Written and sung by Rafferty, with the sax riff performed by Raphael Ravenscroft, “Baker Street” won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Song and soared to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for six weeks, knocking the all-conquering Saturday Night Fever soundtrack off the charts. The track also helped its classic album, City to City, sell nearly 6 million copies. Not to mention, thePaul McCartney sent the Scottish singer-songwriter a telegram praising his “incredible song.”
Though labeled under the “soft rock” genre, the track’s driving energy and Ravenscroft’s killer sax riff deliver a steady groove that when combined with layered instrumentation creates one of the best examples of a soft rock-class rock crossover.
View this post on InstagramOften described as a doomed artist, Rafferty was riddled with legal troubles when he wrote “Baker Street.” A former member of the band Stealers Wheel, he was wading through a ton of lawsuits at the time and channeled all of that tension into his acclaimed hit. Though a private and very anti-rock star, “Baker Street” immortalized Rafferty, cementing him as “the poet of urban disillusionment.”
“He was very guarded,” the former head of press at United Artists and Rafferty’s manager, Michael Grey, said, via Louder. “He was very sure of his own talent and equally suspicious of how it would be exploited.”
“Baker Street” was given new life when Dave Grohl got ahold of it in the ’90s. The band released it as a B-side to their hit single “My Hero” on their 2007 10th anniversary reissue of their record, The Colour and the Shape. They, of course, replaced the smooth sax with pounding percussion, keeping with the Seattle rock sound Grohl made legendary with Nirvana, but still it was well received, called a “deeply satisfying cover” by Slate.
Related: This 1976 ‘Ode to Lost Love’ Just Hit 50 Million Streams — and Its Meaning Is Timeless
Hence then, the article about 1978 hit with iconic sax solo ranked best soft rock song that actually rocks was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 1978 Hit With Iconic Sax Solo Ranked Best Soft Rock Song That Actually Rocks )
Also on site :
- ‘A little touch of luxury, it goes a long way’: Starbucks CEO sees the turn in the turnaround as human touch sings
- What channel is Atletico Madrid v Arsenal Champions League semi-final on? TV coverage, live stream and kick-off time
- Best-Selling Author’s Novel, Ranked ‘Readers’ Favorite Mystery and Thriller,’ Was Built on a Wild Premise