Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

Gary Glitter

 
Artist: Gary Glitter

Similar Artists:

Influenced By:

Followers:

The Runaways, Joan Jett, Andrew Wood, Original Mirrors, Forgotten Rebels, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Queen, Hot Water, The Dagmars

Performed Songs By:

Formal Connection With:

See Gary Glitter Lyrics
  • Born: May 08, 1944, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England
  • Active: '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s
  • Genres: Rock
  • Instrument: Vocals
  • Representative Albums: "Rock and Roll: Gary Glitter's Greatest Hits," "The Ultimate Gary Glitter," "Rock 'n' Roll: The Best of Gary Glitter"
  • Representative Songs: "Rock & Roll, Pt. 2," "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I," "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Ti"

Biography

Although the late '90s apparently saw the end of Gary Glitter's career, following his conviction for sexual offenses, there is no doubting that for a full 25 years before that tragic denouement, Glitter ranked among Britain's best-loved performers of all time. The hits which catapulted him to fame in the early '70s, the anthemic "Rock and Roll" of course, but also the likes of "I'm the Leader of the Gang," "Do You Wanna Touch Me," and "I Love You Love Me Love," still have the capacity to stir an audience -- as "Rock and Roll" itself proves, every time it airs at a major sporting event in the U.S. And, if it is at all oxymoronic that the King of British Glam should be responsible for one of the national anthems of American Football, then that is simply further testament of what made Gary glitter so brightly. Musically, visually, and emotionally, he transcended so many barriers that even categorizing him as a rock & roller seems somehow stingy. He was so much more than that.

Gary Glitter emerged on the U.K. scene in 1972, although he had been touring and recording for over a decade beforehand. Still in his mid-teens, the young Paul Gadd performed at the legendary 2 I's Coffee Bar in London's Soho district, moving onto the Laconda and the Safari clubs before his repertoire of rock & roll classics and sweetly executed ballads brought him to the attention of Robert Hartford Davis, a small-time movie producer looking to break into the music industry. He financed the teenager's first recording session and landed him a deal with Decca, who released "Alone in the Night" in January, 1960, under the first of the multitude of pseudonyms which the singer would utilize through the remainder of the decade, Paul Raven.

In 1961, new manager Vic Billings landed Raven a deal with Parlophone and producer George Martin. Two singles, "Walk on Boy" and "Tower of Strength," followed, but neither sold well and by 1964, Raven was working as a studio warm-up man for the cult television show Ready Steady Go. He also appeared in a handful of television commercials and auditioned unsuccessfully for the lead role in the movie Privilege (Paul Jones ultimately took the part). It was a meeting with producer/arranger Mike Leander which marked the turning point in Raven's fortunes. The singer joined Leander's eponymous Show Band in April, 1965; Leander also arranged for his young protégé to oversee a handful of recording sessions, producing singles by Thane Russell and Scottish beat band the Poets.

The Mike Leander Show Band collapsed in late 1965 and Raven formed a new group, Boston International (later truncated to the Bostons), with saxophonist John Rossall. They spent much of the next five years touring Germany, the schedule interrupted by occasional recording dates back in England with Leander. Between 1968-1970, "Musical Man" and a cover of George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun" were issued under the name Paul Monday. "Soul Thing" and Sly Stone's "Stand" returned Paul Raven to the racks and "We're All Living in One Place" debuted Rubber Bucket and, though the records themselves flopped, the sound was slowly crystallizing. By late 1971, with the glam rock movement now exploding across the U.K., Leander and Raven were convinced they had finally found the elusive formula they had been searching for.

"Rock and Roll" first took shape as a 15-minute jam session before Leander edited it down into two three-minute gems, sensibly subtitled "Part One" and "Part Two." Next came the matter of a new name for the performer -- according to legend, Raven's first instinct was Vicki Vomit, followed by Terry Tinsel, Stanley Sparkle, or Horace Hydrogen, working backwards through the alphabet, Gary Glitter was simply the next alliteration he thought of. And this time, it stuck.

Despite a slow start (it took six months to break into the U.K. chart) "Rock & Roll," of course, became one of the biggest hits of 1972 and one of the most unique. A number two in the U.K. and Top Ten in America, it set Glitter up for a period of almost unassailable chart domination, as a string of barely disguised sound-alikes flew from his and Leander's pens, unerringly affixing themselves on the British Top Ten: "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll)," "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)," and "Hello Hello, I'm Back Again" all charted during the next 12 months. Two albums, Glitter and Touch Me, were no less successful, while Glitter's first ever London concert in spring, 1973, saw him sell out the London Palladium, one of the first rock & rollers ever to play that venerable old pile.

Glitter lived up to his image with a vengeance. He poured a fortune into his wardrobe -- at one point he owned 30 glitter suits and 50 pairs of monstrous silver platform boots. But it was worth it. Glittermania was breaking out everywhere. "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" became his first British chart-topper in the summer of 1973, "I Love You Love Me Love" repeated the success that fall, while "Remember Me This Way," a brass-led ballad which had absolutely nothing in common with the Glitter sound, reached number three. A show at the London Rainbow was recorded for a live album (also titled Remember Me This Way). Glitter's backing band, the aptly named Glitter Band, were launched on a parallel hitmaking career of their own and while attempts to follow up the original American success were less well-starred, "Leader of the Gang" did at least breach the Top 50, in the capable hands of Brownsville Station.

