City to City | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by Gerry Rafferty | ||||
Released | 20 January 1978 | |||
Recorded | 1977, Chipping Norton Recording Studios | |||
Genre | Rock, folk rock, soft rock | |||
Length | 51:12 | |||
Label | United Artists | |||
Producer | Hugh Murphy and Gerry Rafferty | |||
Gerry Rafferty chronology | ||||
|
||||
Singles from City to City | ||||
|
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Robert Christgau | B− |
Rolling Stone | (not rated) |
City to City is a 1978 album and the second studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty. It was Rafferty's first solo release in six years—and first release of any kind since 1975—due to his tenure in the band Stealers Wheel and subsequent legal proceedings which prevented Rafferty from releasing any new solo recordings for the next three years. The album was strongly received, peaking at No. 1 in the US and going Platinum, as well as reaching No. 6 in the UK and achieving Gold status. "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line" and "Home and Dry" were successfully released as singles. By October 2010, "Baker Street" had reached 5 million plays on British radio.
All tracks written by Gerry Rafferty.
United Artists wanted to use "City to City" as the lead single from the album, but Rafferty felt that "Baker Street" would be a better choice and eventually the latter song became the first single in most countries (see "City to City" single release below). Released on 3 February 1978, "Baker Street" peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and spent four weeks at No. 1 in Canada. It reached No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, spending six weeks in this position, and two weeks at No. 1 on the US Cash Box Top 100. The B-side of "Baker Street" was "Big Change in the Weather".
"Right Down the Line" reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaked for two weeks at number eight on the Cash Box Top 100, and spent four non-consecutive weeks at number one on the Easy Listening chart in the US in 1978, the only Rafferty song to reach number one on this chart. Bonnie Raitt covered the song in 2012, including it in her Slipstream album.
"Home and Dry" was the third single from the album in the United States, but did not have a UK release. It peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking a third consecutive Top 40 hit for Rafferty on that chart. It reached No. 23 in Canada. The B-side featured the sixth track from City to City, "Mattie's Rag".