JOHN OTWAY and WILD WILLY BARRETT OGWT 18/10/77 Full Version

All the KZbin uploads of this legendary performance are cut at the end (to eliminate the original end credits, I'm guessing), so here it is for mine and your amusement. I love the way Otway comes up to Willy as if to embrace him triumphantly, only for Willy to shoot him a look which says "I am never working with you again" and walks off in the opposite direction.

[@justinneill5003]

I remember this when it originally aired. Whispering Bob’s serious, thoughtful intro was almost Pythonesque considering what followed, and Wild Willy’s classic line between songs was the icing on the cake: “If you’ve just made a coffee, you’ve got time to make cheese on toast to this one.”

[@jimbilsborough6756]

I can vividly remember watching this OGWT performance in '77 and going out to buy the album the next day. The performance, Otway's manic behavior, WWB's overblown but brilliant guitar work: they all blew my mind. But the raw pain in Otway's lyric forever haunts me. A little off topic, but I lost my provincial girlfriend to the bright lights of London on Easter weekend 1977 and I was heartbroken. Then when I bought the album, I heard JO and WWB's Geneve. Every fucking word of it was my story; just a different city. I still can't hear it without tearing up :( John Otway, you sure knew how to put into words the most painful feelings a boy can have.

[@Fexobs]

Hi Jim. Yes I totally agree that `Geneve' is an absolutely beautiful and heart-rending song. It was never given the kudos it deserved probably because of the rather disastrous decision to put it out as a follow up to `Really Free', which was a bit of a leap of faith for most people who wanted more of the same. The fact that they'd already wasted `Beware Of The Flowers' on a B-Side only confounds the stupidity ! By the way `Cheryl' is actually a cover version, but hell they made it their own and then some. Look up Bob Lind for the somewhat lame original.

[@jimbilsborough6756]

@Jeanette Howlett 2022 finds me much older and maybe a little wiser than 1977! Though this year I lost the other love of my life to cancer :( Thank god for music, huh? 🙂

[@jimbilsborough6756]

@Jeanette Howlett ❤

[@fredzep01]

@@jimbilsborough6756 that's a long, long time to get to spend with the person you loved, and a lot of great memories to cherish...

[@michaelgould9825]

This is what makes KZbin worthwhile.

[@bowerfilms]

Sheer genius. Saw him playing outside a pub on May Morning in Oxford a couple of days ago. An old age pensioner, still behaving like an effing nutcase and long may he do so.

[@ronaldcarfoot4429]

Love the guy 🤩

[@silverkitty2503]

yup

[@MikeMike-hx3gm]

Cor Baby that's really free. I'm 66

[@Paul-dv4dr]

John Otway !!! Which pub?

[@seancastledine8983]

Quite possibly the greatest moments captured by BBC cameras. Thank you JO and WWB.

[@Fexobs]

I agree. I had to upload the full version. It wouldn't have been fair not to

[@ronaldcarfoot4429]

You ain't gonna forget that are you.

[@martinbailey3259]

For me, the most memorable performance on TOGWT. It looks like WWB make his guitar in woodwork 😄

[@stubmandrel]

His dad made that one ...

[@namor357]

Otway, demented, Barrett, musical genius, this is something to treasure!

[@ronaldcarfoot4429]

Ottaway wrote the lyrics. Willy wouldn't be there without the song

[@Babeiloveyouso]

Love to know wat he sed in his ear but I can imagine lol

[@carladams8691]

​​@@Babeiloveyouso Apparently he said "Thankyou, you fuckin nutter"

[@martinfitzgerald1605]

Otway and Barrett absolute legendary performance. Loved it in the 70's and still do.

[@chrisfk63]

Had the privilege of seeing JO play last night here in Birmingham. A true original, and a legend.

[@mickbradley9487]

I remember watching this when it aired all those years ago. Impressed me so much that I spent my next paper round money on the very first single I ever bought. Really Free from Pink Panther Records in Carlisle. Fantastic stuff!! 🤘

[@michaelburland6446]

Forget leatherette and spiky hair, this is the true spirit of punk

[@larrycreature7292]

I couldn't agree more!!

[@florida4life]

I'd die to see Otway play on the same bill as John Cooper Clark, Patrick Fitzgerald and The Mekons.

