If I was to try and pick out a favourite Gerry Rafferty song I would really struggle. Rafferty’s music, for me, has been a lifetime’s soundtrack. I have followed this elusive musician since I was a teenager and his music has supported, comforted and nourished me throughout my life. This may seem an over-exaggerated statement but I really mean it. The many chapters of Gerry Rafferty’s career produced some extraordinary songs from a writer who writes with great honesty and humility. A songwriter who really speaks my language but, behind the writing, a music producer who knew precisely what sound he hoped to achieve and what industry business people he could frustrate along the way.
I will start with his first introduction. The Humblebums albums that Rafferty created with a young Billy Connelly are absolutely beautiful. The famous story of Rafferty going up to Connelly at a gig in Glasgow and telling him that he was a songwriter led to a profitable collaboration between these two very contrasting characters. The resulting albums were a fantastic springboard for both talents and a stunning prequel of what was to come. Rafferty’s output on these records are songs such as: ‘Look Over The Hill’, ‘And Far Away’, ‘Patrick’, ‘Rick Rack’, ‘Her Father Didn’t Like Me Anyway’, ‘Song For Simon’, ‘Please Sing A Song For Us’ and my favourite ‘Keep It To Yourself’.
In just that cluster of songs, Rafferty managed to expertly present so many contrasting genres within a band that was intended to be merely a traditional folk band. He went on to take this a step further with his first solo album ‘Can I Have My Money Back’.
This album demonstrated the vast variety that Rafferty was capable of producing. A mixture of Beatle-styled pop/folk songs that really fill the treasure chest. ‘To Each And Everyone’, ‘Sign On The Dotted Line’, ‘New Street Blues’, ‘Mr. Universe’ and ‘The Long Way Round’ could be considered a template for the sort of anthems that made Brit Pop so successful thirty years later.
Stealers Wheel offered similar opportunities. The combination of Rafferty’s voice with Joe Egan makes this one of my favourite times of his career. The songs have all that Rafferty quality but Egan brings a new dimension. The grooves of ‘Outside Looking In’ and ‘Johnny’s Song’. The belting anthem of ‘You Put Something Better Inside Of Me’. The drifting ease of ‘Waltz (You Know It Makes Sense)’ and ‘Over My Head’. And the powerful and futuristic flavours of ‘Who Cares’. The huge hit ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’ is still a massive radio player today.
Their last album came in 1975 before a massive management conflict became the catalyst of Rafferty’s spectacular solo career that made Baker Street his major musical firework. But the beauty of some of the songs on ‘Right Or Wrong’ can’t be dismissed. ‘This Morning’, is simply gorgeous. ‘Benediction’ displays a humorous examination of Catholic upbringings that I’m sure Rafferty and Egan (and many many more of us) have experienced. The ‘Indie Flavours’, of these songs ticked all of my boxes when I got to hear these songs in the 1990s.
So the impressive output at this stage in Rafferty’s career was about to be overshadowed in epic proportions. ‘City To City’ was explosive. ‘Night Owl’ full of other wondrous gems. ‘Snakes And Ladders’ full of great variety (I particular love ‘I Was A Boy Scout’ as an autobiographical account of a life that I can relate to). ‘Sleepwalking’ was a fantastic 80’s album but the one I want to really highlight is the perfect ‘North And South’.
In a home studio in Sussex, Gerry Rafferty produced one of my all-time favourite albums. Full of Celtic flavours, these songs melt in the mouth. Sadly, this is not available on Spotify so I have been unable to include the songs that I am about to highlight on my playlist to accompany this blog entry. I will include some Youtube links though. ‘Moonlight And Gold’ is my favourite Rafferty song. From the beginning of the clock ticking to the delicious intro, the song outlines the love you can feel watching your beloved sleep from the shades of moonlight to the gold of the sunrise. Crafted by a songwriter with the intuition of a deep-thinking and highly intelligent artist. Gerry Rafferty is for me, the very best that there is.
Here is a Spotify Playlist where you can explore some of Gerry Rafferty’s finest moments.
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