Fagen and Becker met at Bard College, New York, in 1967. Fagen was passing by a cafe called The Red Balloon when he heard Becker rehearsing the electric guitar. He would later recount the experience during an interview: "I hear this guy practicing, and it sounded very professional and contemporary. It sounded like, you know, like a black person, really". Then Fagen asked him "Do you want to be in a band?" Not long after, they began writing songs together.