Stealers Wheel

Encased in a classy sleeve painted by Scottish playwright John "Patrick" Byrne, the first LP from the tumultuous Stealers Wheel is a debonair affair comprised of the kind of accomplished and polished pub pop for which impetus Gerry Rafferty would become known as he subsequently rode out the decade on the sublime radio single "Baker Street ." Rafferty released his first solo slab, Can I Have My Money Back? (the title already showing signs of unrest) in 1971, and brought amigo Joe Egan from those sessions to the princely proceeding here. Worthy musical moments abound, all forever overshadowed by the clever corporate-snub "Stuck in the Middle With You" which branded the duo a one-hit wonder when the track took on a life of its own…

Encased in a classy sleeve painted by Scottish playwright John "Patrick" Byrne, the first LP from the tumultuous Stealers Wheel is a debonair affair comprised of the kind of accomplished and polished pub pop for which impetus Gerry Rafferty would become known as he subsequently rode out the decade on the sublime radio single "Baker Street ." Rafferty released his first solo slab, Can I Have My Money Back? (the title already showing signs of unrest) in 1971, and brought amigo Joe Egan from those sessions to the princely proceeding here. Worthy musical moments abound, all forever overshadowed by the clever corporate-snub "Stuck in the Middle With You" which branded the duo a one-hit wonder when the track took on a life of its own…

You've probably discovered by now that "Stuck In The Middle With You," the single you thought was the best Dylan record since 1966, is actually by a Scottish group named Stealers Wheel.

Scottish singer, songwriter, and guitarist Gerry Rafferty was an often reclusive and iconoclastic artist throughout his career, which began with the Humblebums in the late '60s, then went international with Stealers Wheel in the mid-'70s and the huge hit "Stuck in the Middle with You," only to top out with his solo success at the end of the decade with the masterful “Baker Street” in 1978. This 54-track, three-disc set collects the key and essential sides from Rafferty's time with the Humblebums and Stealers Wheel and from his subsequent solo years to make a fine and in-depth portrait of this unique, gifted, and often overlooked artist.

This is the third and final release in Lemon's fantastic series of Stealers Wheel albums and will almost certainly follow on the runaway success achieved by the first two albums. Originally released in 1975, the album has never been available on CD before and really is a must for all old and new fans of the band around the globe. The package features all original artwork plus bonus sleevenotes whilst the record itself has been digitally remastered in the usual Lemon style.

Ferguslie Park was recorded after a dizzying string of changes in Stealers Wheel - co-founder Gerry Rafferty's exit soon after finishing the group's first LP, his replacement by Luther Grosvenor and the delayed climb of "Stuck in the Middle with You," Rafferty's return, and the firing of all involved and the reduction of the group to its founding duo of Rafferty and Joe Egan. The resulting album, recorded with some nine support players (including ex-Herd members Gary Taylor and Andrew Steele, plus guitarists Joe Jammer and Bernie Holland), conductor/arranger Richard Hewson in support, and Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller producing, is an upbeat if somewhat less focused work than its predecessor - the mix of hard rock ("What More Could You Want") and lean, melodic songs ("Good Businessman") highlighted by lush choruses, and augmented with occasional spacy digressions…

Ferguslie Park was recorded after a dizzying string of changes in Stealers Wheel - co-founder Gerry Rafferty's exit soon after finishing the group's first LP, his replacement by Luther Grosvenor and the delayed climb of "Stuck in the Middle with You," Rafferty's return, and the firing of all involved and the reduction of the group to its founding duo of Rafferty and Joe Egan. The resulting album, recorded with some nine support players (including ex-Herd members Gary Taylor and Andrew Steele, plus guitarists Joe Jammer and Bernie Holland), conductor/arranger Richard Hewson in support, and Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller producing, is an upbeat if somewhat less focused work than its predecessor - the mix of hard rock ("What More Could You Want") and lean, melodic songs ("Good Businessman") highlighted by lush choruses, and augmented with occasional spacy digressions…

This is the third and final release in Lemon's fantastic series of Stealers Wheel albums and will almost certainly follow on the runaway success achieved by the first two albums. Originally released in 1975, the album has never been available on CD before and really is a must for all old and new fans of the band around the globe. The package features all original artwork plus bonus sleevenotes whilst the record itself has been digitally remastered in the usual Lemon style.