Cabaret Voltaire

Cabaret Voltaire were a British industrial / electronic music group from Sheffield, England formed in 1973. Initially composed of Stephen Mallinder, Richard H. Kirk, and Chris Watson, the group was named after Cabaret Voltaire, a nightclub in Zürich, Switzerland, that was a centre for the early Dada movement. Their earliest performances were Dada-influenced performance art, but Cabaret Voltaire later developed into one of the most prolific and important groups to blend pop with dance music, techno, dub, house and experimental electronic music.

The band experimented widely with sound creation and processing. They eventually turned to live performance, often sharing the bill with Joy Division. In one incident, Mallinder was hospitalised with a chipped backbone after the band had objects thrown at them. However, the arrival of punk rock brought a more accepting audience for their industrial and electronic sound. (read more on wikipedia)

Links To Peel
Peel discovered the group in 1978, when the Rough Trade record label sent him their first single, Extended Play, which he liked very much. Peel continued playing their material over many decades and invited the band twice for sessions.

In 2012, 12 Cabaret Voltaire LPs were among the first 100 albums by artists beginning with C when details of Peel’s record collection were initially released via TheSpace website (see Record Collection: C). In an interview with the John Peel Centre, Stephen Mallinder expressed appreciation for Peel's support for the group and for playing different genres, including reggae and dub, that weren't played anywhere else on the radio.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 1983 Festive Fifty: Just Fascination #44

Sessions
1. Recorded: Unknown. Broadcast: 25 June 1981. Repeated: 20 July 1981 2. Recorded: 1984-10-14. Broadcast: 22 October 1984. Repeated: 06 November 1984, 22 January 1985
 * Black Mask / Greensborough / Walls Of Jericho / Jazz The Glas


 * Sleep Walking / Big Funk / The Operative

Other Shows Played
(The list below was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive. Please add more information if known.)


 * 1978
 * 20 October 1978: Talkover / Here She Comes Now (EP - Extended Play) Rough Trade
 * 23 October 1978: Do The Mussolini-Headkick / The Set Up (EP – Extended Play) Rough Trade
 * 27 November 1978: 'Here She Comes Now (7"-Extended Play)' (Rough Trade)
 * 29 November 1978: 'Do The Mussolini (Head Kick) (7"-Extended Play)' (Rough Trade)


 * 1979
 * 11 January 1979: Sex In Secret (2x7" EP – A Factory Sample) Factory
 * 29 January 1979: Sex In Secret (2 x 7" EP - A Factory Sample Factory
 * 13 June 1979: Nag Nag Nag
 * 21 June 1979: Nag Nag Nag
 * 26 June 1979: Nag Nag Nag (7") Rough Trade
 * 21 August 1979: Nag Nag Nag (7") Rough Trade
 * 24 September 1979: No Escape (LP – Mix-Up) Rough Trade
 * 25 September 1979: Fourth Shot (LP – Mix-Up) Rough Trade
 * 11 October 1979: Fourth Shot (LP – Mix-Up) Rough Trade
 * 16 October 1979 (Virgin In-Store): Kirlian Photograph (LP - Mix-Up) Rough Trade
 * 31 October 1979: Expect Nothing (LP - Mix-Up) Rough Trade
 * 03 November 1979 (BFBS): Heaven And Hell (album - Mix-Up) Rough Trade ROUGH 4
 * 06 November 1979: Heaven And Hell
 * 15 November 1979: Capsules (LP - Mix-Up) Rough Trade


 * 1980
 * 08 January 1980: Silent Command (7" single) Rough Trade
 * 09 January 1980: Silent Command (7" single) Rough Trade (JP: "Next time I play it I think I'll leave that beginning bit off because people just attribute it to my incompetence and I don't like that.")
 * 10 January 1980: On Every Other Street (LP - Mix-Up) Rough Trade (JP: "Liked particularly that line about shouting slogans we don't understand. There's a lot of that about, you know.")
 * 14 January 1980: Unknown (not on tape)
 * 16 January 1980 (BFBS): On Every Other Street (album - Mix-Up) Rough Trade ROUGH 4
 * 17 January 1980: Expect Nothing
 * 23 January 1980 (BFBS): Silent Command (7") Rough Trade RT 035
 * 26 January 1980 (BFBS): Silent Command (7") Rough Trade RT 035
 * 04 February 1980: Silent Command (7") Rough Trade RT 035
 * 26 February 1980: Silent Command (7") Rough Trade RT 035
 * 01 March 1980 (BFBS): Silent Command (7") Rough Trade RT 035
 * 19 April 1980 (BFBS): Kirlian Photograph (album - Mix-Up) Rough Trade ROUGH 4
 * 07 August 1980: Voice Of America / Damage is Done (LP - Voice Of America) Rough Trade
 * 12 August 1980: Obsession (LP - The Voice Of America) Rough Trade
 * 20 September 1980 (BFBS): Kneel To The Boss (LP - Voice Of America) Rough Trade
 * 23 September 1980: If The Shadows Could March? (1974) (album - The Voice Of America) Rough Trade
 * 22 November 1980 (BFBS): Seconds Too Late (7") Rough Trade RT 060
 * 13 December 1980 (BFBS): Seconds Too Late (7") Rough Trade RT 060
 * 16 December 1980: Seconds Too Late (7") Rough Trade RT 060


