gerry rafferty interview

[4] His Irish-born father, an alcoholic, was a miner and lorry driver who died when Rafferty was 16. [70][71], A requiem mass was held for Rafferty at St Mirin's Cathedral in his native town of Paisley on 21 January 2011. (The song spent six weeks stuck at No. The problems we had, had little to do, actually, with the results we got on the board, because they were great in terms of sound and all that. Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street' Blues: Rolling Stone's 1978 Feature She wont have much time to correct her ignorance, however, because Rafferty is rushing off to L.A. and another round of press interviews. Rafferty grew up in a council house on the town's Glenburn estate and attended St. Mirin's Academy. I love Gerry's records, something like 'Baker Street' is a wonderful pop record. 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. Kiss Paul Stanley Has 'Thoughts' About Parents Who Support Kids Gender Identities Remembering Gerry Rafferty, rock's most reluctant star. I thought, well, if a little bit of that rubs off on us, perhaps we'll get in the charts as well, but actually, in practice, it was kind of a claustrophobic experience. So I had to get on to [A&M co-founder] Jerry Moss and say, Look: Ive been told that hes never going to record for you again and I need to get him off the label. [51], On 3 September 2021 Parlophone UK released "Rest In Blue" an album on which Martha Rafferty completed a project started by her father from demos left by Rafferty. Burns is responsible for the blistering guitar solo on Baker Street and considers working with Gerry Rafferty one of his lifes great honors. Rafferty and Ventilla divorced in 1990. I wrote to Martin Wyatt at Anchor records and they said, We really want this, this record is fantastic, its a hit record. Rafferty felt he had matured as an artist, as he told the Evening Standard at the time of the release: "At my time of life, I don't want to be talking to 23-year-old record executives who are just trying to sell their products to 19-year-olds. Theres enough evidence to be suspicious and more than enough time to enjoy them both. I feel as if I can dictate the pace, and thats whats really very good: to dictate your own pace so that you have enough time to write, enough time to record, enough time, really, to give your best. the Amazon Associates Program via amazon.com. What was it with Gerry Rafferty that made it so hard to record with him [17], Legal issues after the break-up of Stealers Wheel meant that, for three years, Rafferty was unable to release any material. Some of these old ladies used to pass out. Gerry wanted respect. Brewer was a big fan of Stealers Wheel and met Rafferty in London. Rafferty came up with the hook. He wandered over with Gerry and left them to talk. Billy Connolly on Gerry Rafferty (Conan O'Brien, 2012) - YouTube [60] According to Rafferty's ex-wife Carla: "There was no hope. [1] He is survived by his daughter Martha, granddaughter Celia, and brother Jim. A heavy drinker for much of his life, Rafferty died from liver failure in January 2011 at the age of 63. Ghosts! [30], The lyrics of "Baker Street" reflected Rafferty's disenchantment with certain elements of the music industry. Stay up to date with in depth music reviews, exclusive interviews and widespread coverage of whats happening from your favourite music genre. . Before, I was never in control. He was a very humble man. Gerry Rafferty: Bipolar alcoholic, industry misfit - and one of Britain Him and Billy used to play a game. It's much more effective than taking Prozac!" [5], In his next album, Sleepwalking (1982), Rafferty took a very different approach to his work. Things came to a head when the star told Brewer that he was planning to go on the David Frost TV show. "[25], Ravenscroft went on to play on Rafferty's next two albums. GERRY RAFFERTY Filmed Interview & tribute (2003) in HD The Internet is a conspiracy-theory clearing house, and yet the connection between Baker Street and the opening riff of Half a Heart lives in semi-ubiquity. Two years after the release of Night Owl, Gerry Rafferty presented his fans with Snakes & Ladders, and although some of his former album's charm and lyrical appeal manages to resurface, the whole of the album comes up short. "They came back with a bigger offer," says Brewer, "and I said, I'll tell you what we'll do. Now based in London, he employed sound engineer Giles Twigg to assemble a Digidesign mobile recording studio and, with Twigg's help, recorded the album Another World in London, Scotland, Barbados, France, and Italy with collaborators from previous albums, including Hugh Burns, Mark Knopfler, Kenny Craddock, and Mo Foster. I never intended making a career out of any of the jobs I did. [68] Fuschini claims she cared for the singer during 2009 and tried to help him overcome his alcoholism, and that he proposed to her at the Ritz Hotel in Paris on Christmas Eve that year. Individuals can subscribe to Rocks Backpages for three, six and twelve months to get unlimited access to the complete Rocks Backpages archive. "He said to me, I cant stand the way you live, because you drive a Rolls Royce and you have this house and this and that He hated the music business and everything in it.. 