gerry rafferty interview

The Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty, who has died aged 63 after a long illness, wrote the multimillion-selling hit Baker Street, which more than 30 years after . Hugh Burns hadnt heard Half a Heart, but he was dismissive of the idea that it had been lifted from something else, at least intentionally. Here is the song sung by Gerry with Joe providing the second lead vocal: Theres a 1 hour BBC4 documentary about him here. I love Gerry's records, something like 'Baker Street' is a wonderful pop record. I'm older and my audience is older. He wanted his talent to be respected. In 2012, Cuillin Recordings issued Paisley Spin, a remix of three tracks from Can I Have My Money Back? He died many years later in a terrible state. "[5], In 1995, Rafferty was deeply affected by the death of his older brother Joseph, an event from which family and friends said he never fully recovered. So I picked up and moved [from London] back to Scotland to sort myself out., Eventually Rafferty was prevailed upon to rejoin Stealers Wheel, and he resumed writing songs that conveyed pretty scary kinds of feelings and condemned managers, record companies, the whole thing. (When I asked what he felt was the persistent theme of his music, Rafferty replied tersely and without hesitation, Alienation.) Though he and Egan sugarcoated their bitter pills with sweet melodies and glossy pop arrangements, they were unable to repeat the success of Stuck in the Middle., Editors picks Louder is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. If youre asking me: Did Gerry hand me a piece of music to play? then no, he didnt.. We tried electric guitar but it sounded weak, and we tried other things and I think it was Hugh Murphy's suggestion that we tried saxophone."[5]. Let me meet Gerry.". Also, according to legend, he was only paid 27 for his contribution, while Rafferty was said to have made 80,000 in annual royalties until his death in 2011. And yet when it comes to writing tasteful pop songs - songs that you remember long after they've dropped out of the Top Twenty or whatever - he's just about the best and consequently the most underrated in Britain. Thats why I especially liked the Everly Brothers.. Then Capitol records made a similar offer. In 1966, Rafferty and Egan were members of the band the Fifth Column. 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In 1995, Rafferty was deeply affected by the death of his older brother Joseph, an event from which family and friends have said he never fully recovered. 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. [2] A son of Joseph and Mary (Skeffington) Rafferty,[3] he had two brothers, Jim and Joe (died 1988). And a whole suite of Irish traditional songs and Scots traditional songs". [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. Ravenscroft considered his contribution to Baker Street to be substantial enough to warrant a songwriting credit or a percentage of publishing money. [6] Finbar Furey, who knew Rafferty for over 40 years, said he "was in a different league completely. Stealers Wheel The A&M Years (opens in new tab) 3CD boxset is out now on Caroline International. [13], In September 2011, EMI issued a remastered collector's edition of City to City featuring previously unheard demo versions of "Baker Street", "Mattie's Rag", "City to City", and other tracks from the album. Barry Recap: A Tragic Death Shakes Up Bill Haders Dark Satire ZigZag, Remembering Gerry Rafferty, rock's most reluctant star A 1970 appearance at the Royal Festival Hall, supporting Fotheringay with Nick Drake, earned a positive review from critic Karl Dallas, who noted that all three acts showed "promise rather than fulfilment", and observed that "Gerry Rafferty's songs have the sweet tenderness of Paul McCartney in his 'Yesterday' mood". . Rafferty grew up in a council house on the town's Glenburn estate and attended St. Mirin's Academy. The Gerry Rafferty Interview - Rock's Backpages She wont have much time to correct her ignorance, however, because Rafferty is rushing off to L.A. and another round of press interviews. But 80,000? Rafferty had apparently not changed his will after meeting Enzina Fuschini in 2008 and left her nothing. Gerry Rafferty - Right Down the Line (Lyric Video) - Youtube Music Tarantino, Reservoir Dogs and Gerry Rafferty. City to City - HeraldScotland Gerry Rafferty at home. - YouTube And Baker Street was an enormous radio record. I just had to get away, away from groups, managers, record companies, the whole thing. "It was something I was fiercely protective of in myself. Or why not treat yourself? His career high came in the 1970s and included the anthemic Baker Street and Stuck in the Middle . Success, says Brewer, was the end of Rafferty. Gerry Rafferty Remembered is at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of Celtic Connections on 22 and 23 . Maybe I should have realised, but I didn't. Affiliate programs and Brewer was a big fan of Stealers Wheel and met Rafferty in London. He wanted his songs to be respected. So he goes on David Frost, and I think it took four minutes before hed lost his audience. [16] Stealers Wheel also produced the lesser top 50 hits "Everyone's Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine" followed by "Star", and there were further suggestions of Rafferty's growing alienation in tracks such as "Outside Looking In" and "Who Cares". Released as a single in July 1978, it reached #12 on the U.S. He said, You are not a good man! It wasnt illegal. Musical is very cyclical. Billboard Hot 100 [2] and #8 on Cash Box. If I dont, Ill give you 75. Im like, You cant sign an artist of mine and not listen to the record! He says, Thats the deal. I said, Youre just not the right person to do David Frost. Thompson's usually spontaneous, no-frills attitude toward recording was at odds with Rafferty's approach. "[47] Finally, thanks to the Internet, it seemed Rafferty no longer needed the music industry: technology was allowing him to put his music directly in the hands of an appreciative audience. And he now had more of what he didn't like. He didn't. Gerald Rafferty (16 April 1947 4 January 2011) was a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Byrne was also responsible for one of Rafferty's most prized possessions: a hand-painted Martin acoustic guitar bearing his portrait and the name 'Gerry Rafferty', which features in many photographs of the singer. [38] In the late 1980s, Rafferty had told journalist Colin Irwin: "I was always very conscious about keeping a low profile because that's the way I like to go about it. Its fellow honorees that yearCome Together, Candle in the Wind, and Build Me Up Buttercupdeliver some sense of the songs real reach. