John Dowie probably contributed more with this two song single
than any other of the Factory artists.
Though it may go without saying that it was this single that
inspired the name Eggs.
Perhaps less known is the impact both the artwork, song titles
and lyrics were to have.
Eggs first single Skyscraper (TB 66) would have remarkably
similar artwork to the John Dowie single, and their first album,
Bruiser (TB 76), would have the song "It's Hard to be an
Egg" — Sadly though, the title is the only similar
element. And, for Teenbeat 100, Eggs would return yet again to
the single lifting the dialogue from Dowie's spoken word "Mind
Sketch" and creating with it "Baked Alaska."
Dowie, was born in Birmingham, England on August, 3rd 1950 and
made his stand-up debut September 1st 1969 at free outdoor concert
at Midlands Arts Centre. After forming a comedy rock band and
releasing Another
Close Shave, an EP on Virgin Records, Dowie somehow ended
up on A
Factory Sampler (FAC 2), and later released It's
Hard to Be an Egg, a "flop single (even die-hard completists
don’t want it)" on Factory records produced by Martin
Hannett.
Though Dowie disappeared from Factory after that, he continued
to stay active writing, directing and acting and last year appeared
in "Ego
Warriors" with Rutles
composer, Niel
Innes.
From the Groove:
"Humour thy Father and Mother".
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