 * 16 December 1980: Seconds Too Late (7") Rough Trade RT 060


 * 1981
 * 08 March 1981 (BFBS): Sluggin' For Jesus (12") Les Disques Du Crépuscule ‎ TWI 018
 * 16 March 1981: Raising The Count (tape – NME / Rough Trade C81) NME / Rough Tapes COPY 001
 * 19 March 1981 (BFBS): Raising The Count (tape – NME / Rough Trade C81) NME / Rough Tapes COPY 001
 * 08 April 1981: Nag Nag Nag
 * 30 July 1981 (BFBS): Nag Nag Nag
 * 22 September 1981: Black Mask (album - Red Mecca) Rough Trade ROUGH 27
 * 24 September 1981 (BFBS): Split Second Feeling (LP - Red Mecca) Rough Trade
 * 19 October 1981: Jazz The Glass (7") Rough Trade RT 095
 * 25 October 1981 (BFBS): Jazz The Glass (7") Rough Trade RT 095
 * 06 December 1981 (BFBS): Wall Of Jericho (12" - Eddie's Out) Rough Trade
 * 15 December 1981: Invocation (Compilation LP - Chantons Noël - Ghosts Of Christmas Past) Les Disques Du Crépuscule


 * 1982
 * 06 January 1982 (BFBS): Invocation
 * 22 March 1982: Nag Nag Nag (7") Rough Trade RT 018
 * 14 April 1982 (BFBS): Over And Over (7" Flexi) Vinyl Magazine #13
 * 15 April 1982: Over And Over (7" Flexi) Vinyl Magazine #13
 * 26 April 1982: Yasher (2 X 45 EP) Rough Trade
 * 28 April 1982: War Of Nerves
 * 02 May 1982 (BFBS): War Of Nerves
 * 18 May 1982: Kirlian Photograph (album - Mix-Up) Rough Trade ROUGH 4
 * 25 August 1982:Yashar (2x12" - 2X45) Rough Trade ROUGH 42


 * 1983
 * Never 'Erd Of 'Em (Peel Feb83): Fools Game (Sluggin' Fer Jesus Part 3) (12" - Fools Game / Gut Level) Le Disques Du Crepescule
 * 26 February 1983 (BFBS): Fools Game (Sluggin' Fer Jesus Part 3) (12") Les Disques Du Crépuscule ‎ TWI 120
 * 28 June 1983: Just Fascination (single) Virgin
 * 06 July 1983: Just Fascination (7") Just Bizzare
 * 13 July 1983: Just Fascination (7") Some Bizarre CVS 1
 * 13 July 1983 (BFBS): Just Fascination (7") Some Bizarre CVS 1
 * 03 August 1983: Talking Time (LP - The Crackdown) Virgin
 * 07 August 1983 (BFBS): 24-24 (album - The Crackdown) Some Bizarre / Virgin CV1
 * 17 August 1983 (BFBS): Nag Nag Nag (7") Rough Trade RT 018
 * 20 August 1983 (BFBS): Crackdown (album - The Crackdown) Some Bizarre / Virgin CV1
 * 12 October 1983 (BFBS): Why Kill Time When You Can Kill Yourself (album - The Crackdown) Some Bizarre / Virgin CV1
 * 22 October 1983 (BFBS): Yashar (12") Factory FAC 82
 * 05 November 1983 (BFBS): Nag Nag Nag (7") Rough Trade RT 018
 * Peel Late Nov 1983: The Dream Ticket (7") Virgin
 * 30 November 1983 (BFBS): The Dream Ticket (7") Virgin CVS 2
 * 01 December 1983: Dream Ticket (7") Virgin
 * 10 December 1983 (BFBS): The Dream Ticket (7") Virgin CVS 2
 * 21 December 1983: 'Just Fascination (7 inch)' (Virgin) FF #44


