When I used to get the National Express coach from Scotland down to London, as it pulled into Baker Street on it's way to Victoria Station I couldn't resist whistling that sax intro. I even got a cheer once for my efforts. Once, while travelling with a friend and fellow band mate at the time I started the usual whistling mainly out of habit by now. Said comrade hissed at me to stop!! Not cool you see, couldn't see the joke...well I always thought that Baker Street was very cool and as it turns out was actually no joke at all.
The song matter and lyrics are dark. It goes from 'I used to think that it was so easy' to 'life being trying' to 'you're cryin now' within three lines. Subjects such as break ups, break downs, settling down, one night stands, restlessness, new mornings and alcoholic struggle all hang on a flawless MOR production complete with up front congas. On a purely musical note, it must be one of the only songs ever to have a sax solo as a chorus instead of, well a sung chorus.
Rafferty had a great, natural singing voice and delivered the songs gloomy lyrics with a great sense of weight, sadness and weariness. It also has a nearly killer guitar solo, but I doubt most people remember the song for that, no it's all about the sax in the end, for most punters.
Investigating sixties folk through the re-issued Trans Atlantic back catalogue I was surprised to see Rafferty (which incidentally was also my grand mother's maiden name) pop up alongside Billy Connolly in a group called The Humblebums, and later I, like thousands of others, discovered another more sardonic side to Rafferty by way of Quentin Tarantino and his Reservoir Dogs "ear cutting scene". The wonderful "Stuck in the Middle with you" made Rafferty cool overnight to a whole new generation of music lovers.
It seems Gerry's life went tits up along time ago due to his love hate relationship with the bottle. Always sad to here of another long forgotten musicians lonely and slow demise into madness and death due to the demon drink, but then we all make our own lot in this life, and that's kind of reflected in his most famous song. I'm still none the wiser about Al Stewart though, Year of the Cat, that was him wasn't it? And so to that saxophone...
• Gerald Rafferty, musician, born 16 April 1947; died 4 January 2011
and to Stealers Wheels with Joe Egan on vocals singing "Stuck in the Middle With You" which he co wrote with Gerry Rafferty. Rafferty isn't featured in this clip, by this time he had left to pursue his solo career.
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