My Peel Tapes: Part 12

Hello lovely people,

I'll try to squeeze in another episode before I'm having a week off next week. I'm pretty sure I won't find the time to do anything then, because I'm gonna party for four days in a row! There you are .....

(76) Wedding Present - '(The Moment Before) Everything's Spoiled Again' (mp3). This again proves that the first things most of the times are the best things, right? From 1985 and the backside of their debut single ('Go Out And Get 'Em, Boy') on Reception Records. New album by the Wedding Present is out now, by the way ... some 23 years later!

(77) Again a total classic: 'I Am The Fly' by Wire (mp3). Their second single and also on their second album, 'Chairs Missing', on Harvest Records from 1978. Shouldn't you know this fine tune: it'll grow on you, just wait and see ..... and you won't be able to get it out of your head for quite some time, so be warned!

(78) Jean Paul Sartre Experience - 'Own Two Feet' (mp3). Well, if you wanted to, you could perhaps style them as the 'second wave' of New Zealand bands. Personally I don't like to label a band, there's just one important thing for me: either the track is good or it is not. This one is good, perfect even. A most fragile piece on a self-titled Mini LP on Flying Nun Records from 1986.

[upon request:

Great Plains - 'Appetite'

Dub Sex - 'Voice Of Reason'

Sugarcubes - 'Coldsweat']

(79) The Leeds based combo Cud did their first Peel Session on 16.06.87. This means Strange Fruit Records were quite up to date with the release of it in their Peel Session 12" series. From it, here's Cud's version of the Hot Chocolate classic: 'You Sexy Thing' (mp3). The definitive reading of the old favourite, don't you agree?

[upon request:

Buzzcocks - 'What Do I Get'

Primitives - 'Crash']

(80) Thinking about it, the NME had made up quite a few excellent compilations back in those days. The C86 cassette was essential, there is no doubt about that, I think. The same is true for the C81 cassette, by the way, but people seem to have forgotten about that one .... but I digress. In 1988 the NME came up with a neat album called 'Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father' (on NME records), which basically brought together various bands and songwriters who covered the whole of the Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper' - LP. 'What a boring nonsense', you might think, but no: mostly all of them did their job pretty well. As The Wedding Present - with Amelia Fletcher - are about to show, they decided to have a go for 'Getting Better' (mp3).

[the Beatles, dear Christina Aguilera - fans, were a rather successful four-piece from Liverpool (that's a town in Europe) in the 60's. 'Sgt. Pepper ...' was just one of the LP's they released back then. And if the name still doesn't ring a bell to you: the daughter of one of their members runs a fashion label, Stella McCartney that is ...)].

[upon request:

Wedding Present - 'I'm Not Always So Stupid'

Wedding Present - 'Nobody's Twisting Your Arm'

Wedding Present - 'Nothing Comes Easy'

King Of The Slums - 'Venerate Me Utterly']

(81) ... and here's what The Fall chose to cover on the aforementioned 'Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father' - compilation: 'A Day In The Life' (mp3) .... a mighty track!!

[upon request:

Sonic Youth: 'Within You Without You']

(82) 1987 saw the release of The Pixies' debut Mini-LP 'Come On Pilgrim'. But it took another year before the whole world understood that The Pixies were mightier than Jesus and that was when they released their debut album 'Surfer Rosa'. It took the world by storm, and quite rightly so, because there wasn't a single bad track on it. 'Where Is My Mind' (mp3) is one of them ....

[upon request:

Dub Sex - 'Push!'

Wire - 'Kidney Bingos'

Flatmates - 'Shimmer'

Darling Buds - 'Shame On You']

I hope you enjoyed bits of the above and have another look next time.

Take good care,

Dirk

My Peel Tapes: Part 11

Hello friends,

two editions in two days: what has happened with the Sexyloser, you might think! The truth of the matter is: Mrs. Loser has gone to town with a friend for shopping purposes ... which means I don't have to do any slave-like duties in the garden and can please you instead. Oh, ain't life wonderful?

(67) Something German for a change now by Die Mimmi's, back then a rather well known punk combo. The lyrics, shouldn't you be able to understand them, tell us the story of a few youngsters who have a party in the cellar, where they drain their dad's bar. And as you can tell they very well suceed in doing so until Daddy comes home and complains .... great stuff! From the 1984 LP 'Was'n Hier Los?' ('What's going on here?' = Daddy's complaint when he enters the bar)): 'Vater's Kellerbar' (mp3). Issued on the mighty Weserlabel.

