John Otway Official Website

John Otway

The Albums

Otway has released 14 studio albums, one live album, and 15 compilation albums. Here is a brief summary of all of these releases.

John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett (1976/77)

Produced by Wild Willy Barrett, Pete Townshend and Barron Anthony. Recorded atr Townshend's Eel Pie Studios and Chalk Farm Studios. This album was originally released on the duo's own Extracked label before being re-released by Polydor in 1977.

Tracklisting: 1. Misty Mountain; 2. Murder Man; 3. If I Did; 4. Racing Cars (Jet Spotter of the Track); 5. Louisa On A Horse; 6. Gypsy; 7. Really Free; 8. Bluey Green; 9. Cheryl's Going Home; 10. Trying Times; 11. Geneve

Deep & Meaningless (1978)

Produced by Wild Willy Barrett and described by both Otway and Barrett as the “difficult second album”. The album is a mere 32 minutes long comprising of songs that didn't quite make the cut on the first album.

Tracklisting: 1. Place Farm Way; 2. To Anne; 3. Beware Of The Flowers (Cos I'm Sure They're Going To Get You, Yeh); 4. The Alamo; 5. Oh My Body is Making Me; 6. Josephine; 7. Schnott; 8. Medley: (i) Riders In The Sky (ii) Running From The Law (iii) Riders In The Sky; I Wouldn't Wish It On You; 10. Can't Complain

Where Did I Go Right? (1979)

After a falling out, Otway & Barrett went their separate ways with both recording solo albums for Polydor in 1979. Produced by Monty Python collaborator and The Rutles main songwriter Neil Innes and recorded at Chappell Studios in early 1979, most of the tracks were salvaged from an aborted attempt to record an album in August/September 1978 at Mountain Studios. Whilst Polydor tried to push it as Otway's ‘best work to date’, it failed to live up to expectation and divided opinion.

Tracklisting: 1. Makes Good Music; 2. It's A Pain; 3. Blue Eyes Of The Belle; 4. Best Dream; 5. What A Woman; 6. Frightened & Scared; 7. Waiting (Waiting For You); 8. Hurting Her More; 9. The Highwayman

Way & Bar (1980)

Following a brief split, the duo re-united to release Way & Bar in 1980. It would prove to their final release on Polydor and lead to their second split which would last almost ten years. Recorded and produced by Wild Willy Barrett at Barrett's Place.

Tracklisting: 1. Birthday Boy; DK 50/80; 3. Cry Cry; 4. 21 Days; 5. Medieval Dance; 6. Body Talk; 7. Baby's In The Club; 8. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence; 9. When Love's In Bloom; 10. Day After Day; 11. Come Back Darling

All Balls & No Willy (1982)

Having been dropped by Polydor, and after another acrimonious split with Wild Willy, All Balls & No Willy was released on Maurice Bacon's Empire Records in 1982. Produced by Otway and Tim Summerhayes. The album had the rare ‘treat’ of a saxophone played by Otway (no, we are not joking).

Tracklisting: 1. In Dreams; 2. Too Much Air Not Enough Oxygen; 3. Telex; 4. Montreal; 5. Baby It's The Real Thing; 6. Turn Off Your Dream (Don't Watch The Nightmare); 7. Mass Communication; 8. House Is Burning; 9. Halloween; 10. Nothing's Gone (Except No. 1); Middle Of Winter

The Wimp & The Wild (1989)

Re-united after nearly ten years apart, Otway & Barrett's The Wimp & The Wild was released on independent label VM Records in 1989. The album was produced by Wild Willy and recorded at Aylesbury's Avocado Studios and Pace Studios in Milton Keynes.

Tracklisting: 1. The Wimp; 2. Best Dream; 3. Fashion; 4. Volunteer; 5. Blockbuster; 6. Separated; 7. The Wild; 8. House Of The Rising Sun; 9. The Last Of The Mohicans; 10. I Believe; 11. I Am A Lion; 12. Focke Wulf

Cheryl: A Rock Opera (1991)

In 1991, Otway teamed up with punk-poet Attila the Stockbroker to produce their very own rock opera. Based around the Bob Lind song which Otway had been performing since his very first gig, the rock opera debuted at that year's Edinburgh Fringe and proved to be highly popular with audiences. Recorded at A&R Studios in Edinburgh, the album was produced by Richard Holgarth and was an everyday tale of Satanism, trainspotting, drug abuse and unrequited love.

Tracklisting: 1. Overture; 2. A Wembley Central Encounter; 3. The Sensitivity Of The Broken Hearted; 4. The Sympathetic Response; 5. Cheryl; 6. The Penny Drops; 7. Our Room; 8. Cheryl's Decline; 9. A More Romantic View; 10. Cheryl's Going Home; 11. She's Gone! But Who's This?; 12. Boys In The Hood (Trainspotter Rap); 13. A Misunderstanding; 14. A Solitary Tune; 15. Train Information; 16. The Starlight Express; 17. The Unsympathetic Response; 18. Finale; 19. Overture Reprise; 20. The Last Word

Under The Covers & Over The Top (1992)

This 1992 release produced by Richard Holgarth and Robin Boult features many of Otway's unique takes on some of rock and pop's best known and loved songs. Featuring covers of songs by artists such as The Beatles, Gloria Gaynor, Bachmann Turner Overdrive, David Bowie and many more. Originally released on Otway's own label - Otway Records, it was re-released in 2002 on Amazing Feet Records.

