Classical Composer Reacts to Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty) | The Daily Doug (Episode 576)
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- Опубликовано: 2 май 2023
- #bakerstreet #gerryrafferty
In this edition of #thedailydoug, I'm listening to music from Gerry Rafferty for the first time on the channel. As I explain in the video, Megan brought this to my attention, telling me that I had 'for sure' heard it...I just didn't remember the title or the artist. Well...she was correct! I loved connecting the name and artist to this classic tune. And, it was great to analyze the saxophone riff, which is a bit more complex than you might think. Hope you enjoy!
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A man who never gets enough credit for his work. Still and will always be the pride of Scotland. RIP Gerry 🏴
One of the most ICONIC songs ever writen.
And don't forget bis humble bum Band Mate Billy Connolly :)
Sorry man I hate these comments, he does get plenty of credit, he's well known by many and loved, stop it with these stupid comments
@@adelbertomuggler372 Connolly had no hand in this . Deal wit that . Gerry had to doi it. To Find Himself !!!!
In 1978, I felt like I was living in a musical wasteland in a city in upstate New York. I was driving home one evening and I heard that sax come over the radio. I had to pull over into a supermarket parking lot, and began to weep. The next day I bought the album. Thank you Mr. Rafferty.
Star Market
You lived near Rochester, too? I was finishing up all my Regents exams for the end of 8th grade in LeRoy and went to The Smoke Shoppe for some food and heard this. I kept waiting for the guitar effect 🙂
@@nflr92 I lived in Binghamton.
Yes! That sax line is brilliant!
I bought the album at it’s release and liked the whole album!
His "Right down the line" song is also fantastic love song.
Yes..i've always liked it (just a bit) more than Baker Street.
Don't forget Get it Right Next Time.
Royal Mile and Whatever's Written in your Heart also.
Days Gone Down is sublime. Way better than Baker Street.
Love that song.
As a kid "Baker Street" gave me a similar vibe to the earlier (1976) song by Al Stewart, "Year of the Cat."
Yeah, that "AM gold' sound....
Yeah...never thought of that, but you're right.
Both of them songs are turnings points in my life. Well known fact for rafferty nerds, Billy Connely was part of the band somewhere in history. Gerry had a voice like honey on velvet ❤
Incidentally, two of my favourite songs of all time (especially, the Al Stewart track)
Dude! Exactly! I put these two songs in a similar category, for which only a few other songs belong. Some Super Tramp, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan. I love Zeppelin more than anything, but I don't put any of their songs in that category...its a kind of antennae to another person's experience.
Doug's ear and ability to transcribe chord progressions so quickly is very impressive.
It's called perfect pitch
@@mateusnascimento5976 He claims he doesn't have perfect pitch.
Relative pitch?
Gerry Rafferty was in a folk group in the 60's called The Humblebums with Billy Connolly who diverged from music to become a legendary stand-up comedian and eventually got a knight-hood for his services to comedy. They remained friends throughout their lives until Gerry's death. Billy lives in Florida and recently retired from performing due to Parkinsons disease. He is 80 yrs old.
This song is about Billy Connolly.
Humblebums were a very, very good folk band!
never forget Joe Egan.
@@kathyratino962 Wow. I didn't know that. I didn't know Billy had issues with alcohol.
Have you heard the Adam Buxton interview with Billy, he talks about Gerry, it's very touching
The guitar solo is one of the greatest of all time.
YEAH, everyone knows the sax part but overlooks the _DEVASTATING_ plank-spanking!
CHRIST! He COMPLETELY overlooked that gorgeous guitar solo. Philistine!
Yeah I noticed how Doug played over the guitar solo and totally ignored it, tut tut!
@@Belfast-Biccy Yeah.. i was impressed about that.
It's a great solo however, listen closely and you'll notice that the underlying chord structure and rhythm are a repeat of what came up earlier in the song, the soloing doesn't really add new harmony or rhythm, and that's why Doug just goes on to play the chords. Note that the harmony and rhythm staying static is typical of most soloing, not just this one, and if you browse through other videos in the channel you'll see that Doug generally does not comment much about other solos either.
