[38] In July that year, he flew to London, where he stayed in the five-star Westbury Hotel in Mayfair and began a four-day drinking binge during which he extensively damaged his room. 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. This was again on the Hypertension music label. With due respect, theres only 13 chromatic notes, he said. And for . He also referenced the demo, explaining that it was Rafferty himself playing the line on guitar. Its fellow honorees that yearCome Together, Candle in the Wind, and Build Me Up Buttercupdeliver some sense of the songs real reach. 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. "And that's when the fun started," says Brewer. Apart from Ravenscroft, most of the musicians on City to City are old friends. 'Can I Have My Money Back?' "[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. Gerry was one of those guys that had been turned down by every record company. Do you remember how old ladies used to have those little baskets on wheels they used to push around the shops? [5] Reviews of the album were mixed. "[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. "[63][64], There were conflicting reports about what happened next. It was a big deal for Steve to make a record on his own, he said. Joel Whitburn, "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (6th Edition)", p. 493. Billy said, We got 10 points if they passed out, 5 points if they screamed He was a wonderful character in those days., When City To City was finished, Brewer shopped it around record companies. Some of these old ladies used to pass out. [5][11][38] In 1987, Rafferty and Murphy co-produced The Proclaimers first UK hit single "Letter from America". News Release, PR Newswire, 27 November 2000. He was a founding member of Stealers Wheel, whose biggest hit was "Stuck in the Middle with You" in 1973. Gerry Rafferty signed up with Brewer and his production company funded the making of new album, City To City. 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 "[77], In November 2012, Rafferty's hometown of Paisley paid tribute to the singer by naming a street in the Shortroods area "Gerry Rafferty Drive". In an interview with BBC Radio 2 in September 2000, Gerry Rafferty himself explained the reasoning behind his decision not to tour. Gerry had had a tough upbringing in Glasgow and the manager sensed that he carried tremendous resentment about it. Gerry Rafferty in Amsterdam, 1972. Many listeners come to Baker Street (and stay) for its hypnotic saxophone line. tenor sax player who toured with the jazz great Buddy Rich. By using this site, you agree that we may store and access cookies on your device. It included three tracks co-written with Rafferty's brother Jim, also a singer-songwriter, who had been signed to Decca Records in the 1970s. 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. But 80,000? He did it really well and he was respected in both camps. It has been through some of my darkest moments that I have written some of my best songs. Rafferty and Ventilla divorced in 1990. 2 on the American Billboard charts behind Andy Gibbs Shadow Dancing.). In 2000, he told the Paisley Daily Express that the second Stealers Wheel album, released in 1974, had been named Ferguslie Park, after a deprived[56] area of Paisley, "to get as far away as possible from all the bullshit of the music industry in London. The Mystery Behind Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street' - The Atlantic "[53] Billy Connolly agrees that Rafferty had different priorities: "I wanted success and fame and I got it, to a degree. Rafferty says working with the legendary authors of Hound Dog and producers of (among others) the Coasters was trying. 17 in the US. 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. Gerry Rafferty, Songwriter, Dies at 63 - The New York Times If I have to listen to the album, Ill give you 50 thousand. Stealers Wheel was a flop. I thought the contract had finished but it turned out it hadnt. 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. Nice memories. (Thanks, Jack.). According to Murphy, interviewed a decade later: "Gerry had made three albums on the trot and I think he was pretty jaded at that time and feeling the pressure and he just thought, 'Well, I'll try another tack,' which is understandable". Speaking to The Independent newspaper later, the hotel's director commented: "It was such a shame. [citation needed], During November 2009, Rafferty released what would be his final album, Life Goes On. And Baker Street was an enormous radio record. 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". These were the last two records Rafferty produced with Hugh Murphy, who died in 1998. 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. All his friends were kind of wishing him well.. He had been signed to A&M. In 1978, he recorded his second solo album, City to City, which included "Baker Street", his most popular song. "[38] His next album, North and South, was released in 1988. Billy Connolly on Gerry Rafferty (Conan O'Brien, 2012) - YouTube 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). Gerry Rafferty 1 of 3 (Rare 2003 Interview) - YouTube by Celtic fusion artist Martyn Bennett. Politicians in attendance were the First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond MSP, Wendy Alexander MSP, Hugh Henry MSP, and Robin Harper MSP. Tue 4 Jan 2011 14.01 EST. It's been a huge earner for me. And I don't plan to be in the public eye too much now either. Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty has died at the age of 63 after suffering a long illness. " Right Down the Line " is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty. 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. And he certainly got that. Boys, girls, large packets of drugs that was payola.. Ive got nothing against electronics. (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. Scottish singer/songwriter Gerry Rafferty, best known for his solo hit "Baker Street" and "Stuck In The . The mass was streamed live over the Internet. The lyric and the melody fuse beautifully and the lyric is complemented by the melody. 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. One new note does creep in: a hint of gospel music -particularly on The Ark -and with this, a sense of hard-won peace. this can result in this site earning a commission. In 2012, Cuillin Recordings issued Paisley Spin, a remix of three tracks from Can I Have My Money Back? First, he [Rafferty] wrote from his experience. Quite frankly, I loved his songs. In 2010, Baker Street was honored by BMI for achieving 5 million radio plays worldwide. "[42], Generally an autobiographical writer,[7] Rafferty returned to this theme often, in the lyrics of Stealers Wheel songs such as "Stuck in the Middle With You" and "Good Businessman", and later solo tracks like "Take the Money and Run" (from Night Owl), "Welcome to Hollywood" (from Snakes and Ladders), and "Sleepwalking" (from the album of the same name). Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). He recalled, "My father was Irish, so growing up in Paisley I was hearing all these songs when I was two or three. If you are interested in the syndication of this Rock's Backpages article, please email us. Thompson's usually spontaneous, no-frills attitude toward recording was at odds with Rafferty's approach. Gerry Rafferty obituary | Gerry Rafferty | The Guardian 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. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Gerry Rafferty is one of the more elusive and enigmatic figures on this increasingly strange roundabout. 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. Right down the line: Remembering Gerry Rafferty Its important to understand that. Right Down The Line by Gerry Rafferty - Songfacts In 1995, Rafferty was deeply affected by the death of his older brother Joseph, an event from which family and friends have said he never fully recovered. [6] Finbar Furey, who knew Rafferty for over 40 years, said he "was in a different league completely. "[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. 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. "[55], Rafferty never changed his mind about the music business; if anything, his views hardened. Still, some would consider Raffertys decision not to tour America until next March, long after the excitement generated by Baker Street will have dissipated, an imprudent career move. It is Rock's Backpages policy never, under any circumstances, to sell on or otherwise provide any of the information contained in the above form to third parties. Burton surmised that if the credit werent a mistake, it constituted some kind of shoutout from Marcus. Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! 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.. There was change too in the songs. [24] No such missing persons report existed. 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. "[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]. Jerry Gilbert, And heres five grand, in cash, to help you.. [68] Fuschini claims she cared for the singer during 2009 and tried to help him overcome his alcoholism, and that he proposed to her at the Ritz Hotel in Paris on Christmas Eve that year. then no, he didn't. No matter the true genesis of its sax riff, the song still endures. It was the days of payola and the days of sheds being filled with records and all sorts of things, says Brewer. 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. And that all he wanted to do was write songs for his daughter., "I said, Right. Burns told me that theres no question that Rafferty came up with the music that became the famous riff line on Baker Street. After Burns laid down the solo, Rafferty asked him to have a go at what obviously became very famous, which was the sax line. Burns tried it on guitar, but the two men agreed that it would be better on the saxophone.