Stealers Wheel was formed in 1972 with charter members Gerry Rafferty, Joe Egan, Rob Noakes, Ian Campbell and Roger Brown. Signing to A&M Records for their first album, the group was union of powerhouses which led to some arguments but in the end created their greatest single in the #6 Pop sensation "Stuck In The Middle With You".
Little known fact is that Rafferty had quit the band but returned to it once he saw how "Stuck In The Middle With You" performed on the national level and felt he could offer the pop audience something by letting bygones be bygones to present a united front as band and was quite successful. It was produced by the legendary 50's & 60's duo of Leiber & Stoller.
But inner circle members were coming and going for the next album, Ferguslie Park that spawned their last charting single with the #29 pop hit "Star" in the spring of 1974.
Rafferty became a household name in 1978 with his spirited rendition of "Baker Street" that all but arrested the radios for all playing that super long sax intro that floated out of open kitchen windows or with the passing car with their windows down. You knew exactly what song it was without needing to hear anything else as you passed them by and then it was an earworm but I never tired of hearing it.
Egan had a less successful career but did release critically acclaimed albums which bear a listen.
21 сен 2024