[upon request:

Dinosaur - 'The Lung']

(68) Back in those days no-one knew anything about Scandinavian bands, apart from Abba ... and perhaps The Leather Nun. Today, after Björk has achieved the status of a worldwide superstar and being a band from Scandinavia is the new hype, it's hard to imagine how this track blew us away. A band from Iceland?? No way, Josè, we thought ... but it was the start of taking bands from the North seriously, I would say. On One Little Indian Records, a 12" issued in 1988 (and again I think Peel must have played a pre-release, 'cos I think this cassette dates 1987): The Sugarcubes' 'Birthday' (mp3). And yes: I know that Björk was in band called KUKL before the Sugarcubes were born, but we didn't know then, you see. We didn't even know where fucking Iceland was .....

(69) The Wedding Present - 'Anyone Can Make A Mistake' (mp3). A 12" from 1987 on Reception Records. In those days every new record by The Wedding Present was like a gift from heaven, at least it was to me. They just couldn't do anything bad, you see .... I remember having seen them play live in a very small venue in Aachen and it was just unbelievable. You literally couldn't see Gegde's fingers when playing the guitar ... they were moving just too fast ... your eyes couldn't catch it, you know ... oh, they were Gods. Nothing less!

[upon request:

I, Ludicrous - 'Three English Football Grounds'

Three Johns - 'Never And Always']

(70) Another band that couldn't do wrong these days were The Chills. Here's my favourite track from their 1987 'Brave Words' - LP on Flying Nun Records from New Zealand: 'Look For The Good In Others And They'll See The Good In You' (mp3). I dunno, most probably this could well be their very best song altogether .... it has everything you need: a catchy hook and lyrics you can identify with. Judge yourself .....

[upon request:

Wild Swans - 'God Forbid'

Lurkers - 'Go Go Go']

(71) I, Ludicrous - 'Preposterous Tales' (mp3). Originally released as a 10", but I like the LP version more, so, here's the tune taken from their absolutely fantastic album 'It's Like Everything Else' on Kaleidoscope Sound from 1987. I cannot recommend the album enough to you. If you find it anywhere: get your hands on it, because it's good throughout. Again, 'Preposterous Tales' is one of my all-time favourite songs!

[upon request:

Big Stick - 'Billy Jack Paddy Wack'

Wedding Present - 'Give My Love To Kevin'

Adverts - 'One Chord Wonders']

(72) Again very hard to decide for me which track to post, as you will be able to see below. A whole bunch of the Peel Session 12"'s were issued at the time and I'll go for the one by The Mighty Wah! They were always around in one constellation or the other and their 'Come Back' was one of the best records ever made, I would say. But here's to you, from their 1984 Peel Session (on Strange Fruit Records), 'Basement Blues'; 'The Story Of The Blues' (mp3). John Peel's single of the year, and rightly so! More on Pete Wylie and Wah!: here.

[upon request:

Triffids - 'Chicken Killer' (Session Version)

Cud - 'You're The Boss' (Session Version)

Wedding Present - 'What Did Your Last Servant Die Of'

Wedding Present - 'Don't Be So Hard']

(73) Now, this is for Dan, who wanted to hear something by The Colorblind James Experience quite some time ago. From their self-titled 1987 LP on Fundamental Records, here's 'Considering A Move To Memphis' (mp3).

[upon request:

Colorblind James Experience - 'The German Girls'

Wedding Present - 'Shatner']

(74) There ain't much I can tell you about this next track or about the band themselves. I think some members previously were in Big In Japan and/or Pink Military. Anyway, this song here is just awesome, I think: Pink Industry and 'Don't Let Go' (mp3). Vocals by Jayne Casey on this 12" on Cathexis Records from 1987, the thing is quite valuable these days: trade anyone?

[upon request:

McCarthy - 'The Funeral'

Ramones - 'Pin Head'

Wedding Present - 'A Million Miles']

(75) And after all those fragile records it's high time for some rousing vulgarity. Here come The Damned from their 1977 debut LP 'Damned Damned Damned' with 'New Rose' (mp3).

[upon request:

Colorblind James Experience - 'Dance Critters']

Enough for today, pop-pickers: I hope you have a look next time and, as usual: it's entirely your fault if you don't pay enough attention to the 'upon request' - bits and just suck the tracks instead.