"Always Yours" gave Glitter his eighth successive hit and third number one, in June, 1974; another ballad, "Oh Yes! You're Beautiful" reached number two, the insistent "Love Like You and Me" made number ten, and "Doing Alright With the Boys" hit number six in summer, 1975. And suddenly, it was all over. Glitter's next single, a cover of "Papa Ooh Mow Mow," stalled at #38 and, with successive releases proving similarly catastrophic, the singer announced his retirement in early 1976.

For the next year, Glitter existed in a twilight world of rumor alone, as financial and psychological pressures pushed him to the brink. He was drinking heavily and later admitted that he seriously contemplated suicide. A half-hearted return to action saw him take the lead role in a New Zealand production of The Rocky Horror Show and score a pair of minor U.K. Top 30 hits during 1977, "It Takes All Night Long" and "A Little Boogie Woogie in the Back of My Mind." But it was 1980 before he truly began to come out his shell again, launching a series of low-key concerts for a post-punk audience which had, somewhat curiously, embraced him as a figurehead of sorts. In 1981, he returned to the studio and recorded a new single, a dance medley of all his greatest hits, "All That Glitters." By 1984, he was playing upwards of 80 gigs a year, mainly around the college and club circuit, and returned to the chart with "Dance Me Up" and "Another Rock and Roll Christmas."

Two years later, Doctor & the Medics invited him to guest with them on TV performances of their decidedly Glitter-esque reworking of "Spirit in the Sky." And in 1988, Glitter was back at number one, courtesy of the Timelords' "Doctoring the Tardis" a tribute to television's Dr Who set to samples of Glitter's "Rock and Roll." Glitter himself subsequently re-recorded "Rock and Roll" with producer Trevor Horn and only narrowly missed out on another hit.

Ever more extravagant live shows were celebrated with the 1988 live video Gary Glitter's Gangshow, while his back catalog began spawning a succession of still more adventurous hit compilations. He became the subject of a successful London stage show, while his 1991 autobiography, The Leader, was a major bestseller. In 1994, Glitter was one of the stars at the official World [soccer] Cup concert in Chicago, broadcast live to 46 countries. He returned to the U.S. in 1996, playing the Godfather in the Who's Quadrophenia revival and he found time to deliver a new single, the definitive reading of "The House of the Rising Sun" set to the most heart-stopping Glitter beat yet. "Rock and Roll" even claimed another new lease on life when it became one of the star turns in the movie The Full Monty.

Then came the news that Glitter was under investigation on child pornography charges and his world fell apart. Stores throughout the U.K. withdrew his records from the shelves, concerts were canceled; overnight, one of Britain's most adored icons became public enemy number one and even his staunchest allies now doubt whether Glitter will ever be able to pull one more comeback out of the bag. What cannot be erased, however, is the contribution he has made to the history of rock & roll -- the creation of "Rock and Roll" itself. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide
Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
Wikipedia: Gary Glitter
Top
Gary Glitter

Gary Glitter
Background information
Birth name Paul Francis Gadd
Also known as Paul Raven,
"The Leader"
Born 8 May 1944 (1944-05-08) (age 65)
Banbury, Oxfordshire, England
Genres Glam rock, Rock and roll, Pop
Occupations Singer-songwriter, Musician
Years active 1970–1999
Labels Decca,
Bell Records,
Arista,
EMI,
Attitude, Epic
Associated acts The Poets, The Glitter Band

Gary Glitter is the stage name of Paul Francis Gadd (born 8 May 1944)[1], an English glam rock singer and songwriter.

Glitter first came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s. He had one of the longest chart runs of any solo singer in the UK during the 1970s[citation needed], with several chart hits including "Rock and Roll parts 1 & 2", "I Love You Love Me Love", "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" and "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again". Between 1972 and 1995 Glitter charted twenty-six hit singles which spent a total of 180 weeks in the UK Top 100.[2] He continued to record in the 1980s and 1990s, with his 1984 song "Another Rock N' Roll Christmas" being one of the Top 30 Christmas hits of all time.[3] He released seven studio albums, and at least[specify] 15 greatest hits collections or live albums. In 1998, his recording of "Rock and Roll" was listed as one of the "Top 1001 songs in music history."[4]

In 1999 Glitter returned to the public eye when he was sentenced to four months imprisonment and listed as a sex offender in the UK following conviction for downloading thousands of items of child pornography.[5]

Contents

Career

Early work

At the age of sixteen Glitter was already performing live at London clubs. His career on the London club scene grew, as he appeared at such venues as the Two I's, in Soho, and the Laconda and Safari Clubs. His repertoire consisted of early rock & roll standards and gentle ballads.[6] He got his first break when film producer Robert Hartford Davis discovered Gadd and financed a recording session for Decca Records. At 18, he recorded his first album;[7] under the stage name "Paul Raven" he released his first single, "Alone in the Night", in January 1960.

A year later, with a new manager, Vic Billings, he signed a new recording contract with Parlophone and worked with producer George Martin, before Martin's association with The Beatles. Martin produced two singles, "Walk on By" and "Tower of Strength", but neither sold very well and Raven's recording career reached an impasse. By 1964, while Martin's work with The Beatles was conquering the world, Raven was reduced to playing the warm-up for the British television programme Ready Steady Go!. He did numerous TV commercials and film auditions, and in the course of those activities met arranger-producer Mike Leander who eventually helped revive his career.

Gary Glitter

First, Raven joined the Mike Leander Show Band in early 1965. Then he was deputised to produce a few recording sessions by such artists as Thane Russell and a Scottish beat group, the Poets. After Leander's group disbanded, Raven formed Boston International with saxophonist John Rossall, and spent the following five years touring the UK and Germany, recording occasionally. By 1970, several singles, including "Musical Man", "Goodbye Seattle" and a version of George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun", put Raven back into record stores. As the glam movement hit full swing in 1971, Raven took the new name Gary Glitter, which he devised by playing alliteratively with letters of the alphabet, working backwards from 'Z'. Other options included Terry Tinsel, Stanley Sparkle and Vicky Vomit.[8] The style that would come to define Gary Glitter had taken its basic shape.

