Correct!
When Steely Dan recorded Can't Buy a Thrill in 1972, they were still essentially a band with a set line-up, that didn't include Larry Carlton. By the time Carlton first appeared on 1975's Katy Lied, Steely Dan had morphed into a studio band, headed by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. From this point on, musicians like Carlton were brought in to record a solo, or a specific part on a specific song.
