Stuck in the Middle with You
| "Stuck in the Middle with You" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Stealers Wheel | |
| from the album Stealers Wheel | |
| Released | 1972 |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 3:23 |
| Label | Lemon Recordings |
| Writer(s) | Gerry Rafferty, Joe Egan |
| Producer | Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller |
"Stuck in the Middle with You"[1][2][3] (sometimes known as "Stuck in the Middle"[4]) is a song written by Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan and originally performed by their band Stealers Wheel. The song was inspired by a real occasion when the record company and producers were conducting business across Rafferty and Egan at a restaurant table.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
"Stuck in the Middle" was released on Stealers Wheel's 1972 self-titled debut album.[5] Gerry Rafferty provided the lead vocals, with Joe Egan singing harmony. The song was conceived initially by the band members as a parody of Bob Dylan's distinctive lyrical style and paranoia. The band was surprised by the single's chart success.[6] The single sold over one million copies, eventually peaking in 1973 at #6 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and #8 in the UK Singles Chart. It was produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.[7]
[edit] In popular culture
In 1992, "Stuck In the Middle With You" was used in Quentin Tarantino's debut film Reservoir Dogs. The song was played in the ear-cutting scene in which Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) taunts and tortures a bound police officer while singing and dancing to the song.[8]
In 1996, the song was played in the film Bio-Dome in a scene when Bud (Pauly Shore) and Doyle (Stephen Baldwin) break into a storage room and begin eating all the junk food.
In 2000, the song was used in the American sitcom Malcolm In the Middle, in the first season's episode "Funeral"; in which Hal (Bryan Cranston) plays the song loudly on an old record, oblivious to the chaos unfolding around him in the house.
The song was inspired by a real occasion when the record company and producers were conducting business across Rafferty and Egan at a restaurant table.[9]
[edit] Cover versions
Country-pop singer Juice Newton remade the song on her 1985 album Old Flame. Jeff Healey recorded a cover version of "Stuck in the Middle With You" in 1995. Bangles member Susanna Hoffs covered the song on her eponymous 1996 release. English singer Louise Redknapp recorded a cover version in 2001, which reached #4 in the UK in 2001.[10] The Eagles of Death Metal have also released a cover version of this song on their album, Peace, Love, Death Metal titled, "Stuck in the Metal". Michael Bublé also covered it with an upbeat brass arrangement. Collin Raye released a version of the song on his 2009 album Never Going Back. Keith Urban did a country-flavored version with his short-lived The Ranch, which was omitted from their contemporaneous late 90's release but included by the label as a bonus track on the disc's 2004 reissue. In 2012 The Bo-Keys recorded a Memphis Soul style version for a fund raising cd titled "Super Hits Of The Seventies" for radio station WFMU.[11]
[edit] References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc.. p. 675. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 527. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Stealers Wheel sleeve image
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/Stealers-Wheel/dp/B0001AEVGI
- ^ Gracenote: Album > Stealers Wheel - Stealers Wheel :[1]
- ^ Chilton, Martin, "Gerry Rafferty and his songs of alienation", Daily Telegraph, 5 January 2011
- ^ Always Magic in the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era (ISBN 9780670034567): Ken Emerson
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=komvFIGYBYM
- ^ "Gerry Rafferty: Right Down the Line". ArtWorks Scotland. BBC Two. 29 August 2011. 22.57 minutes in. "The song documents an actual night at the table of a London restaurant with record company executives at one end and potential producers at the other and business being conducted around Gerry and Joe."
- ^ "Louise: Artist: Official Charts". Official Charts Company. http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/louise/. Retrieved 14th February 2012.
- ^ Super Hits Of The 70's
