Husker Du

Hüsker Dü (translates in Swedish as "Do you remember") was an American alternative rock band who got their name from a once popular board game. The Minneapolis-based alternative rock trio formed in 1979 around the dual talents of guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They recorded a series of highly influential albums for the independent label (run by former members of Black Flag) SST. In 1986 Hüsker Dü became the first band from the 80s hardcore scene to sign with a major label. They recorded two albums for Warner Brothers before splitting up in 1988. Since Hüsker Dü broke up, Grant Hart and Bob Mould have both worked in other bands—Hart with Nova Mob and Mould with Sugar—and now continue to record as solo artists.

Links To Peel
Available show tracklistings suggest that Peel first played Husker Du in 1984, when he aired their cover of the Byrds song "Eight Miles High", and he would continue to play their material through the rest of the 80s and early 90s; "Makes No Sense At All" reached number 46 in the 1985 Festive Fifty. On his show of 22 June 1991, the DJ set a competition for listeners to identify the band from a track.

Peel is known to have seen Husker Du live in September 1985. His verdict: "Not bad at all."

After the group split, Grant Hart joined Nova Mob and Bob Mould formed Sugar. Neither band seemed to receive any interest from Peel, despite his listeners voting three tracks from Sugar into the 1992 Festive Fifty.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 1985 Festive Fifty: Makes No Sense At All #46

Other Shows Played
1984 1985 1986 1987 1989
 * 11 June 1984: Eight Miles High (7") SST
 * 22 January 1985: Pride (LP - Zen Arcade) SST
 * Peel 007 (BFBS) (1985-03-00): Books About UFOs (LP-New Day Rising) SST
 * 13 May 1985: Whatcha Drinkin'
 * 24 July 1985: Something I Learned Today (2xLP – Zen Arcade) SST
 * Peel 019 (BFBS) (1985-09-00): Makes No Sense At All (LP-Flip Your Wig) SST (JP: "Saw them last week in London: not bad at all.")
 * 16 December 1985: Makes No Sense At All (LP – Flip Your Wig) SST FF #46
 * Peel 027 (BFBS) (1986-01-23): Won't Change (Compilation LP-A Diamond Hidden In the Mouth Of A Corpse) Giorno Poetry Systems
 * 29 January 1986 (VPRO): Ticket To Ride (EP – Big Four) NME
 * Peel 028 (BFBS) (1986-01-30): Ticket To Ride (Compilation 7"-NME's Big Four) New Musical Express (JP: "Not one of their key works, that: for completists only, I suspect.")
 * 26 February 1986: Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely (12") Warner
 * Peel March 1986: Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely (12") Warner
 * Peel 031 (BFBS) (1986-03-20): Dead Set On Destruction (LP-Candy Apple Grey) Warner Bros.
 * Peel 032 (BFBS) (1986-04-10): I Don't Know For Sure (LP-Candy Apple Grey) Warner Bros.
 * Peel 036 (BFBS) (1986-05-29 or 1986-06-05): Signals From Above (12"-Everything Falls Apart) Reflex
 * Peel 041 (BFBS) (1986-09-11): Sorry Somehow (7") Warner Bros.
 * Peel 049 (BFBS) (1987-01-02): Could You Be The One? (7") WEA
 * Peel 052 (BFBS) (1987-02-20): Too Much Spice (2xLP-Warehouse: Songs And Stories) Warner Bros.
 * 01 September 1987: Deadly Skies (EP - Metal Circus) SST
 * 10 January 1989: Something I Learned Today (album - Zen Arcade) SST
 * Peel 125 (BFBS): 'Something I Learned Today (2xLP-Zen Arcade)' (SST) (JP: 'Am I the only person in the world who wishes that Bob Mould hadn't become yet another folk singer?')
 * 24 December 1989 (BBC Radio East Anglia): 'I'll Never Forget You (Double LP-Zen Arcade)' (SST)
 * 1990
 * 14 August 1990: 59 Times The Pain (LP-New Day Rising) SST

1991
 * 22 June 1991: Amusement (b/w 7" - Statues / Amusement) Reflex (John doesn't announce the track, instead launching a competition to see if anyone can name the artist.)
 * 06 July 1991: Sunshine Superman (album - Everything Falls Apart) Bespoke Discs
 * 13 July 1991: Ticket To Ride (EP - Big Four) NME
 * 14 July 1991: Eight Miles High (single) SST
 * Peel Early Summer 1991: Amusement (b/w 7" - Statues / Amusement) Reflex


 * 1992
 * Mainly Peel Late Autumn 1992: Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely (12") Warner