British guitarist analyses Gerry Rafferty performing Baker Street live in 1978!

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

For those of us who were there, this was the sound of 1978. If you want to go back there, this is your time machine.

[@amandacloud559]

I was 19 what a great time for music.💛🧡💚💋

[@debishaw9355]

kevin r. , I agree

[@kitkakitteh]

Until November, then it belonged to Rod Stewart, I was there😬

[@user-ky6vw5up9m]

Amanda Cloud snap 19!

[@billkeane528]

happy days 17 year old kid, course thought i was an old know it all lol

[@tracypaxton1054]

The saxophonist thought his performance in the recording was flat?! Talk about being hard on yourself. Baker Street is one of the most beautiful popular recordings I've ever heard and the sax is a big part of that.

[@Gunners_Mate_Guns]

No kidding! Raf's playing on this and the studio original is out of this world.

[@tracypaxton1054]

When I first heard Baker Street I was blown away. I'd never heard anything like it before.

[@isladurrant2015]

Twas a tad flat, but he gave it welly... one can always do better, but the best you can is good enough x

[@dominicksforza3484]

I'm with you on that Tracy, the entire City to City album is a masterpiece. Right down the line ranks right up there with baker street. Great stuff, I love it.

[@redddbaron]

Actually it was a bit flat and actually that's what gave it a certain mood that pierces the soul!

[@jimmagnus1200]

Gerry was never comfortable in front of an audience. But he should have been, because man did he have the goods. A brilliant musician and songwriter with a smooth voice that has few equals.

[@thebookofearl3303]

right on

[@musicalSFCat]

A tortured but brilliant songwriter, musician, vocalist...who never cared for fame. His timeless music and songs such as Baker Street reflects how great he was at his musical craft.

[@matthewronson5218]

City to City was (and remains) a delightful masterpiece.

[@bradford_shaun_murray]

...and unfortunately the live guitar solo in this video isn't lol.

[@krietor]

@@bradford_shaun_murray Still good!

[@jamesevans3492]

A Musical Masterpiece It was Back Then In 1978, And Still Today In 2020 . :-)

[@dominicksforza3484]

Yes it is Matt, great music.

[@matthewronson5218]

@@dominicksforza3484 IKR? I just watched the 'Professor of Rock's' take on Jerry's "Baker Street" Masterpiece: "It should have been #1" series

[@craigoshea7330]

I was 12 the first time I heard this song. I still remember it like yesterday. We were on the way to visit my Grand Parents in Mobile. After a 4 hour drive It was late at night and lightly raining. Seeing the water reflected by the windshield, and the wet street. Hearing that sax it was surreal. It set that scene into my memory, and I can't ever hear this song without thinking of a rain soaked street at night.

[@amandatolleson7740]

I was a senior in high school in 1978. Reading your comment made me think back. It was Dothan High School also in Alabama.

[@ollieoxenfree242]

I was twelve when this hit the airwaves. It immediately takes me back to riding the school bus with this on the radio and all the melancholy awkwardness of those years.

[@TuckerSP2011]

This song is just so great, the sax solo really makes it, and Gerry's voice is so smooth playing against it. Always loved the feeling of the song.

[@chadkline4268]

2nd only to Get It Right Next Time :)

[@MichiaMakes]

It’s a Saxy Valentine’s (a couple weeks late, but those of us old enough to remember this song playing on 8-track move a little slower 😘)

[@rolfbrunner3016]

...and the guitar-solo-I everytime wait for it.But in this live-version he didn't find a good,powerful entry.

[@mistertee5503]

Gerry Rafferty has affected me like no other solo artist. Beyond "Baker Street", so many of his songs are amazing!

[@markmuller8829]

This song is a right of passage for me...... I had just finished my last exam and was driving home from the last day of school at the end of 1978, and this song came on the car radio for the 1st time. All the mixed emotions I felt on that drive home after 13 years of school, just married perfectly with Baker Street. To this day, when I hear the song, I am transformed to a 17 year old who had the world in front of him......

[@janemorrow6672]

Beautiful story. I have exactly the same memories but mine are sad for some reason.

