Sad to see the passing of fellow Paisley man Gerry Rafferty. He wrote some good songs - Peel was a bit of a fan back in those Humblebums' days with Connolly. Saw them a couple of times - Gerry all serious playing his songs and Billy kazoo in mouth centre of attention marching around the stage - a match made in Johnstone.
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Not the easiest 24 hours of all time. For a feeling of total alienation, why do people turn to drugs when it is all there at the local "unemployment exchange"? Anyway, back in what I recognise as the real world - and how we all live in carefully carved bubbles to provide versions of such for ourselves - Gerry Rafferty. I am only in the habit of commenting on the deaths of artists for whom I had some respect. In truth, I never took to Billy Connolly but I did have time for Gerry from Stealers Wheel onwards. His life was, of course, an example of the X-Factor in reverse, a guy with substantial talent who really didn't want the fame thing and found the cult of celebrity difficult to handle. That for me is always a definite plus point but sadly it wasn't for him.
There is, I think, some irony in the sheer expansiveness of Baker Street as a record. I remember going "up to London" as a 15 year old full of the anticipation for nothing exact that one has at that stage of life. It was a kind of aimless exhilaration about being in the big world combined with a slightly daunted feeling. Swept along by all the traffic, the hustle and bustle, and the breeze, there was, without doubt, the riff of that song in my head. And, yes, it was tempered and tinged with some sort of sense of regret that linked in obliquely with the lyrics. It was perhaps predictable even then that there would be withdrawal from that high.
1978. I never thought that I would include a clip of The One Show. However, as Raphael Ravenscroft describes here in an interesting interview, Baker Street was the kind of hit that wasn't expected to be successful because it wasn't wholly in line with the times. Well, maybe and maybe not. One thinks initially post-punk and that is partially right chart wise but, you know, it was and still is a number one in everything but name. Interesting to see how it went to 3, dropped to 4, and went to 3 again, a relatively unusual movement on the Top 30 at that time. So it was kept off the top spot first by Kate's Wuthering Heights, which is not wholly without comparison, and Blondie's Denis, then Brian and Michael's tribute to Lowry and Showaddywaddy's I Wonder Why.
In the longer term, Gerry would have benefited from less of the big production but there were many songs of note. The track that I wanted to place here was "The Land of the Chosen Few" but it isn't available. Instead, in his memory, I choose this one which was apparently one of his favourites. Farewell Gerry and thanks for contributing to our lives.
Last edited by Guest; 05-01-11, 09:53. -
I reckon Raphael Ravenscroft deserves a mention too for that solo on that particular song. Still on the planet as far as I know?
One of the legions of unsung session heroes (step forward Herbie Flowers, Chris Spedding et al)Comment
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Nice track John. That's going in my show on Friday. My brother Simon loved 'Baker Street'. RIP Gerry.Comment
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Found it - at least the 2009 Wilburys-esque arrangement.
The Land of The Chosen Few -
Last edited by Guest; 05-01-11, 10:51.Comment
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Great track Lat. He really had that sad wistful sound throughout. In late '79 and on the recovery road from malaria and in Katmandu, I remember wandering along unfamiliar streets with strange and wonderful sounds and then from an alley way Baker Street suddenly came on and I was, for a few moments, transported back home - for all the lyrics there's a real security about the record - it's a fine song and that sax really sets it up a treat - I thought it was Bob Holness.
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His voice ( speaking )sounds quite like Billy Connolly to my ears - were they from the same neck of the woods ?Comment
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Opposite sides of the Clyde, Paul - Gerry was from Paisley about 10 milles out of Glasgow - Connolly was from Partick in Glasgow. But they both have that huskiness in their voice. Rafferty went to the same school as me but a good few years in front, along with the Scottish Playwright (Tutti Frutti) and artist John Byrne about whom he wrote the song Patrick which is on one of the Humblebums records - Byrne did a fair amount of Illustrating of Rafferty's record covers, among other things.Originally posted by Paul Sherratt View Post
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Interesting - The Katmandu and the Paisley etc. I mentioned his songwriting but not his voice and that was an omission on my part. Sad and wistful, yes, and one could mention John Martyn there I guess. Gerry's voice was distinct and it would be difficult to imagine a decent version of Baker Street without it. It isn't just the wonderful sax.
In fact, the song falls into the category of standards, probably small in number, which are almost impossible to cover well in any unique way, even if rather fittingly buskers can occasionally do half-reasonable approximations. The aforementioned Wuthering Heights is another, although the Puppini Sisters had a very good try at it recently.
A third for me is Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat" which I think of similarly. It's Bogart and Bronte and almost Conan Doyle, in a sense all of them cinematic, literary, environmental and something about a home, and of course on the latter there was the lengthy Phil Kenzie solo which arguably paved the way to the Ravenscroft contribution.Last edited by Guest; 05-01-11, 13:39.Comment
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