Reaction

Reaction was a section in the Melody Maker, where celebrities were asked their reactions on various people or topics, some related to music and current affairs. The first Reaction section was published on 14th November 1970. It is not known how long Reaction lasted for in the Melody Maker.

Links to Peel
Peel was the first person on Reaction, published in the Melody Maker on 14th November 1970 and was asked the following reactions to various topics:
 * Edward Heath: ('out of touch with reality')
 * Dustmen Strike: ('they should find out where the GLC representatives live and dump it (the rubbish) on them - if they can get pass the lodge gates')
 * Spiro Agnew: ('The whole Nixon administration fulfills the role of Enoch Powell here in that he came along and said what everybody privately thought. He serves as a rallying point for the loonies.')
 * Monty Python: ('Only programme on TV worth watching')
 * Deep Purple: ('A lot of groups play formula rock and Deep Purple do it admirably. I just happen to be one of those jaded people who like to hear the unexpected. That's why I like Led Zeppelin and not Deep Purple.')
 * Black Panthers: ('The most powerful record I heard this year was by the Black Poets which was frankly unplayable on the BBC. They actually haven't banned it, but it would be off the air immediately. The black people's legitimate complaints have been completely ignored and they aren't sitting back and letting it happen to them any more. They have been forced to take violent action.')
 * Money: ('I'm a great believer in acquiring money - as a means of existence universally accepted. The important point is what you do with the money when you achieve it. My dearest wish is that Dandelion (Peel's label) had a hit record and acquired huge sums of money. Then I could go out and record all the half-baked groups I like! I'd like to make really good documentary albums in the sense that "Wild Man Fischer" was a documentary. In 25 years time it will be "Fischer" more than "Abbey Road" that will tell them what last year was like.')
 * Dandelion: ('The best seller we have had has been Gene Vincent who sold about 5,000 and didn' come anywhere near covering the costs. Everybody thinks Dandelion was basically designed to provide me with Ferraris. I made the mistake of playing down the commercial thing and people for the impression I didn't want to sell records and if dealers hear that, they are not going to leap about. We want a group yto get established and sell lots of records.')
 * Edgar Broughton: ('They seem - very genuine. They are not jumping on the revolutionary bandwagon, because that's what they have been saying along.')
 * Sex: ('Hmm - I suppose I should have expected that one. It's something that has caused me a certain amount of trouble in the past. Talking about it caused me a certain amount of trouble in the past. Talking about it caused trouble. When I mentioned I'd had VD and stuff, people objected. When I was a kid I was very shy and didn't go out with a girl until I was 21. And I didn't go out with fellows either. It's nice when sex is integrated into your normal life.')