"Baker Street" Appreciation Thread
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Topic: "Baker Street" Appreciation Thread
Posted By: Harry Hood
Subject: "Baker Street" Appreciation Thread
Date Posted: June 29 2008 at 15:20
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What is it about this song that makes it so inftectious? I used to hate this song when they played it at my job, but after learning the how to play the instrumental chorus on piano I've fallen in love with it. The way the song is pieced together is just so perfect, and it's got some of the most professional session musicians I've heard on any recording. Listening to this song on a great pair of headphones is one of the most pleasant experiences ever. The way it's structured is so unique. It's one of the only songs I've heard that features an instrumental chorus (the part where the saxophone comes in). And it might be one of the catchiest choruses ever as well. I haven't been able to get into any other Gerry Rafferty songs, but it's hard to when he put together a song as great as this one. So is anyone else here a Baker Street fan? ------------- 
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Replies:
Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: June 29 2008 at 16:45
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I'm a big fan of the entire album, "City to City", but yes, Baker City is definitly the highlight track. Gerry is a brilliant songwriter. "Stuck in the middle with you" has got to be one of the finest songs ever written. ------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: June 30 2008 at 07:43
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Doesn't Al Stewart's Year Of The Cat echo this with itssax solo? Also like Babe Ruth's Wells Fargo with a quite different approach with a faux Junior Walker sax breaker - and the real Junior Walker certainly puts some guts into the Foreigner hit Urgent. ------------- The best eclectic music on the Web,8-11pm BST/GMT THURS. CLICK ON: http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php - http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php Host by PA's Dick Heath. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: June 30 2008 at 07:59
| Isn't it Baker Street that has an urban myth about Bob Holness (as in "can I have a P please Bob?") playing the sax solo? |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: June 30 2008 at 08:28
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It's a great song. It makes me think of my childhood, as it always seemed to be on the radio, at about the same time as Forever Autumn by Justin Hayward.
Oddly, everyone I know outside PA absolutely hates Baker Street with a vengeance. |
Posted By: Tony R
Date Posted: June 30 2008 at 08:38
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Unfortunately it is one of those perfectly decent songs that has suffered from over-exposure over the years. I like the song a lot and it joins these songs that have similar problems with over-exposure: Hotel California Stairway To Heaven Smoke On The Water Bohemian Rhapsody Imagine probably loads of others. |
Posted By: Harry Hood
Date Posted: June 30 2008 at 08:39
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Yeah, I never understood all the hate. I used to hate it myself, but only because I didn't really "get it" at first. But once I learned how to play it I was hooked. One time the song came on and one of my coworkers was like "Oh god, it's the Theme From Baker Street! I can't stand this song." I guess he thought the song was the theme song for something, or maybe he was just talking about part of the song. Either way, Aaron and I were inspired by that and are currently working on an instrumental version titled "Theme From Baker Street". -------------
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Posted By: Tony R
Date Posted: June 30 2008 at 08:53
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I think that we progheads are drawn towards pop music that has depth, subtlety and, above all, fine ensemble playing in it. I think The Whistler's Blog piece about C***play (I can bring myself to write that name) sums it up very, very well. |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: June 30 2008 at 09:55
Do you remember the time when music radio listeners polls were made and 10cc's I'm Not In Love was usually the No.1 all time favorite single (sic)? ------------- The best eclectic music on the Web,8-11pm BST/GMT THURS. CLICK ON: http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php - http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php Host by PA's Dick Heath. |
Tony R wrote:Posted By: Tony R
Date Posted: June 30 2008 at 09:59
yes, now it's hardly ever mentioned. These polls have the opposite effect than is originally intended! |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: July 01 2008 at 00:39
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I fully agree with an appreciation thread for the incredibly underrated Backstreet Boys man... at last! Everybody! Yeah! Rock your Body!Yeah! Everybody! Backstreet 's back! All righ.................
Oops.... it was the BAKER STREET.... damn! And I was just reaqdy to come out of the boy's band closet.....Damn! ...
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Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: July 01 2008 at 05:03
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BTW some great sax by the late Elton Dean on Baker's Treat (a nice little English pun on that highway's name) found on a couple of more recent Canterbury fusion albums. ------------- The best eclectic music on the Web,8-11pm BST/GMT THURS. CLICK ON: http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php - http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php Host by PA's Dick Heath. |
Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: July 07 2008 at 07:38
Never heard that one (that would be so cool if it were true  ) - my problem is that people always go on about the sax line (iconic as it is), but nobody ever mentions the superb guitar solo. Absolute blinder 
[edit] Wikipedia specifically states the sax was not played by Bob Holness, but by Raphael Ravenscroft; now if that's not a made up nom-de-sax I don't know what is - come on Bob - admit it & give us a blow! 
Oo-er, sounds a bit rude (etc) ------------- 
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: Easy Money
Date Posted: July 07 2008 at 07:51
| A sax playing friend of mine used to insist that it was Phil Woods (uncredited) playing that solo. |
Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: July 07 2008 at 08:35
You're doubting Wikipedia???  -------------
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: July 07 2008 at 09:55
| The 'Bob Holness myth' was- I believe- started by then-NME writer Stuart Maconie (big prog fan, too) who now presents various radio shows. |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: July 07 2008 at 10:42
Personally, all the time! And I ban my undergraduate students from using it! ------------- The best eclectic music on the Web,8-11pm BST/GMT THURS. CLICK ON: http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php - http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php Host by PA's Dick Heath. |
Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: July 07 2008 at 13:31
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Same with us, Dick- on both the Journalism and English Literature courses I did this year, we are banned from using Wikipedia at all times!
I've seen some bizarre stuff on there, to be fair- I remember someone posted about Phil Collins nearly two years back 'we are sad to announce the death of this great singer at the hands of the mafia'!! Didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that one...
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: July 09 2008 at 18:29
Raf Ravenscroft also played sax on Mike Oldfields Islands... I wonder if he was related to John Robert Parker Ravenscroft
 /edit: and Oldield's Earth Moving and Pink Floyd's The Final Cut, Roger Water's Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking and Brand X's Is There Anything About? - quite the 'prog' saxophonist  ------------- What? |
Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: July 10 2008 at 07:37
Well I'm shocked - and there was me thinking every word was truth sacrosanct 
James will be gutted -------------
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |