John Otway
Encyclopedia
John Otway, is an English
singer-songwriter
, who has built a sizeable cult audience through extensive touring, a surreal
sense of humour and a self-deprecating underdog persona.
and a gymnastic performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test. His sixth single
, the half-spoken love song "Really Free" reached number 27 in the UK Singles Chart
in 1977. It would be his greatest success for some time and consequently is still easy to track down on the second-hand market. Much scarcer is the picture cover which was only present on a small proportion of the singles. Rarer still, and almost impossible to find, is the advertising sleeve, a die-cut thin paper sleeve printed with an advert for the debut album, snippets of newspaper and magazine reviews and a cut-out "Really Free" body sticker. The song
earned him a five album
deal with Polydor Records
, who viewed him as a punk
rather than merely an eccentric. His first album, recorded with Wild Willy Barrett
, was produced by Pete Townshend
but sold only fitfully. The follow-up single
s fared no better despite some imaginative promotion
, which included an offer for Otway to come to a buyer's house and perform the 1979 single, "Frightened And Scared", if their copy was one of only three copies from which the vocal
had been omitted. Otway's and Barrett's only other UK
chart
success came in July 1980 with "DK 50-80", a modest #45 hit.
When Otway turned solo, his audience remained loyal despite poor record sales, and perhaps because of the possibility of physical injury during renditions of songs such as "Headbutts". In the mid 80s, he often appeared on Vivian
and Ki Longfellow-Stanshall
's showboat, the Old Profanity Showboat
, in Bristol
's Floating Harbour. When his music career faltered, the resourceful Otway diversified by co-authoring a play, Verbal Diary. He created a role for himself playing a disorganized, likable twit, and by playing himself to perfection, he found other work playing the same character in commercials on the television.
His 1990 autobiography, Cor Baby, That's Really Me (subtitled Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure) was a study in self-deprecation, and his touring continued to sustain him. Within weeks the book outsold almost all of his albums. In the 1990s, he toured as "Headbutts and Halibuts", with Attila the Stockbroker
with whom he wrote a surreal rock opera
called Cheryl. In 1992 Otway appeared at GuilFest
. In 1993 he was able to draw 2,500 fans to a gig
in London
and, in 1998, 4,000 celebrated his birthday with him at the Royal Albert Hall
, coinciding with the release of Premature Adulation, his first album of new material for over ten years.
By then, Otway had realised he could use his fanbase, who were in on the joke, to engage in minor publicity stunt
s. A grassroots
campaign
saw his "Beware of the Flowers Cause I'm Sure They're Going to Get You Yeah" voted the seventh greatest lyric of all time in a BBC
poll. In 2002, when asked what he wanted for his 50th birthday, he requested "a second hit". A concerted drive, including a poll (scrutinised by the Electoral Reform Society
) to select the track, saw "Bunsen Burner" — with music sampled from the Trammps song "Disco Inferno
" and lyrics
devised to help his daughter with her chemistry
homework — reach number nine in the UK Singles Chart on 6 October, and earned Otway an appearance on Top Of The Pops
, BBC Television
's flagship popular music
programme. To encourage fans to buy more than one copy each of the single, he released three different versions. The flip-side of "Bunsen Burner — The Hit Mix" was a cover of "The House of the Rising Sun
" recorded at Abbey Road Studios
and featuring 900 of his fans on backing vocals, each of whom was credited by name on the single's sleeve. Thanks to this second hit he has now been able to release his Greatest Hits album. Commenting on the fact that the title of this album is now in the plural, Otway said that he was very proud of it, having "finally got it (the 's') on the right side of Hit".
Otway currently tours as a solo act; as a duo
with Richard Holgarth; and often with his Big Band which includes Murray Torkildsen
, Seymour, Adam Batterbee and guest keyboard
player Barry Upton
. Throughout 2005 and 2006 Otway teamed up with The Hamsters
and Wilko Johnson
as part of The Mad, the Bad & the Dangerous
tour. A DVD of the tour was released in 2007.
A world tour was planned in October 2006. Otway, his band and 300 fans were to embark on a world tour with gigs in Las Vegas
, Sydney
, Shanghai
and Dubai
. However, due to insufficient numbers (150 signed up) the tour was cancelled.
Otway rejoined Wild Willy Barrett for a UK tour from August to October 2009.
Otway now has a motorcycle club of fans called Beware of the Flowers MCC.
He delivers occasional (humorous) lectures on the theme, "Making success out of failure", and the sequel to his autobiography, I Did It Otway (also subtitled Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure) was published in May 2010. The book was designed by John Haxby who has also designed Otway's album sleeves over the past 15 years.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, who has built a sizeable cult audience through extensive touring, a surreal
Surreal humour
Surreal humour is a form of humour based on violations of causal reasoning with events and behaviours that are logically incongruent. Constructions of surreal humour involve bizarre juxtapositions, non-sequiturs, irrational situations, and/or expressions of nonsense.The humour arises from a...
sense of humour and a self-deprecating underdog persona.
