antiques

And

furthering his career:

“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right.

“Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.”

He found his frustrations maddening:

“Trying to make some sense of it all.

“But I can see that it makes no sense at all.

“Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor?

“‘Cause I don’t think that I can take anymore.”

Stealers Wheel cut a trio of albums, but by the time the first one was issued, Rafferty had already left the outfit. Stealers Wheel officially disbanded in 1975, and for three years Rafferty’s creative hands were tied by legal hassles that prevented him from releasing new material.

In 1978, his 6 million-selling LP “City to City” featured his signature song, the worldwide hit, “Baker Street.” As a result, his success brought Rafferty financial independence — thanks, ironically, to the industry that he despised.