Stealers Wheel

The short but legendary recording career of Stealers Wheel is defined by the pinnacle reached with it's first two albums. Listening to this extraordinary self-titled 1972 debut effort it's easy to hear why many thought Jerry Rafferty and Joe Egan's Stealer's Wheel would become the UK's answer to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The duo's distinctive songwriting style is in full evidence, marrying ultra-catchy hooks and melodies to thoughtful but biting lyrics laced with black humor and sharp satire. As a band, Stealers Wheel was already disintegrating even as it was being formed. Players were being shifted in and out of the lineup right up to the recording sessions for this debut record, and leader Jerry Rafferty split from the band before the LP's official release. However, as "Stuck in the Middle" streaked up the charts in the US (peaking at #6) and the UK, Rafferty came back and the band became Rafferty and Egan plus backing players in the studio and on tour. Songs from Stealers Wheel's stellar first pair of LPs have gotten steady airplay since they were released, and of course Rafferty's breakout success with his solo album City to City shined a bright light on his earlier efforts. But there's no denying that Stealers Wheel became an indelible element of pop culture for generations to come when maverick director Quentin Tarantino built a major set piece of his own debut Reservoir Dogs around the infectious hooks of "Stuck in the Middle." The scene is as grisly as it is unforgettable and of course it's set up brilliantly by Steven Wright's styling as the world's driest DJ. K-Billy's Super Sounds of the '70s aren't complete without Stealers Wheel!