Mike Batt “often used to wonder” if David Bowie could have ended up a novelty artist.
The 75-year-old conductor-and-songwriter – who was the musical brains behind children’s group The Wombles – was a big fan of the late singer but thinks his career could have gone in a very different direction if his 1967 single ‘The Laughing Gnome’ had proven to be a hit.
He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “We both pretty much came up with the idea of ‘The Laughing Gnome’, and it’s always made me chuckle a bit.
“I was a David Bowie fan. I remember ‘Rebel Rebel’ and all that. I was 21 dancing around the living room. He was just on the rise really, but that record – I mean, I think he’d already had the big breakthrough with ‘Space Oddity’, but I was a real fan.
“I often used to wonder if ‘The Laughing Gnome’ had been bigger – I don’t know what chart it got to, but if it had gone to the say the top five like the Wombles did, he might have written another ‘The Laughing Gnome’.
“It might have got bigger and ended up being ‘The Laughing Gnome’ the same way that I was the Wombles.”
‘The Laughing Gnome’ failed to chart on release but reached number six in the UK when rereleased in 1973, when Bowie had become a star.
Meanwhile, Mike believes his reluctance to tour has contributed to him not being a “big star” but he’s kept fulfilled and successful with his songwriting work.
He said: “I’ve managed to steer my way again through my crazy paving life without touring very much, which is another factor to why I’m not a big star.
“I’ve had to be light on my feet to do deals with record companies and publishing companies and projects that would keep me stimulated and interested and creatively fulfilled and which would, hopefully, at the same time commercially successful.”
The ‘Remember You’re A Womble’ hitmaker has just released his autobiography, ‘The Closest Thing To Crazy’.