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. Im going to steal something from you., Now, Id always said to my staff, You must never involve yourself in a relationship with any of my artists or else Ill be forced to fire you. For institutions, Rock's Backpages is provided as an unlimited access subscription, meaning that all staff, students and library patrons have [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. He wouldnt sit in my Rolls, he wouldnt sit in my offices, we had to meet in these pubs and it all became very strange. Gerry Rafferty obituary | Gerry Rafferty | The Guardian So surprised and impressed was he when he first heard Gerry's music, Billy didn't believe that the songs had been written by him . "[66][67] The album, titled Life Goes On, was released in November 2009. The next album was all organised but Gerry wanted to get rid of me.". 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. . [4], Rafferty left St Mirin's Academy in 1963. To Raffertys utter disbelief, his parody of Bob Dylans paranoia, tossed off as little more than a joke, struck pay dirt in the States by which time he had already said goodbye to the band. If you are interested in the syndication of this Rock's Backpages article, please email us. "[7] Monsignor John Tormey, celebrating Rafferty's funeral mass, suggested the singer's attitude to fame was an indication of his spiritual integrity: "He always searched for a more authentic way to live his life, shunning the outward trappings of celebrity so that he might live as he chose to live his life."[52]. this can result in this site earning a commission. [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". His next door neighbour was [Island Records owner] Chris Blackwell. Rafferty continues to ponder and juxtapose the differences between urban and pastoral life, and many of his new songs (especially, and most eloquently, Whatevers Written in Your Heart) still seem attempts to bridge the communication chasm between a man and a woman. Still, some would consider Raffertys decision not to tour America until next March, long after the excitement generated by Baker Street will have dissipated, an imprudent career move. But Gerry Rafferty is wearing a button warning, 'Dangerous Times Ahead,' and he's known bad times in the past as well. [citation needed], "Baker Street" remains a mainstay of soft-rock radio airplay[24] and, in October 2010, it was recognised by the BMI for surpassing 5 million plays worldwide. What I want is just to develop in terms of my songs and also to work in other areas. In person, Mr Rafferty was a really nice man, he kept himself to himself and didn't bother the other guests but he was clearly on a downward spiral. (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. You never know a new generation of young musicians coming up [might bring back the sax]. [5][11][38] In 1987, Rafferty and Murphy co-produced The Proclaimers first UK hit single "Letter from America". However, he explained in an interview, "But there was never anything else for me but music. But extricating himself from his management deal took Rafferty three more years, during which he commuted unhappily to London from the town outside Glasgow where he and his family still reside. 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. 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. 'Rest In Blue': Why Gerry Rafferty's Swansong Is The Perfect Epitaph Burns told me that theres no question that Rafferty came up with the music that became the famous riff line on Baker Street. After Burns laid down the solo, Rafferty asked him to have a go at what obviously became very famous, which was the sax line. Burns tried it on guitar, but the two men agreed that it would be better on the saxophone. December 17, 2015. [5][6] Heavily influenced by folk music and the music of the Beatles and Bob Dylan, Rafferty started to write his own material. Gerry was a joker he used to joke all the time, an absolute nutter. Rafferty and Fuschini rented a large home together in Upton, near Poole. His career high came in the 1970s and included the anthemic Baker Street and Stuck in the Middle . It was a pretty scary kind of feeling. Gerry was one of those guys that had been turned down by every record company.
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