Does the name David Palmer ring a bell? Baseball fans might remember there was a pretty good right-hand pitcher in the ’80s by that name. Or you might be a TV fan and recall that David Palmer was the character name of the president played by Dennis Haysbert on the long-running thriller 24.
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That name will ring a bell for deep-dive classic rock fans, for sure. David Palmer was the guy who acted as a kind of co-lead vocalist on the Steely Dan debut album Can’t Buy a Thrill in 1972. And that was pretty much the extent of his tenure in this legendary outfit.
Thrill Ride
Donald Fagen and Walter Becker envisioned themselves as songwriters when they first decided to make a go of it in the music world. They thought they’d provide others with cover song material. The only problem was their songs were a little weird and edgy for most singers, so it made sense they should try to record them on their own.
Hence, Steely Dan was formed. In later years, the band was essentially a revolving door for various studio musicians who would be chosen by Fagen and Becker based on what they could bring to each particular album and song. But they only happened upon that idea in later years.
When they recorded Can’t Buy a Thrill, their debut album from 1972, it was with a mostly stable group of musicians, save for the occasional session ace adding a piece here or there. And one of the members of the core group was David Palmer, who was recruited to be something akin to a supporting lead singer for the band in conjunction with Fagen.
Palmer Provides
Conflicting reports are offered as to why Palmer was hired in the first place. It’s not that he wasn’t a good singer in his own right. But it was clear that Fagen was capable of doing the job, as he would prove throughout the majority of the Steely Dan catalog. Even on that first album, he was the one who sang lead on “Do It Again,” which was the album’s breakout hit.
Some say the record company wasn’t too sure about Fagen’s ability to do the job, and Palmer was brought in as an insurance policy. For his own part, Fagen has always downplayed his vocal talents, so it’s likely he didn’t object too much to Palmer’s presence, even if it wasn’t his idea.
In any case, Palmer also sang lead on a couple of tracks on Can’t Buy a Thrill, provided backing vocals on a few more, and did most of the singing during the band’s early live performances. His big spotlight came on the track “Dirty Work,” a mournful number about the odd man out in a love triangle. And he does a great job on it, making you feel sorry for this guy who’s essentially aiding and abetting this girl in cheating on her boyfriend.
Back to Donald
When it came time for Steely Dan to record their second album Countdown to Ecstasy, Palmer was no longer in the picture as a main member of the band, instead contributing just a few backing vocals. (All other members of the core band from Can’t Buy a Thrill returned.) Fagen was in place as the lead singer on an album that included classics like “My Old School” and “Show Biz Kids.”
Palmer was dismissed with little fanfare, but he wasn’t quite done making an impact on the music business. He struck up a songwriting partnership with Carole King, during which time he penned the lyrics her 1974 hit single “Jazzman.” Fun fact: He placed a song on the beloved Michael J. Fox comedy Teen Wolf in 1985.
Donald Fagen made news recently when he revealed he once wanted Michael McDonald, who guested on many Steely Dan songs, to take over as the band’s lead singer. It never happened, which leaves David Palmer as the only man other man besides Fagen to hold that role—even in semi-official status—in the history of this great band.
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Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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