Having just finished writing about nepotism in the British music industry (see my All Balls And No Willy review) I have just discovered another Otway related example.

Back in 1992 Otway released a CD single of "Two Little Boys" - a song made famous by Rolf Harris. Otway's version was vastly superior, being an up tempo version with a full band. It featured "Attila the Stockbroker" on violin, and was even publicised with at least one television appearance (Channel 4's "Packet of three"). It also made its way onto Otway's "Under the covers and over the top" CD.

At around the same time, Rolf himself decided to relaunch his music career with a wobble-board and accordian based version of Led Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to heaven". In a tragic twist of fate, the amusing, but hardly brilliant "Stairway..." rose steadily to a high level in the charts, whilst the technically superior Otway song sank without a trace.

Otway's next single also bombed - despite being taken from a television advert at the same time that a single from a jeans advert hit number one. Rolf, however, seemed far more certain to hit the charts with his next release, which was a wobble-board and fiddle based version of Queen's classic, "Bohemian Rhapsody".

All this trivia may be very interesting, but it doesn't really smack of nepotism - or does it? Well, having seen some excerpts from Rolf's video, there is a remarkably familiar face amongst the band. In at least one of the scenes, just to Rolf's left, can be seen the familiar figure of a tall hairy man with a fiddle resting on his left forearm, and a bow bouncing wildly around it. That's right - Rolf Harris's fiddle player is none other than Wild Willy Barrett!

As it transpires "Bohemian Rhapsody" went straight in the charts at number 73, then straight back out again. Nevertheless, with a bit of scouring you could probably track a copy down, and I can assure you that it is well worth it. (I have since been informed that copies are available from the Official Rolf Harris Web Pages - follow the link below)

The song itself smacks of "Bohemian Rhapsody the way Otway would have recorded it if he'd been Rolf Harris" and unless you hold it particularly sacred as a song (i.e. my mother described it as "absolutely disgusting") then you'll probably like it (assuming you also like Otway, of course).

Go to the official Rolf Harris homepage! (On the web)

Do not pass go, and certainly do not collect 200 Stylophones!