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Stealers Wheel

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Stealers Wheel was a Scottish folk rock band from Paisley, formed in 1972 by two old school friends, Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty. That same year the group signed to A&M Records. The first album Stealers Wheel came out in October 1972, produced by the American songwriters and producers Leiber and Stoller. It received good reviews and also sold well. Remarkably, Rafferty left the band just before its release, after which Luther Grosvenor replaced him on tour.

Music and breakthrough

The most famous song is Stuck in the Middle with You. In 1973 it reached number six on the American Hot 100 and number eight in the United Kingdom. Rafferty was persuaded to return, but the other members left, and the band became a duo with changing backing musicians. The singles Everyone's Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine and, in 1974, Star followed. The second album Ferguslie Park from 1973, named after a district of Paisley, was a commercial failure. The music is acoustic folk pop, with Beatles-like melodies and layered vocals, complemented by guitar, harmonica and piano.

Influence

Because of tensions between Egan and Rafferty and business problems, the band stopped in 1975, around the time of the third album Right or Wrong. The song Stuck in the Middle with You lived on when Quentin Tarantino used it in 1992 in his debut film Reservoir Dogs, in a notorious scene. Louise made a dance version of it in 2001. In 2008 the band briefly got together again, without Egan and Rafferty. Rafferty died in 2011 and Egan in 2024.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Stuck in the Middle with You. Notice the half-sung, almost shaky vocals and how the rhythm keeps bouncing along, even in the quieter parts.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists