An artist as highly influential as Bob Dylan is bound to inspire some copycats. But one band did a Dylan impression so well that the audience thought it was him.
Most people have undoubtedly heard the song and had the thought, ‘Is that Dylan?’. The 1973 track from Stealers Wheel, ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’, is a huge hit. The song has sold over 600,000 certified units in the UK, earning it platinum status.
Tarantino’s film made ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’ an even bigger success by soundtracking the infamous torture scene from Reservoir Dogs. Taking the 1970s track into the 1990s and beyond, the song has become a completely timeless classic.
The Scottish duo Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty, who were only a band for a few years, wrote the song. ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’ is their only notable hit. But another singer is largely responsible for the song’s success.
Tired of slaving away in the music industry and dealing with men in suits, Stealers Wheel decided to air their grievances.’Stuck In The Middle With You makes fun of music’s many figures and stereotypes, referring to record label executives as “jokers” and “clowns” as they recount a party.
“We signed a contract with a big American company, and they threw a launch party in a chic restaurant in Chelsea”. Rafferty explained to the Record Collector. “There was a large table with about 50 people at it, including record company executives and their wives, as well as musicians and their wives, and the wine, was flowing.” On that wild night, two rather dull label executives and their wives sandwiched me. Joe Egan and I sat down two days later and wrote that song in half an hour.”
Despite telling their own story, Stealers Wheel did not receive full credit for the song’s release. Instead, when they heard it on the radio, they thought it was a new Bob Dylan song.
Listening back, it’s easy to see how the confusion occurred. The upbeat acoustic guitar reminds me of Dylan’s folk style. However, it is the vocals that have confused me. Gerry Rafferty’s country-tinged vocals sound exactly like Dylan’s, down to the strange enunciation. Fans have also noted that the track’s sense of paranoia is reminiscent of Dylan’s lyricism.
Rafferty claims that the likeness was unintentional. “That just happened by chance,” Rafferty explained. “The vocal inflections are reminiscent of Bob Dylan, and if there’s anything I’ve taken from him, it’s his phrasing.” I suppose the subject matter and rather dark humor are also similar to Dylan.”
Dylan’s parody feels appropriate in a song about the music industry and its clowns. After he switched to an electric guitar, people considered Dylan a sell-out. He stopped writing so much about politics while sitting at the top of the musical food chain.
Even today, people frequently incorrectly attribute the Stealer Wheel track to Dylan. But, given that the one-hit wonder was instrumental in the band’s success, they probably don’t mind.
