Aja

The song is pronounced "Asia," and was inspired by the continent. Steely Dan have several songs with a Far East influence, since Donald Fagen believes it is a symbol of sensuality. He told Rolling Stone magazine that the title came from a high school friend whose brother was in the army and came back with a Korean wife named Aja, although he wasn't sure how she spelled it.

Walter Becker and Donald Fagen used a variety of musicians on the Aja album, choosing them to suit the individual tracks. On this one, Fagen sang lead and played synthesizer, while Becker, Denny Dias and Larry Carlton handled guitars. On backing vocals is Timothy B. Schmit, who joined the Eagles that same year. Other musicians on the track are: Bass: Chuck Rainey Drums: Steve Gadd Electric Piano: Joe Sample Percussion: Victor Feldman Piano: Michael Omartian Tenor Saxophone: Wayne Shorter

Along with "Black Cow," the multitrack masters of this song are nowhere to be found, which Steely Dan discovered when they remastered the Aja album in 1999. They were able to do a stereo remaster of the album, but unless the multitracks show up, no surround sound mix is possible.