song: I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World)
artist: Donald Fagen
album: The Nightfly (1982)
writer: Donald Fagen

lead vocal: Donald Fagen
backing vocals: Valerie Simpson, Zack Sanders, Frank Floyd, Gordon Grody
keyboard synthesizers: Donald Fagen, Greg Philinganes, Rob Mounsey
electric guitar: Hugh McCracken
electric bass guitar: Anthony Jackson
drum programming: Roger Nichols
(drums + percussion: James Gadons, Jeff Porcaro)

This is a transcription of the Donald Fagen masterpiece, “I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World)”; included are 9 main tracks on the recording, as listed above. There are several more tracks on this recording, like the horns section, and this big transcription project I might continue at some point. Enjoy!

If you know where to find isolated stems or the surround-sound tracks, please, let me know!

Be sure to check out the 2019 Paul Shaffer interview with Donald Fagen where they play, and Donald winds up in a surprisingly powerful moment of poetry:

“ It’s very optimistic! I mean, unfortunately, it’s faux-optimistic, I’m sorry to say, to disappoint you, but… «Under Starts and Stripes, we can tell, that this dream is in sight!» – It’s Kennedy-era, “New Frontier”-type stuff, right. And it didn’t really pan out, did it? … «On that train from New York to Paris, 90 minutes from New York to Paris!» ”