The song that at last made Gary Glitter's name and career began as a fifteen-minute jam, whittled down to a pair of three-minute extracts released as the A and B sides of a single, called "Rock and Roll, Parts One and Two". "Rock and Roll (Part Two)" would prove to be the more popular side in many countries, although it took about six months before it made its full impact, going to number two on the British pop charts and reaching the Top Ten in the United States, one of the few British glam rock records to do so. "Rock and Roll (Part One)" was also a hit: in France it made number one and in the UK both sides were listed together on the charts.

Mainstream success

"Rock and Roll" was followed by other successes: for the next three years, Glitter, backed by The Glitter Band on stage, challenged Sweet, Slade and T.Rex for domination of the charts. To reinforce his image, he reportedly owned thirty glitter suits and fifty pairs of silver platform boots. He also released several singles which became British Top Ten hits, with "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" being his first single to reach number one in the summer of 1973, and "I Love You Love Me Love", its follow-up, his second. Even an atypical ballad, "Remember Me This Way", went to number three. He had twelve consecutive Top Ten singles, from 1972's "Rock and Roll (Parts One and Two)" to "Doing Alright With the Boys" in the summer of 1975.

"Rock and Roll (Part Two)" caught on as a popular sports anthem in North America.[9] Often used as a goal song or celebration song, fans chanted out "Hey!" along with the chorus. In light of Glitter's court convictions (see below), some teams have stopped using the song, though it remains heavily played.

Despite his success in the UK, Glitter never made the same impact in the U.S., where, at best, glam rock was seen as a curiosity. Glitter had one more entry on the U.S charts with "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock 'n Roll)"; after that, however, the closest chart success for Glitter was a cover recording of "I'm the Leader of the Gang" by Brownsville Station.

After "Doing Alright With the Boys", Glitter won the award for "Best male artist" at the Saturday Scene music awards hosted by LWT. His next release was a cover of the Rivingtons' rhythm and blues legend, "Papa Oom Mow Mow", but it got no higher than number 38 on the British charts. After subsequent releases stalled in similar fashion, Gary Glitter announced his retirement from music in early 1976. That same year, his first true hits package, simply titled Greatest Hits, was released. It entered the UK Top 40 best-sellers charts. A similar budget album, entitled I Love You Love Me Love, was issued by Hallmark Entertainment the following year.

Comeback and business interests

Glitter's career took a downturn towards the end of the 1970s, leading to his first bankruptcy (He went bankrupt a second time over unpaid tax bills in the 1990s). He was said to have begun drinking heavily, even admitting later that he pondered suicide. Under financial pressure, not even a pair of Top 40 hit singles ("It Takes All Night" and "A Little Boogie Woogie in the Back of My Mind") could lift him all the way back. It took the post-punk audience, and some of its artists who still respected Glitter's work, to do that; he had been an influence on post-punk, new wave, britpop and hair metal, as well as early punk rock itself[10][11]. Around this time, Glitter settled into being a performer with a cult following that continued until his child pornography conviction in the late 1990s. This helped provide the opportunity for Glitter to cut a dance medley of his greatest hits, All That Glitters, which charted in 1981. Within three years, he was playing eighty shows a year at colleges and clubs, and had chart hits "Dance Me Up" (UK No.25) and "Another Rock N' Roll Christmas" (#7).

Glitter's comeback was boosted in the 1980s by various guest spots and collaborations, leading to his becoming a cult figure with students. In 1982 he appeared on the British Electric Foundation album Music of Quality and Distinction Volume One (UK #25) along with fellow pop/rock luminaries Sandie Shaw and Tina Turner. In 1988, The Timelords' "Doctoring the Tardis," a Doctor Who tribute that sampled "Rock and Roll (Part Two)", reached the number one spot. In due course, Glitter re-cut "Rock and Roll" with producer Trevor Horn and also "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" with Girlschool. In the late 1980s his hit singles were used to compile the Telstar-released C'mon, C'mon ... It's the Gary Glitter Party Album. In 1989, Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers put a large sample of "Another Rock and Roll Christmas" on their Number 1 UK hit "Let's Party".

In 1991 Glitter opened a restaurant in London's West End. Glitter's Snack Bar was promoted under the slogan "Leader of the Snack". It was successful at first, but business eventually slowed and the restaurant closed in the late 1990s.

Glitter also launched his own record label in the early 1990s, Attitude Records, after he lost his deal with Virgin Records. Glitter had signed to Virgin after leaving Arista Records in 1984 after twelve years with the label. Attitude records was merged into Machmain Ltd later in the 1990s, a music company owned by Glitter.

Glitter spent the next decade mostly as an in-demand live performer, and his back catalogue of recordings proved durable enough that several compilations sold well. Glitter appeared in several humorous billboard and poster advertisements for British Rail, in one of which he was shown attempting to look younger (and quite clearly failing) in order to obtain a Young Persons Railcard. He also issued a new studio album Leader 2 in 1991 which sold reasonably well.

He was a surprise hit at the 1994 World Cup concert in Chicago which was telecast live to forty-six countries. He played the Godfather in a 1996 revival of The Who's Quadrophenia. He also cut a single, a new version of "The House of the Rising Sun". British rock group Oasis used a sample from Glitter's 1973 chart hit, "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again" on their 1995 multi-million-selling album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, one of a number of acts that borrowed from his song book.

