Gerry Rafferty performing in the National Stadium, Dublin 6th September 1980 - Photo: Eddie Mallin
Today (Tuesday 4th January 2011) saw a sad end to Gerry Rafferty's career which began busking on London Underground. The experience inspired his 1978 anthem of urban alienation “Baker Street”. Despite the glamorous image buskers then (60s /70s) often lived a hand to mouth existence living in squats, experimenting with drugs and drinking heavily. He had been reported in 2008 as expelled from the Westbury Hotel in London, disappeared in Italy and having left rehab and then in November last admitted to hospital in Bournemouth with liver disease. Gerry died at the age of 63 peacefully at home, with his daughter Martha at his bedside after suffering a long illness but hopefully he will be remembered as a great songwriter and musician rather than for his life at the end when his demons caught up with him.
His career high came in the 1970s and included the anthemic Baker Street and Stuck in the Middle with You, recorded with his band Stealers Wheel. His Irish-born father was a heavy-drinking miner and lorry driver who died when Gerry was 16. Inspired by his Scottish mother, who had taught him Irish and Scottish folk songs as a boy, and heavily influenced by the music of The Beatles and Bob Dylan, the young Gerry started to write his own material.
City to City
He was born in Paisley, Scotland and began his musical career as a busker on the London Underground. He had recorded and toured with Billy Connolly as part of the Humblebums, before forming Stealers Wheel with his friend Joe Egan in 1972. Stuck in the Middle with You was a hit in the early 70s and also appeared on the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's debut film Reservoir Dogs in 1992. Baker Street charted in the UK and US in 1978 after Rafferty began his solo career and still achieves airplay on radio stations around the world. It is understood his funeral will be held in Paisley later this month.
He had a smash hit in 1978 with Baker Street, a world-weary classic based on his experiences busking in the London Underground as a struggling young musician. "It was first released in 1978 on his album "City to City" and has been covered by over 20 artists. The song was named after the famous London Street and Underground station of the same name; this was Rafferty's second solo album. The single reached #3 in the UK and performed even better in the US, where it became a #2 hit, in addition to reaching the top 10 in the Netherlands (#9). It was Rafferty' first release after the legal issues surrounding the formal separation of the band Stealers Wheel in 1975. Rafferty was unable to release any material for three years after the band's break up, while resolving the disputes about the band's remaining contractual recording obligations.
Baker Street
While a memorable line in his best-known song included a promise to “give up the booze and the one-night stands”, Rafferty never conquered his private demons. The haunting Baker Street with its searing saxophone riff and great guitar solo propelled Rafferty into the pantheon of British rock legends. The song has remained a staple of soft-rock and easy-listening stations for more than 30 years — by 2004 it was reckoned to have received four million airplays — and at the time of his death continued to earn Rafferty around £80,000 annually in royalties.
So let’s remember how great Gerry was at his peak. A great song on a great album. He'll be sorely missed.
For more about Baker Street and the London Underground see;
http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/01/great-circle-line-journey.html
Baker Street
Windin' your way down on Baker Street
Light in your head and dead on your feet
Well another crazy day
You'll drink the night away
And forget about everything
This city desert makes you feel so cold.
It's got so many people but it's got no soul
And it's taking you so long
To find out you were wrong
When you thought it had everything
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