Album Plays

This list is intended to provide a comprehensive survey of occasions when Peel played either a complete album on air or one uninterrupted side of it. It has been researched from the database on this site and from Ken Garner's The Peel Sessions. Any other contributions of confirmed plays are welcome. It is also hoped that it will conclusively scotch persistent rumours of spurious plays, such as the much-referenced (but apparently non-existent) complete airing of Simon Joyner's The Cowardly Traveller Pays His Toll, and the so-called full play of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells.

Long before the advent of the Internet, it was common practice during the 1970s for JP to play whole albums on air, since they counted as 'review plays' (a term which skirted the BBC's needle time restrictions). He was not the only DJ by any means to do this: Alan Freeman, for example, played the entirety of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here in a quadrophonic mix. However, with the increased sophistication of tape recording and the record industry's subsequent growing concerns over album piracy, this procedure disappeared by 1980 and John would restrict himself to chunks of, on average, three tracks at a time spread over more than one show (such plays are beyond the remit of this article). It is also possible that it was as a response to criticism from the music press that such plays were examples of lazy programming.

The procuring of pre-release LPs was highly competitive, and John gazumped other radio stations (for example, he aired Bob Dylan's Desire before Capital Radio could claim an exclusive). It is arguable that, far from providing listeners with free copies of the album, it gave advantageous airing to important releases in an era before lawyers policed the airwaves (witness the white label playing of tracks from the White Stripes' Elephants and subsequent legal threats).

Chronological List Of Plays
1973
 * 29 May 1973: Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells. The claim that the whole LP was played on Top Gear is probably the most persistent false claim of all, and one that has been perpetuated both by Virgin label boss Richard Branson and even the artist himself. However, the recent availability of extracts from this show prove that John played the first side only, and there is no evidence that he played the other at any time.

1974
 * 27 August 1974: Mike Oldfield, Hergest Ridge (from private tape). Listener recollections suggest the entire LP was played: however, no audio recording has yet come to light to confirm or deny this.

1975
 * 21 November 1975: Tangerine Dream, Ricochet (side 1).
 * 25 November 1975: Tangerine Dream, Ricochet (side 2).
 * 01 December 1975: Miles Davis, Agartha (side 1).

1976
 * 01 January 1976: Be Bop Deluxe, Sunburst Finish (side 1).
 * 02 January 1976: Be Bop Deluxe, Sunburst Finish (side 2).
 * 06 January 1976: Bob Dylan, Desire. Since Peel had stolen the world exclusive on this from under the noses of Capital Radio, it is presumed he played the whole thing, but no audio recording is yet available to confirm or deny this. What is certain is that he took one track off while it was still playing, a story he recounted on several occasions.
 * 19 February 1976: Robin Trower, Robin Trower Live! (complete).
 * 15 March 1976: Keith Jarrett, Köln Concert (side 2).
 * 14 April 1976: Rolling Stones, Black And Blue (side 2).
 * 20 April 1976: Bob Marley & The Wailers, Rastaman Vibration (side 1).
 * 23 April 1976: Steely Dan, Royal Scam (side 1).
 * 27 April 1976: Van Der Graaf Generator, Still Life (side 1).
 * 22 June 1976: Stomu Yamashta, Go (side 2).
 * 27 September 1976: Robin Trower, Long Misty Days (complete).
 * 29 September 1976: Stevie Wonder, Songs In The Key Of Life (side 2).
 * 30 September 1976: Stevie Wonder, Songs In The Key Of Life (sides 3 & 4).

1977
 * 20 January 1977: Pink Floyd, Animals (side 1).
 * 21 January 1977: Pink Floyd, Animals (side 2).
 * 20 April 1977: Spirit, Future Games (side 1).
 * 22 April 1977: Little Feat, Time Loves A Hero (complete).
 * 11 May 1977: Spirit, Future Games (side 2).
 * 01 June 1977: Kingfish, Live 'n Kickin (side 1).
 * 15 September 1977: Rolling Stones, Love You Live (sides 1 & 3).
 * 06 October 1977: David Bowie, Heroes (complete).
 * 24 October 1977: Sex Pistols, Never Mind The Bollocks (complete).

1978
 * 15 May 1978: Kevin Burke, If The Cap Fits (side 2).
 * 26 September 1978: David Bowie, Stage (sides 1 & 2).
 * 27 September 1978: David Bowie, Stage (sides 3 & 4). A conjecture based on Peel's promise the previous night, but no audio evidence has yet come to light to confirm or deny this.
 * 29 September 1978: Sham 69, That's Life (complete).