gerry rafferty interview
He never let "Baker Street" be used for advertising, despite lucrative offers. Burton surmised that if the credit werent a mistake, it constituted some kind of shoutout from Marcus. 2 on the American Billboard charts behind Andy Gibbs Shadow Dancing.). I said, If you go on David Frost, Im finished. His abusive alcoholic father died when Gerry was only sixteen. His mother taught him both Irish and Scottish folk songs when he was a boy; later, he was influenced by the music of the Beatles and Bob Dylan. He has the cautious fatalism of a coal miner, the trade both his father and grandfather pursued. Perhaps I was on the edge of a nervous break-down thats how it felt, anyway. But few people know the origin story of rocks most iconic sax riff, which is complicated, to say the least. [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. For the time being I feel good at the moment.. In the right music it sounds fantastic, its the only way to make certain kinds of music. 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. Its important to say that in the case of that particular instrumental opening to Baker Street, it was entirely Gerrys line, said Burns. It was a big deal for Steve to make a record on his own, he said. "It was something I was fiercely protective of in myself. 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. Id got married, had a child, I was twenty-four, and one day it was like Id been living in a dream for six or eight years and suddenly I woke up. 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 mass was streamed live over the Internet. Its a topic thats since been remaindered to the small music forums at the dusty edges of the Internet. Stay up to date with in depth music reviews, exclusive interviews and widespread coverage of whats happening from your favourite music genre. If you are interested in the syndication of this Rock's Backpages article, please email us. Gerry was a joker he used to joke all the time, an absolute nutter. Or why not treat yourself? And whatll happen is, youll lose your audience. Rafferty confirms the contrast between then and now. 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. Then he tried it on guitar, and that didnt sound quite right. Listening to it now as I write this. Whatever I do in the future, it's at my own pace, on my own terms. 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. Gerry Raffertys former manager Jon Brewer recalls what it was like managing the Baker Street star in the wheeling-dealing 70s the age of chart-fixing, payola and big money. Gerry liked to triple track everything, wed get three pianos, it became a bit of a Phil Spector issue. "Days Gone Down" reached No. Night Owl Gerry Rafferty Buy album Year of Release: 1979 Appears in: 30 charts Rank Score: 122 Rank in 1979: 145 Rank in 1970s: 1,467 Overall Rank: 9,694 "[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. I said, Youre just not the right person to do David Frost. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. And he certainly got that. All rights reserved. [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. 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, Ill play you something. He really cant stand anyone in the music industry, anyone in the music publishing industry, and all he wants to do is write songs for his daughter., So I go back to Gerry," says Brewer, "and say, Youve got to stop doing this were going to run out of record companies!. [5] Reviews of the album were mixed. 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". 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. They'll know where to find me." Musical is very cyclical. He turned that down too. [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". [2] A son of Joseph and Mary (Skeffington) Rafferty,[3] he had two brothers, Jim and Joe (died 1988). 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. Contributing artists included his friend Rab Noakes, The Proclaimers, Barbara Dickson, Ron Sexsmith, Jack Bruce, Paul Brady, Emma Pollock, James Vincent McMorrow and Betsy Cook. Instead he quickly re-recorded it with Joe Boyd and released that version. "[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. He died many years later in a terrible state. Some of these old ladies used to pass out. Affiliate programs and [11] Billboard praised the album as "high-grade folk-rock", describing it as Rafferty's "finest work" to date: "His tunes are rich and memorable with an undeniable charm that will definitely see him into the album and very possibly singles charts soon". 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. 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. 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. The third single from the album, "Home and Dry", reached No. 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). It contains an He may be sitting on top of the world as he gives interviews in his. And heres five grand, in cash, to help you.. "[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. The Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty, who has died aged 63 after a long illness, wrote the multimillion-selling hit Baker Street, which more than 30 years after . By using this site, you agree that we may store and access cookies on your device. The 50 Worst Decisions in Music History I sang it to him. Rafferty and Fuschini rented a large home together in Upton, near Poole. Back in England, says Brewer, he and Gerry Rafferty were becoming more and more estranged. "[38], In 2008, Rafferty moved away from California and briefly rented a home in Ireland, where his drinking soon became a problem again. I said, If you give him 5 million, youll never get another album Its the worst thing you can do. ", Rafferty's next album, Night Owl, also did well. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. Byrne was also responsible for one of Rafferty's most prized possessions: a hand-painted Martin acoustic guitar bearing his portrait and the name 'Gerry Rafferty', which features in many photographs of the singer. 