UP 36346
Gerald Rafferty (16 April 1947 – 4 January 2011) was a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, born Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He was influenced by folk music and formed his own folk band and when they folded he recorded a solo album without any success. He then co-founded the popular band Stealers Wheel who had a top ten hit in the UK with “Stuck in the middle with you” in 1973. It also made top ten in US and Canada and top twenty in Australia.
He began writing and recording an album in 1977 which helped launch his second chance at being a solo artist.
His lead off single in the UK was “Baker Street” and finally bought his music to the attention of a wider audience. Released in early 1978, the single is an edited version of the track featured on the said album “City to city”. The song is known as much for the gentle vocal delivery, as the instrumental backing that holds everything together. As far as saxophone solo’s go, this is probably the most iconic and recognisable sounds in British music. Raphael Ravenscroft (4 June 1954 – 19 October 2014) played alto and soprano saxophones for the intro and in breaks between verses in eight-bar forms.
The track also features a memorable electric guitar solo by Hugh Burns.
alongside Gerry Rafferty
Lyrically I think it is a dark song and having read details of the circumstances of Gerry’s personal life at the time he was writing the song you can understand the meaning of the lines of the first verse, “Well, another crazy day, you’ll drink the night away, and forget about everything”
There is a desperation to the words. A feeling of hopelessness. What I find poignant is the ‘pick myself up line’, “Just one more year and you’ll be happy”, that pity plea and reassurance things will turn out ok, but the reality of the current situation is – “But your cryin’, your cryin’ now”. You have a sense of someone always running away, trying to garnish a fresh start, but mistakes keep repeating themselves. Better things always seem out of reach.
I like the fact the song ends on an optimist note. He is finally on his way back home with the sun shinning.
Baker Street refers to the place he was staying in London whilst writing the song and dealing with personal and financial issues from the break-up of Stealers Wheel
The song peaked at #3 for two non consecutive weeks in the UK singles chart in a 16 week run. It spent six weeks at #2 on the US Billboard chart and #1 on the rival Cashbox chart. It was a #1 hit in Canada, South Africa and Australia. #2 in Switzerland, #3 in Ireland and Germany, #4 in New Zealand and Austria, #9 in The Netherlands and Belgium.
After his death “Baker Street” was reissued and it re-charted peaking at #55 in the UK. The single has sold well in excess of 600,000 copies in the UK and over one million in the USA.
The B side “Big change in the weather” has a very country / blues feel to it. I interpret the lyrics to be about a long held friendship that has ended and its the message to the other person is that they are not so innocent themselves in the breakdown. They know each other inside and out. The judgement is that the other persons ego is being fuelled but outsiders don’t understand the full story.
Jukebox Dave 