Being a native Swede, my first visit to the U.S. was in the summer of 1978 when me and my American cousin Ralph drove close to 8000 miles, through 12 states, in 10 days. And once every other hour throughout this whole road trip, "Baker Street" was played on the AM radio in our Chevy.
Additionally, on my way back to Sweden I spent a few days in London, where I stayed in a hotel in - you guessed it! - in Baker Street.
You almost certainly heard a lot of Gordon Lightfoot's Sundown during that trip, too. Another king of the AM waves. Good times - thanks for sharing!
We most certainly listened to Gordon Lightfoot too, but it may have been less frequent. The second most played song during that road trip was "Go your own way" by Fleetwood Mac.
One of the greatest pop songs ever written. Beautiful lyrics.
One of the most recognisable if not the most recognisable pieces of music ever written... From the singing, to the guitar solo to the sax... Its an absolute masterpiece.. An all time favourite.
There are some songs that just mean more you than they ever really should. This is one of those songs for me. In my opinion this is among the top 10 greatest songs ever recorded.
When i was a young lad, my father used to take me to the auto-races in Sacramento nearly every weekend. This song was ubiquitous on the radio stations back then in the late 70s, and he would blast his radio in his 64 Chevelle.
When I hear this song now, it instantly takes me back to being 8 years old, wide-eyed and so thrilled to be going to the races with my dad. The race track closed in 82. The Chevelle was sold in 86, and my dad left this world 10 years ago. They are all gone now - but this song brings them all back to as real as if I could walk outside and swear they were there.
My wife knows how much this song means to me - she has had it as her ring tone for several years now.
Me too.. I 100% remember hearing this song as a 9 year old kid at Hamlin Beach in upstate NY on my mom's Panasonic radio.. 1979..
Gerry Rafferty wrote the sax riff long before the sax player joined the band. His voice is like velvet. One of my favorites in high school ❤ RIP GR
Gerry had the most beautiful singing voice in business
Perfect pitch they said.
One of those timeless classics where simply everything about it is right.
This song was EVERYWHERE in 1978 and crossed over different radio formats. I think there's an underlying theme about travel or being away from home throughout the album. I'm also a big fan of "Home and Dry". RIP Gerry Rafferty. Great songwriter.
The song is very autobiographical. Gerry was a severe alcoholic and this song helps tell his story.
i actually prefer "Home & Dry". Glad to see the song mentioned.
Yes, City to City has a theme about home - both being away and returning. It’s a total masterpiece! I just got a new vinyl pressing and it sounds incredible!
All you say is true and good! For me, even more than 'Home and Dry' (a very uplifting song), I love 'Whatever's Written In Your Heart'. The video of the family singing it as part of the commemoration of his death is really something too. It is here on Poo Tube. Maybe you have seen it.
@@sinclairwhitbourne2090 - I have and found it incredibly moving. The loss of Gerry Rafferty hit me hard. He was one of the true greats.
Man, this was my favorite song as a kid. The whole album is fantastic.
The whole album is indeed fantastic!
Amen! I love this album, especially Baker Street, Right Down the Line, Whatever's Written in Your Heart, and Mattie's Rag!
@@toznerd6369 "Mattie's Rag"! Such a great song! And "Right Down the Line" is absolutely gorgeous.
This song came out when I was 2 years old. I do not remember it until I was about 6. In 2024, still my favorite song ever written. Gerry was an incredible musician. This song will hold up for generations to come. Rightfully so, it's masterpiece.
The thing I love most about this is the chorus. It's not often a song has an instrumental chorus, and it works like magic here. The verse and pre-chorus are soft and sweet mixed with a tinge of sadness and resignation, then the earnest searing heart shot chorus, with the saxaphone giving voice to the pain that could not be put into words. Brillian piece of music.
Hey Doug... Great song!! You may want to schedule a special reaction for the passing of Gordon Lightfoot, if you haven't heard or done it already. Another amazing 70s songwriter, one who will be greatly missed.