[@bradbb8013]

@@florida4life this is best selling British punk anthem kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGmlh2B4d82JZ7M

[@TheMrswestbrom]

@@peterholdsworth4193 leatherette and spiky hair had a lot to do with punk. People are used to seeing it now but at the time it was a powerful statement that you were anti-establishment and belonged to an alternative culture. People who are not punks are constantly telling me what real punk is all about. Otway and Barrett were great though :-)

[@MikeMike-hx3gm]

Now in my 66th year. I bought Really Free in '77 pronto. Are we all still beware of the flowers!

[@strayling1]

I'm sure they're going to get you, yeah!

[@royandergoogle3012]

We are never going to see any thing like this on x-factor!

[@mrtim6]

Thank God

[@KARINFALL]

the loss is ours

[@georgealty9009]

Sensational. Seriously, the kids these days continue what they're missing.

[@anotherpubsinger7669]

Watching it 40 years later to the day and near the time to connect with good music , absent from todays soundscape. Thanks for keeping the past alive and living on.

[@ronaldcarfoot4429]

Yer too right friend 👍

[@ronaldcarfoot4429]

Let's face it this ain't bland compared to the kids on the block today. He earned his fee too right love the man

[@garyyoung9085]

How much is Otway like Alex Harvey!! Even the movement and expression.

[@Ethan-xr9wb]

I'm actually Freinds with willy we met when I was about 8 and im 11 now. Him and my grandad are good freinds

[@deedeesplectrum9924]

I saw him in Chester Le Street. Never forgotten it. Halfway through it someone came on stage and said Otway will soon be back, but at the minute he is working on a song about chemistry. He was sat just behind us on his own with a notepad and pen scribbling furiously. It was Bunsen Burner!

[@VelvetRazor]

The wonderful genius of John Otway and some nice guitar licks from Wild Willy Barrett. Seen these guys live several times

[@alasdairvincent6248]

Wild Willy is an awesome guitarist and John has his own style of vocals. Fantastic

[@modernidiot9124]

There is no one who can follow that performance, utter genius.

[@mickcooper8605]

Unforfetable, remrmber seeing this 47 years ago. Still amasing.

[@markharrison5307]

TOGWT, Was the best music programme ever.

[@robinvandenbergh7076]

Amazing guitar sound.

[@paddas1612]

Superb , once seen never forgotten 😂 Absolute masters 👍

[@Babeiloveyouso]

I remember this like yesterday. Loved it then and love it even more now cos I was there when it first aired

[@annabawden2656]

Bob Harris... so calm and relaxing. John Otway.... so very funny!

[@lindabrown8421]

Saw John Otway at Reading Festival in 1978. Loved the performance.

[@halcyon289]

I saw this aged 14...............it was good to see ; rules were broken there in front of me . Thank you guys .

[@andreweaton3928]

Pure brilliance saw this first time round cheers Bob.

[@chrissmurray255]

I still have Really Free on 45, and I met Otway a few times at various festivals - he's a really nice bloke. I never met Wild Willy, but I did walk past him on Foregate Street in Stafford one time in 1977/8 - the afternoon of a JO+WWB concert in town. But I didn't talk to him. After all, part of his name is "Wild", and you don't just rush up to folk like that. I joined Otway and his band on stage in Portsmouth once (totally uninvited), when he was doing Crazy Horses, and I started acting 'horselike'. I was 'a bit' drunk. He didn't stop, but kept changing the lyric to various different animals that I would try to portray. Then he paused, smiled at me, and sang "Cra-zy Lemm-ings". Well, I had no choice but to hurl myself off the stage, which I did, and he just carried on like this happened all the time. Which is probably true.

[@BanjoLuke1]

Many, many fun evenings spent in pubs in various parts of the South East in the 80s (and 90s) listening to this man. Usually playing with one or another guitarist..... Never saw him with Barratt. Such a good entertainer. He had about six jokes and everyone in the audience knew them.... and still it was funny. All the daft covers..... I still smile when I think of those gigs.

[@acrodave9287]

I don't care what anyone else says, this is pure Punk Rock, hapless, shambolic, fun and without any pretense. Well, not much.

[@brianharris7243]

Otway crazy as only a genius can be...

[@midnightmosesuk]

I remember this so well, first song I had the kettle on and had a nice cup of coffee by the time they'd finished. Second song I whipped up three slices of cheese on toast in time to see the credits. Absolutely cracking.

[@matthewjdouglas6471]

Lol.

[@martinashton5792]

Classic performance

[@notthebody]

When music was real.. Watched first broadcast on TV aged 13.. Inspirational.

