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Eggs and Shrubs
1-9-11, 5:35am
As the self appointed Obituary correspondent of this forum I wonder if anyone else is aware that the writer of "Baker Street and "Stuck in the Middle with You" died this week?

I was aware he suffered from the usual rock music excesses but was still shocked by the news. Baker Street is a classic song and earned him about $120,000 dollars a year in royalties.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Rafferty

Bronxboy
1-9-11, 10:53am
Thank you for your work...somebody has to do it!

Of course, "Baker Street" will keep making Jerry's next of kin about $120,000 a year. Whenever he saw a dead actor or musician on TV, my late father always noted the fact that they were still making money.

Anne Lee
1-9-11, 4:36pm
Baker Street is on the soundtrack of my adolescence.

LionGail
1-9-11, 9:26pm
I love that song. Very sad that the singer is gone.

'Baker Street', whenever I hear it brings so many memories of my life in the 70's.

Gina
1-9-11, 9:52pm
Great songs....

Baker Street:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkS169P_Eeo

Right Down the Line:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5yKaj3kGrQ&feature=related

Eggs and Shrubs
1-10-11, 6:08am
I love that song. Very sad that the singer is gone.

'Baker Street', whenever I hear it brings so many memories of my life in the 70's.

Same here. The saxophone still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up; quite a feat for someone who is nearly bald! Apparently it could have been so different. Gerry Rafferty originally did the saxophone part but was persuaded to hire Raphael Ravenscroft. I'm glad he did.

Gregg
1-10-11, 10:26am
Drove a lot of miles with Strelers Wheel in the 8-track player. RIP Gerry.

IshbelRobertson
1-10-11, 11:01am
I remember Gerry Rafferty when he was part of a folk group with the actor/comedian, Billy Connolly. They called themselves the Humblebums. They often appeared at University folk clubs and pubs with folk music nights. Billy always introduced them as 'Hello, I'm Billy and I'm the humble one, and this is Gerry... the.....' Billy's jokes got longer and longer and more convoluted, and then he and Rafferty went their separate ways. I still have 2 Humblebums albums.

Gerry certainly had a great voice - but even at the beginning, he was a heavy, heavy drinker (and I say that coming from a nation of heavy drinkers) - and he could be a wee bit nasty in drink, too. One evening he'd talk to you, the next he'd cut you dead. A talented and troubled man.

RIP.

KayLR
1-10-11, 11:24am
Very saddened by this....I have one of his LPs. Almost smoothed the grooves.

Eggs and Shrubs
1-10-11, 3:31pm
I remember Gerry Rafferty when he was part of a folk group with the actor/comedian, Billy Connolly. They called themselves the Humblebums. They often appeared at University folk clubs and pubs with folk music nights. Billy always introduced them as 'Hello, I'm Billy and I'm the humble one, and this is Gerry... the.....' Billy's jokes got longer and longer and more convoluted, and then he and Rafferty went their separate ways. I still have 2 Humblebums albums.

Gerry certainly had a great voice - but even at the beginning, he was a heavy, heavy drinker (and I say that coming from a nation of heavy drinkers) - and he could be a wee bit nasty in drink, too. One evening he'd talk to you, the next he'd cut you dead. A talented and troubled man.

RIP.

I'd forgotten about his association with Billy Connolly. I think even I would have been driven to drink by him!

IshbelRobertson
1-10-11, 6:09pm
I have to say, E&S, that Billy was the sane one in that relationship.....! It's amazing that he and Rafferty remained friends after the breakup of the group.

loosechickens
1-10-11, 11:12pm
I remember that it was really funny that "stuck in the middle with you" was written as a joke, as a spoof of Bob Dylan, and no one was more surprised than Rafferty that it became a hit.....he said he just "sat down and wrote it as a joke", and look at all the money it made for him.

He'll be missed. So sad.