"[49] Only a handful of tracks were ever released, however, and the website eventually closed down without any explanation. Although Richard Thompson eventually rejected the Gerry Rafferty version of SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS as too commercial . [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. . Stealers Wheel was a flop. Succession Recap: Logan Roy Makes Shock Return, Shiv and Tom Get Kinky. "[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. It's been a huge earner for me. "[55], Rafferty never changed his mind about the music business; if anything, his views hardened. What I want is just to develop in terms of my songs and also to work in other areas. Roy Wood Jr. Isnt he afraid that once again hell be a one-hit wonder? Please visit our Institutional Subscriptions page for further information and to arrange for a trial or quote. 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. [3][4] Rafferty loathed the 1992 dance music cover version of "Baker Street" by Undercover, describing it as "dreadful, totally banalit's a sad sign of the times". So to hear him talk about his career with such passion, and be. He then worked in a butcher's shop, as a civil service clerk, and in a shoe shop. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. And a whole suite of Irish traditional songs and Scots traditional songs". There are lots and lots of instances where things are very similar. He added that in 30 years of playing, he never encountered anyone who asked for or wanted to specifically copy another piece of music. Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by flyingdutchman, Aug 17, 2021. "[13] Rafferty later confirmed that alienation was the "persistent theme" of his songs;[2][14] "To Each and Everyone", from Can I Have My Money Back?, was an early example. But few people know the origin story of rocks most iconic sax riff, which is complicated, to say the least. [citation needed], "Baker Street" remains a mainstay of soft-rock radio airplay[24] and, in October 2010, it was recognised by the BMI for surpassing 5 million plays worldwide. [3], In October 2011, newspapers reported that Rafferty's immediate family were the beneficiaries of his 1.25million estate. (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. Listeners weigh in on our interview with 10-year-old Kathryn Aurora Gray, the youngest person ever to discover a Supernova; and our remembrance of singer and songwriter Gerry Rafferty, who died . The testimony of Ravenscoft, who died last year, seems to be refuted by the existence of an early demo of the song, where the guitar replaces the sax. After they disbanded in 1971, he recorded his first solo album, Can I Have My Money Back? Right Down the Line - Wikipedia [citation needed], During November 2009, Rafferty released what would be his final album, Life Goes On. Succession Recap: Logan Roy Makes Shock Return, Shiv and Tom Get Kinky, After a long pause during which Raffertys eyes are downcast and the only sound to be heard is that of his chewing gum, he answers intently: I dont really think about it in those kinds of terms. 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. [62] While the news stories focused on Rafferty's binges, they revealed nothing of the impact on his family and friends. Billy Connolly recalls his first impressions of Gerry Rafferty. 'Rest In Blue': Why Gerry Rafferty's Swansong Is The Perfect Epitaph I said, If you go on David Frost, Im finished. And that all he wanted to do was write songs for his daughter., "I said, Right. Hows that for capitalism?. He said, Ill play you something. [15] Twenty years later, the song was used prominently in the 1992 movie Reservoir Dogs; Rafferty refused to grant permission for its re-release. He was an artist through and though., Seemingly alone in its era, Baker Street managed to stand out at the height of punk and new wave and also shined through the summer of Grease and the twilight of discos last saccharine gleaming. Before, I was never in control. He has a flight to catch. Months later, says Brewer, I get this call from Artie Mogull to say, Congratulations you have a number one album in America! I went, Are you out of your mind? He said, No, its at number one.. Raffertys rise to glory hadnt come about entirely by chance. Gerry Rafferty: A Brilliant Tortured Soul - YouTube "He said to me, I cant stand the way you live, because you drive a Rolls Royce and you have this house and this and that He hated the music business and everything in it.. In person, Mr Rafferty was a really nice man, he kept himself to himself and didn't bother the other guests but he was clearly on a downward spiral. . Im going to steal something from you., Now, Id always said to my staff, You must never involve yourself in a relationship with any of my artists or else Ill be forced to fire you. In the right music it sounds fantastic, its the only way to make certain kinds of music. "They came back with a bigger offer," says Brewer, "and I said, I'll tell you what we'll do. 