From a Richard Thompson interview this spring, discussing the shelved Rafferty-produced 1980 sessions prior to the Shoot Out the Lights album. In an interview with BBC Radio 2 in September 2000, Gerry Rafferty himself explained the reasoning behind his decision not to tour. Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns/Getty. 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. A heavy drinker for much of his life, Rafferty died from liver failure in January 2011 at the age of 63. "[20], "Baker Street" featured a distinctive saxophone riff played by Raphael Ravenscroft, although the origins of the solo have been disputed. 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. His frustration during this period underlies Baker Street, which takes its name from the London street where he often stayed in a friends flat. [80], This article is about the singer. But 80,000? [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. [2] A son of Joseph and Mary (Skeffington) Rafferty,[3] he had two brothers, Jim and Joe (died 1988). A lot of great music was made that way. [8] In the mid 1960s Rafferty earned money, for a time, busking on the London Underground. News Release, PR Newswire, 27 November 2000. He was a very humble man. 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! 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. Click here for academic and other group subscriptions. For decades in England, for instance, there was a widely believed urban myth that Bob Holness, the buttoned-up British gameshow host, had actually performed the saxophone solo in Baker Street.. 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. If you are interested in the syndication of this Rock's Backpages article, please email us. Him and Billy used to play a game. Rafferty grew up in a council house on the town's Glenburn estate and attended St. Mirin's Academy. He may be sitting on top of the world as he gives interviews in his. Marcus passed away in 2005 and none of the tributes to him seem to make mention of it. He didn't know how good he was. And theres still another wrinkle on the other side of the pond. It's been a huge earner for me. He never let "Baker Street" be used for advertising, despite lucrative offers. His girlfriend Enzina Fuschini said she "felt that he was under some sort of evil spell. It remained at the top of the adult contemporary chart for four non-consecutive weeks. Theres no question about that either. Perhaps I was on the edge of a nervous break-down thats how it felt, anyway. I thought the contract had finished but it turned out it hadnt. 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In 1966, Rafferty and Egan were members of the band the Fifth Column. With due respect, theres only 13 chromatic notes, he said. [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. 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. 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. Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty has died at the age of 63 after suffering a long illness. [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. Rafferty had apparently not changed his will after meeting Enzina Fuschini in 2008 and left her nothing. If you listen to Stealers Wheel self-titled album, there was a lot to like besides Stuck in the Middle With You. According to Michael Gray, the singer's personal manager in the early 1980s: "It never occurred to me in all the time I knew him that he was heading for alcoholism. Theres enough evidence to be suspicious and more than enough time to enjoy them both. The remaining tracks are remastered tracks from his previous three albums. "[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. He recalled, "My father was Irish, so growing up in Paisley I was hearing all these songs when I was two or three. Brewer: He says, Heres the deal. I was going through a very strange period in my life right then, he explains with a burr that is thick yet as gentle as his large gray eyes. Before, I was never in control. Please visit our Institutional Subscriptions page for further information and to arrange for a trial or quote. The lyric and the melody fuse beautifully and the lyric is complemented by the melody. 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. Given the songs ubiquity and influence, its understandable that Ravenscroft might later fib about his role. Politicians in attendance were the First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond MSP, Wendy Alexander MSP, Hugh Henry MSP, and Robin Harper MSP. . Apart from Ravenscroft, most of the musicians on City to City are old friends. The album City to City went to No. 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. Guitarist Richard Thompson helped by performing on the track "Take The Money and Run", and the title track was a UK No. (Both of these were popular hobbies in the year 1978. "Thats how they regulated the charts. "They came back with a bigger offer," says Brewer, "and I said, I'll tell you what we'll do. Heres how it works. Bath Gerry Rafferty - Right Down the Line (Lyric Video) 'Right Down the Line' is taken from the album 'City to City'. Still, they managed to record a brilliant second album, Ferguslie Park, which was produced, like its predecessor, by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. 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?' I never intended making a career out of any of the jobs I did. [17], Legal issues after the break-up of Stealers Wheel meant that, for three years, Rafferty was unable to release any material. Let me meet Gerry.". 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. [citation needed], Rafferty drew a clear distinction between the artistic integrity of a musician, on the one hand, and the music industry's need to create celebrities and sell products, on the other. The Times, Wednesday 5 January 2011. And Baker Street was an enormous radio record. In 1965, 18-year-old Rafferty met 15-year-old Carla Ventilla, an apprentice hairdresser from an Italian family in Clydebank, at a dancehalla story he later recounted in the song "Shipyard Town" on North and South. 4: Whatever's Written In Your Heart (from 'City To City', 1978) If there's one song that proves Gerry Rafferty's peerless songwriting ability, it's Whatever's Written In Your Heart. [11] Instead of a cover painting and hand-lettering by John 'Patrick' Byrne, who had illustrated every previous Rafferty and Stealers Wheel album, Sleepwalking featured a simple, stark photograph of an empty road stretching to the sky. 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. [7][34], Another World marked a new departure for the singer. Maybe some new project would suddenly happen, but I knew he'd crossed the line as far as the record business went. 'Can I Have My Money Back?' I'm unsure whether he did. From knee high, Rafferty would sing these standards, three-part harmonising with his elder siblings, Jim and Joe. Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by flyingdutchman, Aug 17, 2021. United Artists Records, Catalogue 1192 (US Release), 1978. 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. Rafferty confirms the contrast between then and now. 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). Four days later, my personal assistant suddenly disappeared. Its a haunting sound that drops bread crumbs from a listeners pocket for their melancholy to follow. And whatll happen is, youll lose your audience. The collection of blues, rock, and folk demos had been planned for a new album before his death. However, he explained in an interview, "But there was never anything else for me but music. It doesnt do that. His next door neighbour was [Island Records owner] Chris Blackwell. He was Editor in Chief of Classic Rock magazine for 10 years and Editor of Total Guitar for 4 years and has contributed to The Big Issue, Esquire and more.
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gerry rafferty interview