Right Down the Line

When you immerse yourself in Right Down the Line, you encounter a melody that invites calm, an interesting counterpoint to the energy of Baker Street, which preceded it as a single. This piece, written and recorded by Gerry Rafferty himself, was released in the United States in July of 1978. It was a track that resonated on the charts, reaching number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Adult Contemporary charts. In Canada, it also demonstrated its reach, peaking at number 5 on both the Pop and Adult Contemporary singles charts.

The recording of Right Down the Line took place in 1977 at Chipping Norton Recording Studios, located in Oxfordshire, England. Producer Hugh Murphy worked alongside Gerry Rafferty on the recording sessions. The song is part of the album City to City, which saw the light of day in early 1978. This album was significant for Rafferty, as it represented his first solo release in six years, following his time with the band Stealers Wheel and a period marked by legal disputes that limited his ability to release new material. The sound of Right Down the Line falls within the Soft rock genre, with a duration of 4:28 on its album version and a 3:33 edit for the single. The song's mixing was handled by Declan O’Doherty.