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Born in 1949, Joe Egan already played along with his school friend Gerry Rafferty in various smaller British bands in the Sixties before they 1972 then succeeded with the creation of the folk-rock duo Stealers Wheel. With the surprise hit "Stuck in the Middle with You", written by Egan and Rafferty, they were able to place the song in the top ten of the American and British charts.
Rafferty then left the band, leaving Egan the role of bandleader. But even before the next recordings Rafferty returned to the band, which meant that all other musicians got out except Egan. The second album "Ferguslie Park " therefore was recorded by Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan as a duo with accompanying musicians. Two minor single hits were released, "Everyone's Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine" and "Star".
Thereafter, the partnership between Egan and Raffety did not longer seem to work. Before the release of the third album "Right or Wrong", sluggish sales and artistic differences led to the split of Stealers Wheel in 1975.
The two songwriters went separate ways. As both were still bound to complicated contracts, for three years they could not publish further recordings. So in 1979 Joe Egan released his first solo album "Out Of Nowhere", a number of top-class studio musicians like Gallagher & Lyle, Henry Spinetti, Dave Markee, Phil Palmer and Alan Parker accompanied him during the recordings. The critics were enthusiastic, especially in Germany ( "best folk-rock album of the year", "better than Raffertys debut album"). But the harmonious mix of folk and rock had very difficult in high times of Punk and New Wave. The single releases "Back on the Road" and "Out of Nowhere" didn't make it to the international charts. As Gerry Rafferty solo had struggling with similar problems, it came quite quickly to a reunion of Stealers Wheel. But the train had left.
Today Joe Egan is still active as a musician.
Sireena Records is proud to release the wonderful solo album "Out of Nowhere" back on record. In a limited edition of 1000 copies in white vinyl. 180 gram heavy-weight.
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