Give us a Canadian Railroad Trilogy reaction!!
Incredibly well-written and arranged song, and I've always just loved the screaming guitar solo- perfect tone and emotion. One of the best songs of the late 70's.
The whole album is wonderful. My preference would be to listen to the whole album. I love the mood it sets.
Baker Street. One of the best songs to come out of the Seventies.
The 70’s were the BEST decade for music imo. Gerry was a super talent it’s such a tragedy that alcohol took his life so early 🙏🏼
And with such rudimentary equipment.
60's shaped Gerry .Also the best decade for music and it's not even an argument that 60's were better than 70's . I was born in 69 but claim pride to that decade only by months 70's music was for the best part totally shite,
RIP Gerry Rafferty We love You and We miss You. and RIP you too Raphael Ravenscroft.
He also used to be part of a folk duo, called The Humblebums, featuring a certain Mr Billy Connolly. It's said that he was a huge perfectionist, making recording sessions very tense. The quality of the finished product certainly justifies that. RIP
Well the perfectionist part goes against what Billy Connolly says, maybe it became part of him later.
One of my all time favorites. It automatically transports me back to the summer of 1978. Thanks for playing it.
BTW, this is one of those songs that 80's audiophiles used to show off their multi-thousand dollar stereo systems. The bigger and louder, the better base fidelity, the better this song sounds. On a truly obscene system, Baker Street is an audio revelation. You don't even mind the ear damage.
Actually, I think it's about a woman that tries for years to stick with her man, then finally realizes that he's a loser, and leaves him to go back home.
I am a drummer in a retro rock band and I love it when you just can't help yourself and start playing air drums. I have always said that drums are the thing that gets you up and makes you pay attention! Musicians are the most powerful people on the planet! We can make you do things!! We can control your soul!
For another fantastic song from the 70's, that also features an iconic sax solo, I recommend "Year of the cat" by Al Stewart. Lyrically it's a masterpiece, and it was produced by the great Alan Parsons.
"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running
Like a watercolor in the rain"
- One of the most poetic lines in pop/rock.
The piano intro is unforgettable. The series of solos before the last vocal section is unique: synth, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and saxophone.
It is a masterpiece from the 1970s.
The big yin! 🏴
If Al Stewart gets reviewed, I really like his "Roads To Moscow" song.
One of the greatest songs ever written, composed and played. With that most recognisable sax solos. Funny enough your piano accompianment added to it
I’m not a huge sax fan, or rock fan. However, this is one of my favorite pieces of music of all time. I react viscerally every time I hear it.
That's how you know you're a musician... we can't help but play along with what we're listening to.
It's stronger than we are.
I remember reading an interview with Raf Ravenscroft when the sax turned 100 years old, thus qualifying as a "classical instrument" and Raf was appointed to the first ever sax chair at the LSO. Of course they asked him about the sax line on Baker Street. His response (mostly verbatim but my memory might be a little flawed) was "That bloody Baker Street! You know, after that hit number one, my phone stopped ringing! People thought they couldn't afford me any more!"
Used to work in a studio complex opposite his. Was a lovely guy. We used to borrow some kit off him like the Emulator keyboard. I think he was producing a lot of commercials/jingles. I assumed he was called RAF because of his moustache & leather flying jacket but was an abbreviation!
It's amazing to watch someone with proper chops dissect something that's just always been in my ethos. I always loved this song, and I couldn't put my finger on it. You directed my finger to it. Thank you. :)
The production and sounds in this album are just fabulous! ❤,
The vocal harmonies of Gerry and Joe Egan in Steelers Wheel are to die for, worth checking out beyond "Stuck in the Middle With You."
Gerry Rafferty had John Lennon-like vocal prowess.
I love Baker Street, but I could be happy never hearing Steelers Wheel again 🤷♂️just sick of that song
@@revwillyg6450 They had 3 LP's, the latter two definitely worth hearing, everyone alive is sick of "that song."
@@yes_head Interesting as their harmonies do remind me of The Beatles.