"Rock and Roll (Part Two)" by this time was being used heavily as a crowd-rouser at numerous sporting events, and it was featured in the hit films The Full Monty, Happy Gilmore, Meet the Fockers and The Replacements with Keanu Reeves.

Career moves after 2000 jail release

In 2002, Snapper records re-promoted The Ultimate Gary Glitter, a two-CD anthology of Glitter's music first issued in 1997 (days after his arrest)(see below), which covers his commercial breakthrough in 1972 through that point; again it was moderately successful.

In September 2001 he released a new album, On, that included material written before his 1999 British conviction. That material was to have been part of a project called Lost on Life Street until that album's release was cancelled following his arrest. By December 2004, after releasing a new single, "Control", Glitter was in the news again concerning his behaviour; NGOs had been petitioning the government with their own evidence aimed at arresting Glitter. Glitter moved to Vietnam.

In 2005 Remember Me This Way, the documentary filmed at Glitter's career peak in 1973 (and originally released in 1974), was issued for the first time on DVD. Glitter's music itself still had an audience, further demonstrated by three new album releases, although all of them contained past recordings from the vaults, rather than new product. The first two new albums were issued at the same time, The Remixes and Live in Concert (the latter of which was a 1981 recording). These were only for sale on the Internet. A new collection of Glitter's chart hit singles followed, The Best of Gary Glitter.[12] In 2006 his back catalogue was made available via the Internet from sites such as iTunes and eMusic.

Personal life

Early life

Paul Francis Gadd was born in Banbury, Oxfordshire. His mother, a cleaner, was unmarried, and initially brought him up with the help of her mother; he never knew his father. He was hard to control and at the age of 10, along with his brother, he was taken into local authority care. Although a Protestant, he was educated at a Roman Catholic school. He would frequently run away to London, to the clubs that would be the launching ground of his career.[7]

In July 1963, Gadd married Ann Murton. The following year they had a son, also called Paul, and in 1966 a daughter, Sarah. The marriage broke down in 1970 and they were divorced in 1972.[13][14] In February 2001, he had another son, Gary Jr, with Yudenia Sosa Martínez, born 1973, with whom he was then living in Cuba.[15]

During the 1980s, Glitter gained three convictions for drink driving, one of which lead to a ten year driving ban and[16] narrowly escaping a prison term.

Child pornography arrest and conviction

In November 1997 Glitter was arrested after child pornography images were discovered on the hard drive of a Toshiba laptop that he had taken to the Bristol Cribbs Causeway branch of PC World for repair. As a result, he was lampooned in both US and UK media over the allegations. Additionally, his appearance in the Spice Girls' film Spiceworld The Movie was cut. Nevertheless, a truncated edit of the scene, featuring a version of Glitter's "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)", was still included in the film. In the months before his conviction, he thanked audiences for their support at his last show before his trial. Footage of this was used in a documentary broadcast on Channel 4.[citation needed]

In 1999, Glitter returned to the public eye when he was sentenced to four months imprisonment and listed as a sex offender in the UK following conviction for downloading thousands of items of child pornography.[17]

He was also charged with having sex with an underage girl, Alison Brown, around twenty years earlier, when she was 14 years old. Glitter was acquitted of this charge after it emerged that Brown had sold her story to the News of the World and stood to earn more money from the newspaper on Glitter's conviction.[18]

Vietnam underage-sex arrest and conviction

In late 2005, at age 61, Gary Glitter was arrested and charged with molesting two under-aged girls, aged 10 and 11, at his home in Vũng Tàu, Vietnam. [19] He originally faced possible child rape charges carrying the death penalty, but prosecutors did not find enough evidence for those charges. Early in 2006, he was convicted of committing obscene acts with minors and sentenced to three years' imprisonment.[19] On one of two appeals, in 2007 this was reduced by three months.

He moved to Cambodia but was permanently deported from there in 2002 for suspected child sexual abuse,[20] to Vung Tau in Vietnam.[21] In 2005, he was arrested by Vietnamese authorities, was tried and convicted of child sexual abuse charges in June. He was released from prison on 19 August 2008 and returned to London three days later, after being refused entry into Thailand and Hong Kong.

Arrest and trial

Despite having applied for permanent residence in Vietnam, Gary Glitter fled his home on 12 November 2005. Three days later, he was arrested in Ho Chi Minh City while trying to board a flight to Thailand. Six Vietnamese females, aged from 11 to 23, claimed that Glitter had had sex with them; the age of consent in Vietnam is eighteen.[22]

After his arrest, Glitter was turned over to provincial police from Ba Ria-Vung Tau and returned to Vung Tau and held on suspicion of having sex with the two under-age girls. Glitter was held in jail throughout the criminal investigation, which was completed on 26 December 2005. The charge of rape was dropped for "lack of evidence" (according to Glitter's lawyer), although the singer admitted that an eleven-year-old girl had slept in his bed. Glitter could have faced execution by firing squad if convicted of child rape. After having received compensatory payments from Glitter, the families of the girls appealed to the courts for clemency for him.[23]

On 2 March 2006, Glitter was tried on charges of committing obscene acts with two girls, aged 11 and 12, facing a prison sentence of up to 14 years if he was found guilty. The trial ended the next day, upon which Glitter was found guilty, and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment.[9][23][24][25][26]

The sentence included mandatory deportation at the end of his sentence, and payment of 5 million Vietnamese dong (US$315) to his victims' families.[27] Glitter continued to deny any wrongdoing, saying he believes he was framed by British tabloid newspapers.[28] He announced he planned to spend part of his sentence writing an autobiography, which he had already begun during his pre-trial.

