Gerry Rafferty

[Borderstone]

Does anyone here remember Gerry Rafferty? He was a Scotland born singer/guitarist who fronted Stealer's Wheel in the early 70s and then had a fairly successful solo career in the latter 1/2 of the decade?

With Stealer's Wheel it was "Stuck In The Middle With You" and "Star".

Solo it was "Baker Street","Right Down The Line","Home and Dry","Days Gone Down (Still Got The Light In Your Eyes)" and "Get It Right Next Time,"

Happy to say I have collected all of his solo 70s works (most notably "City To City" and "Night Owl") and 1 Stealer's LP & a few 45's. Was anyone else here a fan back then and if so,are you still now? Anybody else new to Rafferty or even just hearing about him now?

I brought this up because I heard Baker Street on the satellite system at work and I realized it would be a good subject. (He came on right after Al Stewart strangely enough,two of my favorites!) ;) (...and yes,he's still alive and about to turn 60 sometime.)

Been me. Later! :cool:

[Sheryl]

Sure, I remember him. Bought "Baker Street" on a 45. No albums, though. I reserved my money mostly for Beatles, Carole King, Carpenters, Barry Manilow...

It's hard to believe they're so old! I still think of them in their prime. I'm getting older, but, they stay the same in my mind! Glad to hear he's doing well.

[Sydney Steve]

I place the single "Baker Street" in the all time top 10 singles of all artists Borderstone.

I recently Googled him cos' I admire him so much and read some interesting stuff about his connection with Billy Connolly, "the Big Yin" (a Scottish comedian /institution in the UK), and well known and very popular with Kiwis and Aussies too . Billy & Gerry played together in the same band in their early days with some success. (Those that know who I am talking about can Google yourself if you don't beleive me ! )
Geeze there is some seriously good musical taste that flows through the pages of Corfid. Thanks Borderstone...

[DJ in MJ]

I really enjoyed Gerry's solo work, and I actually discovered Stealer's Wheel later on. What a delight when I also discovered just who was in the group. No wonder I liked them!

[Borderstone]

Hey Sydney Steve,I recal Billy Connelly. I first heard of him when he replaced Howard Hessman in the final season of "Head Of The Class" in 1991/'92. He then had his own short-lived show called "Billy". Thankfully,I've seen him in better roles.

After checking my top 40 book,I found that Gerry will be 60 in 2007,so he just truned 58 this past April. All of his solo LP's are worth it,though I doubt very much you'll find all of them on CD. mine are vinyl of course. For more info. about Gerry go to [URL=http://www.Gerry]www.gerryrafferty.com

In the discography there'll only be on LP missing,his self titled debut (great album! ;) ).

Gerry and Gordon have some things in common.

They're both 70s acts from another country that had fairly big success here in the states.

Gerry had 5 hits. Gordon had 6.

Both had a #2 single that was kept out of #1 by a male blonde singer.
Gord's "Wreck" (kept from #1 by Rod Stewart's,"Tonight's The Night"
and Gerry's "Baker Street" (kept out of the top spot by Andy Gibb's "Shadow Dancing". )

They are both grossly under-appreciated here in the U.S. today! Oh and in closing,I recently discovered a 12inch single copy of "Days Gone Down (S.G.T.L.I.Y.E.)"! Cool! :cool: $1!

[ June 27, 2005, 15:42: Message edited by: Borderstone ]

[LSH]

Loved the song Baker Street. My twenty year old son is also hooked on it. It gets cranked everytime it's on.

[Borderstone]

Sad to say "Baker Street" was mangled terribly by the mod. day group Foo Fighters. :mad:

My local album rock station KDKD 93fm played it back in 1999 and asked people's opinions on their new song.

I called in and said itr was straight up lousy! :D
They sung it in that whiny/moany way most rock groups' singers use. No emotion,(no sax of course) :rolleyes: ,and aimless guitar playing! tongue.gif

Glad that faded out fast! :eek:

[johnfowles]

Well Just Allright
I had twice typed in instead of drafting a long reply to this topic but omitted to save it so when after I had tentatively posted into the reply box I stoopidly contrived to close the b...y window my outburst would have made the Big Yin himself quite proud!!
I well remember the sound of Baker Street when it was a big hit and bought the City to City album forthwith.
I recently acquired a fine video of it and although in many of the frontal views Gerry looks as lot like the late John Lennon
in this side view to my mind he bears a strong resemblance to somebody else
http://img169.echo.cx/img169/8889/gerry2hn.jpg

John Fowles
OK I said it was a long reply but I ran out of time to rewrite it a third time so more to follow as and when

[ July 01, 2005, 11:40: Message edited by: johnfowles ]

[delron]

Gerry is from my home town Paisley, he has recorded nine solo albums everyone a gem. Visit his website www.gerryrafferty.com (http://www.gerryrafferty.com) it has some free downloads, you will not be disapointed.

[Borderstone]

A little update on Gerry. :) His videos for Baker Street,Days Gone Down,City to City & others can now be found at You Tube. :)

I hadn't seen the "Baker Street" video since 1983,when it was broadcast on TV 61 (a music-video station then,now CW network).