 * 1984
 * 04 January 1984 (BFBS): Safety Zone (7") Virgin CVS 2
 * 07 January 1984 (BFBS): Just Fascination (7") Some Bizarre CVS 1
 * 03 March 1984 (BFBS): Just Fascination (7") Some Bizarre CVS 1
 * 20 September 1984: Sensoria (7" single) Virgin CVS 1
 * 30 September 1984 (BFBS): Sensoria (7" single) Virgin
 * 07 October 1984 (BFBS): Cut The Damn Camera (7" - Sensoria) Virgin
 * 10 October 1984 (VPRO): Sensoria (7") Virgin (JP: 'There's a 12" of that, that really goes on a bit actually')
 * 17 October 1984: Sensoria (single) Virgin
 * Peel Late Oct 1984: James Brown


 * 1985
 * Peel 003 (BFBS): 'James Brown (12")' (Virgin)
 * Peel 020 (BFBS): 'Product Patrol (Compilation CD-If You Can't Please Yourself You Can't Please Your Soul)' (Some Bizarre)
 * Peel 021 (BFBS): 'Golden Halos (LP-The Covenant, The Sword And The Arm Of The Lord)' (Virgin / Some Bizarre)
 * 09 January 1985: Mercy Man (Cassette – Raging Spool) NME
 * 13 January 1985 (BFBS): 'James Brown (12")' (Virgin)
 * 22 July 1985 (BFBS): Big Funk (edited DJ version) (single) Some Bizarre promo
 * 23 July 1985: Big Funk (edited DJ version) (single) Some Bizarre promo
 * 14 August 1985: Ghost Talk (2x12" EP - Drinking Gasoline) Virgin
 * 30 September 1985: I Want You (12") Virgin
 * 12 October 1985 (BFBS): 'Product Patrol (Compilation CD-If You Can't Please Yourself You Can't Please Your Soul)' (Some Bizarre)
 * 23 October 1985: L21ST (LP - The Covenant, The Sword And The Arm Of The Lord) Virgin
 * 05 November 1985: Hell's Home (album - The Covenant, The Sword And The Arm Of The Lord) Virgin / Some Bizarre
 * 09 November 1985 (BFBS): 'Golden Halos (LP-The Covenant, The Sword And The Arm Of The Lord)' (Virgin / Some Bizarre)


 * 1986
 * 29 April 1986: The Drain Train (12") Doublevision
 * 25 June 1986: Shakedown The Whole Thing (12" - The Drain Train) Doublevision


 * 1987
 * 06 October 1987: Sex, Money, Freaks (LP - Code) Parlophone


 * 1989
 * 19 September 1989: Hypnotised (A Guy Called Gerald's Music Mix) (12" - Hypnotised) Parlophone
 * 05 October 1989: Hypnotised (12") Parlophone
 * 06 October 1989 (BBC World Service): Hypnotised (A Guy Called Gerald's Music Mix) (12") Parlophone 12RX 6227
 * 30 October 1989: Hypnotised (12") Parlophone
 * 02 November 1989: Hypnotised (A Guy Called Gerald's Music Mix) (12") Parlophone


 * 1990
 * 18 April 1990: Keep On (Sweet Exorcist Mix) (12") Parlophone
 * Peel April 1990 Lee Tape 69: Hypnotised (The Fon Force Dub) (12") Parlophone
 * 26 April 1990: Hypnotised (12") Parlophone
 * 30 April 1990: Keep On (12") Parlophone
 * 23 May 1990: Keep On (12") Parlophone
 * Peel Snubbed 1990: Hypnotised
 * 27 June 1990: Time Beats (album - Groovy, Laidback And Nasty) Parlophone PCSX 7338


 * 1992
 * 25 April 1992: Kino 3 (12") Virgin
 * 03 May 1992 (BFBS): Kino 3 (12") Virgin


 * 1996
 * 16 December 1996: The Operative (session) (John Peel's Classic Sessions)


 * 1997
 * 25 November 1997: Nag Nag Nag (7") Rough Trade


 * 2003
 * 22 April 2003: 'Yashar (Man from Basra Rmx)' (NovaMute)


 * Others
 * Made In Sheffield: The Birth Of Electronic Pop
 * April 2003 (Peel's Record Box): 'Yashar (Man From Basra Mix)' (Novamute)