Glitter, in his first interview in more than eight years to BBC News in May 2006, denied any wrong-doing and claimed not to have knowingly had sex with anyone under 18. He also said "I know the line [not] to cross". When asked what he thought of adults having sex with children he said "It certainly is a crime ... I would be very angry about that." Christine Beddoe, director of End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking, criticised Glitter and said he was trying to "minimise what he has done" and added "We must allow children to tell their story and not just have the words of Gadd."[29]

In his interview, Glitter denied he was a paedophile. He said he had hoped that there was even a slim chance he could put his life back on track and have a career after he left prison in England. However, the people around him felt that the media had already made a sensation about the paedophile allegations. He continued to blame the press for his downfall and called them "the worst enemy in the world", alleging 'entrapment' by them by paying local girls in a bar to arrange a photo-scoop. Glitter did not comment about his previous conviction for possession of child pornography several years earlier.[29]

Appeal

On 15 June 2006, in a closed hearing, the People's Supreme Court of Appeals heard Glitter's appeal for a reduced sentence. The three-judge panel rejected the appeal four weeks later.[30][31][32][33] Although he was calm throughout the 40-minute reading of the verdict, upon leaving the courthouse, he shouted angrily to reporters and denounced Vietnamese justice for not hearing the defence arguments.[34] On 7 February, 2007, it was announced that his sentence had been reduced by three months.[35] In anticipation of his release, the Philippines barred Glitter from entering that country as of 16 May 2008.[36]

Release

Glitter's Vietnamese lawyer, Le Thanh Kinh, said that his client intended to return to the UK, although he had also expressed interest in moving to either Hong Kong or Singapore.[37] In the UK it was reported that he would be placed on the Sex Offenders Register on his return. British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said he should be given a Foreign Travel Order (FTO) banning him from overseas travel: "We need to control him, and he will be [controlled] once he returns to this country."[38]

Glitter was released from Thu Duc prison in southern Binh Thuan province on 19 August 2008. He was escorted under police guard to Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and put on board a flight to London via Bangkok. At Bangkok he claimed that he had tinnitus and a heart condition, and refused to board the flight to London despite the efforts of British police sent to escort him, although they had no jurisdiction to take action. He was refused entry to Thailand and threatened with deportation to the UK.[39][40][41] On the evening of 20 August he took a flight to Hong Kong, where he requested medical treatment saying he was suffering a heart attack. However the Hong Kong authorities also refused to admit him and he returned to Thailand the next day.[42]

At least nineteen countries, including Cuba, Cambodia and the Philippines, announced that they would refuse to admit Glitter, and on 21 August the Thai authorities stated that he had agreed to return to the UK.[43] He arrived back in the UK at Heathrow Airport at 7:10am on 22 August 2008, where he was met by British police officers.[44]

On his return to the United Kingdom, Glitter was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life, and stated an intention to appeal against this decision; on 16 January 2009, however, it was announced that he had abandoned this move.[45]

Plans after prison release

On 25 June 2008 the Daily Telegraph reported that Gary Glitter planned to record a new album on his prison release. He is quoted as saying "I have an incomplete album that I want to finish. I have been thinking about the plan during my days in jail, I have sung rock'n'roll for forty years. After jail, I will continue to rock'n'roll."[46] After his release from prison, Glitter said that he was planning to write a book to prove his innocence.[47]

Cardiovascular disorder

On 20 January 2008, the News of the World reported that the singer had suffered a severe heart attack. These reports were denied, although it was confirmed that he had been diagnosed with heart problems.

"Glitter was admitted to our hospital with acute diarrhoea," said Nguyen Huu Quang, the director of the hospital in Binh Thuan Province, near the prison where the singer was serving out his sentence. "While we were treating him, we found out that he also has a cardiovascular disorder."[48]

'The Execution of Gary Glitter'

In November 2009 the UK's Channel 4 showed a drama (or 'mockumentary') called The Execution of Gary Glitter. Set in an imaginary Britain in which the death sentence has been re-introduced, the drama examined the possible consequences of capital punishment when Glitter was put on trial as a paedophile under imagined Capital Crimes Against Children legislation. The drama was written by Rob Coldstream and starred Hilton McRae as Glitter.[49] The programme was described by the UK television listing magazine Radio Times as "a strange, often repellent film ... and you might just feel a bit grubby afterwards." [50]

Selected discography

Singles

1970s

  • 1972 "Rock and Roll (Parts 1 and 2)" #2 UK;[51] #7 U.S.;[52] #1 France; #1 Australia; #4 Ireland; #7 Netherlands; #4 Germany;[53] #3 Canada; #4 Switzerland[54]
  • 1972 "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Til I Saw You Rock 'n' Roll)" #4 UK; #35 U.S.; #5 Ireland; #19 Netherlands; #12 Germany; #3 France
  • 1973 "Do You Wanna Touch Me? (Oh Yeah)" #2 UK; #3 Australia; #9 Ireland; #4 Netherlands; #16 Germany; #7 France
  • 1973 "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again" #2 UK; #6 Australia; #2 Ireland; #22 Netherlands; #10 Germany; #8 France
  • 1973 "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" #1 UK; #2 Australia; #2 Ireland; #12 Netherlands; #6 Germany; #9 France; #6 Norway
  • 1973 "I Love You Love Me Love" #1 UK; #2 Australia; #2 Ireland; #10 Netherlands; #8 Germany; #9 France; #4 Norway; #6 Austria
  • 1974 "Remember Me This Way" #3 UK; #9 Ireland; #50 Germany; #31 Australia
  • 1974 "Always Yours" #1 UK; #11 Australia; #1 Ireland; #14 Germany
  • 1974 "Oh Yes! You're Beautiful" #2 UK; #10 Australia; #1 Ireland; #28 Germany
  • 1975 "Love Like You and Me" #10 UK; #11 Ireland
  • 1975 "Doing Alright with the Boys" #6 UK; #3 Ireland
  • 1975 "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" #38 UK; #20 Ireland; #9 France
  • 1976 "You Belong to Me" #40 UK
  • 1977 "It Takes All Night Long" #25 UK; #24 Netherlands
  • 1977 "A Little Boogie Woogie in the Back of Mind" #31 UK
  • 1978 "Oh What a Fool I've Been" / "365 Days (Hurry on Home)"
  • 1979 "Superhero"

