Stealers Wheel

Certain Songs #2455: Stealers Wheel – “Star”

October 5, 2022 by Jim Connelly

Album: Ferguslie Park
Year: 1973

. . .

Apparently, Gerry Rafferty — who’d already released a solo album — had quit Stealers Wheel before their 1972 debut album had even come out. But then “Stuck in the Middle With You” became a massive hit, and given how well Rafferty and Joe Egan sang together, Stealers Wheel reformed as essentially a duo for the follow-up, 1973’s Ferguslie Park.

And so, the decision was made to mine Ferguslie Park for the follow-up singles to “Stuck in the Middle With You,” hoping that lightning would strike again. But, of course, it didn’t.

Certain Songs #2454: Stealers Wheel – “Stuck in the Middle With You”

October 4, 2022 by Jim Connelly

Album: Stealers Wheel
Year: 1972

. . .

“Stuck in the Middle With You” came out at almost the exact moment I fell in love with KYNO-AM and spent all my time listening to it, and even though I don’t think I ever bought the single, it was definitely one of my favorite songs of 1973, and looking back, it’s pretty easy to see why.

Opening with an acoustic guitar, rumbling bass and handclap(!)-dominated rhythms, “Stuck in the Middle With You” wastes no time digging right into singer Gerry Rafferty’s dilemma: he wants to be Bob Dylan.