@@nyifnbr18lol. Ok, maybe I'll try them again. Radio can kill a song can't they?
Baker Street was a huge hit here in Australia and always reminds me of my childhood. Wonderful to hear a classical musician react to one of the best songs - and certainly my favourite song - of all time. Every element of the track is in perfect harmony with the others, and the simple downbeat lyrics juxtapose poignantly against the soaring music. The Royal Mile and Get it Right Next Time are also superb Gerry Rafferty tracks, from his next album in 1979 or 1980. Incredibly classy, melodic works 😊
So many brilliant songs from the mid 70s. And so nostalgic now
Been loving this song since I was a kid, still does it for me. You know there's a story there. Foo Fighters did a great cover of it also
I love the Foo Fighters version of this song too!
I was a student overseas in London when this song hit and it was like an unofficial anthem for our three week stay. We stayed at the Sherlock Holmes Hotel on Baker street in London, and it was a magical. Ralph McTell's "Sttreets of London" was also wildly popular at the time. Great reactipon. Thanks for not interrupting too often. A lot of reactors make that mistake.
Gerry is very sadly missed. An amazing singer/songwriter. R.I.P Gerry.
This song came out right when I was first really starting to notice music at age 6. That sax riff is burned into my brain and instantly transports me back to that time.
I think this is a great song that's not all that far removed from some of Pink Floyd's more radio-friendly stuff.
It passes the test of time for sure.
So many memories sparked by this fabulous, lyrically evocative, beautifully produced song. It's the second best song about Baker Street ever written, the best ever being Baker Street Muse by Jethro Tull, of course.
Baker Street Muse is 20 minutes of prog perfection.
Agree! 😉👍
100% facts! An absolute masterpiece so well constructed and executed. I assume this was waaaaaaay to hard for them to play live.
I thought this was Baker Street Muse for a second and got excited... great song!
I am honestly stunned that you didn't recognize this song other than the sax. Given you knowledge of music, composition, and wide range of genres, how this one slipped through the cracks is amazing. :) Always enjoy watching you.
Gerry Rafferty has go to be one of my very favourite singer/ songwriters, his voice was so beautiful soft and melodic, I was lucky enough to see Gerry in concert and he explained that the slide at the beginning of the song was from lowering the tension of the strings on the his guitar to get the sound. He was incredibly fussy about his songs and it would take ages for him to be happy enough to release an album which was very frustrating to us fans. He did have a lot of personal problems made worse of course from his drinking, such a loss as he was a wonderful artist, God Bless Gerry. ❤
This song is *such* a vibe. Wow, does it take me back. So bittersweet, both the song and that time in my life. This is one of those rare perfect songs.
I've heard the song forever and always loved it, and from your post I've learned a lot about this song and its artist. Thanks for your research and quality information Doug!
I was doing night deliveries to Smithfield market in London I had another drop and drove through Baker Street and this was the first time I heard the song ,,Incredible, Blown away ,
This song always takes me back to the age of 15, hanging with my friends by the pool, this blaring in a loop & waiting for that awesome guitar solo.
Iconic Sax! Summer of 78, I was 11 and remember listening to this on the radio all of the time. Thank you for sharing your reaction to this classic and all of your reactions for that matter.
I have loved this song since 1978. This is a time and place song for me. It was my first year out of college and this song was all over the radio. It was part of my soundtrack that summer as I drove the 40 miles back and forth on the New Jersey Turnpike seeing my friends from school. I smile every time I hear it.
Brilliant Doug, thank you for the review & reaction. It's amazing how with a song you've heard hundreds of times, you can continue to learn more about it through the knowledge of others and a trained ear like yours. Cheers 🙏
This song flows like running water, soothing and free.
Tommy Eyre (Mark-Almond) and Henry Spinetti (Brother of Victor Spinetti, Beatles Fave who appeared in A Hard Day's Night, Help and Magical Mystery Tour).
What a talent Jerry was. Burned so bright, but burned out way too young. IMO, "Night Owl" is his best track. It's got such a beautiful rhythmic and lyrical eound..
