For those interested, it's been announced that Gary Glitter is due to be released from jail in Vietnam on 19th August. He then hopes to work on a new album.

I wonder if anyone's still interested in Glitter and if there is a market for a new album?

depends-whether he can re-invent himself as he has done so many times in the past-with his Glitter persona being one brilliant example.

He needs to embrace all the free publicity the NoTW will give him. Take them head on and not hide away.

Difficult but possible.

The comeback single will be a cover of "Thank Heaven For Little Girls".

and it would probably be a massive digital hit - but never acknowledged as such in the official figures.

I think SW's comment is in extreme bad taste, even if it was meant to be " funny". My view is that he'll be resented by the masses and only a few die hard fans would still support him. It would take an amazing spin doctor to pull him out of the brown stuff this time. Convicted once is one thing but to be convicted twice?Maybe he can only look forward to be remembered as a walking car crash.

Didn't his career completely nose-dive after the first conviction?

I can't imagine him selling one record in this country to be honest, is he still selling records abroad away from the News of the World?

what you say could be true but more because of the very vicious media campaign conducted against him.

Remember his first crime was downloading child porn-did his jail time and that was it. As the sentence was 4 months it couldn't have been in the worst catergory.

But the UK sexual assault case was an utter charade and a travesty of justice..remember the "victim" was promised a fortune by News Ltd if Glitter was convicted.

Then he was hounded from country to country by the media..from Cuba to Vietnam coupled with reports that these were popular destinations for pedophiles..really shocking types of reporting and similar to what the innocent Mathew Kelly endured.

As far as I know the UK is populated by pedophiles as well but every visitor isn't there for that reason.

Personally-I would put no credence on anything presented in an Asian court-as much as I love these countries. I have many ex-pat friends in Thailand. One who owned gay nightclubs in Manchester is languishing in a Thai jail for 6 years after being set up by his ex-pat partners on drug charges ( with him losing all his investment to the partners-very rough Glaswegian heavies)

I know 4 in Thailand who have been caught in stings with slightly underage boys-with ID claiming they were 18 -looking 18 but they are really 17. They have paid small fortunes in bribes to escape charges-to the heads of local police forces.

I've just been visited by a friend who spent 3 years in a Bali jail on drugs charges-but $30K got him a light sentence-similar cases get 25 years. As the local police chief put it to him during the deal-
no-one is ever found innocent in an Indonesian court..take your pick-pay up or do the time. Luckily his famous actress daughter had the cash.

Welcome Mister Morningstarr and thank you for your positive comments on Vile Pervert; The Musical.

I'm hoping to be able to say the same on your interesting Forum when I'm cleared to post there!

You're cleared to post JK, I think the hold-up was the activation e-mail getting blocked as spam.

I see what you're saying veritas, I'm pretty sure Glitter could've continued his "lifestyle choice"(?) in Vietnam for years had The News of the World not stuck their nose in. But I don't think he was innocent of his charges, he was just made such a high profile case the authorities were forced to imprison him.

But putting that argument to one side, did anyone still buy his records after he was convicted the first time?

I might be in a minority here, but I thought the only good thing to come from Gadd's conviction was the fact his crap records were no longer played on the wireless or television.

I was very disappointed that Michael Jackson's rumoured interest in young boys didn't stop his airplay though, and R Kelly who seems to be regularly in trouble with underage girls seems to fly under the RADAR.

I don't necessarily agree with people not buying Gadd's records due to his conviction, other criminals such as Peter Doherty actually get a boost in sales after they're arrested. But personally I was relieved not to hear him again.

It just shows what an influence the media has on the public.

"Rock And Roll" is regularly sampled (Britney used it on her last album) so I'd say there's still money coming in.

Those Glitter records sound completely fantastic and like nothing else. You can't deny that they're wonderful and weird pop records. It was also well known in the industry about Gary's tastes...I know a girl who lived with him for a few years - she was 14 when she moved in. It doesn't give me much respect for him as a person but my love for the music isn't lessened. Besides, isn't it amazing how Mr Wyman was seen as a bit of a lovable rogue for shacking up with 13 year old Mandy Smith? The Sun's editorial stance on it was a bit different to how it would be now, seeing that it's a moral bastian these days

Aren't you out of the loop a bit Mister Morningstarr for a blogger ?

Glitter's career peaked and dived long before any court case-he just didn't have any good material to release.

I would think the only thing that would prevent Gary Glitter from selling records in the UK..or anywhere else for that matter , is the quality of the song.

My experience has been that the public will buy music they like if it was written and sung by Jack The Ripper-an artist's private life having little to do with whether the fans like their artistry.

Anyone who thinks a few British tabloids can kill a career must have little understanding of the music business and fans. Especially today with the internet.

Or do we need to talk about the current movie stars in the US who have convictions who have found their felon status little hinderence in their career?.

Love your site by the way-who needs the National Enquirer !!

(I can answer one question-I've heard Glitter's "Rock and Roll (Parts 1 and 2)" in endless bars and discos around the world and on radio here in Australia just a week ago. I also noted 2 Glitter performances were shown on the most popular ABC TV music show "Rage" a few weeks ago when they were doing a "70s line-up )

What a marvellous world we live in-one that doesn't walk lock-step with a few British gutter tabloids !

Ah Mr M - different strokes - I thought Gary's hits were superb (but give 99% of credit to Mike Leander). I also think both MJ and RK are superb.

Funnily enough I'd have thought someone who enjoys some of my tracks would have liked all three above - but Thank God we all have different tastes (do add your to our Tipsheet board).

As for the offences, I always found Gary a perfect gentleman but then I'm not a young girl. But I don't trust Max Clifford or the NOTW one inch and the British verdict really pissed them off because the judge named them and shamed them both.