Take care,

Dirk

My Peel Tapes: Part 10

Morning my beauties,

first of all: please forgive me if the gaps between the posts tend to become longer and longer, but as the weather is really perfect these days, I simply prefer to be out in the garden than sitting inside in front of the computer. But today I have a quiet day at work and will use this rare opportunity to delight you with Pt. 10 of 'My Peel Tapes'. Here we go:

(58) In 1987 The Turbines from Boston released their second LP, 'Magic Fingers And Hourly Rates' on New Rose Records from France. The LP is a real corker with many fabulous tunes on it which the band wrote themselves, but I always keep coming back to their version of The Stooges '1969' (mp3). Enjoy! More on The Turbines: here.

[upon request:

Look Blue Go Purple - 'Cactus Cat'

Jesus And Mary Chain - 'April Skies']

(59) The Bambi Slam were a Canadian-British quartet with an unusual instrumental lineup of guitar, cello, bass, drums, led by singer/guitarist Roy Feldon and featuring cellist Linda Miller and drummer Nick Maynard. By the time of the release of the first full-length album, 'The Bambi Slam', in 1988, the group had splintered, leaving the Bambi Slam as a Feldon solo project. But before that happened, in the year before actually, they released this 12" on Product Inc. Records: 'Don't It Make You Feel' (mp3) ... enjoy!

[upon request:

June Brides - 'Waiting For A Change'

Luddites - 'Doppleganger']

(60) You know, it's always hard for a band to keep up the quality level of a brilliant debut release. The Jesus & Mary Chain might perhaps have been the best example, because I considered 'Psychocandy' as being a milestone and I remember very well that I thought to myself: 'whatever they do after it, it will never be that good'. Well, the proved me totally wrong with this: 'April Skies' (mp3), the 12" version thereof, released on WEA Records in 1987. And, by the way, 11 years later, I had a déjà vu when they came up with the fantastic 'Rocket', which was hidden away on the back of the 'Cracking Up' - CD.

[upon request:

Turbines - 'Straight Dog']

(61) Their third single from 1987, although first recorded (for a Janice Long Session) the year before from Talulah Gosh was 'Talulah Gosh' (mp3), a 12" on 53rd & 3rd Records from Edinburgh. And if there ever was an Anorak band, Talulah Gosh deserved to be described that way. This is by no means meant negatively, I might add. Lead by the mighty Amelia Fletcher (later with Heavenly), this is one of the nicest pop tunes of that area .... at least as far as I'm concerned.

[upon request:

Krupps - 'Your Voice']

(62) Next an anti-fascist anthem (and you can't have enough of those in my view!!) from The Men They Couldn't Hang: 'The Ghosts Of Cable Street' (mp3), which, of course, relates to the 1936 Cable Street Battle. You'll find the track on the back of their 'Goldrush' 12", which was released in 1986 on MCA Records. The band released their first single back in 1984 and as far as I know they're still around in one form or another!

[upon request:

Slab - 'Painting The Fourth Bridge']

(63) Billy Bragg - 'Love Gets Dangerous' (mp3). Okay, listen people: there might be a few amongst you who are not familiar with the entire work of Billy Bragg. If you want to improve upon your little lives, you should try to get hold of a copy of 'Brewing Up With Billy Bragg' as a starter. The record dates 1984 and was issued on Go! Discs at the time. 'Love Gets Dangerous' is on it, yes. Next go and see Billy Bragg play live. You do yourself a favour, people, promised!

(64) 1987 and SST Records from the States brought us 'Sister', the new album from Sonic Youth. Now, I never was quite sure what to think of Sonic Youth, either I thought they were Gods or I thought they were utter crap, depending on which of their records was on the turntable. Interestingly enough there never was anything inbetween. 'Sister' though included quite a lot of tracks which made me move them more towards the God - side, especially 'Kotton Krown' (mp3) did it for me.

[upon request:

Sonic Youth - 'Stereo Sanctity'

Smiths - 'The Boy With The Thorn In His Side']

(65) + (66) Alas I don't have any of the songs Peel played on these sides of the tapes. This will happen more often in the future, I'm afraid. Most of the times the reason was that the tracks he played were so obscure that they were impossible to get hold of back then .....

More to come next week, folks ... I hope you enjoyed it and if you did: leave requests! By the way, JC: where's the request-mail you promised to send to me quite some time ago, mate?

Cheerio,

Dirk