[@JJFS37]

"You're more likely to be John Otway than The Beatles, but Otway's still on tour, hats off to show people." - FTHC

[@ultimateguitarmachine8638]

Unforgettable

[@doctorcastille]

On a whim I saw Otway's Big Band at Tut's in Chicago in 1980. A year later Otway came back with Willy. They're the best.

[@trevorsmith9261]

Happy birthday John Otway, true English musical eccentric

[@modernidiot9124]

The stuff of legends. Totally mad but brilliant.

[@irisdainter6507]

77 what a blast. Never forget this. Class.

[@atoz3570]

Brilliance

[@stewartnicol3028]

I actually met and worked with John Otway and Wild Willy. I had the pleasure of introducing them at a music festival a few years ago. They lived up to the promise that I saw on OGWT years earlier! #OGWTneverbettered

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

This is what Billy Bragg would sound like if he had a sense of humour :)

[@lorrainebennett7528]

Those were the days!

[@deborahrobertson8606]

I went out and bought the single...16 years old and life was a gas! On the flip side was "Beware of the Flowers coz they're gonna get you, yeh"

[@louislygo6914]

The perfect performance. Inspiring

[@lwalker8785]

Madness, certainly, but there is method to it!

[@4n0r15]

Tracklist: 00:00 - Introduction 00:35 - Really Free 03:38 - Cheryl's Going Home 05:48 - Otway puts his guitar down 06:46 - Otway shows off his epic acrobatic skills 06:50 - Otway accidentally steps on the pedal for the first time 06:55 - Otway shows off that he is faster than the crewmember 07:01 - Otway accidentally steps on the pedal for the second time 07:03 - Otway realizes that he had accidentally stepped on the pedal for the second time 07:08 - Barrett flips the pedal back 07:14 - It's so damn sad. 07:18 - The most iconic moment from this concert 07:34 - Otway shows off his masculinity 07:38 - The THUNDA 07:41 - Otway showing the facial expression of a man who is rethinking his entire life 07:47 - Otway lying down 07:55 - Otway standing up 07:58 - Otway showing off his rope skipping skills with his imaginary skipping rope 08:00 - Otway showing off more of his masculinity while the credits start to roll 08:14 - Otway and Barrett pretending to be fighting on stage

[@charliebrown5524]

Fucking crazy,but BRILLIANT never be another like them 2🎸😂😍

[@public.public]

Just brilliant.

[@janmikolajczyk5587]

Ottway was and is still brilliant

[@aires69uk]

I saw him at the Royal Northern College of Music last night and he's a really funny guy... really enjoyed it.

[@royandjacqueline1294]

John is on BBC radio 2 now 💛💙💛💙💛💙 🥰🇯🇲🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🕊️🔥✝️

[@user-yy1wy1gz2c]

живите ещЁ!

[@rogerlegends166]

" teetering triumph " was a fairly prescient phrase as it turned out ...

[@Flashmobrock]

I played with John at a party in Norfolk in 2012 or so it was brilliant what a talent still then

[@jeffmein3640]

Bloody excellent!

[@weltonreds]

First time I saw them on TOTP's I never forgot them.

[@michaelgould3433]

Not only John Otway and Wild Willy but also an intro by Whispering Bob.😀😀

[@grahamlake9728]

O and B tried to sell me a pre order of their first album at Tring Folk Club (1973 I think) but I didn't have any money (I told them). I bought it later (plain sleeve with a stuck on label). Been a fan ever since!

[@brentjackson7589]

Simon Hansen runs on to stand the combo up.

[@fatbelly27]

Bob Harris nails it in the introduction - they're crazy. Then as now.

[@kimtodd1202]

I remember buying the single 'Really Feel' when it came out, i was n still am a punk. I didn't think anything of the long hair, only what brilliant stuff it was. Still is one of my many favourite tunes, Otway......punk as fuck!! This is Sowf London Calling.... ☠️🏴

[@moyajanko6642]

Thanks Steve, this is how I remember it. Ran home fast from the Oranges & Lemons in Oxford, to see that!

[@takerufrancis7537]

7:19 Stevie T. reference!

[@nockerparry256]

Saw mad Mr O on saturday at "Silly Moo's" campsite on the Isle of Man. He was there for the owner Brian's birthday, the man's totally batshit and a genius!

[@atoz3570]

Brilliant

[@chrisbradley1192]

Saw this when it went out live. I remember hearing the studio crew laughing at the very end.

[@alanrichardson1105]

Anyone remember the b-side, beware of the flowers coz I know they're gonna get you, yeah.

