Gerry Rafferty dies

[gordiji]

Sadly the writer of 'Baker Street', one of the most perfect singles of all time, passed away 4.01.11 after suffering
liver failure.Beautiful voice, great songwriter and reluctant performer.
Saxophone sales rocketed after the release of baker st.Check out Hugh Burns' guitar solo at the very end, also absolutely perfect, although it sounds like a les paul to me.

 "http://www.youtube.com/v/gSxGNg76kAA?

[FernandoDuarte]

This sax melody is very very cool and I had it in my mind, but don't know from where, probably from a movie. This is the 1st time I've listened to this song... Cool song...

Seems like this year will be as bad as the last, with lots of musicians dying. That's sad.

[38thBeatle]

I read this the other day-very sad. Also Mick Karn of Japan- way too young to go. RIP both.

[AndyR]

Yep, very sad, heard it on Radio 4 the night it was announced.

You've never heard Baker Street before Fernando?

It's part of my musical "roots". There was a summer or so at the end of school before I went to university, when I last paid any attention to the UK charts and Top of the Pops etc.

There's a little set of songs/recordings from that period that are very, very special to me.

They include:

Airport - The Motors
My Sharona - The Knack
Man with the Child in his Eyes - Kate Bush
Run For Home - Lindisfarne
Davey's the Road Again - Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen

and...

Baker Street.

Everyone went on about the sax solo, but the guitar playing on this was one of the things that made me interested in stepping away from acoustic and making the electric thing wail. And Mr Rafferty's voice and delivery on this, just perfect, sigh...

Alas, Japan came after that period and were part of a style/fashion thing that just did not grab me, so I know very little about them apart from the names and what the album cover looked like. I undertand Mick Karn was a fine, fine musician though...

[Philly Q]

Sounds like you were particularly focused on the UK charts etc during the exact same period I was, Andy.  For a few years in the late '70s I listened to Radio 1 all day every day (when I could) and followed the Top 40 every week.  So the mainstream music from that period is totally "stuck" in my head even if it's not the kind of stuff I'd normally listen to.

RIP Gerry Rafferty, Mick Karn and the bloke fronm Boney M (even if he wasn't on the records).

[Telerocker]

Baker Street you heard every hour on the radio those days. Brilliant song. May he RIP.

[FernandoDuarte]

You've never heard Baker Street before Fernando?

I didn't. Never a big radio listener (the only "rock" radios on my teenages was on Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo and I didn't live there.)

And on my teenage, the pop radios used to play Backstreet Boys :?

[FELINEGUITARS]

Sad news about Gerry and Mick Karn (and the Boney M guy)

Also Phil Kennemore of Y&T lost his battle with cancer this week - another sad loss ( i felt this one a lot as Y&T are one of my top 10 bands)

[Philly Q]

Also Phil Kennemore of Y&T lost his battle with cancer this week - another sad loss ( i felt this one a lot as Y&T are one of my top 10 bands)

Oh, I didn't know that!  I got the email update on Thursday but I see he died the following day.  :(

RIP

[fbloke]

Sad news, he was seriously talented.  I read a report this morning that said he earned on average £ 80,000 per year from the royalties on Baker Street alone.  Is that level of financial resources a good thing when you have an alcoholic tendency and plenty of time on your hands I wonder?  Success can be a bit of a paradox for some I guess.  Glad he wrote all those great songs though.

[choucas09]

And let's not forget this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DohRa9lsx0Q