[31], "His song "Baker Street" was about how uncomfortable he felt in the star system, and what do you know, it was a giant world hit. "Thats how they regulated the charts. In 1966, Rafferty and Egan were members of the band the Fifth Column. After being taken off life support, Rafferty rallied for a short time, and doctors thought that he might recover. Thats not to diminish Ravenscroft because, denuded of the sax, Baker Street sounds like another middling acid trip of a song in a decade full of them. For me, singing and writing is very therapeutic. Billboard Hot 100 [2] and #8 on Cash Box. In The Times, critic David Sinclair was particularly scathing: "On North and South, it sounds as if he has thumbed a lift up the road to a mock-Texan bar somewhere in his native Scotland. (Singer/songwriters were crawling out of every apartment at that time.) But two of the initial recruits deserted before they even recorded, and as musicians came and went, Stealers Wheel deteriorated into Rafferty and Egan backed by a cast of dozens. And yet when it comes to writing tasteful pop songs songs that you remember long after they've dropped out of the Top Twenty or whatever he's just about the best and consequently the most underrated in Britain. His wife had just given birth to their daughter and he told me that he didnt have any money to buy nappies, says Brewer. " Right Down the Line " is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty. In his interview with Colin Irwin, Rafferty disputed this and said that Ravenscroft had been his second choice to play the saxophone solo, after Pete Zorn, who was unavailable: "The only confusion at the time that I didnt enjoy too much was the fact that a lot of people believed that the line was written by Raphael Ravenscroft, the sax player, but it was my line. There is a mid-Atlantic blandness lurking behind the rococo roots veneer. 'Rest In Blue': Why Gerry Rafferty's Swansong Is The Perfect Epitaph Individuals can subscribe to Rocks Backpages for three, six and twelve months to get unlimited access to the complete Rocks Backpages archive. [63], On 17 February 2009, The Guardian reported that Rafferty was in hiding in the south of England, being cared for by a friend. That means youre there dead on two oclock, you have a coffee break at exactly five oclock, and then you finish at eight oclock on the dot and you dont go over regardless of what youre doing. [60], In November 2010, Rafferty was admitted to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital where he was put on a life-support machine and treated for multiple organ failure. the Amazon Associates Program via amazon.com. In a blog posting dated 31 March 2004 he wrote: "Let's get back to music: after all that's the only reason that this website has been set up." News Release, PR Newswire, 27 November 2000. [17], Legal issues after the break-up of Stealers Wheel meant that, for three years, Rafferty was unable to release any material. Scott wrote chapters for two of legendary sleeve designer Storm Thorgerson's books (For The Love Of Vinyl (opens in new tab), 2009, and Gathering Storm (opens in new tab), 2015). Billy Connolly on Gerry Rafferty (Conan O'Brien, 2012) russallert 5.31K subscribers 597K views 5 years ago Billy Connolly appears on the Conan O'Brien show in 2012 and tells a story about his. [8] In the mid 1960s Rafferty earned money, for a time, busking on the London Underground. I thought, well, if a little bit of that rubs off on us, perhaps we'll get in the charts as well, but actually, in practice, it was kind of a claustrophobic experience. The man behind the saxophone was Raphael Ravenscroft, who in addition to having the best-ever name for a session saxophonist, claims to have authored the riff. In the summer of 1978, Gerry Rafferty's song "Baker Street" became a top-five hit in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. [77] Electropop star Elly Jackson described "Right Down the Line" as "my favourite track of all time. If you listen to Stealers Wheel self-titled album, there was a lot to like besides Stuck in the Middle With You. [45], Another World, released in 2000, was originally available only via direct order from his website,[46] but since 2003 has been available on the Hypertension label. And thats when the fun started, says Brewer. Gerry in a very rare interview from a radio scotland programme in 2003.This is a rare insight into the world of one of the past centurys greatest songwriters. For institutions, Rock's Backpages is provided as an unlimited access subscription, meaning that all staff, students and library patrons have But extricating himself from his management deal took Rafferty three more years, during which he commuted unhappily to London from the town outside Glasgow where he and his family still reside. Gerry Rafferty at home. The "80,000" figure has been widely repeated in newspaper articles ever since. And for good reason. Rafferty