He may be sitting on top of the world as he gives interviews in his. Gerry became someone else, and it was alcohol that took him over. But Gerry Rafferty is wearing a button warning, Dangerous Times Ahead, and hes known bad times in the past as well. Back in England, says Brewer, he and Gerry Rafferty were becoming more and more estranged. All his friends were kind of wishing him well.. "[5] Two decades later, speaking to the press after Rafferty's funeral, Charlie Reid of The Proclaimers confirmed Rafferty's dislike of celebrity: "He was not entirely comfortable with fame. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time The career of Gerry Rafferty from folk-roots to multi-million selling success and alcohol-fuelled demise was one of amazing highs and lows. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time United Artists Records, Catalogue 1192 (US Release), 1978. "[11] It was a good call: the single reached #3 in the UK and #2 in the US. [30], The lyrics of "Baker Street" reflected Rafferty's disenchantment with certain elements of the music industry. Jon Brewer is a director and producer. After the duo separated in 1971, Transatlantic owner Nathan Joseph signed Rafferty as a solo performer. [citation needed]. Back in 1968, 10 years before Baker Street was recorded, Steve Marcus, a tenor sax player who toured with the jazz great Buddy Rich, released Tomorrow Never Knows, the first and only record under his own name. Liner notes for the compilation album Right Down the Line (prepared with Rafferty's close co-operation[33]) confirmed this several years later, noting the singer was now "finding himself at the crossroads and looking to replace the treadmill with a new dimension in his life". All content on the site is the property of Rock's Backpages and protected by copyright laws. 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. Rafferty continues to ponder and juxtapose the differences between urban and pastoral life, and many of his new songs (especially, and most eloquently, Whatevers Written in Your Heart) still seem attempts to bridge the communication chasm between a man and a woman. The track appeared on Dickson's albums Don't Think Twice It's All Right (1992) and The Barbara Dickson Collection (2006). 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. The collection of blues, rock, and folk demos had been planned for a new album before his death. 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. 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. "[38] His next album, North and South, was released in 1988. The 10 solo albums made by Gerry Rafferty during his lifetime form a distinguished legacy, from 1971's cult favourite Can I Have My Money Back, through the platinum-selling years of City to. It makes me think of home, nostalgia and happiness. then no, he didn't. "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.. There is a mid-Atlantic blandness lurking behind the rococo roots veneer. [citation needed], Other artists continue to be inspired by Rafferty's work. Thats the price I paid for being Gerry Raffertys manager.. [8] In the mid 1960s Rafferty earned money, for a time, busking on the London Underground. People werent quite used to that., Of course, theres also something about the saxophone. Bonnie Raitt recorded a reggae treatment of "Right Down the Line" for her Slipstream album released 10 April 2012. A lot of great music was made that way. According to Rafferty's daughter Martha, it was around this time that her father discovered, by chance, Colin Wilson's classic book The Outsider, about alienation and creativity, which became a huge influence both on his songwriting and his outlook on the world: "The ideas and references contained in that one book were to sustain and inspire him for the rest of his life. He praises Carla for helping him through all the bad times and tells her every day he loves her more and more. By the late 70s, Brewer had had a hand in the early career of David Bowie, Alvin Lee and others and had a publishing company called Belfern Music. Listen to Positive Charge, The Gaslight Anthem's first single in nine years, Eddie Van Halen was planning a farewell tour with the original Van Halen lineup, Coke! He was one of the most talented musicians and singers I ever knew but he completely underestimated his own talent. Gerry had had a tough upbringing in Glasgow and the manager sensed that he carried tremendous resentment about it. Affiliate programs and For full terms, please click here. I'm older and my audience is older. Apart from Ravenscroft, most of the musicians on City to City are old friends. Because one: youre boss-eyed and you dont want to let the fans see that, and two you really are not a people person, with all your opinions. Click here for academic and other group subscriptions. It goes through a little kind of journey, it takes you through a journey and so, in some sense, its a very complete composition, which is unusual for popular music at that time. Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty has died at the age of 63 after suffering a long illness. Burton surmised that if the credit werent a mistake, it constituted some kind of shoutout from Marcus. Its a topic thats since been remaindered to the small music forums at the dusty edges of the Internet. Another posting announced that Rafferty would begin to release music regularly as free downloads: "In reality, Gerry could put a new track out every two weeks or so. And whatll happen is, youll lose your audience. The remaining tracks are remastered tracks from his previous three albums. It's much more effective than taking Prozac!" Another World, almost an esoteric work, also with the assistance of Mark Knopfler and Egan, featured an album cover illustrated by John 'Patrick' Byrne, who also illustrated the covers for Can I Have My Money Back?, City to City, Night Owl, and Snakes and Ladders, and all three Stealers Wheel albums. "It was something I was fiercely protective of in myself. ", Rafferty's next album, Night Owl, also did well. [29] One of the lesser-known songs from that time is "Big Change in the Weather" (the B-side of "Baker Street"). After being taken off life support, Rafferty rallied for a short time, and doctors thought that he might recover. 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. Stealers Wheels management company Ricochet had disappeared with the bands money and times were tough. Barry Recap: A Tragic Death Shakes Up Bill Haders Dark Satire The mass was streamed live over the Internet. [51], On 3 September 2021 Parlophone UK released "Rest In Blue" an album on which Martha Rafferty completed a project started by her father from demos left by Rafferty. [6] Finbar Furey, who knew Rafferty for over 40 years, said he "was in a different league completely. Marcus passed away in 2005 and none of the tributes to him seem to make mention of it. Rafferty had apparently not changed his will after meeting Enzina Fuschini in 2008 and left her nothing. Gerry Rafferty in Amsterdam, 1972. "[34] It was ironic that Raffertya lover and collector of religious icons, who would later name one of his publishing companies "Icon Music"[54]was also an iconoclast. He joined the folk-pop group the Humblebums (of which Billy Connolly was a member) in 1969. Christopher Neil replaced Hugh Murphy, Rafferty's usual producer, introducing synthesisers and drum machines that give the album a harder, less acoustic sound, and apparently eschewing the richly detailed arrangements notable on Rafferty's three previous records. "Thats how they regulated the charts. Its almost identical, only a little bit different and that wouldnt happen by chance seeing as it was so close.. So theyd ship them, get big warehouses, put them in there. [43][44] Through his company Icon Music, Rafferty promoted and sold the album independently on a website created specifically for the purpose. 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. Signing up for the RBP newsletter provides access to a limited number of free articles, as well as six new free articles every week. A gospel -influenced love song inspired by the weary resignation of a relationship that has run its course, this moving masterpiece has all the style . 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. [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. Let me meet Gerry.". Rafferty was born into a working-class family in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. "Days Gone Down" reached No. And he married her! And he now had more of what he didn't like. ), Forum Policies, Rules, and Terms of Service. . Joel Whitburn, "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (6th Edition)", p. 493. His most recent film, Beside Bowie The Mick Ronson Story, is released soon on DVD. 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. Four days later, my personal assistant suddenly disappeared. Michael Gray, Rafferty's former manager, agreed: "The audible proof is there from the demos that Rafferty himself created the riff and placed it within the song's structure exactly where it ended up. Inside the recording of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: only in the new issue of Classic Rock. So I picked up and moved [from London] back to Scotland to sort myself out., Eventually Rafferty was prevailed upon to rejoin Stealers Wheel, and he resumed writing songs that conveyed pretty scary kinds of feelings and condemned managers, record companies, the whole thing. (When I asked what he felt was the persistent theme of his music, Rafferty replied tersely and without hesitation, Alienation.) Though he and Egan sugarcoated their bitter pills with sweet melodies and glossy pop arrangements, they were unable to repeat the success of Stuck in the Middle., Editors picks [27] But it earned him another 1.5million, selling around three million copies in Europe and America. I just had to get away, away from groups, managers, record companies, the whole thing. 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. January 4, 2011. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. "Gerry Rafferty: Right Down the Line". 