Gerry Rafferty was undoubtedly one of the most talented musicians, singer/songwriters of his generation, and a true Scottish music legend in his own lifetime, but he was never comfortable with his fame and shunned the spotlight, turning to alcohol to cope. It’s sadly a familiar story with creative people who really only want respect for their body of work and wish to shun the trappings of celebrity, but turning to the bottle is ultimately self-destructive. He died in 2010 but left behind a great body of music both as a solo artist and with Joe Egan in the band they formed together in 1972 which they called Stealers Wheel. Before that Gerry was part of a Scottish trio formed in Glasgow in 1969 called The Humblebums with Billy Connolly & Tam Harvey.
Baker Street is probably his best known piece…a worldwide hit which is still ubiquitous and regularly heard on radio programmes today 46 years after he wrote and recorded it in 1978. This live version features Raphael Ravenscroft on that iconic saxophone opener to the track…