Amen Corner

Amen Corner were a successful Welsh rock group, formed in late 1966 in Cardiff, Wales. The band was named after The Amen Corner, a weekly disc spin at the Victoria Ballroom (later to become The Scene Club) in Cardiff, Wales, where every Sunday night Dr. Rock would play the best soul music from the United States. Initially they specialised in a blues and jazz-oriented style, but were steered by their record labels towards a more commercial sound. Their first singles and album appeared on Decca's subsidiary label, Deram but they left at the end of 1968 to join Immediate, where they were instantly rewarded with a No. 1, "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" in early 1969, followed by another Top 5 entry with the Roy Wood composition, "Hello Susie". After recording a final studio album, Farewell to the Real Magnificent Seven, with a cover version of The Beatles' "Get Back" released as their swansong, they disbanded at the end of 1969. The band also appeared as themselves in the 1969 horror film, Scream and Scream Again.

Links To Peel
Peel often played Amen Corner's music on Radio London and on Top Gear at BBC Radio One in 1967. A year later, he was offered to present Top Of The Pops with Jimmy Savile on 01 February 1968 (TOTP), where he had forgotten the band's name when presenting the show live. According to Sheila, Peel's wife, recounted in Margrave Of The Marshes, the show didn't go too well:

"'He was supposed to say 'And here's the latest happening platter from Amen Corner' - or words to that effect. But nothing came to mind, least of all the band's name; he had gone blank. As John tiptoed towards the exit after the show finished, the producer spotted him, stamped over and hissed, 'I'll make sure you never work in television again.' These were among the most wonderfully thrilling words John had ever heard, since he had no desire to set the world of television aflame with his talent.'"In 1981, Peel came back to co-present the christmas edition of Top Of The Pops on 25 December 1981 (TOTP), where he recounted his debut appearance of the show in 1968:

"'Last time I was on this programme, I forgot the name of The Amen Corner. No chance of me forgetting the name of the, uh, uh ... Human Leagues!'"

Sessions
1. Recorded: Broadcast: 22 October 1967 2. Recorded: Broadcast: 07 January 1968

Other Shows Played
1967 1968
 * 30 July 1967: Gin House Blues (single) Deram
 * 01 October 1967: The World Of Broken Hearts (single) Deram
 * 31 December 1967: Bend Me, Shape Me (single) Deram
 * 01 February 1968 (TOTP): Bend Me, Shape Me