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. Maybe some new project would suddenly happen, but I knew he'd crossed the line as far as the record business went. [5][6] Heavily influenced by folk music and the music of the Beatles and Bob Dylan, Rafferty started to write his own material. Gerald Rafferty (16 April 1947 4 January 2011) was a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Rafferty says working with the legendary authors of Hound Dog and producers of (among others) the Coasters was trying. Whatever I do in the future, it's at my own pace, on my own terms. Baker Street and Half a Heart are songs that were made that way. What is it going to take?, Jerry says, Jon, Ill tell you what well do: 3, 2, 1., He says, 3% on the first album, 2% on the second album and 1% on the third., I went, Oh, cmon, there must be another way., So that was the deal. [73], Newspapers printed lengthy obituaries for the singer; in The Guardian, Michael Gray charted Rafferty's long downward spiral into alcoholism,[38] while a full-page obituary in The Times summarised his career more positively: "As well as being a singer of considerable talent who at one time had the pop world at his feet, Gerry Rafferty was also a consummate songwriter, blessed with sensitivity and an enviable melodic flair that at its best recalled Paul McCartney. Subscriptions to Rocks Backpages are available for institutional or personal use. 2 on the American Billboard charts behind Andy Gibbs Shadow Dancing.). 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. The Humblebums were a flop My life doesn't stand or fall by the amount of people who buy my records. All rights reserved. The group was beset by legal wranglings, but had a huge hit with "Stuck in the Middle with You", which earned critical acclaim as well as commercial success: a 1975 article in Sounds described it as "a sort of cross between white label Beatles and punk Dylan yet with a unique Celtic flavour that has marked all their work". He wanted his talent to be respected. His remains were then cremated at the Woodside Crematorium in Paisley[72] and his ashes scattered on Iona. "[7] Monsignor John Tormey, celebrating Rafferty's funeral mass, suggested the singer's attitude to fame was an indication of his spiritual integrity: "He always searched for a more authentic way to live his life, shunning the outward trappings of celebrity so that he might live as he chose to live his life."[52]. "[63][64], There were conflicting reports about what happened next. They'll know where to find me." I never heard before until I just now listened, but I am sure if I had actually written the song back in the day I would have retained my copyright as I always did and would have been aware of it. I feel as if I can dictate the pace, and thats whats really very good: to dictate your own pace so that you have enough time to write, enough time to record, enough time, really, to give your best. Before, I was never in control. [20], In 1980, Rafferty and Murphy produced a record for Richard and Linda Thompson; though never released, it eventually evolved into their album Shoot Out the Lights. I would never have left him if there'd been a glimmer of a chance of him recovering. 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. 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. You can view our full Privacy and Cookies Policy. Instead he quickly re-recorded it with Joe Boyd and released that version. He turned that down too. Its most popular comment is this: This song makes me think of the Summer of 1978. In fact, I just spoke to a good friend of mine about doing a film in Scotland, a project weve been wanting to do for years. [4], Rafferty left St Mirin's Academy in 1963. Jerry Gilbert,
"[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. Gerry Rafferty signed up with Brewer and his production company funded the making of new album, City To City. [Rafferty's] approach seemed claustrophobic. Its important to understand that. During this time, he met Enzina Fuschini, an Italian artist living in Dorset. Individuals can subscribe to Rocks Backpages for three, six and twelve months to get unlimited access to the complete Rocks Backpages archive. Gerry Rafferty. I asked Burns why he thought Baker Street is still a staple nearly 40 years after its release. GERRY RAFFERTY rarely comes up in interviews, seldom works on the road and is in London even less often. [9] In his own stand-up shows, Connolly has often recalled this period, telling how Rafferty made him laugh and describing the crazy things they did while on tour. The jazz-rock fusion album was almost exclusively of cover songs such as The Beatles title track. Brewer's offices were just across the road. Stay up to date with in depth music reviews, exclusive interviews and widespread coverage of whats happening from your favourite music genre. We want to hear it. The issue is available now in the online archive. His background was soaked in Scottish socialism and poverty, his mind sharp and his personality acerbic, and he wasn't going to be