Biography
Although his first single, "Gypsy"/"Misty Mountain" was released in 1972, Otway shot to fame on the back of punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and a gymnastic performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test. His sixth single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, the half-spoken love song "Really Free" reached number 27 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in 1977. It would be his greatest success for some time and consequently is still easy to track down on the second-hand market. Much scarcer is the picture cover which was only present on a small proportion of the singles. Rarer still, and almost impossible to find, is the advertising sleeve, a die-cut thin paper sleeve printed with an advert for the debut album, snippets of newspaper and magazine reviews and a cut-out "Really Free" body sticker. The song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
earned him a five album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
deal with Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
, who viewed him as a punk
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
rather than merely an eccentric. His first album, recorded with Wild Willy Barrett
Wild Willy Barrett
Wild Willy Barrett is an English folk singer from Hemel Hempstead best known for his collaborations with John Otway. His musical style is witty and his humour onstage is dry. He is known for virtuoso fiddle playing, ability with a great number of stringed instruments, and playing slide guitar with...
, was produced by Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
but sold only fitfully. The follow-up single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s fared no better despite some imaginative promotion
Promotion (marketing)
Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....
, which included an offer for Otway to come to a buyer's house and perform the 1979 single, "Frightened And Scared", if their copy was one of only three copies from which the vocal
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
had been omitted. Otway's and Barrett's only other UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
success came in July 1980 with "DK 50-80", a modest #45 hit.
When Otway turned solo, his audience remained loyal despite poor record sales, and perhaps because of the possibility of physical injury during renditions of songs such as "Headbutts". In the mid 80s, he often appeared on Vivian
Vivian Stanshall
Vivian Stanshall was an English singer-songwriter, painter, musician, author, poet and wit, best known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, for his surreal exploration of the British upper classes in Sir Henry at Rawlinson End, and for narrating Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells.-The great...
and Ki Longfellow-Stanshall
Ki Longfellow
Ki Longfellow is an American novelist, playwright, theatrical producer, theater director and entrepreneur. In Britain, as the widow of Vivian Stanshall, she is well known as the guardian of his artistic heritage, but elsewhere she is best known for her own work, especially the novel The Secret...
's showboat, the Old Profanity Showboat
Thekla
Thekla may refer to:* The Thekla , originally a theatre based aboard a sea ship, now a music venue in Bristol, England* Thekla, suburb in Leipzig, site of a subcamp of Buchenwald* Thekla Lark, species of Lark...
, in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
's Floating Harbour. When his music career faltered, the resourceful Otway diversified by co-authoring a play, Verbal Diary. He created a role for himself playing a disorganized, likable twit, and by playing himself to perfection, he found other work playing the same character in commercials on the television.
His 1990 autobiography, Cor Baby, That's Really Me (subtitled Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure) was a study in self-deprecation, and his touring continued to sustain him. Within weeks the book outsold almost all of his albums. In the 1990s, he toured as "Headbutts and Halibuts", with Attila the Stockbroker
Attila the Stockbroker
Attila the Stockbroker is a punk poet, and a folk punk musician and songwriter. He performs solo and as the leader of the band Barnstormer...
with whom he wrote a surreal rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
called Cheryl. In 1992 Otway appeared at GuilFest
GuilFest
GuilFest, formerly the Guildford Festival of Folk and Blues is a music festival held in Stoke Park, Guildford, England each July. The festival, like the larger Glastonbury Festival, features a range of genres including rock, folk, blues, and in recent years pop...
. In 1993 he was able to draw 2,500 fans to a gig
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and, in 1998, 4,000 celebrated his birthday with him at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, coinciding with the release of Premature Adulation, his first album of new material for over ten years.
By then, Otway had realised he could use his fanbase, who were in on the joke, to engage in minor publicity stunt
Publicity stunt
A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized or set up by amateurs...
s. A grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
saw his "Beware of the Flowers Cause I'm Sure They're Going to Get You Yeah" voted the seventh greatest lyric of all time in a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
poll. In 2002, when asked what he wanted for his 50th birthday, he requested "a second hit". A concerted drive, including a poll (scrutinised by the Electoral Reform Society
Electoral Reform Society
The Electoral Reform Society is a political pressure group based in the United Kingdom which promotes electoral reform. It is believed to be the oldest organisation concerned with electoral systems in the world.-Aims:...
) to select the track, saw "Bunsen Burner" — with music sampled from the Trammps song "Disco Inferno
Disco Inferno
Disco Inferno is a song by The Trammps.Disco Inferno can also refer to:* Disco Inferno , a 1976 disco album recorded by The Trammps featuring the song* Disco Inferno , a band formed in the late 1980s...
" and lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
devised to help his daughter with her chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
homework — reach number nine in the UK Singles Chart on 6 October, and earned Otway an appearance on Top Of The Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
's flagship popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
programme. To encourage fans to buy more than one copy each of the single, he released three different versions. The flip-side of "Bunsen Burner — The Hit Mix" was a cover of "The House of the Rising Sun
The House of the Rising Sun
"The House of the Rising Sun" is a folk song from the United States. Also called "House of the Rising Sun" or occasionally "Rising Sun Blues", it tells of a life gone wrong in New Orleans...