Certain Asian countries have a morality where hard cash can buy anything.

For once, i agree with the tabloids. If he's been interfering with minors he should be exposed. Obviously he got hounded because he's a "story". The tabloids worked for Gadd when his career was booming and in need of exposure. Like the old cliche' goes, you can't have it all ways. Comparing Pete Doherty's crime to that of Gadd's is a bit misguided. Wether or not he can sell or raise his profile abroad, remains to be seen. However, the British public don't forget that easily. Speaking as a soon to be parent, i hope he sinks without a trace.

veritas wrote:
Aren't you out of the loop a bit Mister Morningstarr for a blogger ?

Glitter's career peaked and dived long before any court case-he just didn't have any good material to release.

I would think the only thing that would prevent Gary Glitter from selling records in the UK..or anywhere else for that matter , is the quality of the song.

My experience has been that the public will buy music they like if it was written and sung by Jack The Ripper-an artist's private life having little to do with whether the fans like their artistry.

Anyone who thinks a few British tabloids can kill a career must have little understanding of the music business and fans. Especially today with the internet.

Or do we need to talk about the current movie stars in the US who have convictions who have found their felon status little hinderence in their career?.

Love your site by the way-who needs the National Enquirer !!

(I can answer one question-I've heard Glitter's "Rock and Roll (Parts 1 and 2)" in endless bars and discos around the world and on radio here in Australia just a week ago. I also noted 2 Glitter performances were shown on the most popular ABC TV music show "Rage" a few weeks ago when they were doing a "70s line-up )

What a marvellous world we live in-one that doesn't walk lock-step with a few British gutter tabloids !
I seem to remember Gadd playing arena dates in the UK just before he was arrested for his first offence, then he disappeared. No tours, no airplay, nothing. But, as I was saying that was in the UK, which is why I was wondering if he still had an audience elsewhere.

I think Gary Glitter's career is well and truly over in Britain and has been since his first imprisonment in 1999. His main source of income was his Christmas "gangshow" tours but who on Earth would even dare finance let alone promote and consider such a tour today? He would be harrassed at every venue, and venues themselves would be in danger of being boycotted and vandalised. The British Media would have a field day and make the humorous "Don't Give King A Thing" campaign look trivial.

Notice how you no longer hear any of his music anywhere? You always heard "Another Rock and Roll Christmas" at Christmas time and TOTP2 regularly featured archive performances. Since 1999, the BBC have as far as I know never dared repeat any of his clips and performances and I doubt they ever will do so again.

Paedophilia is the ultimate gross sin. Mr Gadd was caught out and exposed and has paid the price for it and will never get work again in Britain as a result.

He does however have 2 things in his favour... he apparently owns his back catalogue and "Rock and Roll" is still regularly heard in the United States. That is guaranteed income for him and having spoken to many Americans in the last 5 years or so, it seems knowledge of his crimes is not as well known in the States as it seems a great many there haven't even heard about his convictions.

I did buy a couple of Glitter records after his first conviction. I also continued to play his music. People still sell, buy and read Mein Kampf.

BTW last Christmas the BBC featured Gary Glitter's 'Rock n Roll Christmas' in the soundtrack of one of their documentaries about Christmas past. It was used as background for clips of school nativity plays. It also featured a couple of brothers reminiscing about how they were big fans of his when they were kids. So, he has not been completely expunged.

As for a new Gary Glitter album. This is the age of digital. There is nothing to stop him from releasing new music via the internet, or to stop people from buying it. I'd only buy it if it was good. His convictions have nothing to do with his music, as far as I'm concerned.

Apparently his last compilation CD still sells fairly well via Amazon UK.

I've always been of the opinion that the media were so hard on Glitter/Gadd because it the self-same media who had kept him in the limelight as a 'glam rock legend' for 20 years wheras in reality he was as relevant as any other 3/4 year wonder from the 70's (Mud for instance) yet his umpteen sorry 'comebacks' over the years were heavily promoted by the idiot media that have pursued him since his initial arrest. Another Rock'n'Roll Christmas is the one great track he knocked out in the 20 years since he went 'down the dumper' (and one I'm pleased to say that is getting played again in many places when christmas comes around) yet he was treated by the media as some major league talent. You only have to see the TOTP performance of 'And She Kissed Me' from 1981 to see just how terrible he was in those latter years, yet by the late 90's he was everywhere, especially at christmas.
I'll always defend the great hits he knocked out (with more than a little help from Mike Leander & The Glitter Band of course) between 1972 and 1975, some of them are genuine genius and should be played on radio no matter what he has done, but he was a superstar when he was arrested when he should have been a footnote...

His conviction may have nothing to do with his music. But is it acceptable to line the pockets of a convicted peadophile? To commit an evil crime as he has and expect the public to dignify his " talent " with another chance at fame (on any level) is preposterous.

There was more to Gary Glitter than his hit singles. His live gigs always sold out and attracted fans of all ages. His appeal was across the board and he had reached legend status - meaning his name was known by people not into his music, he was impersonated, he had new acts compared to him, he was named as a major influence, and whatever he did was reported on regardless.

As a child I thought of Gary Glitter as the fat man in a glittery suit, but his music hit home and we all loved the way he played everything up. I wasn't his number one fan (I was a massive MUD fan. Les Grey was my hero) but the 1970s would not have been the same without him. He was a genuine showman, and there are very few of those around today.

So Glitter has earned his fame. Whether he has earned or deserved his current reputation is debatable. It seems that he did download child porn. He admitted to that. But was he guilty of crimes in Vietnam. The truth is that we do not know. The accusers were well paid, by the British media, for their stories. This always raises a few alarm bells with me. If it is true, why wait until you are offered money before telling it? So, I reserve judgement on that issue.

Glitter and his music influenced more than one generation. That's how I'll always remember him.