The John Otway lectures

Subject: The John Otway lectures
From: HuwG
Date: 30 Mar 06 - 05:09 PM

About a week late with this thread, but anyway ...

I thought about this one, after seeing a news item that some record will go straight to Number One in the UK charts, after having been pushed hard as a downloaded tune by iPod service providers.

John Otway is the famous "two hit wonder"; he had a hit in 1977 with punk single "Really Free", and then his fans mounted a campaign to get "Bunsen Burner" into the Top Ten in 2002.

Whatever you may think of Otway as a performer, he gives "serious" lectures to Universities etc. (and the "Globe" in Glossop) on the subject of "Making Success out of Failure", which have audiences in stitches.

His final comments, afterthoughts on the campaign to make "Bunsen Burner" a hit, ought to give pause for thought. Some music stores in Britain (HMV, for example) are decent enough when it comes to music; if a record, in any style, has been published and a customer wants it, they'll order it.

On the other hand, there are plenty of other stores who said, in effect, "We make our money out of vapid, impressionable twelve year old girls, who go either for pre-packaged boy bands, or girl bands with a vocal range of two and a half tones, the looks of Victoria Beckham and the intellect of her husband. If you want anything else, tough. We intend to ignore its existence."

No other lectures (as opposed to gigs) seem to be scheduled on Mr. Otway's website, but I know several people who are agitating for him to do more, once he's back off his "World Tour".

Subject: RE: The John Otway lectures
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 30 Mar 06 - 05:56 PM

How different it all could've been if they dumped Bunsen Burner and gone for the peaon 'Watch out for the flowers (cos I'm sure they're gonna get you, yeah)'.

Or Cheryl's going home.

Subject: RE: The John Otway lectures
From: Leadfingers
Date: 30 Mar 06 - 06:31 PM

Having seen both John Otway and his ex partner Wild Willy Barrett in the recent years , I would find it difficult to decide which is the better entertainer . Both most decidedly brilliant , but in different ways !

Subject: RE: The John Otway lectures
From: fat B****rd
Date: 31 Mar 06 - 02:17 PM

....give it 'edbutts......

Subject: RE: The John Otway lectures
From: holmfirther
Date: 01 Apr 06 - 04:32 AM

Hes' playing at our venue on October 7th ..[www.picturedrome.net]..The info is not up on the website yet but will be soon..PC