John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett

John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett is the 1976 debut album by English folk singer-songwriter duo John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett. Released first on their own Extracked Records, the album is a collection of recordings made between 1971 and 1976.

John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett
Studio album by
John Otway
& Wild Willy Barrett
Released1976
RecordedEel Pie Studios, Chalk Farm Studios, 1971-1976
GenreFolk rock
Length34:23
LabelExtracked, Polydor
ProducerPete Townshend, Barron Anthony, Wild Willy Barrett
John Otway
& Wild Willy Barrett chronology
John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett
(1976)		 Deep & Meaningless
(1978)

Recording began with a series of sessions at Pete Townshend's Eel Pie Studios in which The Who guitarist contributed as an arranger, producer and performer.[1] Townshend produced the first two Track label singles by the duo, "Murder Man" and "Louisa On a Horse", which were included on the album.[2]

A third single, "Really Free", reached No.27 in the UK charts in December 1977[3] after the pair performed a set live on the BBC TV show The Old Grey Whistle Test. The performance was notable for an incident in which Otway vaulted on to a PA tower and overbalanced after Barrett's signal began cutting out. The Independent reported: "He brought down the speaker stack but fractured no bones when he landed on the sharp corner of a bass cabinet, as the impact was cushioned by his testicles."[1]

Polydor reissued the album after signing the band in 1977. The Allmusic website rated it seven out of 10, describing it as a patchwork collection that "dances on a peculiar precipice somewhere between folk and country, pop and pub rock".[4]

Track listing

All tracks written by Otway and Barrett except where noted

Side one
  1. "Misty Mountain" - 2:29
  2. "Murder Man" - 2:18
  3. "If I Did" - 2:19
  4. "Racing Cars (Jet Spotter of the Track)" - 2:50
  5. "Louisa on a Horse" - 2:44 (Otway)
  6. "Gypsy" - 3:53 (Otway)

Side two
  1. "Really Free" - 2:59
  2. "Bluey Green" - 2:16 (Otway)
  3. "Cheryl's Going Home" - 4:45 (Bob Lind)
  4. "Trying Times" - 3:49 (Otway)
  5. "Geneve" - 4:01 (Otway)

All produced by Barrett except tracks 1,2,3,5 (Pete Townshend) and 4 (Barron Anthony)

Personnel
  • John Otway
  • Wild Willy Barrett
  • Pete Townshend
  • Paul Ward
  • Nigel Pegrum
  • Phil Cutler
  • Stuart Eaton
  • Lyn Fletcher
  • Fiona Brett
  • Martin Loveday
  • Milton Reame-James
  • Liza Strike

References
  1. Robert Chalmers, '"John Otway: The world is not enough", The Independent, 20 August 2006.
  2. Larkin, Colin (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Seventies Music. London: Virgin Books. pp. 318. ISBN 0-7535-0154-6.
  3. Rice, Tim; Paul Gambaccini; Mike Read (1981). The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles. Enfield, Middlesex: GRRR Books. p. 160. ISBN 0-85112-259-0.
  4. Allmusic review


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