Raphael Ravenscroft facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raphael Ravenscroft
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Ravenscroft in 2014
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| Background information | |
| Born | 4 June 1954 Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England |
| Died | 19 October 2014 (aged 60) Exeter, Devon, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Saxophone |
| Associated acts | Gerry Rafferty |
Raphael Ravenscroft (born 4 June 1954 – died 19 October 2014) was a British musician, composer, and writer. He was best known for playing the saxophone on the famous song "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Raphael Ravenscroft was born in Stoke-on-Trent, England. He was the oldest son of Trevor Ravenscroft, who wrote a book called The Spear of Destiny. Raphael spent a lot of his younger years in Dumfries, Scotland, where his father lived.
Music Career Highlights
Playing Saxophone on "Baker Street"
In January 1978, Scottish singer Gerry Rafferty released his album City to City. Raphael Ravenscroft was a session musician, meaning he was hired to play on recordings. He was asked to play the saxophone on the album. His most famous part was the saxophone solo on the song "Baker Street".
"Baker Street" became a huge hit around the world. It reached number 3 in the UK and number 2 in the US. By 2010, the song had been played on the radio about 5 million times. The album City to City also did very well, reaching number 1 in the US.
Ravenscroft once shared that he was only paid £27.50 for playing on "Baker Street." This was the standard payment for musicians at that time. However, the song earned Gerry Rafferty a lot of money in royalties over the years.
The saxophone part in "Baker Street" is often called "the most famous saxophone solo of all time." It is one of the most recognizable saxophone tunes in pop music history.
Interestingly, Ravenscroft said in a 2011 interview that the solo bothered him because it was "out of tune." He felt it was slightly flat. He usually did not play "Baker Street" during interviews. The last time he played it was at a charity concert in 2014.
Ravenscroft worked with Gerry Rafferty from 1977 to 1982. He played on Rafferty's albums Night Owl (1979) and Snakes and Ladders (1980).
In 2011, he recorded a special song called "Forgiveness" to honor Gerry Rafferty after his death. He worked with producer Grice Peters and the Grammy-nominated choir Tenebrae.
Some people believe that the famous saxophone tune in "Baker Street" was inspired by an older jazz song. It is thought that Gerry Rafferty had already written a similar tune on guitar before Ravenscroft joined the recording.
Other Musical Work
After his success with "Baker Street," Raphael Ravenscroft played with many other famous artists. He worked with:
- Pink Floyd on their album The Final Cut (1983)
- ABBA
- Marvin Gaye
- America
- Daft Punk
- Kim Carnes
- Mike Oldfield
- Robert Plant
- Bonnie Tyler
In 1979, he released his own solo album called Her Father Didn't Like Me, Anyway. He also released a song called "Maxine" in 1983, which was played on the radio. In 1987, he helped create the new theme music for the TV show Crossroads.
Later in his career, Ravenscroft continued to play on albums for artists like Duffy and Mary Hopkin. He also contributed to the album Propeller by Grice Peters.
Writing and Other Projects
Raphael Ravenscroft also wrote several books about how to play the saxophone. One of his books was called The Complete Saxophone Player (1990).
In 2012, he created music for a series of films about the photographer Don McCullin. He also composed music for many advertising campaigns around the world. In 2014, he traveled to Belgium to help start a saxophone project called Sax4Pax.
Personal Life and Death
Raphael Ravenscroft was married and divorced twice. He had a daughter named Scarlett Raven, who is an artist.
Raphael Ravenscroft passed away on 19 October 2014, at the age of 60. He died in Exeter, England, from a suspected heart attack.
Collaborations
- City to City - Gerry Rafferty (1978)
- Night Owl - Gerry Rafferty (1979)
- Romance Dance - Kim Carnes (1980)
- Snakes and Ladders - Gerry Rafferty (1980)
- In Our Lifetime - Marvin Gaye (1981)
- The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking - Roger Waters (1984)
Images for kids
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Raphael Ravenscroft in 2014
See also
In Spanish: Raphael Ravenscroft para niños