[@overthehilldill3626]

My memories are of a gf i had who would bring over a different friend every so often so i could get it on with them. They were always very cute girls to. Man this song always brings those days right back. Sure wish it would've lasted for eternity.

[@jeffclark7888]

Outstanding!

[@southernwonder7024]

This one is part of the playlist of my life. The meaningful memories that some songs provoke as the years go by can be fondly depressing, bitter sweet.

[@humboldtharry4248]

SouthernWonder me too, this song brings back not just memories but feelings from the 70s

[@stevetrivago]

SouthernWonder well said ☮️

[@jefffeinstein1]

'AMEN to that'. I liked when they used part of this song in the (awesome) movie "Good Will Hunting"!

[@paulablissett9396]

RIGHT ON!

[@greenworm7915]

SouthernWonder indeed it does evoke memories......bitter sweet memories.....

[@deadlysquirrel5560]

I was 17 when this song came out. The lyrics meant very little to me in such carefree years, but time catches us all and they become very meaningful.

[@sharonmuzik]

I SO prefer the studio version. Yes, that guitar solo made me wince. This song has such a haunting melody, I could listen to it every day.

[@IFY0USEEKAY]

Yeah, that lull after the sax break - before the guitar solo, is something I always look forward to... This made me cringe as well ! But I love the song.

[@bramleydragon]

I don't think Raphael Ravenscroft was on top of his game on the sax here either.

[@regaltip8A]

Well the guitar solo was by Hugh Burns...Julian Littman in the clip is not fit to shine Hughs shoes.

[@bramleydragon]

@@regaltip8A Spot on mate. This was a terrible effort.

[@makeadifference4all]

I think this is a fantastic live performance. As for the slightly flubbed guitar solo, I get the impression that the guitarist may have been all jacked up and overexcited by the time at the end of the song that his solo arrives.

[@fayedunbar2912]

His vocals are so easy, no straining. A real gift. Sax is awesome.

[@rcherry1978]

Gerry Rafferty, Jeff Lynne , and Micheal Buble have the most relax voices so effortless in how they sing Thats why I think they sound so great live Dean Martin old also fitting this category on how effortlessly he sang

[@susanmacdonald4288]

This song is just fantastic. Gerry's voice has such a wonderful, mellow quality. Although Raphael thought his performance on the recording was flat, I thought that it was perfection. And it's that sax solo that makes me think of someone playing sax on a balcony or something to soar out over a neighborhood.

[@Terri_MacKay]

This is definitely one of the songs of my childhood...and even as a kid, I knew that sax was a whole mood!! To this day, when the song starts with that sax, I get goosebumps.

[@goopah]

Fil, I am constantly impressed with the depth of research you do on the history of these musicians. It's one of the big reasons I watch your videos. Not only do we learn about the music, but also about the people who play it. The stories are amazing, and so interesting. Thank you.

[@Gunners_Mate_Guns]

Raf's playing on this will forever be a landmark in rock history. So sad to know that both he and Gerry himself are no longer with us.

[@theonlycindarelly]

Man, his voice is like butter. Right Down the Line is on my all time favorite songs list.

[@HelpingHomelessCats]

Today at an estate sale I bought the LP "The Humblebums" for 75 cents! I had not heard of them and went to You Tube and now see Gerry Rafferty's more famous songs and here was Fil! Another great analysis.

[@Morticia1313]

This is such a great song. I've always loved it! Awesome choice! 🤘👏♥️

[@anneaires3984]

Was 18 in 1978 and this fabulous tune was blowing up the radio......simply unforgettable, one of my all time favs❤🇺🇸

[@amandatolleson7740]

I was 18 as well. It was a big part of my senior year in high school!

[@jeffclark7888]

19 for me.

[@edteach3r]

18 for me also, down in South Africa. Cheers to an unforgettable era!

[@daranross2424]

@@edteach3r I was 8 Love this song remember it well

[@edteach3r]

@@daranross2424 Those were the times!

[@39thala]

Gerry was one of those 'rare' singers that didn't have to engage in a lot of body language or stage antics because he had such a cool unique voice that would hold your attention!