1980s

  • 1980 Gary Glitter EP #57 UK
  • 1980 "When I'm On, I'm On"
  • 1980 "What Your Mama Don't See"
  • 1981 "All That Glitters" #48 UK
  • 1981 "And Then She Kissed Me" #39 UK
  • 1982 "Dedicated Man" (Australia only)
  • 1984 "Dance Me Up" #25 UK; #25 Ireland
  • 1984 "Another Rock n' Roll Christmas" #7 UK; #14 Ireland
  • 1985 "Love Comes" #91 UK (charted for 3 weeks)
  • 1987 "Rock & Roll Part 3" #107 UK
  • 1987 "Gary Glitter & Girlschool - I'm the Leader of the Gang" #12 Australia
  • 1988 "Frontiers of Style"

1990s

  • 1990 "Red Hot (Reputation)" #87 UK (charted for 1 month)
  • 1991 "Ready to Rock"
  • 1992 "Rock On" #58 UK
  • 1992 "Through the Years" #49 UK
  • 1995 "Hello, Hello I'm Back Again (Again!)" #50 UK
  • 1996 "House of the Rising Sun" #15 NZ; #81 UK

2000s

  • 2001 "You" fan club single - mail order only
  • 2004 "Control" fan club single - mail order only
  • 2005 "Field of Dreams" fan club single - mail order only

Covers/samples

  • 1974 "I'm the Leader of the Gang" by Brownsville Station #48 U.S.
  • 1980 Holiday 80 EP by The Human League (includes cover of "Rock and Roll" as part of a medley with Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing")
  • 1982 "Rock N' Roll Part 2" covered by hardcore punk band D.I.
  • 1983 "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Til I Saw You Rock 'n' Roll)" by Rock Goddess
  • 1983 "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Til I Saw You Rock 'n' Roll)" by Planet Patrol R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart #62 U.S.
  • 1984 "Do You Wanna Touch Me" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts #20 U.S.
  • 1987 "A Little Boogie Woogie (In the Back of My Mind)" Shakin' Stevens UK No. 12
  • 1988 "KLF - Doctorin' the Tardis" by The Timelords Featuring Gary Glitter No. 1 UK (features samples of "Rock and Roll (Parts 1 and 2)")
  • 1989 "Let's Party" Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers UK No. 1 (features a sample of Glitter's "Another Rock 'N Roll Christmas")
  • 1989 "Rock N' Roll" by the Undertones, cover of Rock N' Roll (Part 1), The Peel Sessions Album (Undertones)
  • 1993 "I'm the Leader of the Gang" Hulk Hogan with Green Jelly UK No. 25
  • 1995 "Hello" by Oasis (uses elements of and quotes the chorus of "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again")

Studio albums

  • (1972) Glitter #8 UK; #2 Australia - Re-issued 2009 on Airmail records AIRAC-1492
  • (1973) Touch Me #2 UK; #2 Australia - Re-issued 2009 on Airmail records AIRAC-1493
  • (1975) G. G. - Re-issued 2009 on Airmail records AIRAC-1495
  • (1977) Silver Star - Re-issued 2009 on Airmail records AIRAC-1496
  • (1984) Boys Will Be Boys
  • (1991) Leader 2
  • (2001) On

Live albums

  • (1974) Remember Me This Way #5 UK (live/soundtrack); #8 Australia - Re-issued 2009 on Airmail records AIRAC-1494
  • (1988) The Gang, the Band, the Leader
  • (1990) Live and Alive
  • (2005) Live in Concert

Compilations

  • (1976) Greatest Hits #33 UK
  • (1977) I Love You Love Me Love
  • (1979) Always Yours
  • (1980) Leader
  • (1981) Golden Greats
  • (1987) C'mon, C'mon ... It's the Gary Glitter Party Album
  • (1992) Many Happy Returns #35 UK
  • (1995) 20 Greatest Hits
  • (1997) The Ultimate Gary Glitter (also known as 25 Years of Hits) #112 UK
  • (1998) Rock and Roll - Gary Glitters Greatest Hits
  • (2003) The Early Years
  • (2005) The Remixes
  • (2006) The Best of Gary Glitter

