Quibbles And Bits: Sorry Drew, Didn’t Mean It!

by Kevin Burton    In a recent post about Elton John and his struggles with vision loss, I made an offhanded, rash statement. Today I make a correction.    I hope it’s not too late.    I wondered in print about what I would say to Sir Elton about blindness in the very unlikely event …

Gerry Rafferty Was Born 77 Years Ago Today

by Kevin Burton    The headline to an article in The Independent called Gerry Rafferty a “bipolar alcoholic industry misfit.” His biographers including his daughter Martha dispute none of that.    The article was printed on the occasion of the 2021 release of “Rest In Blue” an album of Rafferty demos polished and completed by …

“No Hard Feelings” By Eric Carmen Is A Gem

by Kevin Burton     You remember Eric Carmen for “All By Myself” and for the Raspberries’ “Go All The Way.” But it’s one of his B-sides that resonates most with me.    We got word last week that Carmen had died at age 74. The news sent my mind to several places, including to a …

New Beatles Song Is Neither Now Nor Then

by Kevin Burton    Think of the individual Beatles’ colossal talents, with egos to match. Think of the group putting together an album.    It’s John Lennon trying to get his songs on the record, Paul McCartney doing the same and George Harrison fighting to be heard at all.    There is creativity, artistry, but …

Stuck In The Middle With Merriam-Webster

by Kevin Burton    I hope you don’t find this a middling effort, but today we bring to you, words about the middle.    This is a list from the Merriam-Webster dictionary, but it reminds me of the late, great Gerry Rafferty. While a member of Stealers Wheel, Rafferty wrote “Stuck In The Middle With …

More Rafferty, More ABBA Coming

by Kevin Burton    Here’s great news about even more new Gerry Rafferty music.    Rafferty’s daughter Martha did an interview Aug. 31 on BBC Scotland. Twice she told host Roddy Hart that there was other unfinished music she hoped would come out “later.”    The Scottish singer/songwriter was working on several new songs just …

A Moment To Savor With Gerry Rafferty

by Kevin Burton    The hit sniffers at United Artists wanted the title track from Gerry Rafferty’s 1978 smash album “City To City” to be the first song released as a single.    Rafferty knew better, successfully spoke up for the sonic masterpiece “Baker Street” as the first single and the rest is history.    …

Last Echoes From The Brilliant Rafferty

by Kevin Burton    Thanks to his daughter Martha, we have a new studio album from Gerry Rafferty, ten years after his death.    Parlophone Records released “Rest In Blue” on Friday.  It’s a revamping of the songs he was working on at the time of his death.    For dedicated Rafferty fans it’s a …

Great Anticipation For New Rafferty Music

by Kevin Burton    Hot-buttered joy for breakfast baby, Gerry Rafferty is back!    His family is set to release a new CD of his music ten years after his death.       This is big, big news in my house.  Rest In Blue is set for release Sept. 3. That’s close enough to my …