{"id":11800,"date":"2012-01-24T05:00:16","date_gmt":"2012-01-24T10:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/?p=11800"},"modified":"2012-01-24T01:47:41","modified_gmt":"2012-01-24T06:47:41","slug":"three-very-british-johns-part-1-john-otway-snatching-defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/three-very-british-johns-part-1-john-otway-snatching-defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Very British Johns, Part 1: John Otway, Snatching Defeat From the Jaws of Victory?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are three John\u2019s that are peculiarly British to my mind. One is the relatively well-known Folk\/Fusion Guitarist and songwriter John Martyn<\/strong>; the second is \u201cPunk Poet\u201d John Cooper Clarke<\/strong>; and the third is a lesser known gem, that is John Otway<\/strong>. Over the next couple of weeks I am going to introduce you to these artists, and I hope you appreciate them for the rarities that they are. I shall start with John Otway, the man who made a success out of failure<\/em>.<\/p>\n

If you know of John Otway at all it will almost definitely be for his calamitous performance on the Old Grey Whistle Test<\/em> in 1972 and his most successful song, until very recently, “Really Free.” He is often described (mostly by John himself) as rock\u2019s greatest failure, but I strongly disagree with this prognosis and I am sure that you will agree with me in the end. If my sources are correct John Otway\u2019s parents supported him all the way through his “career,” so much so that they even remortgaged their bungalow to fund his escapades<\/p>\n

In 1977, the song “Really Free” got to #27 in the charts, which got him a 5-album deal with Polydor Records. The album featured a Wild Willy Barrett<\/strong> on guitar and was produced by Pete Townsend<\/strong>; suffice to say that the album didn\u2019t do very well. Polydor viewed John as a punk act rather than what he actually is, which you will have to decide for yourself. John still performs live, records and writes books to this day, and seems to have as much energy as he ever did and is loved by his loyal fans more than ever.<\/p>\n

His self-deprecating style is what makes him peculiar to Britain as well as the subject matter he sings about and the humor that he brings to his performance. However, his exuberance led to a series of disasters early on in his career that he never would be able to overcome, and I think this is what ultimately put the kybosh on any commercial success he could have had. To truly appreciate what a liability John is must be seen to be believed. Following is the infamous 1972 Whistle Test<\/em> performance that will make everything clear. Please watch before continuing to read as it is genuinely gut-bustlingly hilarious. How Wild Billy Barrett doesn\u2019t kill him is an act of phenomenal restraint. Enjoy!<\/p>