and Joe Egan formed the group Stealers Wheel in 1972 and produced several hits, most notably "Stuck in the Middle with You" and "Star". Still, they managed to record a brilliant second album, Ferguslie Park, which was produced, like its predecessor, by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. [42] On a Wing and a Prayer (1992) reunited him with his Stealers Wheel partner Egan on several tracks. [3], In October 2011, newspapers reported that Rafferty's immediate family were the beneficiaries of his 1.25million estate. We may never know if one influenced the other or it was just the alchemy of two different studios coming up with something unmistakably great. I said, If you go on David Frost, Im finished. Let me meet Gerry.". I sang it to him. Artists write the best songs when theyre hungry., "Anyway, they gave him five million and he pissed off and bought a house in the Caribbean. And for . Its fellow honorees that yearCome Together, Candle in the Wind, and Build Me Up Buttercupdeliver some sense of the songs real reach. tenor sax player who toured with the jazz great Buddy Rich. Rafferty married his fellow Scot, hairdresser Carla Ventilla, in 1970, and here he pays tribute to how she stuck by him through thick and thin. And Gerry would barge into their umbrella, shout Oh my god!, and as he hit the ground hed take his glass eye out and let it roll on the pavement. Its important to understand that. Gerry Rafferty Biography by Timothy Monger As one-half of the Humblebums, Scottish singer/songwriter Gerry Rafferty came up through the U.K. folk-rock scene of the late 1960s and early '70s before finding mainstream international success with his 1978 solo album, City to City. He died many years later in a terrible state. They married in 1970 and lived in Scotland with their daughter, Martha Mary, before moving to the south of England in the late 1970s,[20] where they divided their time between their farm near the KentSussex border and a home in Hampstead, London. Honestly, until receiving your email, I had never heard of Gerry Rafferty, or the song Baker Street, so Im pretty sure I dont have any meaningful insight to offer specifically about the song. One new note does creep in: a hint of gospel music -particularly on The Ark -and with this, a sense of hard-won peace. Its Springfields failure to make a glam-rock version song compelling in particular that helps in deciphering the extremely unconventional allure of Baker Street, a song ultimately about depression, transition, and weary aspiration. And he married her! We use cookies to help provide you with the best possible online experience. The Humblebums were a flop My life doesn't stand or fall by the amount of people who buy my records. Barry Recap: A Tragic Death Shakes Up Bill Haders Dark Satire Maybe I should have realised, but I didn't. 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Burns also nodded to the songs unusual structure, which he compared in its unorthodox nature, to Queens Bohemian Rhapsody., Its not just opening, verse, chorus, he said. Him and Billy used to play a game. And he played City To City and Baker Street a demo without the sax part. [65] This was contradicted by a report in The Daily Telegraph on the following day, which quoted a statement his solicitors made to Channel 4 News: "Contrary to reports, Gerry is extremely well and has been living in Tuscany for the last six months he continues to compose and record new songs and music and he hopes to release a new album of his most recent work in the summer of this year [2009]. According to his account, Baker Street had several gaps in it when he was hired to play, and he filled them. His abusive alcoholic father died when Gerry was only sixteen. He then worked in a butcher's shop, as a civil service clerk, and in a shoe shop. Hell do all the painting -it will be partly animated -and Ill do the music., Raffertys outlining of his goals, which seem at once modest and ambitious, is interrupted by the entrance of members of his entourage, a magazine photographer and a newspaper reporter who confesses to me that until today she had never heard of the man shes about to interview. That wasnt a very good career move. From a Richard Thompson interview this spring, discussing the shelved Rafferty-produced 1980 sessions prior to the Shoot Out the Lights album. Enter your email address in the field below and we'll send you a password to read all free articles on RBP. Whatever I do in the future, it's at my own pace, on my own terms. . I dont have a manager now, nor do I want one.. [5][11][38] In 1987, Rafferty and Murphy co-produced The Proclaimers first UK hit single "Letter from America". Nice memories. (Thanks, Jack.). What I want is just to develop in terms of my songs and also to work in other areas. Apart from Ravenscroft, most of the musicians on City to City are old friends. Remembering Gerry Rafferty, rock's most reluctant star. Barbara Dickson