[50], Rafferty's death in January 2011 rekindled interest in the singer's work. (Both of these were popular hobbies in the year 1978. Gerry liked to triple track everything, wed get three pianos, it became a bit of a Phil Spector issue. "[76], The reaction of younger artists suggests Rafferty's music has also inspired a new generation of fans. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. August 1975. Right Down The Line by Gerry Rafferty - Songfacts Brewer: He says, Heres the deal. Well do 4-3-2. They said, What? I said, 4% from the first album, 3% from the next album and 2% from the album after that, I wont disclose how much I earned, but it was a substantial amount of money.. "[38], In 2008, Rafferty moved away from California and briefly rented a home in Ireland, where his drinking soon became a problem again. Tue 4 Jan 2011 14.01 EST. Let me meet Gerry.". Gerry Rafferty: The Man Who Hated the Music Business | Louder - loudersound "[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. Gerald Rafferty (16 April 1947 4 January 2011) was a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Then, in the most offhand, glory-belying way, Burns dropped in this aside: Strangely enough, another record that I played on, which was a massive hit, certainly in this country and I think in America as well, was called Careless Whisper, that also had a massive opening solo. Obituary, Gerry Rafferty. Rafferty's guitarist Hugh Burns, multi-instrumentalist Graham Preskett and saxophonist Mel Collins, were also featured. Well, in Glasgow it was always raining and theyd go down down Sauchiehall Street on a Saturday and play this game. Gerry Rafferty signed up with Brewer and his production company funded the making of new album, City To City. I probably did more music with him than any other musician. He was also friends with Ravenscroft and toured with him. Maybe some new project would suddenly happen, but I knew he'd crossed the line as far as the record business went. Billy Connolly on Gerry Rafferty (Conan O'Brien, 2012) - YouTube There was a generation gap and a culture gap, too. A subscription gives you access to all the articles and audio interviews in the library. At eleven, he started to play. After the completion of Another World in 2000, Rafferty planned to move back to Scotland and bought Eaglestone House,[57] "a substantial listed 1860s mansion" in the Highland village of Strathpeffer,[58] although he sold the property two years later and never actually moved in. If you listen to Stealers Wheel self-titled album, there was a lot to like besides Stuck in the Middle With You. I saw a man in despair". Success, says Brewer, was the end of Rafferty. Songs like 'She Moves Through the Fair', which my mother sings beautifully. [43][44] Through his company Icon Music, Rafferty promoted and sold the album independently on a website created specifically for the purpose. And he married her! [60], In the last decade of his life, having taken pains to shun the fame and celebrity that accompanied his musical achievements, Rafferty found himself making headlines once again as he struggled with alcoholism and depression and the increasingly erratic behaviour they spawned. 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[41], Rafferty released two further albums in the 1990s in what musician Tom Robinson later described as "a major return to form". They had Electric Light Orchestra, Kenny Rodgers, and the third artist was to become Gerry Rafferty. He didn't. Scott is the Content Director of Music at Future plc, responsible for the editorial strategy of online and print brands like Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, Guitarist, Guitar World, Guitar Player, Total Guitar etc. Rafferty himself said as much, during an interview taken not long before his death in 2009: "There have been periods in my life where I have experienced depression. Gerry Rafferty - Wikipedia And managers cant fucking tell you whats best for you in terms of when you should do gigs, rates and so on. ", Rafferty's next album, Night Owl, also did well. The group released the single "Benjamin Day"/"There's Nobody Here" (Columbia 8068), but it was not a commercial success. And for good reason. The album City to City went to No. "[5] Two decades later, speaking to the press after Rafferty's funeral, Charlie Reid of The Proclaimers confirmed Rafferty's dislike of celebrity: "He was not entirely comfortable with fame. The eulogy was given by Rafferty's longtime friend John Byrne. By the late 70s, Brewer had had a hand in the early career of David Bowie, Alvin Lee and others and had a publishing company called Belfern Music. But theres something special about four or five guys in a studio and working with an artist and honing whatever it is that the song is and fine-tuning it. Gerry Rafferty 1 of 3 (Rare 2003 Interview) - YouTube As the 1980s progressed, Rafferty's growing drinking problem placed his marriage under impossible strain and his wife divorced him in 1990, though they remained close. She encounters an unmerry troupe of subway-dwelling people whose professions are no longer a thing. Falling into that category are a travel agent, an American auto worker, the CEO of Friendster and, for the biggest punchline, a guy who played dynamite saxophone solos in rock-and-roll songs.. 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! In the same interview, he said that the entire record had been made for approximately 200,000, with half spent on travel, the recording system costing 75,000, and the website and marketing adding 25,000. Its fellow honorees that yearCome Together, Candle in the Wind, and Build Me Up Buttercupdeliver some sense of the songs real reach. He said, Ill play you something. "[52] Reid believed Rafferty was fundamentally unsuited to the pressures of celebrity: "He struck me as a very, very sensitive man and for someone like that, fame was probably not appropriate. 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!. [62] While the news stories focused on Rafferty's binges, they revealed nothing of the impact on his family and friends. He told me that he and Marcus had been best friends at a time and wanted to know what the connection to Steve Marcus was, since Ravenscroft is listed as the saxophonist on Baker Street. When I replied that Raffertys song sounded suspiciously familiar to Marcuss song Half a Heart, he didnt buy it on principle. Its Springfields failure to make a glam-rock version song compelling in particular that helps in deciphering the extremely unconventional allure of Baker Street, a song ultimately about depression, transition, and weary aspiration. Gerry had had a tough upbringing in Glasgow and the manager sensed that he carried tremendous resentment about it. More likely, he has simply mellowed with age. The lyric and the melody fuse beautifully and the lyric is complemented by the melody. Gerry Rafferty in Amsterdam, 1972.