[@michaelhoward142]

Wow. Your insight into the full dynamics of the vocals and all the instruments is so impressive and refreshing, especially considering your relatively young age. You, sir, know and appreciate good music. Your knowledge of Gerry Rafferty's musical background is even more impressive. I've spent hours tonight watching people's reaction to this song and yours is, by far, one of the most informative. Kudos to you. You know your stuff.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@user-sz3qk5tb8w]

One of my favorite songs

[@TheDontflinch]

This is simply one of the greatest songs of all time. I was 4 years old when this came out. I recall my parents listening to it back in 1978.

[@nellgwenn]

My best friend and I went to London one year. We found ourselves on Baker St. for some reason. We were on our way to the British Museum. I said, we're on Baker St. She said so? I said you know Sherlock Holmes and the song. She asked, what song? You know, winding your way down on Baker Street, light in your head and dead on your feet...This is the street. She was less than enthusiastic.

[@anneaires3984]

Elementary my dear Watson😂😂❤🇺🇸🙋🎶👍👍

[@macpduff2119]

1978, I was living North of London with my family. outside St Albans. This track has magical memories for me because 1979, this expat American was driving down Baker Street, with the windows open on my Daimler, when suddenly this recording came blaring on my car radio. This fabulous song while I was actually on Baker Street. Perfect synchronicity.

[@allanmoulton6815]

Maybe the best explanation of what was lost when auto-tune became so prevalent.

[@briannewell6064]

Ah yes. The electrifying performance of Gerry Rafferty always cracks me up. Always seems like he'd rather be somewhere else.

[@cosmo1eleven855]

Yeah not exactly a charismatic figure out there. But sure could play, despite his being a melancholy man of sorts.

[@dynjarren7523]

He wasn’t a great performer but he was a great singer! His vocals more then make up for his stage performances. I like his singing and I don’t care that he didn’t strut around the stage or jump around like a fool. His music is timeless!

[@tonymarshall5815]

@@dynjarren7523 The same as Roy Orbison , though he moved around even less.

[@jinkertsun]

Just takes you back. Timeless.

[@robertwilloughby8050]

Horst Jankowski (Walk in the Black Forest) - who was a close personal friend of Gerry's - always teased him about his lack of stage theatrics, calling him "The most beautiful sounding lamp post"!

[@deennaemilio]

Who doesn't like a baritone sax. This is a great song, but made greater by the sax. Gerry's voice is so smooth and seems so easy. Hearing him sing is like a warm hug.

[@journeymantraveller3338]

Alto sax. My fave.

[@chadkline4268]

I don't generally like the sax, it screeches too much, but I like it in very rare instances such as this and some others of Gerry's songs.

[@isladurrant2015]

Alto x

[@Butterflies-are-free]

My hometown’s Main Street was “Baker Street”…..we’d cruise up and down in all the muscle cars with cute guys to this song…. falling in and out of love with all the boys with these songs. Life was so simple then. Oh how I miss it 💕💜💕

[@lindamcnelis6374]

Gerry’s voice is so soft and makes you want to listen to every word. Then that sax screams out and the Imperfection works perfectly. I remember this song so well. Great live performance.

[@audiofile8833]

Thank you very much for covering Gerry. His songs are a soundtrack from my younger years, and it's almost as if he's been forgotten in this day and age.

[@greenworm7915]

Ahhhhh...the summer of '78! City to City, takes me back there to the best summer of my life. Right Down The Line. That was a great summer for music! This sounds so rich on vinyl.....and it spins in my house often, with Running On Empty, Let It Flow, French Kiss....all take me back! Thanks for another great analysis! RIP Gerry....gone too soon. 💔

[@tommonk7651]

There were some tremendous albums and songs out in '77 and '78. Ah, memories....

[@greenworm7915]

Tom Monk Yes....indeed, there were and they are still some of my favorites. I continued buying and loving music through the 80's and 90's and then it all seemed to change. That mojo doesn't seem to be there anymore.

[@tommonk7651]

@@greenworm7915 I agree. I regularly look for new music. And I by a song here and there. But I listen mostly to music from back in that era. I think digital recording and things like autotune have really screwed up the sound for me.

