Editing John Otway (section)

===1970s and 1980s===
Although his first single, "Gypsy"/"Misty Mountain" was released in 1972, Otway gained wider recognition riding the wave of [[punk rock]] and his unique performance on ''[[The Old Grey Whistle Test]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6oQ4oRH_nc|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Z6oQ4oRH_nc|archive-date=2021-12-11|url-status=live|via=YouTube|title=JOHN OTWAY and WILD WILLY BARRETT OGWT 18/10/77 Full Version|date=4 April 2016|access-date=4 October 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> His sixth single, the half-spoken love song "Really Free" reached number 27 in the [[UK singles chart]] in 1977.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book|last=Roberts|first=David|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|year=2006|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=1-904994-10-5|page=412}}</ref> It would be his greatest success for some time. The song earned him a five-album deal with [[Polydor Records]], who viewed him as a [[punk subculture|punk]] rather than merely an eccentric.<ref name="AMG" /> His first album, recorded with [[Wild Willy Barrett]], was produced by [[Pete Townshend]] but sold only fitfully.<ref name="AMG" /> The follow-up singles fared no better despite some imaginative [[promotion (marketing)|promotion]], which included an offer for Otway to come to a buyer's house and perform the 1979 single, "Frightened and Scared", if their copy was one of only three copies from which the vocal had been omitted.<ref name="AMG" /> Otway's and Barrett's only other UK [[record chart|chart]] success came in July 1980 with "DK 50/80", a modest No. 45 hit.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums" />

[[File:JohnOtwayWildWillyBarrett1981.jpg|thumb|Otway (right) with [[Wild Willy Barrett]] in [[Toronto]], 1981]]
When Otway turned solo, his audience remained loyal despite poor record sales.  In the mid-1980s, he often appeared on [[Vivian Stanshall|Vivian]] and [[Ki Longfellow]]-Stanshall's showboat, the [[The Thekla|Old Profanity Showboat]], in [[Bristol]]'s Floating Harbour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gingergeezer.net/oldpro.html|title=Old Profanity Presents|work=Ginger Geezer|access-date=30 December 2011|archive-date=3 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103162622/http://www.gingergeezer.net/oldpro.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> He also appeared as the musical guest in the final episode of the British sitcom ''[[The Young Ones (TV series)|The Young Ones]]'', "[[Summer Holiday (The Young Ones)|Summer Holiday]]".