Sunday, December 13, 2020

Stealers Wheel: Star


A few weeks ago BBC4 screened a film on the life of Gerry Rafferty. It included this alongside the better known Baker Street and Stuck in the Middle With You.

Star was released as a single in 1973 and reached no. 25 in the UK singles chart.

As No Words, No Song points out:

the song features a number of unexpected elements for a record made in the midst of the glam rock era — including a mournful harmonica, a kazoo, some woodblocks and an upright piano sounding like something you used to find pushed against a back wall in those clubs which host promising acts on the way up and former superstars on the way down.

And two other points...

Though Gerry Rafferty was to become the more famous, Star was written and chiefly sung by his bandmate Joe Egan.

This recording comes from the classic West German music programme Beat Beat Beat, which was obviously still going strong in 1973.

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