It's the descending growl of the guitar behind the sax that I always loved. I was seven when the song was released and it was the first single I ever bought... :)
Absolutely a true rep of the 70’s. Grew up,with this one with the wu[er sax and Gerry’s vocals. I loved you chiming in on the keys. Glad you enjoyed.
Wow. This is the first video of yours I have come across. You are really good! You obviously have perfect pitch and are a very talented musician! I loved how you could just jump in and play along without having even heard the whole song play through!
Great song, great memories.
I remember listening to this song as a teenager in the early 80’s one winter, beautiful, dark, clear, starlit, night, driving with my dad back to Mexico from the Texas border, on a 100 mile gravel road in the middle of the desert in an old Dodge Pick Up truck. Song was played on an AM radio station we could get hold of.
Just Me, my Dad and Baker Street. Quality time.
Loved the song, loved the moment.
Can’t help remembering him every time I listen to this song.
It remind me the time when my favorite radio had long time slots of uninterrupted music during the night (in the 80's/90's for me).... this musique was the staple amongst many more!
So glad you are reviewing this. One of my favorites from the era!
Takes me back to when I was 8, playing outside and hearing this song coming from the radio in the kitchen. I get the same "feels" when I hear Chuck Mangione - Feels So Good
Love how you pop over to the keyboard and start playing along and we can hear that. Keep doing that.
Great video as always!
Thank you. Well done, sir. LOVED when you took it to the keys and demonstrated your mastery. Good job! Made my experience all the more. Do more!
Oh my goodness, I've been waiting for this, absolutely my favorite song in the world.
This song has a place in my heart. As an apprentice toolmaker i would scrounge a lift from one of the welders from our factory. He used to play city to city every day on the way to and from work. Apparently the story goes that he wore 3 vynel albums out he loved it so much. Sadly he passed away, quite a few years ago. But when i hear this track i always think back to my old mate Jim Grey and those days driving to work in his 3 litre capri. RiP jim and Gerry
This record was in regular rotation by my father in my home growing up. Still enjoy listening to it today. Lots of great songs on this album.
City to City and Night Owl are two of the best albums produced in the 70's and 80's
First time viewer, I was totally amazed by your reaction and dialogue! You really know how to enjoy and share your musical appreciation and knowledge. Thanks! P. S. This has to be my all time favorite musical piece!
The album City to City is a real treat to listen to, I love this album and Gerry Rafferty is criminally underated.
Great tune. And your ear is very impressive! No way could I pick out the chords the way you did. It’s fun to see someone with such a gift. Bravo!
I remember listening to this when I was about 8 years old. It would come on the radio and all I knew is that I loved it. It's one of those songs that just takes you back to your childhood for me.
He is an underrated songwriter, singer and poured albums with a fantastically produced sound. Try the whole album and also "Night Owl" and "Sleepwalking" next to others for example. Romantic, and also good for any kind of road trip :)
Thanks to your wife to widen your range of music :)
I love your passion... SO impressed by you picking up and playing and naming the roots of the music chords (structure etc ) EFFORTLESSLY compared to us mere mortals 😂❤❤ truly enjoyed this reaction.
I enjoyed this... Especially your breakdown on the piano. This makes the video that much more enjoyable. We need more like this.
I love the whole album. Rafferty made a lot of wonderful music, but "City to City" is his most cohesive and consistent work.
Arguably the most timeless and recognizable song ever recorded. Simply amazing. Love it every time I hear it since ‘78
Great clip Doug. Gerry was in a band called the Humblebums with Billy Connolly before forming Steelers Wheel. I remember hearing this track for the first time on BBC Radio 1 as a new release in 1978 and the prominent Radio 1 DJ at the time Tony Blackburn said it wouldn't be a hit - he never did know his stuff. This is a brilliantly crafted and well produced tune. Gerry continued to struggle with alcohol addiction throughout his life and he settled in a village near where l live in Hartfield, East Sussex, where he could be seen occasionally in the local pub. Coincidentally, Hartfield is where A.A.Milne lived and based his Winnie the Pooh stories on the surrounding Ashsdown Forest. Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones bought A A.Milne's house at Cotchford Farm in 1968 and subsequently drowned in the pool under suspicious circumstances in July 1969.
