In 1973, Stealers Wheel seemed to have stumbled onto the perfect formula. “Stuck in the Middle with You” was catchy, clever, and suddenly everywhere. Behind that breezy record, however, the Scottish band was already coming apart. In fact, singer Gerry Rafferty had temporarily quit the band before the song even became a hit.
Two Friends From Paisley
The story began with Rafferty and Joe Egan, two singer-songwriters from Paisley, Scotland, who had known each other since their teenage years. Rafferty had already recorded solo material and performed with the Humblebums, the folk group that also included future comedian Billy Connolly.
Rafferty and Egan formed Stealers Wheel in 1972. Several musicians passed through the early lineup before it settled around Rafferty, Egan, guitarist Paul Pilnick, bassist Tony Williams, and drummer Rod Coombes.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Legendary Producers Arrived
Stealers Wheel landed an A&M Records deal and received an impressive production team for their self-titled debut: Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
These weren't ordinary producers. Leiber and Stoller had written or produced numerous early rock and R&B classics, and their involvement gave the young Scottish band considerable credibility. The resulting Stealers Wheel (1972) contained the song that would define everybody involved.
Stuck In The Middle
Rafferty and Egan co-wrote “Stuck in the Middle with You,” with Rafferty singing lead and Egan providing harmony. The song's famously Dylan-like delivery was deliberate, while its lyrics poked fun at the strange personalities and pressures surrounding the music business.
It sounded effortless. The circumstances surrounding it were anything but.
Rafferty Walked Away
Before the album had really taken off, Rafferty left Stealers Wheel.
He later explained that he disliked the pressure being placed upon the group and had reservations about its management. One particular point of contention was a proposed American tour that Rafferty didn't want to undertake. Luther Grosvenor, later known as Ariel Bender of Mott the Hoople, was brought in to replace him.
Then something awkward happened.
The record became enormous.
Suddenly They Had A Hit
Released as a single in 1973, “Stuck in the Middle with You” became an international success, reaching the American Top 10 and selling more than a million copies. Stealers Wheel had suddenly become the kind of successful band Rafferty had just left.
Management encouraged him to return.
Rafferty and Egan talked, and Rafferty came back. But instead of restoring the original band, the success effectively transformed Stealers Wheel into a vehicle centered on its two songwriters. Most of the other members departed.
David Warner Ellis/Redferns, Getty Images
Trying To Do It Again
Rafferty and Egan returned to the studio with Leiber and Stoller and recorded Ferguslie Park (1973), named after an area of their hometown.
The album contained strong material, including Egan's “Star,” which became a modest hit. But nothing came remotely close to “Stuck in the Middle with You.” Commercial expectations were now considerably higher, and the disappointing performance of the second album increased the pressure on the partnership.
Things Got Worse
The problem wasn't simply that Stealers Wheel couldn't repeat its biggest hit.
Rafferty and Egan were increasingly at odds, while their relationship with Leiber and Stoller also ended. Management and contractual problems added another layer of difficulty. Stealers Wheel effectively disappeared for an extended period while its members tried to untangle the mess surrounding them.
A third album still had to be delivered.
An Album Without A Band
Rafferty and Egan eventually completed Right or Wrong (1975), working with additional musicians and production help that included Mentor Williams.
But by the time the album appeared, Stealers Wheel was essentially finished. Rafferty and Egan had split, their management company had encountered severe financial trouble, and contractual disputes would prevent both men from simply moving on and immediately releasing new records.
The group that had seemed poised for a major future barely three years earlier was gone.
Screenshot from Baker Street, United Artists Records (1978)
Rafferty Got Another Chance
Egan subsequently released the solo albums Out of Nowhere (1979) and Map (1981), but Rafferty eventually achieved the enormous solo success that had eluded Stealers Wheel.
Once his legal difficulties were resolved, Rafferty recorded City to City (1978). Its haunting saxophone-driven single “Baker Street” reached No. 2 in the United States, while the album itself became a major international success.
Rafferty had finally escaped the middle.
The Song Came Back
The classic Stealers Wheel lineup never enjoyed a proper second act, but their biggest song certainly did.
Nearly two decades later, Quentin Tarantino used “Stuck in the Middle with You” during the notorious torture scene in Reservoir Dogs (1992). The disturbing sequence gave the cheerful-sounding record an entirely new cultural identity and introduced Stealers Wheel to listeners who hadn't even been born when the band broke apart.
It's a strangely appropriate legacy. “Stuck in the Middle with You” sounds like the carefree beginning of a success story. But it arrived almost exactly when the people who created it were discovering how difficult success could be.
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