TV and film appearances

  • (1973) Russell Harty (TV show) – also featuring Edna O'Brien, Miss World
  • (1974) Remember Me This Way cinema film, documenting Glitter's 1973 Christmas tour, issued on DVD in 2005.
  • (1974) Russell Harty (TV show) – also featuring Lauren Bacall, Michael Aspel
  • (1975) Supersonic – also featuring Alvin Stardust, Mud
  • (1976) Russell Harty (TV show) – also featuring Georgie Fame, Diana Ross
  • (1977) Pop at the Mill – also featuring Joe Brown
  • (1977) "Tiswas" – fifth show of the fourth series, with other guest Eddie Kidd
  • (1980) Live at The RainbowVHS release of Glitter concert performance, issued on DVD in 2006
  • (1981) BBC Radio's Desert Island Discs
  • (1982) "The Tube"
  • (1983) Heinz Soup Commercial Glitter in a humorous commercial for Heinz lentil soup. Features a voice-over by Alan Freeman.
  • (1983) Russell Harty – also featuring Irene Handl, Professor Keith Simpson
  • (1983–1984) "Pop Quiz" (two episodes)
  • (1984) "Surprise Surprise!" (one episode)
  • (1986) "Roland Rat: The Series" .... Himself
  • (1986) "Saturday Scene"... with Girlschool, performing Leader of the Gang
  • (1987) Alas Smith and Jones – special guest star
  • (1987) "Supergran" .... Newcastle Brown (one episode)
  • (1987) "Old Grey Whistle Test"
  • (1987) "The Last Resort" – Jonathan Ross (Host), Episode 12
  • (1988) "Wogan Show" – guest
  • (1988) "That was when... This is Now"
  • (1988) "How To Be Cool" (kids' TV show), as Larry Larkin, a seedy TV producer
  • (1988) "The Timelords"
  • (1988) "Top of the Pops"
  • (1989) "Children in Need" [2 Parts]
  • (1989) "Gary Glitter's Gang Show" – VHS – live at Manchester's Apollo Theatre in December 1988
  • (1990) "Jim'll Fix It"
  • (1991) "Pebble Mill" episode 4
  • (1992) "Wogan Show" – guest
  • (1992) "Trading Places"
  • (1992) "The Gary Glitter Story" – VHS – featuring interviews and live footage
  • (1992) "Gary Glitter - Live" - Rock 'n' Roll's Greatest Show – recorded live in Sheffield
  • (1992) This Is Your Life Glitter is presented the big red book by Michael Aspel in a show honouring him for 30 years in showbusiness.
  • (1990s) The Leader Talks – hosting his own chat show
  • (1994) "Top Ten Glam Rock Stars" and Channel 4, UK - performer
  • (1994) "Children in Need" [2 Parts] – performer
  • (1994) "The Clothes Show" - Guest
  • (1994) "Top of the Pops" – special guest presenter and performer, 22 December
  • (1995) "Top of the Pops" – special guest presenter and performer, 7 December
  • (1996) "Top of the Pops" – special guest presenter and performer, 6 December
  • (1996) Clive Anderson All Talk, chat show guest
  • (1996) MasterCard Masters of Music Concert for the Prince's Trust Live performance.
  • (1997) "Spice World", Spice Girls film. A cameo recorded by Glitter cut following his arrest in November 1997. However the song "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" was retained.

Glitter also made regular appearances on many other TV shows, including: Top of the Pops (1970s - 1990s), Supersonic (1970s), TV-am (1980s) and GMTV (1990s). His music has also been used in many commercials, TV shows and films[clarification needed].

See also

Further reading

  • Glitter, Gary Leader: The Autobiography of Gary Glitter (Ebury Press, 1991). ISBN 0-85223-977-7.