Do the whole album, Doug, you will love it.
I remember listening to this song during the Eighties in the GDR. It was almost impossible to buy such music in this country. And so, you had to rely on the music from the radio. And I remember as if it was yesterday that someone called one of the radio stations to tell his wish: "Please play the saxophone song". So, it doesn't matter if you know the title or not.
"Baker Street" is one of the most iconic songs that I know. And I think without his background, Gerry Rafferty could not have written this song. Without the bad breakup of Stealer's Wheel and without alcohol and all the bad times, such an intense atmosphere would not have been possible.
I'm in awe of your 'reactions,' and the depth of your musicality.
Nice surprise song review. Some of us really hope you'll do the whole album! I also enjoyed seeing/hearing you play.
So many people picked up the sax or started featuring the sax after this song. It really was giant influence on the 80's sound
This song is etched into my soul. My dad played the hell out of this album, and I was fortunate enough to get it passed down from him.
Remember vividly when this first came out. It still gives me goosebumps.
Doug, it's because of people like you that I only played the trumpet for 2 years in grade school. I knew I would never be good or even sort of good, so I backed out. People like you are amazing.
hey Doug! Love your reactions/analysis. I'm from London and know the transport hub Baker Street well (its the original Underground station and where The Beatles store is) but I worked in the States from 79 to 81 and I heard this song every day! In 2006 I was travelling with an English colleague to speak at a conference in the States when she asked me if there was anything I could tell her about the States. So I told her "You'll hear Baker Street everyday!" Twenty minutes in to our shuttle ride from the airport to our hotel and Baker Street hit the drivers airwaves. "There you go" says this Misttra Know It All! - Keep up the reactions Doug, much appreciated
Gerry played with Comedian Billy Connolly in the Humble Bums early on, before they went their separate ways!
One of the greatest songs! And thank you Doug for your excellent review.
Yea, that Fmaj to Dmaj under the riff is genius. So subtle. And it’s even somewhat masked by the two-note descending guitar slide, so unless you have a trained ear for music you don’t know why the music under the riff sounds like an inhale (F), followed by an exhale (D).
So cool
One of the most compelling melodies in rock ever reacted to by one of the most compelling reactors ever. A+ with thanks🙏🏽
Great choice ! I remember hearing that sax riff for the first time, and just...tearing up. It's almost as if it were wailing. I love it. Plus, yes, as someone else pointed out, I like listening to Baker Street paired with one of my favourite tracks of all time, Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat".
That saxophone riff is just incredible. I was 11 years old when this song came out. I remember it was all over radio back then. The 70s were such a fantastic time for music. This song takes me back to 6th grade! Music really is a time machine. Now do "Paradise By the Dashboard Lights" by Meatloaf, which came out a year earlier.
I love it when you play along! It's a fantastic song and well engineered.
So fun to watch you air play the instruments…😊…great react to a song you didn’t know you knew…keep’em coming!!
Fantastic reaction, Doug! The whole City To City album is a work of art. Not one skippable track. "Right Down The Line", "City To City" and "Home nd Dry" are just the start. And if its possible to enjoy a sad song, "Whatever's Written In Your Heart" is the one.
Great track, always one of my favourites. Loved your critique and general comments. First time that I have come across this channel. Have subscribed and liked.
“He’s rollin’, he’s the rolling stone”. I don’t know what it is about that statement but it makes the songfor my lyrically. This takes me back to a much happier time in my life.
There's an old saying that ' A rolling stone gathers no moss' It means that he doesn't stay in one place long enough to settle down
Summer of '78, I had just graduated high school and was working at a Pizza Hut to make money for college. It felt like everyone would play this song on the jukebox. The saxophone riffs still take me back to that summer
I appreciate this fantastic recording now, much more! As a teen, I liked it- now it's a familiar hug...
LOVE, absolutely love the bass clarinet in this.