Tracklisting: 1. I Am The Walrus; 2. Woodstock; 3. I Will Survive; 4. Blockbuster; 5. Theresa (Terry); 6. Two Little Boys; 7. Honey; 8. Je T'Aime Chose Sauvage (I Love You Wild Thing Medley); 9. Billy Don't Be A Hero; 10. Space Oddity

John Otway & The Big Band: Live! (1993)

On the 12th November 1993, Otway celebrated his 2,000th gig at London's Astoria. This album was released on Amazing Feet Records shortly after the event. All tracks were recorded at the gig with the exception of track eight, which was recorded at The Square in Harlow.

Tracklisting: 1. In Dreams; 2. Misty Mountain; 3. Really Free; 4. Bluey Green; 5. Racing Cars (Jet Spotter Of The Track); 6. Beware Of The Flowers (Cos I'm Sure They're Going To Get You, Yeh); 7. Josephine; 8. Louisa On A Horse; 9. Baby It's The Real Thing; 10. Two Little Boys; 11. Best Dream; 12. Frightened & Scared; 13. Cheryl's Going Home; 14. House Of The Rising Sun; 15. Geneve

Premature Adulation (1995)

Recorded and produced by Richard Holgarth at The Square, Harlow, Premature Adulation was released on Amazing Feet Records in 1995. The album was Otway's first of original material since 1989's The Wimp & The Wild.

Tracklisting: 1. Judgement Day; 2. Poetry & Jazz; 3. Duet; 4. We Know What She's Doing (She's In Love); 5. The Saddest Sound Since The Blues; 6. Entertainment (Not); 7. Photograph; 8. Please Don't Read My Poetry; 9. Nothing At All; 10. God's Camera; 11. Willy (In The Air); 12. Typewriter

The Set Remains The Same (2000)

Recorded at Magdalen Studios in Oxford and produced by Brett Gordon and John Halliday, this album was a play on the joke that Otway's setlists at gigs hadn't really changed that much over the years. Once again, this album was released on Otway's own label - Otway Records.

Tracklisting: 1. Really Free; 2. Beware Of The Flowers (Cos I'm Sure They're Gonna Get You, Yeh); 3. Delilah; 4. Middle Of Winter; 5. Body Talk; 6. Too Much Air Not Enough Oxygen; 7. Bluey Green; 8. Louisa On A Horse; 9. Poetry & Jazz; 10. Baby It's The Real Thing; 11. Best Dream; 12. Cheryl's Going Home; 13. Frightened & Scared; 14. Geneve; 15. Two Little Boys

Ot-Air (2004)

In 2004, Otway was planning a spectacular world tour for 2006. The tour would see Otway hire his own jet to circumnavigate the globe. This album - made to promote the tour - was recorded at Bood Corporation and Cordella Music and produced by Barry Upton. Sadly the plane, like the tour failed to take off and Otway's dreams of international stardom would have to be put on hold.

Tracklisting: 1. Ot-Air; 2. Lasers Of Love; 3. Only You Can Do That; 4. We Rock; 5. Enjoy 6. International Dateline; 7. The Dream Makers; 8. Slack Jack; 9. Three Kinds Of Magic; 10. The Old Fiddler; 11. Airport

Montserrat (2017)

Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, Otway embarked on an ambitious bid to become the first recording artiste to record an album on the Caribbean island of Montserrat since the Rolling Stones in 1989. Recorded in the basement of Sir George Martin's villa Ulverston House in September 2016. The album was produced by one-time guitarist and collaborator Chris Birkett and contained 11 previously unrecorded and unreleased songs. The first new album of original material since 1995's Premature Adulation. The release on Red Bowler Records would also see Otway's first vinyl release since 1989's The Wimp & The Wild.

Tracklisting: 1. Dancing With Ghosts; 2. Seagulls On Speed; 3. Real Tears From Both Eyes; 4. I Shouldn't Be Doing This; 5. Five Kisses; 6. Already Missing You; 7. Jenny; 8. Toronto; 9. Somewhere Else To Go; 10. There's A War Going On; 11. The Conductor's Waltz

John Otway and Wild Willy Barret: Live To Disc (2019)

This special edition of John Otway and Wild Willy Barret (first released in 1976 - see above) was released esepcially for Record Store Day in 2019. This double LP contained a re-release from the original master tape of the 1977 edition and a new direct to disc recording of the same tracks. To make it extra special, one disc is blue vinyl and the other is green. This double album is completely analogue - the second disc had no hard drive or tape involved. The recording went straight from the microphone (warts and all (mistakes)) to the needle of the cutting lathe.

The Set Remains The Same (Live)

The last live Otway album was in 1994 Thirty years ago. It was Recorded at Otway’s 2,000th Gig at the London Astoria, and as the album title suggested, nothing much had changed.

But, this album proves a few things have. Since then, the band have headlined the Royal Albert Hall with a full symphony orchestra, played Glastonbury Festival, recorded with a thousand piece choir at Abbey Road, had a Top Ten Hit Record (Which they celebrated with a sell out show at the London Palladium). Finally, in 2022 they packed out the Shepherd’s Bush Empire For John’s 5,000th gig.

One thing that hasn’t changed however, is the Band - It’s exactly the same line-up over all those years. So here they are on one CD - all the favourite live band songs (they have to be the favourite as there are not many others to chose from).

Tracklisting: 1. Really Free; 2. Beware of the Flowers; 3. Bluey Green; 4. Baby It's The Real Thing; 5. We Rock; 6. Bunsen Burner; 7. Josephine; 8. Can't Complain; 9. Louisa On A Horse; 10. Best Dream; 11. I Shouldn't Be Doing This; 12. Seagulls On Speed; 13. Cheryl's Going Home; 14. Geneve; 15. House Of The Rising Sun