Notes

  1. ^ "nndb.com". http://www.nndb.com/people/600/000022534/. Retrieved 2009-07-30. 
  2. ^ "polyhex.com UK Singles Chart runs". http://www.polyhex.com/music/chartruns/chartruns.php/chartruns.php. Retrieved 2007-06-18. 
  3. ^ Dave Simpson (14 December 2006). "Christmas without Glitter?". The Guardian. http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2006/12/christmas_without_glitter.html. Retrieved 2007-06-18. 
  4. ^ "The Heart of Rock & Soul". http://books.google.com/books?id=bHWL2eWgjaYC&pg=PA539&lpg=PA539&dq=gary+glitter+1001&source=bl&ots=txv4LMCV7D&sig=9U7gXCRInoubXYUwt9LKH_WWUtc&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result. Retrieved 2009-01-31. 
  5. ^ "Glitter jailed over child porn". BBC News. 12 November 1999. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/517604.stm. Retrieved 2007-06-18. 
  6. ^ Thompson, Dave "Gary Glitter Biography", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
  7. ^ a b "Nowhere to call home". The Times. 21 August 2008. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4573311.ece. 
  8. ^ Profile: Gary Glitter BBC News
  9. ^ a b AP, "Vietnamese Complete Probe of Gary Glitter" Yahoo! entertainment news (27 December 2005)
  10. ^ http://www.caughtoffguard.co.uk/punk_history.html Gary Glitter's influence on punk is pointed out here.
  11. ^ http://www.sugarbuzzmagazine.com/bands/vibrators/vibrators.html " Glam was fairly good at the time; also it was almost all we had. It could look ridiculous but musically it was often alright. Sometimes when you listen back bits of it sound quite punk. I liked Gary Glitter, Hello, Slade; they were all laying the roots to punk. Some of Bowie and Lou Reed were very good and Bolan of course. I suppose it had a bit of influence, but not a lot. " Knox from The Vibrators citing Glam rock acts, Including Glitter, as an influence on punk.
  12. ^ "Gary Glitter Album Download". VH1.com. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/glitter_gary/958559/album.jhtml. 
  13. ^ "Glitter in limbo". Daily Mail. 21 August 2008. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1046636/Glitter-limbo-Rejected-Vietnam-Thailand-Hong-Kong---pop-pervert-face-British-justice.html. 
  14. ^ "Get Me More Porn". Sunday Mirror. 19 December 1999. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_19991219/ai_n14496833. 
  15. ^ "Emotional Glitter speaks of 'regret'". BBC News. 11 January 2000. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/598689.stm. 
  16. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4766890.stm Glitter's conviction for drink driving BBC News.
  17. ^ "Glitter jailed over child porn". BBC News. 12 November 1999. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/517604.stm. Retrieved 2007-06-18. 
  18. ^ "Press warned over witness payments". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/550343.stm. 
  19. ^ a b Joel Roberts. "Gary Glitter Sentenced To 3 Years". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/03/entertainment/main1364881.shtml. 
  20. ^ "Glitter deported from Cambodia". BBC News. 7 January 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2635489.stm. Retrieved 2007-06-18. 
  21. ^ "Gary Glitter arrested in Vietnam". BBC News. 19 November 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4451992.stm. Retrieved 2007-06-18. 
  22. ^ "Glitter 'had sex with girl, 12'". BBC NEWS. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4454486.stm. 
  23. ^ a b "Glitter police 'drop rape charge'". BBC NEWS. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4559658.stm. 
  24. ^ "Glitter charged with obscene acts". BBC NEWS Asia-Pacific. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4586460.stm. 
  25. ^ "Gary Glitter abuse trial opens". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,1721528,00.html. 
  26. ^ "Glitter jailed for 'obscene' child abuse". The Independent. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article348996.ece. 
  27. ^ "Glitter jailed for abusing girls". BBC NEWS Asia-Pacific. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4769164.stm. 
  28. ^ "Gary Glitter Sentenced to Three Years for 'Obscene Acts' in Vietnam". FOXNews.com. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,186689,00.html. 
  29. ^ a b "Gary Glitter denies abusing girls". BBC NEWS Asia-Pacific. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4964292.stm. 
  30. ^ "Glitter sex abuse appeal rejected". BBC NEWS Asia-Pacific. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5082642.stm. 
  31. ^ "Glitter loses child molestation conviction appeal". breakingnews.ie. 15 June 2006. http://www.breakingnews.ie/2006/06/15/story263433.html. 
  32. ^ "British rocker Glitter’s appeal trial postponed to early June". Viet Nam News. 18 May 2006. http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01CAS180506. 
  33. ^ "Appeals court to take Gary Glitter case in June". MSNBC.com. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13048671/. 
  34. ^ "Gary Glitter's appeal rejected". tvnz.co.nz. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411319/750839. 
  35. ^ "Glitter child abuse sentence cut". BBC NEWS. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6337867.stm. 
  36. ^ Karen Bale (2008-05-16). "Philippines bans paedophile Gary Glitter as he prepares to leave Vietnamese jail". The Daily Record. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2008/05/16/philippines-bans-paedophile-gary-glitter-as-he-prepares-to-leave-vietnamese-jail-86908-20419052/. 
  37. ^ "Rock star sex offender released". RTHK. 19 July 2008,. http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/news.htm?main&20080819&56&515555. 
  38. ^ "Paedophile rock star flies into Hong Kong". SCMP. 21 August 2008. http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=e5a26c44cb0eb110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=Hong+Kong&s=News.  (subscription only)
  39. ^ "Gary Glitter flown out of Vietnam". BBC News. 19 August 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7569348.stm. 
  40. ^ "'Heart attack' halts Glitter trip". BBC News. 19 August 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7571429.stm. 
  41. ^ "Gary Glitter returns to Thailand". BBC News. 21 August 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7573812.stm. 
  42. ^ "Glitter refused Hong Kong entry". BBC News. 20 August 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7572477.stm. 
  43. ^ "Gary Glitter 'will fly to London'". BBC News. 21 August 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7573812.stm. 
  44. ^ [1]
  45. ^ "Glitter drops sex register appeal". BBC News Online. 16-01-2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7833963.stm. Retrieved 2009-01-16. 
  46. ^ "Gary Glitter plans career relaunch". Daily Telegraph. 25 June 2008. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2187463/Gary-Glitter-plans-career-relaunch.html. 
  47. ^ "Glitter in limbo". Daily Mail. 21 August 2008. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1046636/Glitter-limbo-Rejected-Vietnam-Thailand-Hong-Kong---pop-pervert-face-British-justice.html. 
  48. ^ "Breaking News". Bangkok Post. http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=125329. 
  49. ^ [2] The Execution of Gary Glitter on the Channel 4 website
  50. ^ The Execution of Gary Glitter on the Radio Times website
  51. ^ "search form: „Gary Glitter"". everyhit.com. http://www.everyhit.com/. 
  52. ^ Joel Whitburn: The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. 7th ed. Billboard Books, New York 2000, ISBN 0-8230-7690-3, P. 266.
  53. ^ Günter Ehnert (ed.): Hit-Bilanz, Deutsche Chart Singles 1956-1980. Taurus-Press, Hamburg 1990, ISBN 3-922542-24-7, P. 86.
  54. ^ "Gary Glitter". hitparade.ch,. http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Gary+Glitter&titel=Rock+And+Roll+Part+2%21&cat=s. 

External links


 
 
Learn More
Planet Patrol (1983 Album by Planet Patrol)
Seventies Collection (1998 Album by Various Artists)
Jock Fever (2000 Album by Various Artists)

Did Gary Glitter host top of the pops? Read answer...
Is Gary Glitter the father of Adam Ant? Read answer...
Are Gary Glitter and Lionel Blair brothers? Read answer...

Help us answer these
How did gary glitter get his name?
Whatever happened to Gary Glitter?
What would be the worst thing to say upon meeting Gary Glitter?

Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

 

Copyrights:

Artist. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Gary Glitter" Read more

 

Mentioned in