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. Baker Street singer Gerry Rafferty dies at age of 63 - BBC News And the final resolution of his legal and financial hassles accounts for the understated exhilaration of the songs last verse: When you wake up its a new morning/The sun is shining, its a new morning/Youre going, youre going home., Related Gerry in a very rare interview from a radio scotland programme in 2003.This is a rare insight into the world of one of the past centurys greatest songwriters. Breaks Down His Killer White House Correspondents Dinner Set (Both of these were popular hobbies in the year 1978. That wasnt a very good career move. His wife had just given birth to their daughter and he told me that he didnt have any money to buy nappies, says Brewer. The sax solo did sound vaguely familiar, so perhaps I have heard this in the past on the radio somewhere along the way. "[13] Rafferty later confirmed that alienation was the "persistent theme" of his songs;[2][14] "To Each and Everyone", from Can I Have My Money Back?, was an early example. "Days Gone Down" reached No. Four days later, my personal assistant suddenly disappeared. But Gerry Rafferty is wearing a button warning, 'Dangerous Times Ahead,' and he's known bad times in the past as well. I never intended making a career out of any of the jobs I did. Now I feel much more in control of myself, and certainly much more in control of the way I want my career to go along. He has the cautious fatalism of a coal miner, the trade both his father and grandfather pursued. "You were very lucky to get that interview because he didn't do many. [citation needed]. He may be sitting on top of the world as he gives interviews in his. [Rafferty's] approach seemed claustrophobic. Stealers Wheels management company Ricochet had disappeared with the bands money and times were tough. Gerry Rafferty is one of the more elusive and enigmatic figures on this increasingly strange roundabout. He really cant stand anyone in the music industry, anyone in the music publishing industry, and all he wants to do is write songs for his daughter., So I go back to Gerry," says Brewer, "and say, Youve got to stop doing this were going to run out of record companies!. So what you get is someones heartfelt experience and you put that into the lyric and into the song. Bonnie Raitt recorded a reggae treatment of "Right Down the Line" for her Slipstream album released 10 April 2012. [34] According to Michael Gray, Rafferty's personal manager at the height of his success, he turned down many opportunities to work with other artists:[38] " he retained a healthy scepticism not just about the music industry but about society, money and politics in general. The career of Gerry Rafferty from folk-roots to multi-million selling success and alcohol-fuelled demise was one of amazing highs and lows. "[75] Speaking after the funeral, Charlie Reid of The Proclaimers said: "I think Gerry Rafferty was one of the few people who really successfully straddled the worlds of both folk and popular music. Subscriptions to Rocks Backpages are available for institutional or personal use. December 17, 2015. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Once Rafferty decided to look in the Berlin telephone directory to see if any Hitlers were listed.[10]. 1 in America, and suddenly he found that as a result of his protest, he was a bigger star than ever. What is it going to take?, Jerry says, Jon, Ill tell you what well do: 3, 2, 1., He says, 3% on the first album, 2% on the second album and 1% on the third., I went, Oh, cmon, there must be another way., So that was the deal. During this time, he met Enzina Fuschini, an Italian artist living in Dorset. [3] It was the third release from Rafferty's City to City LP as the follow-up to his first major hit as a solo artist, "Baker Street". He never let "Baker Street" be used for advertising, despite lucrative offers. "[55] As the 1980s progressed, Rafferty's growing drinking problem placed his marriage under impossible strain;[38] his wife divorced him in 1990,[61] although they remained close. And managers cant fucking tell you whats best for you in terms of when you should do gigs, rates and so on. According to his account, Baker Street had several gaps in it when he was hired to play, and he filled them. affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network, and (Singer/songwriters were crawling out of every apartment at that time.) But two of the initial recruits deserted before they even recorded, and as musicians came and went, Stealers Wheel deteriorated into Rafferty and Egan backed by a cast of dozens. Gordon Laurie, director of the housing association behind the project, commented: "It is a fitting tribute to a brilliant musician who lives on through his music. January 4, 2011. Gerry Rafferty obituary | Gerry Rafferty | The Guardian In his interview with Colin Irwin, Rafferty disputed this and said that Ravenscroft had been his second choice to play the saxophone solo, after Pete Zorn, who was unavailable: "The only confusion at the time that I didnt enjoy too much was the fact that a lot of people believed that the line was written by Raphael Ravenscroft, the sax player, but it was my line. He has a flight to catch. Jon Brewer now a successful documentary maker (opens in new tab) managed Rafferty through his most successful period before their relationship ended in acrimony. Please visit our Personal