Flashing back: Steely Dan’s Grammy-winning album recorded in ʻUlupalakua turns 25

Longtime Maui resident Dave Russell began his audio engineering career volunteering at a Lahaina studio — a path that ultimately led him to record Steely Dan’s Grammy-winning “Two Against Nature.”

Now, 25 years later, Russell is looking back on the Maui studio and the career-defining moment that took him from the Sugar Cane Train to music’s biggest stage.

A Grammy album made on Maui

Much of “Two Against Nature” was recorded in ʻUlupalakua at Hyperbolic Sound, the private studio of Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker. The secluded seven-acre property sat in the middle of the 18,000-acre ʻUlupalakua Ranch, on the slopes of Haleakalā.

“It was the most gorgeous recording studio in the world,” Russell said. “Through the control room windows you could see Mākena Beach, the valley of Maui, the island of Kahoʻolawe and Lānaʻi. Plenty of wild turkey, pheasant and deer right on the property while recording.”

The studio operated from 1990 until 2005, when Becker moved back to New York. Becker continued touring with Steely Dan until his death in 2017, losing a battle with Esophageal cancer. The other half of Steely Dan, Donald Fagen, remains active and recently released a 50th anniversary vinyl remaster of “Katy Lied.”

Humble beginnings

Russell’s musical journey started in 1983 at jazz guitarist George Benson’s Lahaina Sound Recording Studio.

“I went in to record a song for the Sugar Cane Train, and the recording process stole my heart,” Russell said. “I offered to volunteer, clean, make coffee, answer phones, whatever they could use, for free. George [Benson] said, ‘You want to be engineer? Here you go.’ He handed me a broom.”

At the time, Russell was still working his day job at the Sugar Cane Train as a singing conductor. He’d rush to the studio right after work, intrigued by all the gadgets and gear. Eventually, it turned into full-time engineering work, leading to his four-decade career in Hawai‘i as an audio engineer—and 13 working with the band Steely Dan.

“Words of my dad still echo in my mind that were, ‘stay focused, be positive, work hard and dreams come true’,” Russell said.

In 2001, Russell opened up Pāʻia Town Recording, where he worked with Willie Nelson, The Doobie Brothers, Jake Shimabukuro, Kealiʻi Reichel and many others.

Maui to the Grammys

Russell still remembers sitting down at the Staples Center on Feb. 21, 2001, when David Foster announced the first winner of the evening — Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.

“He read out our names! Trying to act calm, I thanked my wife and family, and shaka’d a big mahalo to Hawai‘i.”

Then he remembers hearing someone shout his name from the crowd.

“A year later, while recording with Hawai‘i legend Willie K, he says to me in a chuckle, ‘Hey Dave, did you hear somebody yell your name out at the Grammys?’… It was Willie K,” Russell said.

Later that night, Steely Dan won Album of the Year — presented by Stevie Wonder and Bette Midler.

“In front of 20,000 people… the first thought that came to my mind was, thank you God,” he said.

25 years later

“The whole Grammy experience of finding the tux and gown, the hair and nails for Meri in Hollywood, the show performances with Madonna, Eminem with Elton John, N Sync, Sheryl Crow, Destiny’s Child, Faith Hill, U2, the parties and the trophies? It all flew by so fast, and so did the next 25 years,” he said.

After four decades of recording in Hawai‘i, Russell is retiring from studio life. He plans to travel, spend time with family, and play more guitar and golf.

“I’d just like to say thanks to God, my wife and family, George Benson, Steely Dan and all the wonderful musicians,” he said. “Because of them, we had an incredible run. Mahalo.”

Russell also credits people-skills, quality gear, turkey sandwiches — and aloha — for his success.

“The best trick that I was blessed to learn early on in the studio was having aloha. Tell [artists] how good they are. Make them feel like stars, even if they are. And my turkey sandwiches went a long way too,” he said. “For a sound tip, I hate to say it, but high-end microphones and quality equipment makes a huge difference. Steely Dan demonstrated this way back in the 70s, and they never skimped on gear quality.”

Dave Russell’s discography

All of Russell’s discography was recorded in, or partially in Maui, between 1983 and 2024.

Beyond Steely Dan, Russell has credits on major national and Hawai‘i projects, from Iggy Pop and Kenny Loggins to Henry Kapono and Willie K.