City to City is live (or else live but lip-syched). :D

He's turning 60 on April 16th by the way. :) C'mon PBS do a live show with him! Please!

[ March 14, 2007, 19:41: Message edited by: Borderstone ]

[RM]

I missed this topic the first time around, but if anyone was, or is now moved to explore his music, I would suggest the album "North and South"(1988).

[jj]

big early Rafferty fan here...occasionally play the Humblebums (pre Steeler's Wheel) CD comp which many should enjoy ...always sounded to me like he sounds like could have been 5th Beatle (same opinion I have re Jeff Lynne), better actually, lol

somewhere you must be able to check out free samplers of:
I Can't Stop Now
Mary Skeffington
Steamboat Row
Can I Have My Money Back
Didn't I (later rerecorded on Snakes & Ladders)
+ many more fun tunes re drinking or commonly anti-music-biz themed

fave later stuff include:
Whatever's Written In Your Heart & Island (if you like the sax work in Baker's Street then this tune may also appeal, not to mention the melody and vox)

doubt you'll hear of him agreeing to rise like the phoenix again and appear on Soundstage (ala Frampton, etc) or do any Casino Rama stint, lol

then again, Cat stevens re-surfaced from his spider hole, anything's possible:)

thanks for topic start, what a great voice and neat melody writing with some interesting chord progressions (some I'm still trying to decipher 30+ years later, lol)

[johnfowles]

QUOTE]Originally posted by Borderstone:
. For more info. about Gerry go to <a href="http://www.Gerry" target="_blank">www.gerryrafferty.com (http://www.gerryrafferty.com)

[/quote]
Err Umm Walter I tink you either meant to type
www.gerryrafferty,com (http://www.gerryrafferty,com)
but with the usual http:// in front Comme ça
http://www/gerryrafferty .com
or you possibly were trying tio be super clever by making a genuwine hyperlink comme ci
you code fell apart
rereading my posting above I realise that I was so cheesed off at having to type my original message twice that I clean forgot to come back and add some comments about the vulgar Glaswegian,
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Billy_1.jpg
yes very vulgar as anybody who has heard him in full Anglo Saxon expletive mode will know (he has a somewhat unhealthy obsession with bodily functions).
I have a fine two VHS tape copy of the 1996 Billy Connolly "World Tour of Australia"
http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/B0002W19RE.02._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
one of the reviews on
Billy Connolly - World Tour Of Australia DVD 1996: Amazon.co.uk: Billy Connolly: DVD
says
"Earlier this year I had the opportunity to visit Australia (Melbourne)and thanks to Billy I visited Williams Ricketts Sanctuary, to be honest the DVD doesn't do the place justice, but it was a fantastic place"
I thought that Billy's artistic appreciation gave a pretty good introduction to the Sanctuary and made it a place I would very much like to visit one day
Billy is also when he gets the chance a fine actor
one of his notable roles being the [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_servant"]gillie (http://www/gerryrafferty .com[Gerry Rafferty</a>
but by omitting the final [/url) John Brown in the 1998 film Mrs Brown with Dame Judi Dench playing Queen Victoria
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00004CYQK.02._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[Borderstone]

Another coincidence! :)
Mrs. Brown was just on Sunday night here in Phoenix on (indep.) channel 3!
I saw it years ago on PBS too,great role for Connolly.

Certainly better than his failed ABC sitcom "Billy". :rolleyes:

Getting back to Rafferty,anyone have his 1980 LP,"Snakes & Ladders" ? Not bad! ;)

[Borderstone]

Those TV appearences almost ruined his chances of being taken seriously in acting,that's for sure.

I watched that last season of "Head Of The Class",here's these genius kids still in high school after 6 years? :rolleyes: Whatever!

[Borderstone]

Here today on April 16th,2007 to wish
Gerry "Baker Street" Rafferty a healthy happy 60th birthday today! :) :cool:

I wish him many many more and when I go home,I'm playing my albums! :D

Cheers as well to his wonderful body of work from the 1970s. Funny...he had no hits before Stealer's Wheel and no hits after the 80s began. As if he was destined to be a 70s act only.

[Borderstone]

No,haven't heard of it but it sounds like a hoot. Or in the case of the squirrel..a nut! :D

[louisemnnpls]

"He's about to turn 60." Gesh!! Just a "youngster." :) ;) Yes, I remember him well, and was, and still am a fan. tongue.gif
P.S. - I'm still "alive," too, just haven't been around for a few days, as we got a new computer and Quest High-speed.

[Borderstone]

Actually Loiuse,he is now 60.
April 16th it was. ;)

[Borderstone]

In tribute to Gerry,I'm bringing back up this "classic" thread.

If you use the "search" option,you'll find him mentioned in a few other threads.

[Jim Nasium]

A sad loss. Gerry did some producing, here is a song by The Proclaimers, which Gerry produced and sang backing vocals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy9GmieAEaQ