dazzled by the glamour of success. He told me that he and Marcus had been best friends at a time and wanted to know what the connection to Steve Marcus was, since Ravenscroft is listed as the saxophonist on Baker Street. When I replied that Raffertys song sounded suspiciously familiar to Marcuss song Half a Heart, he didnt buy it on principle. I said, If you give him 5 million, youll never get another album Its the worst thing you can do. Truthfully, I sort of doubt that a British saxophonist would have even of heard Marcuss record, since it was little publicized and truly under the radar, even in the U.S., he wrote, later explaining that he thought the record had sold maybe 1,000 copies. So, it seems clear enough. Rafferty confirms the contrast between then and now. But Gerry Rafferty is wearing a button warning, 'Dangerous Times Ahead,' and he's known bad times in the past as well. So I took the 75., It worked. To search for precise terms or phrases, it is advisable to place quote marks at either end of the phrase. It was a pretty scary kind of feeling. [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. More likely, he has simply mellowed with age. You can take the boy out of Paisley but you can't take Paisley out the boy! 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. "[25], Ravenscroft went on to play on Rafferty's next two albums. And Baker Street was an enormous radio record. [citation needed], Also in 1983, Rafferty announced his intention to take a break and devote more time to his family: "It dawned on me that since Baker Street I had been touring the world, travelling everywhere and seeing nowhere. Speaking to The Independent newspaper later, the hotel's director commented: "It was such a shame. [24] No such missing persons report existed. Billy Connolly recalls his first impressions of Gerry Rafferty. Stealers Wheel The A&M Years (opens in new tab) 3CD boxset is out now on Caroline International. Gerry had had a tough upbringing in Glasgow and the manager sensed that he carried "tremendous resentment" about it. After listening to the two songs side-by-side, I have to say they are close enough that it seems almost certain that the British saxophone player [Ravenscoft] must have heard Steves record. He added that since Half a Heart came out 10 years before Baker Street, someone must have heard the record. To Raffertys utter disbelief, his parody of Bob Dylans paranoia, tossed off as little more than a joke, struck pay dirt in the States by which time he had already said goodbye to the band. According to Burns, a lot of the songs that seem to have some longevity tend to feature, for the most part, real instruments. For a while, the saxophone was a key feature of that dynamic. In some of his new songs there still can be heard what Rafferty, whose father was born in Ireland, describes as a sort of Celtic thing in the harmonies and chord progressions. . Rafferty was becoming obnoxious with me. We didnt share a sense of humor or much of anything., Before long, Rafferty and Egan decided it was time to stop the whole fucking farce, which they did after completing a lackluster third album, Right or Wrong, with another producer. Gerry liked to triple track everything, wed get three pianos, it became a bit of a Phil Spector issue. The problems we had, had little to do, actually, with the results we got on the board, because they were great in terms of sound and all that. He also referenced the demo, explaining that it was Rafferty himself playing the line on guitar. Rafferty felt he had matured as an artist, as he told the Evening Standard at the time of the release: "At my time of life, I don't want to be talking to 23-year-old record executives who are just trying to sell their products to 19-year-olds. They had Electric Light Orchestra, Kenny Rodgers, and the third artist was to become Gerry Rafferty. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. Capitol called me at one point and said, Were going to give him 5 million. Rafferty and Fuschini rented a large home together in Upton, near Poole. Hows that for capitalism?. Success, says Brewer, was the end of Rafferty. The Celtic thing is the drone, you know -its fifths, the same as in country music, a lot of which comes from Scotland and Ireland, anyway. He was a very humble man. "[49] Only a handful of tracks were ever released, however, and the website eventually closed down without any explanation. [69] Rafferty died of liver failure at the home of his daughter Martha in Stroud, Gloucestershire, on 4 January 2011, at the age of 63. In 1966, Rafferty and Egan were members of the band the Fifth Column. The same report claimed that on 1 August 2008, Rafferty had disappeared, leaving his belongings behind, and that the hospital had filed a missing persons report. But few people know the origin story of rocks most iconic sax riff, which is complicated, to say the least. When I reached out to Burton earlier this week to ask him if he or Marcus had ever made the connection to Baker Street, he was caught a little off-guard. In 1972, having gained some airplay from his Signpost recording "Make You, Break You", Rafferty joined Egan to form Stealers Wheel and recorded three albums with the American songwriters and producers Leiber & Stoller. 