DJs & Discos : Buttercup
Tamworth Herald – 06/01/89
THIS horrible photo has been sitting around on my desk for weeks. When I sent photographer Paul Barber to take his DHSS pics at the Tavern, Butty grabbed hold of him and demanded that he took this sexy photo. Since then he has badgered me to death to print his picture and so reluctantly this week I do so. Ladies and gentlemen – the local DJ of 1988. Big Butty!!
Tamworth Herald – 02/06/89
The Buttercup video DID go ahead last week and our man on the spot Sean ‘Water Polo’ Atkins was there to record the horrific event. Watch this space for more details of the horrible occasion.
Tamworth Herald – 09/06/89
TAMWORTH’s growing reputation on the national music scene got another boost this week with news that Tamworth’s favourite full-time DJ, rockstar and video personality Buttercup is to star on the cult TV show The James Whale Radio Show.
The video to Butty’s latest classic tape: “Can’t Get My Breath” (reviewed elsewhere on this page by Sean ‘Thirty pints of Lager’ Atkins) is to hit the nations TV screens on the Friday night late show’s ‘Video Mail’ slot in the next couple of weeks.
Buttercup and video director Steve Ellis travelled to Leeds last Thursday to tie up the loose ends of the deal which came after show researchers were sent a copy of the video by Butty’s newly appointed press officer, DHSS keyboards and computers man Rocket Rikk Quay.
The Yorkshire TV types were instantly bowled over by the sight of our hero, plus several other Tamworth music types including the aforementioned Quay, Wolfsbane’s Steve Danger, Rockin’ John Reeman and various delighted young women and immediately decided the world deserved to see Buttercup in action.
Tamworth Herald – 09/06/89
Big Butty and the Wide Boys – Can’t Get My Breath
LOOKS and image are so important in the pop world these days and the video is often more necessary than the song if an artist is to establish himself as a superstar and teen idol.
Tamworth’s own pop-star-in-the-making, Buttercup, has overcome his shy, retiring nature in order to make the inevitable video and the result is…interesting.
Butty and unscrupulous management team drew up a list of exotic locations including Rio, Miami, Honolulu and The Tavern in The Town. Industrial action at every passport office in the country, however, meant that the Corporation Street venue was the only choice.
The cast for the multi-million pint production then needed to be carefully selected. Butty insisted on only the best, of course, but his sympathetic nature got the better of him and he decided instead to use the production to give some much needed work to four DHSS members, two buttercups and an HM drummer (called Steve Harmless for tax reasons).
The stage was set, in true Top of the Pops fashion, for a great mime act of Butty’s disco classic which had the specially uninvited audience cheering and dancing and generally doing the sort of things you’d expect of a studio audience.
It is one of the first serious attempts at a music video in Tamworth and the lack of money for the project is made up for by the enthusiasm, hard work and sense of humour.
It cannot hope to compete with videos by chart acts whose ‘low budget’ efforts cost thousands but it is certainly different and for that reason alone is worth a play on ‘alternative’ TV shows.
As Martin ‘Don’t write too much about the Butty vid” Warrillow mentions elsewhere on this page, there are big plans for nationwide broadcast of the video. I hope so, any country that can watch a Jason Donovan video needs it.
SEAN ATKINS
(Butty’s UK and European publicity agent)
Tamworth Herald – 23/06/89
Rumour has it that the Buttercup video WILL be on the James Whale Radio Show tonight (Friday). Buttercup and video maker Steve Ellis travelled up to Leeds and were assured the vid’ would make the airwaves and they, and many others, will be eagerly awaiting the show tonight to see if it is true. Having now seen the video I would urge you all to catch it if you can because it’s fabulous.
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