He has been nominated for multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards and won Best Achievement in Engineering in 1991.

He is credited on the following projects:

• Nominated ‘Best Achievement in Engineering’ at the 2007 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, for Henry Kapono’s ‘The Wild Hawaiian’ CD (and rcvd. Hōkū for Best Rock Album)
• Nominated ‘Best Achievement in Engineering’ at the 2004 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, for Bob Bangerter’s ‘Ordinary Man’ CD
• Awarded ‘Best Achievement in Engineering’ at the 1991 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, for Henry Kapono’s ‘Song For Someone’ CD
• Recorded 2007 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards ‘Contemporary Hawaiian Album of the Year’, Willie K and Eric Gilliom (‘Barefoot Natives’)
• Other partial or full recording involvement for album, at George Benson’s studio, Lahaina Sound Recording Studio, as Assistant Engineer or Chief Engineer.
• Brother Noland: ‘Native News’ CD
• Cecilio and Kapono: ‘Good Times Together’ CD
• Ho’aikane: ‘Island Ire’ CD
• Hapa: ‘Hapa’ CD and ‘Holidays’ CD
• Keola Beamer: Various CD’s for Dancing Cat
• Henry Allen CD, George Paoa CD, Benny Uyetake CD, Joe Cano CD and others.

National projects at Lahaina Sound:

• Iggy Pop: single with Ryuchi Sakamoto ‘Risky’
• Kenny Loggins: ‘Leap of Faith” CD’
• George Benson: ‘Big Boss Band’, ‘Twice The Love’ and ‘Irreplaceable’ CD’s
• China Crisis: ‘Diary of a Hollow Horse’ CD
• Aha: ‘This Alone is Love’ single
• Dan Fogelberg: ‘Exiles’ and ‘The Wild Places’ CD’s
• Randy Travis: ‘High Lonesome’ CD, Folgers Coffee and Coca Cola ads
• John Denver: ‘One World’ CD
• Mickey and Mini Mouse, Duey and Huey Duck: voice over for Disney
• Lloyd Bridges: ‘The Whale Song” film narration’
• Larry Graham of Family Stone: various demos for Narada Michael Walden, Regina Belle: ‘Stay With Me’ CD

Other recording from 1991 and after, in Maui:

• Big Fish Audio: ‘Roots of the Pacific’, Samples CDROM/ producer Samples Library, Big Fish Audio
• Eric Gilliom: ‘Like Chow Fun’ CD
• Gail Swanson ‘Simple Truth’ CD, with Willie Nelson
• Andrew Molina, ‘The Beginning’, ‘A New Journey’, ‘Evolve3’, and ‘Generations’ CD’s
• Steely Dan: ‘Two Against Nature’, ‘Everything Must Go’ CD’s
• Walter Becker: ‘11 Tracks of Whack’ solo CD
• Donald Fagen: ‘Kamakiriad’ CD
• Doobie Brothers: ‘Sibling Rivalry’ CD, and ‘World Gone Crazy’ CD
• Kris Kristofferson: PBS TV American Roots Music documentary narration, single “Full Circle” theme song for 2001 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, Kentucky Education Television documentary ‘John Ford’ and Kentucky Education Television documentary ‘Sam Peckinpah’
• Willie Nelson: ‘God’s Problem Child’ CD (vocals)
• Edie Brickell: ‘Sing To Me Willie’, (Willie Nelson vocals and guitar) video
• Michael McDonald: Vocals, ‘I Keep Forgettin’ for Brittni Paiva CD
• Bob Bangerter: ‘Blue Groove’ and ‘Ordinary Man’ CD’s
• Sam Ahia: ‘ʻUkumehame’ CD
• Randall Rospond: multiple CDs
• Fun Loving’ Criminals: ‘Crazy Train’ and ‘Couldn’t Get It Right’ singles

Live Sound:

• Front of House Engineer for Walter Becker Benefit Concert at ”Slims” (Boz Scags music club San Francisco) 4/95
• Guitar Technician for Steely Dan 1995 East Coast Tour and “The Tonight Show” w/ David Letterman
• Guitar Technician, for Steely Dan’s 1996 Art Crimes World Tour
• Guitar Technician for Steely Dan’s PBS Special and VH-1’s “Storytellers” broadcast performances in New York January 2000
• Monitor Engineer, Steely Dan 2003 Tour “Everything Must Go”