[@greenworm7915]

Tom Monk Yes! Exactly. I would rather have real with some flaws, if it's great music. Tom Petty and the heartbreaker saved me from the disco era (lol) and continued to give us great music. Wanted so badly to catch his final tour but had a divorce hearing when he was close. Then he left us. I did get to catch the Last of the Street Survivors, last summer. Wanted to catch Bob Seger final tour this summer but tickets sold out fast, except for lawn and I can't tolerate the sun. The great ones, well there aren't many left, 😢

[@greenworm7915]

Tom Monk I will add.....I was pleasantly surprised with the soundtrack to A Star Is Born.....shockingly surprised. But hey....Lukas Nelson? What a great pick by Bradley Cooper to work on it. And GaGa striped herself down to Stephanie and she blew me away. I like her raw!! I would enjoy more of her without the GaGa persona!! She is talented!

[@sconni666]

I remember listening to this in my moms car in 1978. Love it. Thanks Fil!

[@user-sz3qk5tb8w]

One of my favorite songs

[@jillwarsop1332]

I was there in 1978 when Baker Street came out. Just amazing. I subsequently bought several of Gerry's albums which did and do not disappoint. Brilliant writer and singer. Very much missed.

[@teacherrussell5206]

That guitar solo is heart wrenching on the album. That guy quoted it, yet totally blew it.

[@SC-jh9qp]

I agree the studio guitar solo was great but he just didn't do it any justice on stage.

[@annemickelson2621]

Good find Fil...an incredible and timeless song. Rock! :-)

[@harryparmley1193]

As a young saxaphone player (many, many years ago), I've always been in awe of this song. The vocals and guitar always got in the way for me...

[@neebinmakwah349]

As a multi-instrumentalist, his sax riff, is one of THE most famous in all of rockdom. Gravely tone and solid arrangement, love this stuff.

[@Ndlanding]

Gravely spoken, and grimly fiendish, my friend. Or did you mean "gravelly"?

[@timmi59]

I wanted to hear this song and your video came up in the recs. Great analysis and I also appreciate learning a little something about the artists and their instruments. Rock on 🤘 🎸 🥁 🎤💙

[@Snacksaloon]

Still to this day, I’ll wake up with this song stick in my head. I was born in 1993, but it’s a true testament just how much this gets played

[@christopherwood9213]

Fil, to me the best part of your analysis is your genuine appreciation of artists from when I was kid. Your smile shows your fantastic connection to the music. I remember this music in the truck used to deliver and caring for plants in corporate settings during the summer while I teaching high school History/American Politics high school in Burbank, CA.

[@stevetrivago]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼wow.. irony.. the universe 😮 all I know is a friend just told me the other day that she never liked this song in her youth... But she really loves it now. No coincidences .. thank you Fil ✊🏼🎸🎤

[@shellylbarrett]

Fil, your smile in these videos brightens my day. Thanks

[@brianmlee7861]

Gerry’s voice sounds like more than one voice, like two or more people singing! I love it, one of my all time favorites!

[@Elvisrivers1]

Double tracked. Pretty standard.

[@spindriftdrinker]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that this sax riff was one of the defining ones of the 1970s, maybe along with "Pick up the Pieces" by Average White Band. Best appreciated when listened to from an AM car radio.

[@TranslateToEnglish]

Or Shotgun with Jr Walker and the All-Stars.

[@amandatolleson7740]

Totally agree!

[@zannahmartell9813]

Gerry's voice is like laying in warm fresh laundry❤. They played it non stop on the radio. I was 4 when this song came out. The melody always made me feel a little sad. Still loved the song and the memories. Thank you for the details x

[@ingfig1]

As always, great background info on our favorite musicians and songs… Thanks, so glad I subscribed

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@doc559]

He just shouldn't be gone. He had sad life and it's terrible nothing could change it. He made many people's lives so much better. Thank you Gerry.

[@passionforlust]

I think every town in North America has a street called Baker and when I first heard this incredible song I lived in Nelson British Columbia and the main drag there was Baker and it made the song even more personal to me, ah youth sweet memories of them days. Sax does not sound anything less than beautiful. Thanks Fil and have a great week!