Subscriptions page for pricing and to place your order. Though it would seem to have struck America like a bolt from the blue, City to City does not depart dramatically from the music Rafferty has recorded over the past decade. Trending [65] This was contradicted by a report in The Daily Telegraph on the following day, which quoted a statement his solicitors made to Channel 4 News: "Contrary to reports, Gerry is extremely well and has been living in Tuscany for the last six months he continues to compose and record new songs and music and he hopes to release a new album of his most recent work in the summer of this year [2009]. "[38] His next album, North and South, was released in 1988. [39], According to his former wife Carla, who discouraged visitors: "He was just stalling for time. For once, Brewer and Rafferty agreed on something they refused to credit the sax player (demos of Baker Street show that Rafferty already had the melody of what would become the sax part, played on guitar). Gerry had a glass eye I didnt know this until Billy told me this story and theyd wait until it was really pouring and theyd go out and all the old girls would put up their umbrellas. They married in 1970 and lived in Scotland with their daughter, Martha Mary, before moving to the south of England in the late 1970s,[20] where they divided their time between their farm near the KentSussex border and a home in Hampstead, London. [27] But it earned him another 1.5million, selling around three million copies in Europe and America. [3][4] Rafferty loathed the 1992 dance music cover version of "Baker Street" by Undercover, describing it as "dreadful, totally banalit's a sad sign of the times". The Celtic thing is the drone, you know -its fifths, the same as in country music, a lot of which comes from Scotland and Ireland, anyway. First, he [Rafferty] wrote from his experience. And the interesting thing is that that sax solo, the line itself, was also given by the singer [George Michael]. 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. And he married her! They never toured America because the band, according to Rafferty, when it existed at all, was a fucking shambles, and they wrangled angrily with their managers. The mass was streamed live over the Internet. Rafferty was born into a working-class family in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. I went to the studio after I played the gig and I think one of the first songs we played was Baker Street. And I said, This is fantastic. The third single from the album, "Home and Dry", reached No. 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. 28 in the US Top 40 in early 1979. For full terms, please click here. So to hear him talk about his career with such passion, and be. (The song spent six weeks stuck at No. He was a very humble man. We may never know if one influenced the other or it was just the alchemy of two different studios coming up with something unmistakably great. I never heard before until I just now listened, but I am sure if I had actually written the song back in the day I would have retained my copyright as I always did and would have been aware of it. [citation needed], During November 2009, Rafferty released what would be his final album, Life Goes On. Gerry Rafferty - IMDb He just blew what he was told by the person who did write it, Gerry Rafferty."[22]. Stream the album here: https://lnk.to/GerryR. The singer was wary of the media and disliked being asked to analyse his songs, particularly to those outwith his creative circle. [34], Rafferty sang the Mark Knopfler-penned song "The Way It Always Starts" (1983) on the soundtrack of the film Local Hero. by Celtic fusion artist Martyn Bennett. 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. This was again on the Hypertension music label. I sang it to him. The track appeared on Dickson's albums Don't Think Twice It's All Right (1992) and The Barbara Dickson Collection (2006). Back in 1968, 10 years before Baker Street was recorded, Steve Marcus, a tenor sax player who toured with the jazz great Buddy Rich, released Tomorrow Never Knows, the first and only record under his own name. It was a big deal for Steve to make a record on his own, he said. His mother taught him both Irish and Scottish folk songs when he was a boy; later, he was influenced by the music of the Beatles and Bob Dylan. Rafferty originally had conceived of Stealers Wheel which he formed after spending three years as the better half of a folk-rock duo, the Humblebums as a quartet of singer/songwriters, sort of a Scottish Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Singer, who would pass away in 2011, is sitting on top of the world as he gives this interview in New York City's Plaza Hotel, Gerry Raffertys Baker Street Blues: Rolling Stones 1978 Feature, You Are Grimes Now: Inside Music's Weird AI Future, Pharrells Something in the Water Fest Cancels Final Day Due to Severe Weather, Stagecoach: Kane Brown Breaks Mental Health Stigma With 'Memory,' Talks Depression, Kiss Paul Stanley Has 'Thoughts' About Parents Who Support Kids Gender Identities, Kanye West Fallout Sparks Class Action Lawsuit Against Adidas, Roy Wood Jr. I just now went to the Internet and, sure enough, found out the history of Rafferty and Baker Street, and viewed a YouTube performance of it. His background was soaked in Scottish socialism and poverty, his mind sharp and his personality acerbic, and he wasn't going to be dazzled by the glamour of success. I totally understand., The same scene play out at Island records: Gerry is left alone with owner Chris Blackwell and afterwards Blackwell collars Brewer and says, I would rather sign Gary Glitter than that man! 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. Another World, almost an esoteric work, also with the assistance of Mark Knopfler and Egan, featured an album cover illustrated by John 'Patrick' Byrne, who also illustrated the covers for Can I Have My Money Back?, City to City, Night Owl, and Snakes and Ladders, and all three Stealers Wheel albums.
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