Now nobody gives a shit if you have a hit or not.

John Otway tried for years to get that second hit.

Never heard this before Andrew - it's rather good. I've always said; the best hits are often One Hit Wonders. Norman Greenbaum; Arthur Brown; Piglets!

Wow. Not heard this for years. I remember it coming out in the late punk era (around 1979/80 I think). Had quite a lot of promotion, but just didn't sell. It was a band that included Jimmy Lea from Slade. (I think he wrote it).

John Otway did eventually get a follow up to "Cor Baby That's Really Free" with "Bunsen Burner" (The latter getting to No.9, if I remember rightly. I've not had time to check). The record sold well partly because the B Side was a cover of the Animals' hit "House Of The Rising Sun" which included over 200 Otway fans who crowded into Abbey Road Studio in multiple sessions. Each would have bought multiple copies as the single was released on three physical formats. (With their names on the sleeve). On the Sunday night that BBC Radio 1 was to announce the chart position, Otway was performing a sold out concert at the London Palladium, and was live at 7 pm when Radio 1 ran down the Top 10. (The hit was a birthday present from his fans!).

I believe Jim Lea experimented with releasing material as The Dummies in the late 70s because he found the radio stations were ignoring the singles Slade were releasing, and discovered he could get more airplay as an unknown band than one viewed by the media as past it. Once Slade's fortunes recovered after their appearance at Donnington in 1980 (where they stood in at the last minute after Ozzy Osbourne cancelled), the side projects were shelved.

Slade replaced Ozzy at Reading Festival in 1980. I was there and they were brilliant.

The setlist went like this!!!


www.setlist.fm/setlist/slade/1980/little...ngland-2bd6541a.html