I always think that if GG had not turned out to be such a perv he would have had a lovely career until the end of his days doing the student/ festival circuits. But clearly not.

The thing is, Jonathan King's music was nearly all rubbish (though obviously no one can stop him making money out of early Genesis/ 10CC stuff).

To take more extreme examples (I know, I know), Hitler's paintings were beyond dire, and Chairman Mao's book unreadably awful. No one cares if they disappear forever.

But in a kitschy, ultra-70's way, Gary Glitter's records were rather good. On the whole, they are never included on compilation albums or nostalgia shows. In a world where you can't switch on Radio 2/ Capital Gold et al without hearing a burst of the Osmonds, the Jackson 5 (a little ironic perhaps), David Essex or Blondie, he seems to have become, permanently and totally, a non-person.

The right way to treat his music? How far can we divorce the music from the man?

Firstly Jonathan King's hasn't been completely. Every so often Everyone's gone to the moon still pops up on the radio.

Glitter is being airbrushed out of the media side of music only in this country.
In other countries his stuff still gets played on retro stations and his stuff still turns up on compilation CD's

Amazon is selling Gary Glitter CD's so if you want a greatest hits CD it's not hard to get.

I think part of the reason the media isn't playing his songs is because his stuff whilst fun is very dated. You could look at why it's rare that stuff by Sweet, Showaddywaddy or The Brotherhood of Man don't get played much.
In general people look back with more fondness on the 60's and 80's than the 70's. So even if he hadn't been revealed as being what he was, he was never going to get a lot of exposure. That is why in the 80's and 90's he kept making comebacks. There wasn't enough interest for him to sustain a profile in music.

I think the hardest thing for Glitter to overcome is his songs. Even if people did try to look past what he is, so many of his songs put the image back in your head.

Do you want, to be in my gang?... erm no!
Do you want to touch?....erm no!
Remember me this way.... I would rather not thank's very much.

When he is singing "I will love you all my life" the way he does with his particular voice, it now sounds creepy.

It's a shame because you are right he could have made a lot of money doing the uni-circuit. He was a great showman, better than he was a singer. I would have gone to see him live as it would have been a belter of an atmosphere and an evening of no-brainer entertainment. He just has too much going against him now to turn it around and be seen for what he is.

And have his crimes affected the Glitter Band's potential career on the nostalgia circuit? (I quite like Goodbye My Love and I also quite like Rock n Roll Parts 1 and 2 by Gary Glitter).

I think it is wrong to try and rewrite pop history and pretend he had no impact on the glam rock scene. he clearly had great impact and was destined to be a stayer.

At the same time one can understand the current reluctance to do anything that would incur royalty payments.

I suspect in time memories will soften and there will be at least some rahabilitation into musical history.

But for that to happen in his own lifetime I think Gadd would have to make a real gesture of remorse. Maybe commit all future royalties to charity?

I'll go along with that. From what I have seen and heard of Gadd's music on nostalgia/clip media and the like (up until you-know-what put the kibosh on its featuring in such things), I just don't see very much 'good' in it in terms of musical appeal. I suspect it probably did mean a lot more to those who were there at the time, and it having endured with them rather than it being a 'timeless' example of contemporary music.

His later stuff was the exception to me, I like 'Dance Me Up' and I think 'Another Rock 'N' Roll Christmas' is a fabulous song. Same with Adam Ant, I find all his big early 80s hits irritatingly atonal, and a dancefloor turn-off other than to those of an, ahem, certain age.

Funnily enough I was on the metro recently and a middle aged gentleman had GG as a ringtone on his mobile. People were looking at him as if he had just recreated 'Saturn devouring his son' in front of them with a small animal!! Quite silly really.

Another Rock and Roll Christmas is still THE best Christmas track

I think his christmas song 'Another Rock N Roll Christmas' would still get airplay. Some of the rubbish christmas songs that were played last year leads me to think Gadd's song would still be played.

Of course we'll never know now.

Edit: Void, you beat me to it.

I'm not sure they were big enough to make a lot of money on the nostalgia circuit. Sadly one of them died in 2003. emigrated to live in Spain. They still do the odd gig here and there.
Rather interestingly on their webpage bio it says at their gigs they do all their songs as well as some of the better known Glitter songs.

To be honest, I don't really rate his music and suspect it's probably disappeared because it just isn't that memorable.

However, I see no general problem in appreciating his art because of his crimes, much art has been produced throughout history by extremely diseased minds and is still equally as valid as that produced by anyone else (the Marquis De Sade for example).

I don't think anyone should be ashamed to say they like some of Gary Glitter's songs, they're nothing to do with his being a paedophile. They should be ashamed for enjoying crap though

The great irony is we all know that he would be the next big Nick Griffin TV event. Question Time got over double it's highest ever viewing figures when he appeared on Question Time.
If one of the main TV stations gave him a programme and he said I'm putting on the bad costumes and the even worse wig. I'm doing all my old hits in a 30 minute TV show. They'll be weeks of arguing in the media, tons of outraged complaints, questions in parliament, pickets outside the TV station and the viewing figures would be in their millions. As the people that wish he was dead tune in to watch the show and be offended.

Well I still like Gary Glitters music.. not too keen on what he gets up to though! Mind you.. i'm not too keen on some of the things Madonna does either and I still buy her music.

I always thought 'Another Rock & Roll Christmas' was a decent Christmas song but obviously now it's the last thing you would want your kids to be listening to as they unwrap their presents..

I don't think anything Madonna has done is even on the same planet as Glitter's heinous crimes.

Aww, I wish people would leave him alone. I like Gary Glitter! So he made one mistake....why do people have to keep harping on about it?

I know, but that wasn't the point, my point was that just because I don't agree with something a musical artist has done it doesn't mean I will stop listening to their music if I enjoy it.

The way I see it, Gary Glitter didn't make a mistake. The guy who plays him did

i hope you are joking

one mistake?

he molested many children..

you can listen to his music at your own risk

THe beginning of "Rock and Roll" is genius. You can see why commercial radio don't play his songs though. There are a few people around who would change the station when his songs get played, which is enough to make it not worth their while to play them. Plenty of other songs around to choose from.

At your own risk? LOL.
I hear playing his songs makes "suggestive smells" come out of your speakers.

Are you Chris Morris LOL

I can imagine that being the next project from Chris Morris, remember that Brass Eye special where he dressed up as a glam rocker, with a doll attached to his er...

Daft statement.

Even dafter statement.

The work of artists should be separate from their personal actions (pretty sure I recently said this on another thread concerning Glitter) but unfortunately this is usually not the case in our stupid society.

The nutters would boycott stuff if they played him. When it comes to pedos it's mob rule. "You're either for us...or a pedo!".

Even the most wretched scum of society feel superior to pedos!

Paul Gadd is the paedo not Gary Glitter. To me Gary Glitter is a charactor just like Ziggy Stardust.
I love Gary Glitters music and strangely enough I don't feel any strange urges when I listen to it... I also do not have a problem with my children listening to it.
Its music and why should my childrens minds be tainted by the actions of the man who plays Gary Glitter? Music is to be enjoyed.

Yeah, and if you play the vinyl version of 'I Love You Love Me Love' backwards he says 'smell my finger' near the end.

Honestly, listen at your own risk...ROFL!