Stealers Wheel have been greater than one-hit wonders, however they may all the time be remembered for his or her trademark single Caught within the Center With You (1973), from their eponymous debut album, launched the earlier 12 months. Written by Joe Egan, who has died aged 77, and Gerry Rafferty, it reached No 8 on the UK chart, earlier than going international and leaping to No 6 on the US chart. It offered greater than one million copies.
Over a rambling folk-rock beat, the track described a freak present during which the singer was surrounded by “clowns”, “jokers” and various parasites, prompting an assault of superior paranoia (“I’m so scared in case I fall off my chair”). Each the subject material and Rafferty’s whiny lead vocal (Egan sang the concord half) prompted comparisons with Bob Dylan, although there could also be a bit of little bit of Randy Newman’s Mama Informed Me To not Are available there too.
However there was an inherent instability in Stealers Wheel that prevented them from reaching the superstardom that appeared about to be thrust on them. Rafferty had already left the band by the point their first album appeared, so Egan took centre stage when the video for Caught within the Center was filmed.
The success of the album, which reached No 50 within the US chart, prompted Rafferty to return, however then everyone else give up besides Egan. They determined to proceed as a duo, bringing in extra musicians because the event required.
They’d additional singles success with Everybody’s Agreed That Every part Will Flip Out Tremendous (1973) and the next 12 months scored a High 30 hit on either side of the Atlantic with Star, however a second album, Ferguslie Park, was a flop, inflicting extreme tensions between Rafferty and Egan. The departure of their producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller heaped additional strain on the duo, and by the point their ultimate album, Proper Or Improper, appeared in 1975, Stealers Wheel had disintegrated.
Egan was born into an Irish Catholic household in Paisley, a dozen miles from Glasgow. He and Rafferty attended the identical main college, although Rafferty was a 12 months forward of him, and each subsequently enrolled at St Mirin’s academy, a Catholic secondary college for boys. Nonetheless, as Egan identified, “we didn’t actually hook up till we’d left”.
Egan’s first ambition was to change into knowledgeable footballer – he was a up to date of fellow Paisley native and future Scotland worldwide Archie Gemmill – however, as he put it, “when it grew to become clear that I believed I used to be higher than I really was, I threw myself headfirst into my music. That’s when Gerry and I bought collectively and have been a part of bands such because the Mavericks and the Sensors. It was a good time to be round as a result of the music scene in Paisley was buzzing.”
In 1969, Rafferty joined the folk-rock band the Humblebums, alongside Billy Connolly, they usually recorded a few albums earlier than splitting up. Rafferty recorded the solo album Can I Have My Cash Again? (1971), that includes Egan as backing vocalist, however, regardless of being described by Billboard journal as “high-grade folk-rock”, it offered poorly.
In 1972 the pair shaped Stealers Wheel, with the unique lineup accomplished by Rab Noakes, Roger Brown and Iain Campbell. This proved short-lived, and by the point the band signed to A&M Information later in 1972, Egan and Rafferty have been accompanied by Tony Williams, Paul Pilnick and Rod Coombes. The Stealers Wheel album was launched on the finish of the 12 months.
Rafferty went on to seek out his biggest success as a solo artist, having large hits with the albums Metropolis to Metropolis and Night time Owl and hovering up the UK and US charts together with his basic single Baker Avenue.
In the meantime, Egan loved extra modest returns together with his solo profession. He launched his first album, Out of Nowhere, in 1979, which generated some radio airplay with the observe Again on the Highway Once more. His follow-up album, Map, appeared in 1981, to little acclaim. In 1992, Egan sang backing vocals on Rafferty’s album On a Wing & a Prayer, and Rafferty’s album Over My Head (1994) included a number of Rafferty/Egan compositions.
Caught within the Center With You loved a dramatic revival when it featured in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Canines (1992), the place it accompanied a hair-raising scene during which policeman Marvin Nash (Kirk Baltz) is tortured by Mr Blonde (Michael Madsen). Tarantino was so satisfied that the track was indispensable to his movie that he blew his total music price range on it.
Egan subsequently retreated from the performing aspect of the music enterprise, and ran his personal publishing firm, Child Bun Music, from his house in Renfrewshire. He saved in contact with Rafferty till his dying in 2011, and described how they might “speak on the telephone for hours and reminisce concerning the outdated days”.
He’s survived by his spouse, Sylvia. Their daughter, Claire, predeceased him.