released a tribute album of 13 Rafferty songs, To Each and Everyone: The Songs of Gerry Rafferty, in September 2013, including cover versions of "Baker Street", "The Ark", and "Steamboat Row". Gerry Rafferty, Songwriter, Dies at 63 - The New York Times 17 in the US. They never toured America because the band, according to Rafferty, when it existed at all, was a fucking shambles, and they wrangled angrily with their managers. I did six albums with him. [60], In the last decade of his life, having taken pains to shun the fame and celebrity that accompanied his musical achievements, Rafferty found himself making headlines once again as he struggled with alcoholism and depression and the increasingly erratic behaviour they spawned. The Times, Wednesday 5 January 2011. Scott is the Content Director of Music at Future plc, responsible for the editorial strategy of online and print brands like Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, Guitarist, Guitar World, Guitar Player, Total Guitar etc. His solo hits in the late 1970s included "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line", and "Night Owl". "[75] Speaking after the funeral, Charlie Reid of The Proclaimers said: "I think Gerry Rafferty was one of the few people who really successfully straddled the worlds of both folk and popular music. I'm older and my audience is older. The mass was streamed live over the Internet. Burton surmised that if the credit werent a mistake, it constituted some kind of shoutout from Marcus. Gerry Rafferty - Interesting stories about famous people, biographies "[5], In 1995, Rafferty was deeply affected by the death of his older brother Joseph, an event from which family and friends said he never fully recovered. "[76], The reaction of younger artists suggests Rafferty's music has also inspired a new generation of fans. He didn't know how good he was. He was a founding member of Stealers Wheel, whose biggest hit was "Stuck in the Middle with You" in 1973. Stay up to date with in depth music reviews, exclusive interviews and widespread coverage of whats happening from your favourite music genre. Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns/Getty. It contains an First, he [Rafferty] wrote from his experience. It disappeared., But when we spoke on the phone later, hed changed his mind. Then, in the most offhand, glory-belying way, Burns dropped in this aside: Strangely enough, another record that I played on, which was a massive hit, certainly in this country and I think in America as well, was called Careless Whisper, that also had a massive opening solo. The guitarist Hugh Burns has scored movies like Die Another Day and The Hobbit, and played with the likes of Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Jack Bruce, and George Michael throughout his storied career. Before, I was never in control. From knee high, Rafferty would sing these standards, three-part harmonising with his elder siblings, Jim and Joe. And whatll happen is, youll lose your audience. Stealers Wheel The A&M Years (opens in new tab) 3CD boxset is out now on Caroline International. Please visit our Personal Subscriptions page for pricing and to place your order. Tarantino, Reservoir Dogs and Gerry Rafferty. City to City - HeraldScotland And yet when it comes to writing tasteful pop songs - songs that you remember long after they've dropped out of the Top Twenty or whatever - he's just about the best and consequently the most underrated in Britain. "[5] When a remastered version of City to City was released in 2011, it included the original, electric guitar version of the song, confirming Rafferty's authorship of the riff. From a Richard Thompson interview this spring, discussing the shelved Rafferty-produced 1980 sessions prior to the. The collection of blues, rock, and folk demos had been planned for a new album before his death. The Gerry Rafferty Interview - Rock's Backpages According to guitarist Hugh Burns, Murphy's death was "a great blow to Gerry"[42] and marked the end of a creative partnership that had lasted almost 30 years. In the right music it sounds fantastic, its the only way to make certain kinds of music. Barry Recap: A Tragic Death Shakes Up Bill Haders Dark Satire I just now went to the Internet and, sure enough, found out the history of Rafferty and Baker Street, and viewed a YouTube performance of it. And the final resolution of his legal and financial hassles accounts for the understated exhilaration of the songs last verse: When you wake up its a new morning/The sun is shining, its a new morning/Youre going, youre going home., Related [24] No such missing persons report existed. 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. Best Gerry Rafferty Songs: 10 Greats From Scotland's Beloved - Dig! With due respect, theres only 13 chromatic notes, he said. Three acoustic guitars, layers and layers of backing vocals, very lush, very evened out sound., (You must log in or sign up to reply here. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, The deeply introspective lyrics of Sleepwalking suggest Rafferty found success far from glamorous: tracks like "Standing at the Gates", "Change of Heart", and "The Right Moment" suggest the singer was exhausted, burnt-out, and desperately seeking a new direction and continued his long-running theme of alienation. So I had to get on to [A&M co-founder] Jerry Moss and say, Look: Ive been told that hes never going to record for you again and I need to get him off the label. "Gerry Rafferty and his songs of alienation", "Stealers Wheel | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links", "BBC Radio 2 Sold on Song TOP 100 number 48 Baker street", "Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street" Revisited", "Gerry Rafferty Biography: 'Right Down the Line' Liner Notes", Musician Gerry Rafferty took refuge in farm at height of fame, "The Proclaimers - Letter From America (Band Version)", "Archived version of Gerry Rafferty's Website (6 December 2000)", "News section postings dated 23 February 2004 and 31 March 2004", "Tickets & Eintrittskarten online kaufen | Hypertension Music", Gerry Rafferty's funeral is held in Paisley, "Obituary: Gerry Rafferty, singer and songwriter", 'I lost my soulmate' says Gerry Rafferty's fiancee, "Gerry Rafferty, 'Baker Street' Singer, Dies at 63", "The lonely road from 'Baker Street' to skid row", "Gerry Rafferty's struggle with demons, and the Willie Whitelaw connection Telegraph Blogs", "Missing Baker Street singer Gerry Rafferty is living in hiding", "Gerry Rafferty happily stuck in the middle of Tuscany", Neighbours of Baker Street star Gerry Rafferty speak of shock at his collapse, Hope for family as Rafferty is taken off life support machine, "Gerry Rafferty's daughter sings at his funeral", "Baker Street singer Gerry Rafferty died at his daughter's home in Stroud", Mourners' Farewell To Singer Gerry Rafferty, "Gerry Rafferty's girlfriend loses battle for inheritance", "Baker Street singer Gerry Rafferty dies at age of 63", "Finbar Furey leads tributes to the late singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty", "Star tribute as Gerry Rafferty Drive opens", "Bring It All Home Gerry Rafferty Remembered", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gerry_Rafferty&oldid=1150587964, Musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, This page was last edited on 19 April 2023, at 00:00. [citation needed], Rafferty drew a clear distinction between the artistic integrity of a musician, on the one hand, and the music industry's need to create celebrities and sell products, on the other. Gerry Rafferty is one of the more elusive and enigmatic figures on this increasingly strange roundabout. According to Murphy, interviewed by Billboard in 1993, he and Rafferty had to beg the record label, United Artists, to release "Baker Street" as a single: "They actually said it was too good for the public. It makes me think of home, nostalgia and happiness. ever-expanding collection of primary-source full-text articles from the music and mainstream press from the 1950s to the present day, along with a collection of Right Down The Line by Gerry Rafferty - Songfacts His frustration during this period underlies Baker Street, which takes its name from the London street where he often stayed in a friends flat. And theres still another wrinkle on the other side of the pond. Obituary, Gerry Rafferty. Its a topic thats since been remaindered to the small music forums at the dusty edges of the Internet. We tried electric guitar but it sounded weak, and we tried other things and I think it was Hugh Murphy's suggestion that we tried saxophone."[5]. Gerry Rafferty - Right Down the Line (Lyric Video) - Youtube Music Rafferty originally had conceived of Stealers Wheel which he formed after spending three years as the better half of a folk-rock duo, the Humblebums as a quartet of singer/songwriters, sort of a Scottish Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Membership gives you access to all the thousands of articles in the library. Shortly after news of the singer's death, Lily Allen tweeted the message "Rest in Peace Gerry x" with a video link to the song "Right Down the Line", reputedly one of her favourite music tracks. Stealers Wheels management company Ricochet had disappeared with the bands money and times were tough. The newspaper Scotland on Sunday reported that Rafferty had been asked to leave the hotel and had then checked himself into St Thomas' Hospital suffering from a chronic liver condition, brought on by heavy drinking. Gerry Rafferty signed up with Brewer and his production company funded the making of new album, City To City. He was Editor in Chief of Classic Rock magazine for 10 years and Editor of Total Guitar for 4 years and has contributed to The Big Issue, Esquire and more.
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