Smiths


 * Career outline (no more than one paragraph, please)

Links to Peel
The Smiths were first brought to the attention of Peel by producer John Walters, who saw them at a gig in London in 1983. A first session was quickly booked and proved hugely popular with listeners, the first sign of the huge impact the band would have on the show in the middle part of the decade. After they broke up, 11 of the 14 tracks on their final LP appeared in the 1987 Festive Fifty. Although Peel seemed to think this was perhaps going a little too far, the DJ later selected debut LP 'The Smiths' as one of his Top 20 Albums and 'Reel Around The Fountain' as one of his four choices for the 1984 Peelenium.

In 1986, Peel and Walters discussed the band in the fifth programme of the documentary series Peeling Back The Years:

JW: ''You had them on very early on, May 1983, before they had a record out, after I think they first came from Manchester and appeared in London. Again, looking back to that Manchester gloom, the weather in Manchester – there’s always been that melancholy solitude feeling.''

JP: Yes.

JW: ''A whimsical and rather ironic, witty approach to solitude in Morrissey’s stuff. Would you say, well, “Morrissey, I suppose he is my sort of chap”?''

JP: ''Well, I would like to think he was, yes. Obviously I’ve only met him a couple of times. And I think you actually deserve some credit, because it was you that went out and heard the Smiths. It was one of the very few times that you’ve come back very enthusiastic about a band and said, “We really must get these people in at the earliest opportunity.” So I always try and give you credit for that to people for that. That’s the kind of open-hearted and open-minded chap I am.''

JW: ''But still, get on. What did you make of them?''

JP: ''I just liked the fact that I was hearing words being used in popular songs that I wasn’t used to hearing. Just the use of language really pleased me as much as anything else. And his voice again was not a voice that you could immediately trace back to somebody else. I mean, he wasn’t trying to be Marc Bolan or he wasn’t trying to be Jim Morrison again. And they were as Manchester bands – so many of these bands do seem to be from Manchester – just another band that arrived from nowhere with a very clear and strong identity, you know. And that is always attractive.''

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 1983 Festive Fifty: This Charming Man #2
 * 1983 Festive Fifty: Reel Around The Fountain #6
 * 1983 Festive Fifty: Hand In Glove #9
 * 1983 Festive Fifty: Handsome Devil #33


 * 1984 Festive Fifty: How Soon Is Now #1
 * 1984 Festive Fifty: Nowhere Fast #14
 * 1984 Festive Fifty: What Difference Does It Make? #17
 * 1984 Festive Fifty: William It Was Really Nothing #23
 * 1984 Festive Fifty: Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now #24
 * 1984 Festive Fifty: Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want #26
 * 1984 Festive Fifty: Reel Around The Fountain #36


 * 1985 Festive Fifty: The Boy With The Thorn In His Side #8
 * 1985 Festive Fifty: The Headmaster Ritual #29
 * 1985 Festive Fifty: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore #31
 * 1985 Festive Fifty: Meat Is Murder #32
 * 1985 Festive Fifty: Well I Wonder #41


 * 1986 Festive Fifty: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out #1
 * 1986 Festive Fifty: Panic #5
 * 1986 Festive Fifty: I Know It's Over #6
 * 1986 Festive Fifty: The Queen Is Dead #7
 * 1986 Festive Fifty: Ask #11
 * 1986 Festive Fifty: Bigmouth Strikes Again #12
 * 1986 Festive Fifty: Cemetery Gates #35


 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me #5
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before #12
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Girlfriend In A Coma #15
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Paint A Vulgar Picture #21
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Sweet And Tender Hooligan #24
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Half A Person #24
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Death Of A Disco Dancer #25
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: I Won't Share You #29
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Sheila Take A Bow #34
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: I Started Something I Couldn't Finish #40
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Shoplifters Of The World Unite #45


 * 2000 Festive Fifty: How Soon Is Now? AT#7
 * 2000 Festive Fifty: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out AT#9
 * 2000 Festive Fifty: This Charming Man AT#22

Sessions

 * Number of sessions? Any commercial release of sessions?

1. Recorded: YYYY-MM-DD. First broadcast: DD Month YYYY. Repeated: DD Month YYY 2. Recorded: YYYY-MM-DD. First broadcast: DD Month YYYY. Repeated: DD Month YYY etc
 * Song title / Song Title / Song Title / Song Title
 * Song title / Song Title / Song Title / Song Title

(Please correct mistakes and add any missing info)

Other Shows Played
(Please add any missing info)
 * DD Month YYYY: Song (single/album) Label