MUSIC-mad bar owner Alastair Gaskell decided to expand his empire by buying an independent record company - and inherited a born-again pop star.

The owner of the popular Cuban Knights bar, on Pickford Street, has just bought Manchester-based U-Vibe records and already has a top-ten artist on the books.

John Otway first shot to fame 25 years ago when his hit record Cor Baby That's Really Free shot to number 27 in the charts.

Now he has proved he is more than a one-hit wonder after his remix of Seventies classic Disco Inferno, entitled Bunsen Burner, entered the charts at number nine.

The 50-year-old is in distinguished company alongside Will Young and Gareth Gates, Alicia Keys, Eminem and Atomic Kitten.

He will be performing his new single on Top of the Pops on Friday and father-of-two Alastair, 42, is delighted.

"The whole thing is very exciting," he said. "We are hoping to sign some local bands but this is a great start with John Otway as one of the highest new entries.

"I will be involved in the production side of the music and me and my partner Andy Wood will make all the decisions.

"I'm a good promoter of live music so this seemed like a natural progression. In the future we would like to expand our promotions with films and music videos and you never know where it will eventually take you.

"We want to do it all in-house because it is difficult to break into the market.

"The big companies own the radio stations, the outlets and the bands but if more independent labels are prepared to have a go it makes it easier for local bands to make an impact."

In the 25 years between his chart hits, John Otway has toured and performed live at venues across the country and created a loyal fanbase. He rallied his supporters to help make him a two-hit wonder by buying up his latest single.

And he has been promoting it with some high-profile appearances on Radio One with Mark and Lard, plus GMTV.

The record company will now relocate to Macclefield with office space above Cuban Knights being converted into a state-of-the-art recording studio.

They will be on the lookout for local talent in particular with a special Star Search event at the club.

And if pedigree is any indication, the record company is certain to produce some hits.

That's because some of the shareholders include Mancunian music legends Mani, from Primal Scream, Peter Hook of New Order and Andy Rourke from The Smiths.

Alastair added: "They will all be involved, everybody will work together as a team."