[@stewartnicol3028]

I had the great pleasure of introducing Otway and Wild Willy at a music festival in Sussex. Favourites of mine since I saw this performance. I was compèring as Billy Connolly at the time. John said "That is a bit spooky, BILLY CONNOLLY was in the audience at OGWT that night." ❤️🙏🎵🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💡

[@TheOverlordOfProcrastination]

It’s Barrett saying something along the lines of ‘you’ve ruined the night’ while threatening to strangle Otway that still cracks me up all these decades later. He actually MADE the night, mate.

[@Fexobs]

I think it's "the thunder cracks against the night" which is the next line Willy is imploring him to get on with singing, but he can't because he's just squashed his testicles on the amplifiers !!!

[@davidhamm7909]

They’ve never really got along on a personal level. I’ve seen the two of them a couple of times, in 1980 and in the 2000s when they got back together. Seen them both in the bar before the show and they never even acknowledged one another.

[@zararity]

He's saying the lyrics 'The thunder cracks against the night' because Otway couldn't work out where to come back in after attempting to jump on Barrett's amplifier 🤣

[@matthewjdouglas6471]

7:41 A MAN DEFEATED. HE KNOWS WILLY IS GONNA GIVE HIM HEADBUTTS

[@warvandal3443]

PS. At 7.10, Willy plays a riff that reminds me of "Circumstances" on Beefheart's Clearspot album. Now there's a thing- Wild Willy in the Magic Band (that would be brill!)

[@charliechod]

really free says it all

[@Ukuleleal]

John Otway in the moment. Pure genius. :)

[@andreweaton3928]

Reminded me of seeing Wilko Johnson in a pub on white heart lane. Fucking magic.

[@tonywestwood7792]

They are playing in my town in September. Can't fucking wait.

[@MrGlewYouTubeChangedMyHandle]

John Otway!

[@DavidAlvarez-pj7cu]

Saw this live fail in a Stevie T video of live fails, had me dying the first time!! 🤣🤣 Love this clip! Thanks Steve!! Shred!!! 🤘🤘

[@tonycassell9271]

unique and raw

[@arniedainter3997]

Sublime.

[@gronxman1]

Wonderful x

[@cyclesgoff9768]

Priceless

[@frannieo1707]

Saw this the first time round as a young 'un and fell off my chair laughing. Still laughing now. Bloody marvellous!

[@martinmargerrison2300]

Bob Harris was actually Bungle in the ITV children's series Rainbow. Ritchie Blackmore sued him for preventing him taking the lead role. He got 50p in damages and a weekend in Matlock.

[@chrisbradley1192]

Thanks for the giggle.

[@johnboydojo]

Gold. Solid fucking Gold

[@brianlarkin9160]

I saw John a couple of times but to see Syd Barrett is just amazing

[@davepx1]

Thanks for uploading the original broadcast! The snipped version is indeed annoying: it hadn't occurred to me that the Beeb' didn't have it without the old end titles - at least this time the wiping didn't cost us everything. The greatest OGWT and possibly the greatest broadcast performance of all time: Otway at a stroke just made everything else look dull. Gigs are still best when things go wrong: what would be the point otherwise?

[@smartass1liner978]

One of the most important tracks at its highest in that time

[@raycope2086]

Young Benny Hill and his sister's first time on OGWT. : - ) Sublime. Happy memories and stoned nights in front of the telly awaiting the first sound of harmonica announcing that " Whispering Bob" was about to hold court. There was nothing like it then, and there is nothing like it now. I wish you rainbows gentlemen. ( pre-politicised rainbows, that is )

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

The speed was definitely of a finer quality back in 1977.

[@ronin_cinematic_universe]

I'm crying. This is hilarious!

[@WilfForrow]

Saw them last night, and they were hilarious and musically brilliant. The wheelie bin amp has to be seen to be believed. They don't do requests on the night - they practice and do them the next night, so they played one for Dan from Aldershot. We were in Fareham, and Dan wasn't. Grab them while they're still going.

[@duncan-rmi]

am I allowed to swear on here? that was fucking brilliant.

[@BigDaveITFC]

Seeing them in colchester may 23rd

[@terrazzo]

I bet the bloke from Dr Hook dropped his maracas and lifted his eye patch to really believe what he was seeing.

[@deedeesplectrum9924]

Ha ha ha!

[@DavidB.Rockin]

What did I just watch ? This is as wild as Frank Zappa! XD

[@timbalfe6144]

It’s hard to believe but this duo wrote the 7th most popular song of all time something about flowers & and more popular than the Beatles “yesterday.”