His drinking increased with commercial success and subsequent attempts to play out. Neither fame nor fortune mattered to him. There were other punishing blows to his psyche. Rafferty and Murphy practically had to beg them to put it out, but once they did on February 3, 1978, the song took off like Ravenscrofts spiralling saxophone. Rafferty was rarely seen in public in recent years, though there were many reports in the British press about his battles with alcoholism. Musican Raphael Ravenscroft, who played the song's famous saxophone melody, described Rafferty as "a fantastic writer" who "wrote some of my favourite songs of all time.". In his later years his output declined, then stopped altogether as he spiraled into alcoholism, Mr. Gray said. He wanted to understand why we were here. Better, more representative songs would be Shipyard Town from North And South a rousing version of which Jack Bruce performed at that Glasgow concert the stately The Right Moment, or any of the other deep, soulful songs on which the big bear of a man from north of the border with the aching voice and too-wounded heart bared himself. Musically and lyrically. Rafferty's musical career began in the late 1960s as a member of the Humblebums, a folk-rock band that also . for a total of 13 years and during that period interviewed everyone from Sir Paul McCartney, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen to Noel Gallagher, Adele and Take That. However, Rafferty never jived with the music industry. Unfortunately, Raffertys struggle with alcohol addiction would end his marriage. He contributed a vocal to the soundtrack of the 1983 film Local Hero, and produced the Proclaimers 1987 hit Letter From America.. It has a rolling, smooth groove with a synthesizer and saxophone peaks. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Paul Rees been a professional writer and journalist for more than 20 years. It's Prog's brand new Tracks Of The Week! I spent a year in the slab room before getting a place at Glasgow School of Art, and didnt see much of him until some years later when I was married and he was playing in a band.. A third album, Right Or Wrong, followed in 1975, but by that point Stealers Wheel was already over, broken on the wheel of their own internal bickering and the collapse of their management.