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. All rights reserved. By registering for free articles you will receive our weekly newsletter, you can change this preference at any time by clicking Unsubscribe in the newsletter. Rafferty was born on 16 April 1947 into a working-class family of Irish Catholic origin in Underwood Lane in Paisley,[1] a son and grandson of coal miners. [79], In October 2013, Peter Cameron released a biography of Rafferty entitled Stuck in the Middle with Gerry Rafferty, published by the independent publisher Linn. [12] Yet although the album was a critical success, it did not enjoy commercial success. [77] Electropop star Elly Jackson described "Right Down the Line" as "my favourite track of all time. Hugh Burns hadnt heard Half a Heart, but he was dismissive of the idea that it had been lifted from something else, at least intentionally. So surprised and impressed was he when he first heard Gerry's music, Billy didn't believe that the songs had been written by him . Alan Rafferty 1.92K subscribers 106K views 10 years ago Promo video for the "On A Wing and A Prayer" album from 1992/3. 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. "[55] As the 1980s progressed, Rafferty's growing drinking problem placed his marriage under impossible strain;[38] his wife divorced him in 1990,[61] although they remained close. We want to hear it. For his self-titled album, see, Undated "Prank call" video of Billy Connolly on YouTube, uploaded 25 November 2007, Connolly remembers Rafferty as a prank call "expert he used to make me scream. We were looking for. Gerry Rafferty - Snakes & Ladders Album Reviews, Songs & More - AllMusic He praises Carla for helping him through all the bad times and tells her every day he loves her more and more. Singer/songwriter Gerry Rafferty was born on April 16, 1947 in Paisley, Scotland. You can take the boy out of Paisley but you can't take Paisley out the boy! Maybe some new project would suddenly happen, but I knew he'd crossed the line as far as the record business went. In the My Sweet Lord case, Harrison admitted he simply hadnt realized that the song so closely resembled Hes So Fine, made most famous by The Chiffons. If there were an official anthem for playing darts alone in an empty roadside bar during a rainstorm, it would be Baker Street. And while theres no data to back it up, Baker Street is undoubtedly the top song to idle to in a driveway before cutting the engine to your Dodge Aspen. The Gerry Rafferty Interview - Rock's Backpages "And that's when the fun started," says Brewer. "Gerry Rafferty went to meet his maker sober and unafraid, curious and brave", "Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street' Blues: Rolling Stone's 1978 Feature". 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. "[74], Other entertainers also paid tribute to Rafferty, with comedian and ex-bandmate Billy Connolly calling him "a hugely talented songwriter and singer who will be greatly missed" and musician Tom Robinson saying, "His early work with Stealers Wheel was an inspiration to a whole generation of songwriters in the 70s, including me. "[7] On weekends he and a classmate, future Stealers Wheel collaborator Joe Egan, played in a local group named the Maverix, mainly covering chart songs by groups such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. It makes me think of home, nostalgia and happiness. Brewer took the album to the US where he got a meeting with Artie Mogull, who had then just bought United Artists with partner Jerry Rubinstein. [65] Subsequently, Rafferty's spokesperson Paul Charles told The Independent that he had been in touch with Rafferty a fortnight previously and that he was alive and well but had no plans to either record or tour. Its almost identical, only a little bit different and that wouldnt happen by chance seeing as it was so close.. In 1966, Rafferty and Egan were members of the band the Fifth Column. First, he [Rafferty] wrote from his experience. I probably did more music with him than any other musician. He was also friends with Ravenscroft and toured with him. Gerry Rafferty : Best Ever Albums [17] After the disputes were resolved in 1978, he recorded his second solo album, City to City, with producer Hugh Murphy, which included the song with which he remains most identified, "Baker Street". His frustration during this period underlies Baker Street, which takes its name from the London street where he often stayed in a friends flat. Here is the song sung by Gerry with Joe providing the second lead vocal: Theres a 1 hour BBC4 documentary about him here. [19] Rafferty considered this his first proper taste of success, as he told Melody Maker the following year: "all the records I've ever done before have been flops. Gerry liked to triple track everything, wed get three pianos, it became a bit of a Phil Spector issue. [38] In the late 1980s, Rafferty had told journalist Colin Irwin: "I was always very conscious about keeping a low profile because that's the way I like to go about it. Accept | Cookies policy | Privacy policy, Click here to sign in via the UK federation WAYF. Remembering Gerry Rafferty, rock's most reluctant star. Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! I went to the studio after I played the gig and I think one of the first songs we played was Baker Street. And I said, This is fantastic. Becoming a member is easy. "[38], In 2008, Rafferty moved away from California and briefly rented a home in Ireland, where his drinking soon became a problem again. 17 in the US. Burns was performing on the road with Jack Bruce in 1978 when he made arrangements to visit the London studio where Raffertys album City to City was being recorded. All rights reserved. He has the cautious fatalism of a coal miner, the trade both his father and grandfather pursued. Burns isnt ruling out its return. I regard it as a great good fortune that I was able to meet and contribute something to Gerrys music, he told me over the phone from England. 