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. CIA Director, Noam Chomsky Named in Epstein's Private Calendar: Report exclusive audio interviews. Rafferty recorded his first solo album, Can I Have My Money Back?, with Hugh Murphy, a staff producer working for the label. Louder is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. He was a very humble man. Thats why I especially liked the Everly Brothers.. I must admit, I could live off that song alone." Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by flyingdutchman, Aug 17, 2021. August 1975. 5 hit in 1979. But theres something special about four or five guys in a studio and working with an artist and honing whatever it is that the song is and fine-tuning it. (Both of these were popular hobbies in the year 1978. People werent quite used to that., Of course, theres also something about the saxophone. 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. Its most popular comment is this: This song makes me think of the Summer of 1978. Gerald Rafferty (16 April 1947 4 January 2011) was a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. 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. Gerry Rafferty in Amsterdam, 1972. Given the songs ubiquity and influence, its understandable that Ravenscroft might later fib about his role. For me, singing and writing is very therapeutic. Gerry Rafferty. Gerry Rafferty: A Brilliant Tortured Soul 29,019 views Mar 11, 2018 The late great Gerry Rafferty succumbed to alcoholism back in 2011. It was a pretty scary kind of feeling. Singer/songwriter Gerry Rafferty was born on April 16, 1947 in Paisley, Scotland. [16] Stealers Wheel also produced the lesser top 50 hits "Everyone's Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine" followed by "Star", and there were further suggestions of Rafferty's growing alienation in tracks such as "Outside Looking In" and "Who Cares". Chaos! In an interview with BBC Radio 2 in September 2000, Gerry Rafferty himself explained the reasoning behind his decision not to tour. [3], In October 2011, newspapers reported that Rafferty's immediate family were the beneficiaries of his 1.25million estate. 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. 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 So what you get is someones heartfelt experience and you put that into the lyric and into the song. But 80,000? "[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 that year with Colin Irwin to promote the album, Rafferty mentioned that he was interested in doing more production work and writing film soundtracks, and even floated the idea of writing a musical about the life of Robert Louis Stevenson. With due respect, theres only 13 chromatic notes, he said. Before, I was never in control. unrestricted remote and on-site access to each text and audio file in the database. At eleven, he started to play. "Gerry Rafferty went to meet his maker sober and unafraid, curious and brave", "Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street' Blues: Rolling Stone's 1978 Feature". We will keep you informed of developments as they happen. Him and Billy used to play a game. 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. Obituary, Gerry Rafferty. [3] It was the third release from Rafferty's City to City LP as the follow-up to his first major hit as a solo artist, "Baker Street". Gerry Rafferty Remembered is at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of Celtic Connections on 22 and 23 . Heres how it works. The liner notes to the compilation album Right Down the Line, written by Jerry Gilbert with Rafferty's close co-operation, note his consistent refusal to tour the United States and "generally 'play the industry game'. Then Capitol records made a similar offer. I totally understand., The same scene play out at Island records: Gerry is left alone with owner Chris Blackwell and afterwards Blackwell collars Brewer and says, I would rather sign Gary Glitter than that man! [62] While the news stories focused on Rafferty's binges, they revealed nothing of the impact on his family and friends. Success, says Brewer, was the end of Rafferty. 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. 16 April 2022 When Baker Street songwriter Gerry Rafferty died of liver failure, on 4 January 2011, at the age of 63, the whole of Scotland mourned the passing of one of the nation's greatest musicians. "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.. A lot of great music was made that way. 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. Membership gives you access to all the thousands of articles in the library. 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". Gerry Raffertys promising partnership with Joe Egan as Stealers Wheel had ended after three albums and a US no.1 single in Stuck In The Middle With You. [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. 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. He also referenced the demo, explaining that it was Rafferty himself playing the line on guitar. But Gerry Rafferty is wearing a button warning, Dangerous Times Ahead, and hes known bad times in the past as well. 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.. Brewer was a big fan of Stealers Wheel and met Rafferty in London. Its a haunting sound that drops bread crumbs from a listeners pocket for their melancholy to follow. "And that's when the fun started," says Brewer. 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. "[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. Baker Street has been covered by a wildly diverse set of outfits, most virtuously by Waylon Jennings and the London Symphony Orchestra, most sentimentally by Lisa Simpson, and most blandly by the Foo Fighters and Rick Springfield. Gerry was one of those guys that had been turned down by every record company. "You were very lucky to get that interview because he didn't do many. Politicians in attendance were the First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond MSP, Wendy Alexander MSP, Hugh Henry MSP, and Robin Harper MSP. [citation needed], Subsequent albums, such as Snakes and Ladders (1980), Sleepwalking (1982), and North and South (1988), fared less well, perhaps due partly to Rafferty's longstanding reluctance to perform live, with which he felt uncomfortable. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. Words and phrases he used years ago crop up in similar contexts on City to City. 5 letter words with o as second letter,