Cor baby, no John Otway thread yet?

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Despite his legendary "Bunsen Burner" being the only top ten hit to date to involve the participation of a regular ILxor I could find no thread dedicated to the great man. Britain's own Jonathan Richman as far as I'm concerned; a heroic failure, a raving success, a cherishable genius. Who else could come up with both "Geneve" and "Headbutts"?

And kudos also to Wild Willy Barrett, who never gets any.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 07:59 (seventeen years ago) link

which is surprising, given his moniker.

― Frogman Henry, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 08:05 (seventeen years ago) link

Am I right in thinking that the regular ILXor in question was in the audience for the live recording of "House Of The Rising Sun"?

Otway: "Now the only thing a gambler needs is a suitcase.... and a trunk"
Audience: "That's two things!"
Otway: "Two things.... yeah, I know.... I didn't write it!"

Genius.

Barking mad, obv. but genius nonetheless.

― Stewart Osborne, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 09:06 (seventeen years ago) link

That is indeed the case.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 12:00 (seventeen years ago) link

john otway and wild willy barrett on ogwt = one of the best things ever.

― stirmonster, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 12:03 (seventeen years ago) link

He is headlining a local free festival, but I am in Barcelona at a non-local non-free festival watching Jonathan Richman instead.

― the next grozart, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 12:09 (seventeen years ago) link

john otway and wild willy barrett on ogwt = one of the best things ever.

You mean the clip where he tries to stand on his amp and falls off? OTM

― Tom D., Tuesday, 24 April 2007 12:11 (seventeen years ago) link

Otway's superb; one of the most entertaining artists I have ever seen. 'Geneve' is beautiful, and why wasn't 'Beware of the flowers' the second single rather than stuck on a b-side?

And why wasn't 'Racing Cars (Jet Spotter of the Track)' a hit?

And why isn't his version of 'Jerusalem' the official National Anthem?

His self deprecating auto-biography (but told in the third person) is also worth picking up.

― Guilty_Boksen, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 12:24 (seventeen years ago) link

thirteen years pass...

john otway and wild willy barrett on ogwt = one of the best things ever.

You mean the clip where he tries to stand on his amp and falls off? OTM

― Tom D., Tuesday, 24 April 2007 12:11 (thirteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

It is the musical performance equivalent of Del Boy falling through the bar though.

― Is Lou Reed a Good Singer? (Tom D.), Monday, 18 May 2020 18:40 (four years ago) link

I'm so tired of the Del Boy clip but never tire of the OGWT performance.

― stirmonster, Monday, 18 May 2020 20:37 (four years ago) link

I still love that he managed a top 10 hit this century

― PaulTMA, Tuesday, 19 May 2020 14:34 (four years ago) link

Phew, Otway still alive,

― Mark G, Tuesday, 19 May 2020 18:43 (four years ago) link

eight months pass...

John Otway is the UK's answer to Jonathan Richman, minus the Lou Reed influence.

― spot fuckify (Matt #2), Thursday, 18 February 2021 00:04 (three years ago) link

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