All that Glitters . . .

[Daily-Editor]

From pop prince to paedophile, there can't have been many more spectacular falls from grace than Gary Glitter's.

So, it's good to see his rehabilitation in the music world has begun with the inclusion of his ground-breaking hit Rock & Roll - Part 11 (The Hey Song) in a new songbook.

It's titled "Guitar for Kids".

Clearly, publishers the Hal Leonard Corporation don't do irony.

Or maybe they do.

[Zeuhl]

Roman Polanski did have a rough life to put it mildly:

childhood in the Holocaust, heavily pregnant wife butchered by the Manson Gang - his subsequent behaviour may be partly due to that

And yes, his movies have enriched human culture.
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[sandyRoe]

Having had a rough life, or a particularly unpleasant childhood, is no excuse for going on to be an abuser.
I think Gary Glitter first came to the attention of the police when he left a computer loaded with images of child abuse into a shop to be repaired. He seems to be a fool as well as a paedophile.

[123everton]

I think Glitter deleted the images, just not off the hard drive which I think is what he thought he'd done.
Polanski b u g g e r e d a 13 year old girl, can't blame the NAZIs or Manson for that.

[Zeuhl]

123

Let me guess - you've never been a Counsellor have you?

PMSL
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[mike11111]

Is the title change the result of inflation?

After all, it is nearly four decades since it first appeared as Part 2.

Is not part II the same thing but in Roman numerals? Perhaps they are trying to combine music with Classics. Cross-curricular themes and all that...

[123everton]

Ha ha, no I haven't, but, thousands of people went through similar things and didn't go on to enjoy the trappings of success, they didn't do anything like he did.
Furthermore, Polanski's never seemed to offer any remorse, his attitude seems to be 'I've done my time now eff off!' a bit like Glitter, who at the very least, has done his time.

[Zeuhl]

Yeah Take your point

But people can get screwed up in the head and do bad things. I don't condone what he did, it's just that being told your wife and unborn child are smeared all over your living room is enough to send anyone off the rails.

And he's been happily married for years - Emmanuelle Seigneur has actually left school now.
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[123everton]

Understanding something and condoning something are two entirely different things, I know exactly what you mean.
He may well have suffered from a bout of manic depression or whatever, either way his actions haven't seriously blighted his carreer, sadly he and Glitter are cut from surprisingly similar cloth.

[starone]

I feel slightly suspicious of anyone who tries to defend the actions of a paedophile, especially when they are so vociferous about it.

[jackthehat]

I'm always slightly suspicious of those in the race to claim to be the 'most outraged' especially when they are so vociferous about it.........

[jno]

Charlie Chaplin had a similarly dodgy history with young women (including the original Lolita). But his final marriage lasted 34 years until his death. Does this invalidate his films? I don't think so. Likewise, I don't think you can just stop liking old music that Glitter recorded ... though you might find it harder to enjoy any recordings he makes now.

[T&S]

I hope nobody ever listens or buys Phil Spector songs. After all, he's a convicted murderer isn't he?

[Zeuhl]

Loud?
Noisy?
Boisterous?
Uproarious?

Methinks someone doesn't know the difference between mature and informed debate and something that is 'vociferous'
:-)

[Zeuhl]

And is perhaps easily confused between

'I don't condone what he did' and what 'defend' means

LOL
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