Night Owl (Gerry Rafferty song)

"Night Owl" is a song by Gerry Rafferty. It is the second track on his 1979 album of the same name. It features a Lyricon solo played by "Baker Street" saxophonist Raphael Ravenscroft. An edited version, omitting one verse, made the top five in the UK Singles Chart, and along with "Baker Street" is one of two solo efforts by Gerry Rafferty to accomplish this feat.^[2]

"Night Owl"
Single by Gerry Rafferty
from the album Night Owl
B-side	"Why Won't You Talk To Me"
Released	11 May 1979[1]
Recorded	1978–1979
Genre	Soft rock
Length	4:24 (7" single edit) 6:09 (12" and album version)
Label	United Artists
Songwriter(s)	Gerry Rafferty
Producer(s)	Gerry Rafferty Hugh Murphy
Gerry Rafferty singles chronology
"Whatever's Written In Your Heart" (1978) "Night Owl" (1979) "Days Gone Down" (1979)

Inspiration

The song discusses themes of alcohol abuse,^[3] including autobiographical reflections delivered in the third person. It has been described by Rafferty's estate as a "memorable, top 30 melody with a pitiless self-portrait of an artist using alcohol to blur the edges of a world in which what is real, and valuable, is sometimes effusive".^[4]

Release

Though the single was a top-five hit for Rafferty in his native United Kingdom, "Night Owl" was never released in this format in North America, at a time when interest in Rafferty was at its peak after the success of his single "Baker Street" and album City to City a year earlier. In the US, "Days Gone Down" was used as the lead single from Night Owl instead.

The B-side on the original "Night Owl" single was the fourth track from the same album, "Why Won't You Talk To Me".^[5]

Charts

Chart (1979)	Peak Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6]	64
United Kingdom (Official Charts)	5

Certifications

Certifications for "Night Owl"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[7]	Silver	250,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.