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. The follow-up single "Get It Right Next Time" made the UK and US Top 40. 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. [4], Rafferty grew up in a council house in the town's Ferguslie Park, in Underwood Lane, and was educated at St Mirin's Academy. It's not for me there are too many inherent contradictions. And he now had more of what he didn't like. Singer, who would pass away in 2011, is sitting on top of the world as he gives this interview in New York City's Plaza Hotel, Gerry Raffertys Baker Street Blues: Rolling Stones 1978 Feature, You Are Grimes Now: Inside Music's Weird AI Future, Pharrells Something in the Water Fest Cancels Final Day Due to Severe Weather, Stagecoach: Kane Brown Breaks Mental Health Stigma With 'Memory,' Talks Depression, Kiss Paul Stanley Has 'Thoughts' About Parents Who Support Kids Gender Identities, Kanye West Fallout Sparks Class Action Lawsuit Against Adidas, Roy Wood Jr. His wife had just given birth to their daughter and he told me that he didnt have any money to buy nappies, says Brewer. He also referenced the demo, explaining that it was Rafferty himself playing the line on guitar. The song made No. 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. Barry Recap: A Tragic Death Shakes Up Bill Haders Dark Satire In a 2006 interview with The Times, Ravenscroft recalled the episode differently, claiming he was presented with a song that contained "several gaps": "If you're asking me: 'Did Gerry hand me a piece of music to play?' Rafferty recorded his first solo album, Can I Have My Money Back?, with Hugh Murphy, a staff producer working for the label. The mass was streamed live over the Internet. After the completion of Another World in 2000, Rafferty planned to move back to Scotland and bought Eaglestone House,[57] "a substantial listed 1860s mansion" in the Highland village of Strathpeffer,[58] although he sold the property two years later and never actually moved in. 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. Musical is very cyclical. TV documentary produced by Neon Productions (Glasgow) for BBC Scotland, co-produced by Valerie Lyon and Robert Noakes, 2011. If you listen to Stealers Wheel self-titled album, there was a lot to like besides Stuck in the Middle With You. Stuck In The Middle With You had Joe Egan miming Gerrys lead vocal as he had left the band by the time they shot it. I love Gerry's records, something like 'Baker Street' is a wonderful pop record. When he gets there, Artie Mogull is in a hurry. In a 2011 episode of the NBC show 30 Rock, which aired the same year that Rafferty died, Tina Feys character paces the streets faced with the prospects of losing her job as a television writer. Featuring 18 tracks, the album contains six new recordings, covers of Christmas carols, plus also some traditional songs that had previously been available on the Gerry Rafferty website. If I dont, Ill give you 75. Im like, You cant sign an artist of mine and not listen to the record! He says, Thats the deal. It has been through some of my darkest moments that I have written some of my best songs. BA1 1UA. Now based in London, he employed sound engineer Giles Twigg to assemble a Digidesign mobile recording studio and, with Twigg's help, recorded the album Another World in London, Scotland, Barbados, France, and Italy with collaborators from previous albums, including Hugh Burns, Mark Knopfler, Kenny Craddock, and Mo Foster. August 1975. Breaks Down His Killer White House Correspondents Dinner Set Though it would seem to have struck America like a bolt from the blue, City to City does not depart dramatically from the music Rafferty has recorded over the past decade. "[63][64], There were conflicting reports about what happened next. "[78], In January 2013, BBC Radio 2 re-broadcast their 2012 programme "Bring It All Home Gerry Rafferty Remembered", which had been recorded live at Celtic Connections in Glasgow and was presented by Ricky Ross. "[11] It was a good call: the single reached #3 in the UK and #2 in the US. [18] The album sold over 5.5million copies, toppling the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack in the US on 8 July 1978. He regularly appears on Classic Rocks podcast, The 20 Million Club (opens in new tab), and was the writer/researcher on 2017s Mick Ronson documentary Beside Bowie (opens in new tab). So he goes on David Frost, and I think it took four minutes before hed lost his audience. He never let "Baker Street" be used for advertising, despite lucrative offers. "[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. GERRY RAFFERTY Filmed Interview & tribute (2003) in HD Fewer reservations and a bit more ebullience might be expected from a man with Americas Number Two single, Baker Street, and album, City to City (both have been Number One on some charts). She encounters an unmerry troupe of subway-dwelling people whose professions are no longer a thing. Falling into that category are a travel agent, an American auto worker, the CEO of Friendster and, for the biggest punchline, a guy who played dynamite saxophone solos in rock-and-roll songs.. 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. Songs like 'She Moves Through the Fair', which my mother sings beautifully. [39], According to his former wife Carla, who discouraged visitors: "He was just stalling for time. Its a topic thats since been remaindered to the small music forums at the dusty edges of the Internet.

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