My Peel Tapes: Part 1

Well, I wonder: is it a bad thing to steal a brilliant idea from another blog and use it for yourself? You judge and will let me know. But whatever you say, I will do it nevertheless ...

The mighty JC , mastermind behind The Vinyl Villain will turn 45 in June. Before this is achieved he will post his favourite 45 7" singles (which all run at 45rpm ... you get the idea, right kids?): have a look here to read the full story. I'm absolutely sure that every single track will turn out to be a gem. And I thought to myself: why do not do the same? But then again: I will turn 40 in June, not 45. So I will have to wait another 5 years to do exactly the same thing. But in the meantime I came up with this:

When I was 16, I started to tape nearly every edition of John Peel's Music on BFBS on my cheap stereo and whenever I had some money I would hitchhike to town to get hold of the stuff John played the other night. Quite a lot of brilliant records came together since BFBS decided to sack John in the late 90's, as you might imagine. I will now pick a tape, choose my favourite song from each side and play it to you. This I will do in chronological order (i.e. I will start with the first tape I ever made), although this won't automatically mean that the specific track I've chosen was actually released when I taped it. Most of the times this will be the case though.

Of course I will try to find some background information and/or further links to the bands' sites, if available.

Enough said, here we go:

(1) The Room - 'A Shirt Of Fire' (mp3). Peel took it from the 'In Evil Hour' album from 1984, which, alas, I don't have. This version here (and there ain't no big difference to the album version) is one of four tracks on the B-Side of the fantastic 'Jackpot Jack' 12" on Red Flame Records from 1985. To make it even more complicated, on the sleeve it reads that 'A Shirt Of Fire' was originally broadcast on Radio One's Janice Long Show on October 16th, 1984. Anyway, The Room later turned into Benny Profane and their stuff is absolutely worth checking out as well.

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[upon request, if you like:

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - 'Hollow Eyes'

Redskins - 'Keep On Keepin' On'

Ramones - 'Danger Zone'

Terry & Gerry - 'Wait Until You're Older'

Orthotonics - 'Accessible As Gravity'

The Pete Best Beatles - 'Alamein Train']

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(2) Nico - 'Heroes' (mp3). A 7" on Aura Records UK from 1983. Although Peel introduced the song as "Nico with The Blue Orchids", I still wouldn't vouch for the fact that The Blue Orchids really were connected here. I know they toured with Nico in the early 80's as her backing band, but whether they were involved in recording this specific track, I have no idea. Well, at least they are not credited on the sleeve at all and I cannot find any proof in the www of them being involved at all.

(3) Les Calamités - 'Le Garcon De New York' (mp3). [... and yes: I know that the 'c' in Garcon should have an accent whatsoever below, but I don't know how to type it, you pedantic neurotics!]. Taken from a 4-track 12" on New Rose Records called 'Pas La Peine', released in 1984. I can only recommend that you have a look at their great website, which tells you their story in full detail.

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[upon request:

Cabaret Voltaire - 'James Brown'

Beatitudes - 'Surfing Psychos'

Crippled Pilgrims - 'Black And White'

Triffids - 'Plaything']

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(4) True West - 'Backroad Bridge Song (What Could I Say)' (mp3). Peel had their 'Drifters' album on the turntable, released in 1984. I took the track from a fine label - compilation called 'Acres For Cents' from 1987 though. "Zippo Records, an outpost of the Demon Records Empire", it reads on the sleeve. Also they say: "Their handful of gigs here in 1984 were arguably the very best of all those American bands unfortunate enough to be dumped together under the media-inspired guise of an 'American invasion', but while 'critics' were fawning over R.E.M., True West went relatively unnoticed. A tragedy."

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[upon request:

Sacred Cowboys - 'Highway 61'

Triffids - 'Hanging Shed'

Triffids - 'My Baby Thinks She's A Train'

Serious Drinking - '1, 2 XU'

Serious Drinking - 'Bobby More Was Innocent'

Multicoloured Shades - '(The Ballad Of The) Voodoo Ranger'

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(5) The Cure - '10:15 Saturday Night' (mp3). Now, this is what I meant to say earlier on: Peel played this 'oldie' from 1978 upon request in this show broadcast in '84. I think it's the standout tune on the tape's side and the version I chose is taken from the band's Peel Session, later released as one of the 12"'s on Strange Fruit, recorded 4.12.78, first broadcast 11.12.78. Turn it up good and loud .... 'cos when the bass comes in, your life will no longer be the same!

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[upon request:

Stranglers - '(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)'

Clash - 'The Prisoner'

Vibes - 'I'm In Pittsburgh (And It's Raining)'

Smiths - 'Rusholme Ruffians'

Lipstick Killers - 'Driving The Special Dead'

Smiths - 'I Want The One I Can't Have'

Crippled Pilgrims - 'Out Of Hand']

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Enough for today, I hope you let me know if you liked some of the tunes. There's more to come .... more or less soon, I hope.

Take care,

Dirk