Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Gerry Rafferty 1947--2011

With Stealer's Wheel from 1973 -- the never released on LP or CD single version of "Everyone's Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine."





His masterpiece, I think -- that middle sort of psychedelic section with the oohs and the Byrds-ish guitar stuff never fails to give me chills.
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9 comments:

  1. Maude Lange1/04/2011 5:15 PM

    RIP Gerry.

    Thanks. I've never heard such clean rip of this version. I've loved it since I got the single when it came out. (It got some airplay in LA at the time.) I never understood why it wasn't considered one of their Greatest Hits. It's right up there with Star (and, ok, That Other Song)

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  2. steve simels1/04/2011 5:47 PM

    I had the 45 back in the day, too.
    And I looked for it on the web for years before finally finding it....

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  3. Anonymous1/04/2011 5:55 PM

    I regret having to admit this, but when Steeler's Wheel was in ascendance, I just assumed it was Dylan-derivative plastic junk (though I still loved Raffery's Baker Street single). I can see now that they were keepers of the flame. The guitar/oohs & ahs break is like a five-second summary all of George Harrison's solos from Revolver.

    (Sad to see 2011's list of significant obituaries starting up so soon.)

    AP

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  4. Karatist Preacher1/04/2011 6:56 PM

    Love that tune.

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  5. Anonymous1/04/2011 8:36 PM

    What an artist. City to City is a perfect album, beginning to end.

    And how Stealer's Wheel's "Star" didn't become a smash hit, I'll never know.

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  6. dSmith1/04/2011 9:55 PM

    From Wikipedia "Raphael Ravenscroft from Dumfries is a Scottish professional saxophone player and author on saxophone play.
    He is best known for his work with Gerry Rafferty, performing the iconic saxophone solo on "Baker Street." Ravenscroft was paid £27 for the session, with a cheque that bounced."

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  7. Gummo1/05/2011 9:37 AM

    Aw, that's just sad.

    This is a new song for me and yes,that break is pure Harrison and sweet as a psychedelic lump of sugar.

    I remember the first time I heard "Stuck in the Middle With You" actually mistaking the vocal for John Lennon at first; then when I realized it wasn't John, wishing it was.

    And as for Baker Street, well I can't talk rationally about that song because it recalls a summer, and a girl....

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  8. Anonymous1/08/2011 10:55 AM

    Does anyone know if the b-side is a totally different version than the album version from their first album?

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  9. nora hollywood1/12/2011 1:08 PM

    Very much enjoy these posts and comments. I must say, however, that to me '(Beatle &)Dylan-derived plastic junk' does describe this song. It's not very good. Baker St. was a great song because it turned a simple lyric into an iconic image of the modern-day flaneur, and hooked that up with a very distinctive horn riff. I think 'Stuck in the Middle With You' is more typical of their mindset and their metier. I have a romantic affection for the idea of 'winding my way down on Baker St./light in my head and dead on my feet' but no such affection for being 'here...stuck in the middle with her (or him!)'

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