[@michellegiardinobast6466]

Thank you for covering this. When I was young, I never appreciated this beautiful song. I heard a cover band play this with a harmonica instead of a saxophone and fell in love with the song. It is very deep and I now appreciate the true talent and meaning of this song. I can listen to it over and over🎷🎤🎶 love it ..

[@jevinday]

I always LOVE what you have to say. I only found out who Rafferty was about 9 months ago. I obviously knew this song and Stuck in the Middle, but I didn't know his other songs. He is a true genius in every respect. Thanks for this Fil ❤

[@therealxunil2]

He does indeed have a silky smooth voice, that man.

[@kingbyouchoob2488]

One of the all time great songs. Brings me back to my youth and the 70s....when life was simpler.

[@nataliedeshow768]

kingb youchoob I remember when this came out in 1978, I was only 18 and loved it. I graduated high school that year.

[@TBeatles67]

I love this song. I loved it immediately when it came out, and even though American radio has always played it incessantly, I still love it just as much now. I’m sure you’re right about the guitar solo, but I always loved it and felt that it gave a great edge to the song and a big dynamic change with this sudden wailing guitar!

[@jetobey5656]

Be cautious--too many people get hooked on the really unique sax intro, and being knocked over by it , but this tune is a genuine fabric. Raffety did compose the sax line, though the well-respected player claimed to have composed it. The first people whom Rafferty let see/hear it assert that Rafferty had the line written. I am not taking away from the sax player-- he is considered one of the best studio men who could add to any recording. To me, a 74 year old, this song has always been special in my mind. The combination of narration and singing is just one of its qualities. The words and the singing tone tell a sad story; it is personally deep to Rafferty and to anyone who cares to pay attention. I know that is contradictory, since I have asserted the integrated nature of this tune, but it is possible to enter the world of the singer yet still not disassemble the composition. It is a special song from a time when music was actually wholly musical.

[@catherinelynnfraser2001]

Best sax ever...so uplifting and always new. Magical lyrics and the voice is heart breaking and haunting. Thank you

[@rainagain6453]

Absolutely love ‘Whatever’s Written in Your Heart’. Give it a listen.

[@allhopeabandon7831]

I was born in 1974 to a young single mother...we were poor, but had good grand parents to ensure that I was always taken care of, anyway...I remember this song as a very small child, and even at the time, I remember it felt like a haunted tune, to me now, to me then...

[@durangomcmurphy1529]

One of the great thing about this track was the lost Art of using DYNAMICS , a soft vocal with great lyrics , followed by a LOUD SAX Solo . Fantastic representation of the best of the 70's .

[@george5120]

Gerry Rafferty songs, over the years, have always caused me to relive memories of 1978. Whenever I hear them, I think about business trips that I took through the beautiful Rocky Mountains, in Colorado, during 1978. To this day, I can picture myself, driving through the beautiful Rocky Mountains, with Gerry Rafferty playing in my rental car.

[@tnmoppylaura5476]

One of my favorite songs. Thanks Fil.

[@ffirstllast3328]

WOW - you can really see how hard they are working to sound perfect! super concentrated

[@mcraemctaggart4396]

This is such a book,ark in my life xxxx Thank you !!!!!

[@barrycohen311]

I'm American but used to visit the UK all the time years ago when I worked for a British company. I was drinking in a crowded, "modern type" pub in Milton Keynes, and they played this song at quite a loud volume. This is year 1999 or thereabouts. The entire pub went wild, went crazy, starting jumping around, dancing and singing, playing air guitar, yelling, downing their drinks, insane. Is this like the unofficial British National Anthem? Ha ha.... In the States, it was playing continuously on radio during the 1980s and 1990s. But no one had ever went wild about it. Just a good solid song. Anyway, it was quite a surprising experience.

[@jimmycampbell78]

I am British, I remember this song but until seeing this video I had not heard it played for many years. Maybe it was just a ‘local’ tradition in that MK pub you went to!

[@vintagebrew1057]

Ive been in pubs where people have played "Air" sax to this. It was rather amusing....

[@MrMichaeljay1965]

I'm pleased that you pointed out the problem with the guitar solo in this one...I couldn't put my finger on it (I am not a musician by any stretch of the imagination), but your analogy of the square peg in the round hole really summed it up nicely in my limited, musical, psyche. Yes, the guitar player sounded like he was trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Thank you, sir - just thank you for pulling that out of my own mind. As always, excellent video, young man.

