Why do we think Bob Holness was the Baker Street saxophonist?

Written on January 5, 2011 by Editor - BBC News
Bob Holness

As the nation mourns the sad passing of singer Gerry Rafferty, the myth involving his famous song Baker Street and a certain quiz show host has received a fresh airing. So how did it come about?

Mention Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street and it's not long before someone pipes up with the classic "Did you know…" associated with the song.

The story goes that quiz show host Bob Holness, a radio and television presenter known to millions for his 12 years on ITV's Blockbusters, played the saxophone solo that defined the track.

It's not true, of course. The real saxophonist was a Scottish musician named Raphael Ravenscroft.

So firmly is this untruth embedded in people's minds that in Twitter discussions following Rafferty's death, it was Holness's name that came up time and again, although sometimes in a very knowing way.

It is thought the myth first appeared as a blatant spoof in the Believe It Or Not column in NME's Thrills page, in 1990.

Music writer Stuart Maconie, who was once NME's assistant editor, has claimed responsibility.

"My personal and silly part in a sad story is that as an NME writer I invented the urban myth claiming that Bob played the sax solo on Gerry's 1978 hit Baker Street," he said, writing this week.

THE ANSWERThe real saxophonist was Raphael RavenscroftThe myth is widely thought to have been started by a spoof column in NMEBroadcaster Tommy Boyd has also laid claim

"That's not true. What is, is that Gerry's enigmatic, wry songcraft and his way with a nagging melody made him a reluctant star in successive eras of 70s pop.

"But most famously his single Baker Street was a worldwide hit - helped by his melancholic delivery and that unforgettable sax line, played not by Blockbusters host Bob but Raphael Ravenscroft."

But Maconie may not provide the whole story. Tommy Boyd has also said he was the first to make the connection, years before Maconie, while a DJ on London's LBC, looking for false stories for a quiz.

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"The idea of someone as neat and tidy as Bob being able to swing out a raunchy sax came easily, and I ran 'True or false: Bob Holness played sax on Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street?' for one night."

Whatever the exact genesis, it gained momentum and Holness was often questioned about it.

Years later, he said: "I would have loved to have been responsible for that tremendous sax solo but I can't play a note."

It's one of those pop legends that has been repeated many times, says Simon Warner, lecturer in popular music studies at the University of Leeds.

'SO LUDICROUS'

The saxophone solo was so ubiquitous in the late 70s that it was fertile ground for this kind of fanciful tale, says Neil McCormick, rock critic on the Daily Telegraph.

"It probably took hold because it was so ludicrous that people would repeat it as a fact.

"When you're a kid and someone tells you something , then 20 years later you realise that they were lying, and your dad wasn't actually a cowboy, just as the words leave your mouth."

"It used to pop up in pub quizzes and pub conversations - was Bob Holness the man who played the sax or not?

"I remember Baker Street being out and the sax solo had quite a memorable quality to it. The riff left its mark on pop fans. It was a hit and everyone knew the line, so when this rumour was put around, people took an interest.

"Blockbusters was beginning to make an impression at the time so there was this double level of popular cultural exposure, through the music and the TV programme. It's so absurd that it had a ring of truth to it."

But beware from discounting all fanciful facts involving Bob Holness.

He was the second actor to portray James Bond, starring in a radio adaptation of Moonraker in 1956.

As child I remember watching an episode of Blockbusters where a question was asked about Rafferty's Baker Street. After the points were awarded Bob looked into camera with a twinkle in his eye and mentioned what a great sax solo it was and members of the audience shared a little laugh with him. At the time I had not heard the rumours (and had no idea what the the joke they were sharing was) and just assumed it must've been Bob who played it. Next day at school I inadvertently started up the same rumour believing it was true.

Alex Mileman, Fulham, London

This is not the only myth associated with Bob Holness - he's been said to have been lead guitarist on Derek and the Dominoes' "Layla" and making Elvis Presley laugh on Are You Lonesome Tonight?. In a way it's a tribute to how popular Bob is: perhaps we'd like to believe he really did all that.

John Gammon, Brighton

Very like the 'John Peel playing mandolin on Maggie May' story. The real musician was one of Lindisfarne. Peel mimed playing the instrument on one episode of Top of the Pops. For some reason the real mandolin player wasn't credited by Rod Stewart though.

Peter, Notts

"It probably took hold because it was so ludicrous that people would repeat it as a fact." I don't think it was that ludicrous a tale. Baker Street was released during what could be described as the "era of the all-round entertainer" -think Des O'Connor, Leslie Crowther, and of course Brucie. Bob Holness: Baker Street Saxophonist may've seemed surprising, but still credible enough tell someone else about.

Matthew Webb, Bath, Somerset

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