John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett - John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett / Deep & Meaningless (Reissue) (1977-78/1993)

John Otway:
Born October 2, 1952, in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
John Otway, self-proclaimed as 'Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure', began his assault on the music industry in the mid-1970's in partnership with one 'Wild Willy' Barrett. They reached Number 27 in 1977 with the single 'Cor Baby, That's Really Free' but Otway's most remembered for accidentally crushing his 'crown jewels' on an amplifier whilst performing a cover of the Bob Lind song 'Cheryl's Going Home' live on the BBC's 'Old Grey Whistle Test'. Aside from numerous 'on/off' stints with Barrett he has also collaborated with Attila The Stockbroker and has gained a hardcore following performing as a solo artist and also with his 'Big Band'. Some 25 years after the 'Hit' he achieved his second (and highest charting) hit with 'Bunsen Burner' (straight in at Number 9) which was achieved via a Social Media campaign and the incredible support of his fan base. In 2013 Otway premiered his biopic 'Otway - The Movie' at the Odeon, Leicester Square, which was received with critical acclaim by the media. Ever the one for clever ways to sell his records Otway has tried them all (with varying degrees of success and failure) from releasing singles without vocals to circulating discs with counterfeit WEA labels to using the sleeves as free entry to gigs. Add to this the huge deposit paid (and lost) to hire a jet to take his fans on a World Tour that never got off the ground and two autobiographies and you have a remarkable career of more than 40 years that defies belief!

Roger John Barrett:
Born 30th of May 1950.
Most notable for his 'on/off' partnership with John Otway but 'Wild Willy' has more strings to his bow being a highly talented multi instrumentalist and solo musician as well as a skilled craftsman in wood. Specialising in Folk music he can be found performing with his 'French Connection' ensemble.
He's the owner of Barrett's Place, his own private recording studio and Black Eye, his own private label and publisher during the late 70s and early 80s producing numerous singles and albums for other artists.