" recorded at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
and featuring 900 of his fans on backing vocals, each of whom was credited by name on the single's sleeve. Thanks to this second hit he has now been able to release his Greatest Hits album. Commenting on the fact that the title of this album is now in the plural, Otway said that he was very proud of it, having "finally got it (the 's') on the right side of Hit".
Otway currently tours as a solo act; as a duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with Richard Holgarth; and often with his Big Band which includes Murray Torkildsen
Murray Torkildsen
Murray Torkildsen is a singer and songwriter based in the United Kingdom, who was a member of The Sweeney and also guitarist in John Otway's band.-Biography:...
, Seymour, Adam Batterbee and guest keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
player Barry Upton
Barry Upton
Barry Upton is an English songwriter, arranger, musician and producer of various forms of pop music. He is also a audio engineer and stage performer having appeared around the world in various capacities.-Career:...
. Throughout 2005 and 2006 Otway teamed up with The Hamsters
The Hamsters
The Hamsters are a band from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England.They performed their first live show at the Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea, on 1 April 1987. They initially played in local pubs with no ambitions to take themselves seriously or to turn professional...
and Wilko Johnson
Wilko Johnson
Wilko Johnson is an English guitarist and songwriter, particularly associated with the UK rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood in the 1970s.-Career:...
as part of The Mad, the Bad & the Dangerous
The Mad, the Bad & the Dangerous
The Mad, The Bad & The Dangerous Tour was a national UK tour by The Hamsters, The Wilko Johnson Band, and John Otway with his guitarist Richard Holgarth. It is also the name of the DVD recording of the tour.-The tour:...
tour. A DVD of the tour was released in 2007.
A world tour was planned in October 2006. Otway, his band and 300 fans were to embark on a world tour with gigs in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
. However, due to insufficient numbers (150 signed up) the tour was cancelled.
Otway rejoined Wild Willy Barrett for a UK tour from August to October 2009.
Otway now has a motorcycle club of fans called Beware of the Flowers MCC.
He delivers occasional (humorous) lectures on the theme, "Making success out of failure", and the sequel to his autobiography, I Did It Otway (also subtitled Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure) was published in May 2010. The book was designed by John Haxby who has also designed Otway's album sleeves over the past 15 years.
Discography
- John Otway & Wild Willy BarrettJohn Otway & Wild Willy BarrettJohn Otway & Wild Willy Barrett is the 1976 studio album by English folk singer-songwriter duo John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett. Released first on their own Extracked Records, the album is a collection of recordings made between 1971 and 1976.The duo were signed onto Polydor soon after the album...
- John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett (1977) - albumAlbumAn album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album... - Deep & Meaningless - John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett (1978) - album
- Where Did I Go Right - John Otway (1979) - album
- Way & Bar - John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett (1980) - album
- Gone with the Bin - The Best of Otway and Barrett (1981) - compilationCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
- All Balls and No Willy - John Otway (1982) - album
- "Bags of Fun with Buster" - Johnny Japes and His Jesticles (1987) - single released by VizVizViz. and the adverb videlicet are used as synonyms for "namely", "that is to say", and "as follows".-Etymology:...
comic featuring Andy PartridgeAndy PartridgeAndrew John "Andy" Partridge is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has been known as Sir John Johns and Melchior and rose to fame as a founding member, guitarist and chief songwriter of the pop/new wave band, XTC. He lives in Swindon, Wiltshire, where he was raised.Partridge also...
and Dave Gregory of XTCXTCXTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:... - The Wimp and the Wild - John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett (1989) - album
- Cor Baby, That's Really Me! - John Otway (some tracks with Barett) (1990) - compilation album to accompany Otway's autobiography of the same name
- Cheryl, a Rock Opera - John Otway & Attila the StockbrokerAttila the StockbrokerAttila the Stockbroker is a punk poet, and a folk punk musician and songwriter. He performs solo and as the leader of the band Barnstormer...
(1991) - album - Under the Covers and Over the Top - John Otway (1992) - album
- Premature Adulation - John Otway (1995) - album
- OT-AIR - John Otway (2004) - album
- Bunsen Burner - The Album - John Otway (2006) - album
- Scraps - John Otway (2006) - triple album
- The Ultimate and the Pen-Ultimate - John Otway (2007) - album
- The Mad, the Bad & the DangerousThe Mad, the Bad & the DangerousThe Mad, The Bad & The Dangerous Tour was a national UK tour by The Hamsters, The Wilko Johnson Band, and John Otway with his guitarist Richard Holgarth. It is also the name of the DVD recording of the tour.-The tour:...
- with The HamstersThe HamstersThe Hamsters are a band from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England.They performed their first live show at the Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea, on 1 April 1987. They initially played in local pubs with no ambitions to take themselves seriously or to turn professional...
and Wilko JohnsonWilko JohnsonWilko Johnson is an English guitarist and songwriter, particularly associated with the UK rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood in the 1970s.-Career:...
(2007) - DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....