Baker Street is Gerry Rafferty's glorious and instantly recognisable hit.

It’s arguably the most popular track from his widely respected musical legacy. (Gerry sadly died aged just 63 in 2011)

His daughter Martha Rafferty recalls hearing him develop the melody in the attic of their Glasgow home. His inspiration for the lyrics came from a book by Colin Wilson about the sense of disconnection from the world that artists often feel.

Featuring:

Musician and founder member of Stealer's Wheel, Rab Noakes.
Singer-songwriter, Betsy Cook
Poet, Ian McMillan
Busker, Gavin Randle
Guitarist, Hugh Burns

Music featured:

An acoustic version of Baker Street is played especially for Soul Music by the Hugh Burns.

The original demo of Baker Street, on which Gerry Rafferty plays the famous sax solo on guitar.

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.

Producer: Karen Gregor (whose first decision when starting work on this programme was to NOT mention the urban myth about Bob Holness and the saxophone riff!)

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2012