[@BelieveNoGod]

Wow, fantastic. Thank you for doing this.

[@voitmusic]

Nice mix for a live performance. Great analysis! Love your channel 💖

[@stevehill766]

City To City was a masterpiece album. The Baker Street guitar solo on the record was absolutely majestic & still stirs my soul to hear it. This live version does indeed sound off with it's imprecise bends & just a tad out of time & lacks the passion that oozed from grooves in the recorded version. Gerry gamely smiles but I'd liked to have heard the after performance banter among the other musicians about the wanker taking the piss out of what had been a great rendition of the song. I liked how Raphael slightly deviated from his recorded sax but that ending guitar solo has to be nailed or else bailed on entirely. It's not an easy passage to capture as the guitar has both a crying & singing quality with rapid sobbing sliding descents bending up to the notes & then execute just the right vibrato on the double stops with the bluesy feeling of a woman walking away forever from her ne'er'-do-well love. It's a poignant & powerful story

[@jamesdignanmusic2765]

Brilliant song - sadly this version ruined by a sub-par guitar solo. The studio version is sublime. RIP Gerry, and thanks for being such a big part of the soundtrack of my life.

[@steveijams8475]

When I lived outside of Boston, there was the Annual Blues Festival, playing at several small venues.. . susan tedeschi and Ronnie Earl was part of it. Can you imagine hearing this for the first time. The mellow beginning, the drum kicks in, then the Sax just smacks you in the face. WOW. The surprise guitar solo takes this song to the next level

[@TomGorham]

Absolutely one of my favorite songs. Brings tears to my eyes. I'm 70 years old but I was younger then but I never stopped. I was a vocalist and though I loved every part of it, I loved the vocals, the lyrics meant everything to me.

[@NuclearGrizzly]

In the early 80's I saw Aretha Franklin live. At one point in her performance her magnificent voice cracked. It was very powerful and very very beautiful. It still gives me chills. That perfect moment would have been lost with autotune.

[@lastone783]

Thanks, Fil, for the background on Gerry. I did not realize he was part of Steelers Wheel. Baker Street is one of those songs that I have downloaded as a part of my singles collection that I listen to often. Have always loved this song❣️

[@roseleenehrsam4059]

I love to see you smile. I am 68 years old and I have learned to notice things in music, it only make music better.

[@stephenmoss2554]

Saw them in 1978 in Bristol by accident! A friend had been stood up and gave me the spare ticket. I went not really knowing what to expect and came away realising that I had just seen one of the best gigs I had ever seen or have seen since.

[@kentmains7763]

I remember hearing this when I was a kid and thinking how depressing the lyrics were, then I grew up and realized how spot on the lyrics are. Throw in Gerry's vocals and that fantastic sax and you have a masterpiece.

[@garyrhodes5608]

You're videos make me feel young again, and they always make me feel better!! Thanks Fil 👍👍♿♿👍👍🍺🍺😎😎👍♿♿🙏👍👍👍👍 You're the best!!....👍👍😊😎👍👍

[@laurathenavigator4445]

The sax and the words make this song. I never got tired of hearing it over the years. I was in tenth grade when.this song came out.

[@buggyboogle9]

Some really great beard gamely the drummer Beautiful song. Again thanks for your insightful analysis Fil. As always so much to learn. Really enjoy your smiles when you listen to the music, shows us it's not merely you technical for you - it gives you joy. Thanks

[@tuRbo-_-crOw]

Instantly recognize that iconic sax. Smooth vocals. Nice

[@GOGOLH]

Gerry as impassive and cool as ever, even when performing one of his masterpieces.

[@51Dss]

The sheer talent from singers, composers, poets, novelists...that all sprang from Ireland is nothing short of astounding. Been a fan G Rafferty since first heard him on radio back in the 70s. Thanks for doing a vid on him

[@cliffhughes6010]

What a wonderful song. Wonderful performance. Totally unique. There is literally nothing else like it. I heard it on the radio back in 1978 and immediately bought the album. Life is analogue and so is all the best music.

