Alan McGee defends Rowland's 'My Beauty'

Alan McGee has defended his decision to release Kevin Rowland's 1999 LP My Beauty.

The covers album from the ex-Dexys Midnight Runners frontman received mixed reviews on release. Its sleeve famously featured Rowland partially topless and in stockings.

Defending the album, McGee told The Guardian: "It's GENIUS! Rowland is a genius! I've always said I liked that record. Look, the record should have been a million-seller.

"It's just people's problem with a guy in stockings on the cover that stopped them buying it. But if you just put it on your iPod it's a work of genius."

He added: "Bizarrely, Sweden got it. The press said it sold 500 records, but that was a Q thing. I hate that magazine by the way, can you put that in? But, erm, yeah, they said it sold 500 but it sold around 8,000 in Sweden alone. It sold over 20,000 worldwide.

"To go out with that as one of the last things I ever did? I'll take that. People might say it's a comedy record but f**k them, I think it's a classic."

Asked if Rowland was difficult to work with, McGee quipped: "I was more difficult than he was. He had to go on holiday a couple of times because of me."