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). They based chart positions on what theyd shipped, not what theyd sold. Alan Rafferty 1.92K subscribers 106K views 10 years ago Promo video for the "On A Wing and A Prayer" album from 1992/3. He never let "Baker Street" be used for advertising, despite lucrative offers. Or as Burton put it, You hear something, your brain forgets., Musically, all the decisions on a Gerry Rafferty album, all the decisions on yes, that stays, or no, that goes were fundamentally his, said Burns. this can result in this site earning a commission. And where does the magnificent saxophone line that everyone is humming come from? Trending 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. Singer/songwriter Gerry Rafferty was born on April 16, 1947 in Paisley, Scotland. Kiss Paul Stanley Has 'Thoughts' About Parents Who Support Kids Gender Identities [62] While the news stories focused on Rafferty's binges, they revealed nothing of the impact on his family and friends. He wouldnt sit in my Rolls, he wouldnt sit in my offices, we had to meet in these pubs and it all became very strange. 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. Curiously though, the composition of Half a Heart is credited to Gary Burton, a vibraphonist and composer, who went to Berklee College of Music with Marcus in the early 1960s and lived down the block from him when the two moved from Boston to New York to start their music careers. 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." He said, You are not a good man! Gordon Laurie, director of the housing association behind the project, commented: "It is a fitting tribute to a brilliant musician who lives on through his music. [citation needed], During November 2009, Rafferty released what would be his final album, Life Goes On. And heres five grand, in cash, to help you.. affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network, and Later I get a call from Martin Wyatt: I wouldnt sign that man if you gave me the record and I know its a number 1 album! I said, Why? He says, Hes the most unbelievably obnoxious person Ive ever met in my life., "What did he say to you? He said that he was never going to support the album, he was never going to play in a band, and he was never going to go on the road. So he goes on David Frost, and I think it took four minutes before hed lost his audience. [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. Gerry Rafferty at home. 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. In 2010, Baker Street was honored by BMI for achieving 5 million radio plays worldwide. This is a great song.. His next door neighbour was [Island Records owner] Chris Blackwell. "[35], Based at 16th-century[36] Tye Farm in Hartfield, near the Kent-Sussex border, Rafferty installed electric gates to protect his privacy, built a recording studio, and worked largely by himself[37] or with Murphy. Obituary, Gerry Rafferty. For institutions, Rock's Backpages is provided as an unlimited access subscription, meaning that all staff, students and library patrons have
His solo hits in the late 1970s included "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line", and "Night Owl". 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. 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. He was a founding member of Stealers Wheel, whose biggest hit was "Stuck in the Middle with You" in 1973. As he explained in a press release heralding the new record in November 2000: "My heart and soul have gone into this album, and by releasing it in this way my creative influence has not been diluted in any way. Enter Raphael Ravenscroft, a session saxophonist who came highly recommended, and the rest is history or at least a hit single. A heavy drinker for much of his life, Rafferty died from liver failure in January 2011 at the age of 63. [citation needed], In 1969, Rafferty became the third member of a folk-pop group, the Humblebums, along with comedian Billy Connolly and Tam Harvey. "[47] Finally, thanks to the Internet, it seemed Rafferty no longer needed the music industry: technology was allowing him to put his music directly in the hands of an appreciative audience. He wanted his songs to be respected. [4] His Irish-born father, an alcoholic, was a miner and lorry driver who died when Rafferty was 16. In fact, most of what I played was an old blues riff, he once explained. [50], After leaving St Thomas' Hospital, and while claiming he was in Tuscany, he was moving from one London hotel to another. Stream the album here: https://lnk.to/GerryR. "[23][24], Ravenscroft, a session musician, was in the studio to record a brief soprano saxophone part and suggested that he record the now famous break using the alto saxophone he had in his car. why is miles raney not on homestead rescue, bird hunting jokes,
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