[@GS-xt8fu]

The saxophone was dead on the money or as you might say...spot on.

[@barrycohen311]

The torrid saxophone solo was quite exquisite. Nothing dodgy about it.

[@Wellch]

Hellowow 39 and the highlight of the night.

[@bramleydragon]

I don't think it was Raphael's finest performance of it myself.

[@froter1]

God Bless you Fil ♥️ Gerry was exceptional.. massive talent ! His arrangements were so good ! My precious nephew , a beautiful soul and incredible guitarist simply adored Gerry .. he always asked me what I thought about different musicians, I told him Gerry was something special .. he agreed and said that Gerry was a big influence in his music and that he was a very soulful human being . Sadly , both Gerry and my nephew , Raymond died from alcoholism .. the complications brought on from excessive drinking . I miss them both dearly and I hope and pray they are playing music in heaven and that they are happy ♥️

[@nataliedeshow768]

My boyfriend also died from alcoholism, he had liver failure.

[@diannewilkerson4793]

I was 22 years old in 1978 and just out of college, in my first job teaching, 4,000 miles from home in Anchorage, Alaska. Gerry Rafferty was the guy that helped me through that crazy time in my life. Baker's Street spoke to me then and it speaks to me now, 45 years later! What a song. Thanks so much for this, Fil!💜

[@deandoucette7206]

Thank-you for analyzing this song and performance. Have been a Gerry Rafferty fan ever since this song was released. Good job on your research. You covered the highlights. Would be great to hear more of Gerry’s music on this channel.

[@bigballetlover]

I know it's not about Baker Street, London, but I was driving up there one summer day in 1978 when this came on the radio - will never forget it.

[@bigballetlover]

@J P It's in Scotland - Glasgow, I believe or Edinburgh.

[@bigballetlover]

@J P It is in fact Dundee - easily checked out on Google

[@Damaged262]

Hi Fil, Gerry is the bomb, another nice choice. Oh yeah, love the Goonies Tee, I must have watched it 300 times with my daughter.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Cool!

[@johnm3152]

Growin' up in Goonies town. That movie hits me squarely in my nostalgia

[@edwardboswell7713]

One of my favorite songs growing up. Thanks Phil.

[@ernestconnell8087]

An international hit, during the days of AM radio. For me, WLS, Chicago. The guitar solo on this track is one of my alltime favorites. Of course, the sax solo is classic. RIP Gerry Rafferty. Good job Fil. Rock!

[@paulelverstone8677]

The solo on the official song release is one of my favourite guitar solos, and as you explain; sometimes a solo fits and sometimes it doesn't. On the original; the solo has such a beautiful warm and smooth distorted sound that compliments the vocal and sax so well. There is some lovely phrasing - particularly in the middle with a little throwaway lick - and ends on a great little widdle out to bring you back to the sax. Sadly, it doesn't seem to work so well here but that shouldn't detract from what is a song that really signified a part of the 70's, like Boston's More than a feeling or Kansas' Carry On Wayward Son. This is right up there...

[@rolfbrunner3016]

Each word you wrote could be from me.

[@julieford8788]

Awe. I love this song. ❤️

[@thomaskempton7178]

I love Baker Street, both the lyrics and the saxophone. Great research as always. Nice history of the band and how he didn't sell out to the system. Thank you.

[@kolchak357]

This was such a huge hit and received so much radio play that I find it difficult to listen to anymore. But I did enjoy seeing it live. Watching a live performance adds so much and makes it interesting again for me. Entertaining analysis as always. Well done Fil.

[@loveandpeace9908]

Reminds me of riding around my small town in my mom's Chevy Malibu with the spine snapper seat belts 😄

[@mbgrafix]

Takes me back to the time...great song!

[@Little_Alesi]

I am 53 years old, I experienced this music as a child. With each passing day of my life, I realize what Rafferty has accomplished. He is like Prince, Townshend, Francis Bacon, Ali, Ayrton Senna and just a few more - an absolute genius. I LOVE his music and his lyrics.

[@Jujumimosa]

One of the favorites of my youth! ❤️ Your T-shirt is awesome btw 😃👀