annapluskota3247]

🌹

[@Pluggit1953]

I have a copy of the original soundtrack to King of Comedy containing a different version of The Finer Things. The film is great and so underrated.

[@canaconn2388]

Would it be possible for you to upload it?

[@daniellenaerts5750]

i',m struggling to find the soundtrack in amazon- the song title is also not found under artist 'David Sanborn '

[@clamda]

Valerie Simpson on vocals at the end

[@GetzGoth]

Goddamn I loke this song. And I realize I typed loke instead of like but sometimes I go back and catch a typo and it strikes me as humorous. I opted to not change it hoping it may bring some character to my comment making it somewhat memorable. I just hope this isnt my Warholian 15 min cause that would be a real let down. Anyway, I do loke the song. Thx for posting. V

[@georgewallace4939]

Kinda between like and loving. You are onto something here. remember the women you loked? I loke that name Getz-talking about great sax men.

[@markmolinaro9532]

Boy the Bar scene with DeNiro sure looks like Rudy’s in New York City from the great song Black Cow. Can anyone verify that’s the case?

[@ClaudeLavender]

Was this made during the nightfly? Anybody have some background to these sessions ?

[@clamda]

Yes, the complete nightfly band on this , was going to be on it but replaced by Maxine

[@petefogel2133]

​@@clamdaDo you mind me asking how you know this information?

[@petefogel2133]

​@clamda Also, the song is basically an instrumental with a little backing vocals. How does that fit on the nightfly?

[@clamda]

@@petefogel2133 I think it was an incomplete track as part of The Nightfly sessions. I read somewhere that Maxine came along and they went with that as a fully realised

[@kroov2008]

Dont know what i feel about it but its nice

[@funklover24]

Please please, who is playing drums?

[@123catbox]

Ed Greene is on drums, along with Michael Omartian on keys, Steve Khan on guitar, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Kasey Cisyk, Leslie Miller and Donald Fagen on vocals. And some guy named David Sanborn.

[@funklover24]

Thank You :)

[@yorkemar]

sounds like it is from backstreet...but its not...great track.

[@glenc633]

Assume it's Bernard Purdie on drums? Sounds like the Purdie Shuffle

[@TheBluejaysuk]

Ed Green

[@mp-gt9hf]

a los compiyoguis reales les gusta esto, o la merde.....?

[@sampowellmusic]

Soon as I saw deniros face gone …song stunk anyway

[@rotsa1]

Putz

[@sampowellmusic]

@@rotsa1 aww you hurt my feelings