Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street (Folk Rock)

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(Edited)

A Folk Rock song at its best

This song I listend a lot in my very young day - Baker Street was probably one of the best songs in the 1970ies by Gerald Rafferty who is not amongst as anymore.

Gerry was a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician and record producer, founding member of Stealers Wheel, whose biggest hit was "Stuck in the Middle with You" in 1973. His solo hits in the late 1970s included "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line" and "Night Owl".
Source: Wikipedia

He grew up in Scotland and learned from his mom about Irish and Scottish folk songs
-he then got in touch with music of Bob Dylan, Beatles, the Stones and more tried music professionally as member of severfal bands - but he will mainly be remembered by Baker Street - his solo project as well as "Night Owl" that older guys might also remember.

About the song

Released in 1978, "Baker Street" remains one of the most iconic rock ballads of all time. Gerry wrote and performed it - the song is one of a few instantly recognizable thanks to this mind blowing saxophone riff (played by Raphael Ravenscroft).

Named after a real street in London, "Baker Street" captures themes of urban isolation, introspection, and the longing for escape. With lyrics like "He's got this dream about buying some land / He's gonna give up the booze and the one-night stands," Rafferty paints the portrait of a man caught between dreams and reality.

The track was a true commercial success, reaching #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #3 in the UK. But beyond the charts, its legacy lives on in pop culture, sampled and covered by countless artists, and immortalized in movies, TV, and late-night drives.

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17 comments
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!PIZZA
!BEER
!lolz
!meme
!cent
!fun

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Mein Onkel sagte mal, wenn er jmdm zeigen müsste, wie gut ein Saxophon klingen kann, würde er ihm diesen Song vorspielen. Wo er Recht hat... ;-)

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Ja ist Mega, das einzige vergleichbare (aber da bin ich als fan der ersten Stunden Biased) ist Foreigner - Urgent mit dem Saxophon damals von Junior Walker.

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I bought it in 1978 when it hit #3 here in the UK charts. My vinyl version had a flaw near the start and when playing it back in my mind, I can still here the hissing sound at that point, for just 2 seconds and not the perfect version.

These things stick in your mind, but it does tell you I played the 7' a lot.

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You are right, it is one of the best of the 70s. The way it switches the sound, from the melancholic tone, to the power of the saxophone

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