rock and roll.
It always amazes me when I hear Gary Glitter’s “Rock and Roll (Part 2)” being played and chanted at US sports events. The land of lawyers where all kinds of rules and legislation on sex offenders where they’re listed on teh interweb and have to go door to door telling new neighbours of their convictions, is quite happy to chant Glitter’s 1972 glam hit.
Remember when living in Phoenix listening to Sammy Hagar on the local radio station (KDKB) talking about his latest single “Mas Tequila” and how he’d used a chant like “Rock and Roll (Pt2)” and Glitter wanted a quite a of bit of cash for royalties. Sammy wasn’t happy handing over anything to a guy convicted of kiddie porn and said so, this revelation on Glitter came somewhat as a shock to the radio presenters (I thought why use it then Sammy ?) they hadn’t a clue. Of course not it was some faded glam “star” from 70’s Britain but every night on that station I’m pretty sure “Rock and Roll (Pt2)” blasted out on the Coyote’s ice hockey games they broadcast – I’m not altogether positive because hockey on radio sends me to sleep quicker than any drug can manage.
Yup they don’t seem to know that Paul Gadd aka Gary Glitter took his computer along to PC World to get it fixed, while there the guy fixing it found a load of child pornography images on the hard drive.
Do they know as they chant – hey – he travelled around various third world countries trying to find somewhere to “live” but being shown the door when his past caught up with him and that he’s now being detained in Vietnam while allegations on abuse of young girls is futher examined ?
Anyway I have to confess Mr. Glitter and I had a previous conflict, while opening a local HMV store, in the early 90’s, he was wearing a black jacket with gold discs on it that resembled the foil tops you used to (or probably still do) get on gold top milk bottles, so I had to ask how many bottles of milk he had to buy to make the jacket. This didn’t go down too well, but of course I couldn’t leave it there and followed it up with asking how many Shredded Wheat he used for the wig…removed from HMV. Hey it could have been worse…
Watching the live Sunday game (Raiders v Chargers) on tape on Monday I see or should that be hear that Glitter’s track is still being used.