Melody Maker

Melody Maker was a UK weekly music paper first published in 1926. Initially aimed at dance band musicians, it covered not only pop music but jazz (and, later, folk music) and was regarded in the 1960s as the most serious of the British pop weeklies. Besides its main news and feature pages, the paper included a large advertising section, with gig listings, ads from bands seeking to recruit new members, and offers of musical instruments for sale.

When Peel joined Radio 1 it was the pop paper most sympathetic to the music he played on Top Gear and featured pieces on many of the artists he admired. In 1968 the DJ and his programmes were fashionable and popular with MM's readers, with frequent mentions in the paper. Its letters page, "Mailbag", often published letters from both fans of his programmes and detractors; apparently he was mentioned more often in readers' letters than any other artist or DJ (see below). But after that, Peel mentions became less common, and the paper gave more space to musicians to express their views. Nevertheless, Melody Maker thrived, gaining a large circulation by concentrating on the "underground" and "progressive" rock favoured by Peel's audience. This reflected the paper's tradition, going back to its dance band origins, of praising skilled, serious musicianship and mistrusting the more ephemeral, novelty aspects of pop. It continued to cover jazz extensively, even when the music lost its appeal to younger listeners.

However, in the 1970s, the New Musical Express challenged MM's pre-eminence by hiring younger journalists (some of them from the underground press) and adopting a more irreverent approach to the music scene. Finally, in 2000 Melody Maker was merged with the NME.

Peel never wrote a regular column for MM, as he did for rival publications Disc & Music Echo and Sounds, although he took part in some of the paper's opinion features, such as the record review series Blind Date (in early 1968), was interviewed from time to time, and did contribute occasional pieces.

As discussed with John Walters on Peeling Back The Years, Peel's victory in the DJ section of MM's 1968 readers' poll over Tony Blackburn may have helped to cement his position at Radio One. Walters commented:

"You look down a fairly straight poll – obviously the Beatles were in there and so on – and there was John Peel, and the top radio show was Top Gear. And I remember within Radio One people were absolutely astounded. And it was sort of resentment mixed with a reluctant acceptance that things had changed and that you had been a key part of it changing. After 1968 you were being seen as a figure of importance and influence."

Peel would eventually win the MM award 11 times.

In the December 1994 edition of the Melody Maker, Peel was featured in the Rebellious Jukebox section, where music celebrities choose records that have made an impact on their lives. Peel choose twelve records ranging from Frankie Laine to Elastica.

On his show of 05 May 1997, which featured Blur's visit to Peel Acres, Peel showed off to the band his 1931 Christmas double issue of MM and also recalled a piece he did for MM's 50th anniversary, noting that the lead article of the first issue had been about whether there was still a place for the banjo in the modern dance orchestra.

1968

 * March 30: Blind Date
 * July 27: "The Underground - "It is like a woman who is endlessly pregnant and never has a baby" - John Peel, and contact with the mystery people"  Peel is critical of the underground scene; "The Underground should be showing an alternative, but we have no alternative...." (read more)
 * September 21: "John Peel - A Victory For The Music". "The success of John Peel in being voted Britain's number one Disc Jockey is a victory for all those who believe that pop music is something more than pleasant background music...Probably more letters to Melody Maker mention Peel than any other artsit or deejay" (read more)
 * September 28: New Blind Date
 * November 23: "A Day In The Life Of John Peel". "Every Sunday at 3 p.m. an estimated two million listeners tune into Radio One to hear Top Gear....It is probably one of the most popular all-music programmes on Radio One, certainly as far as MM readers are concerned, for this year it was voted the top radio show in the 1968 Melody Maker Pop Poll, with Peel as the top deejay" (read more)

1970

 * July 18: JOHN PEEL: What's wrong with Radio One? The fact that you can listen to it for an entire week without learning anything that relates to what's going on. I don't know whether it originates from the producers or where, but... (read more)
 * November 14: Reaction (Peel gives his opinions on various people and topics).

1971

 * April 24: In the three years since he first won the Top DJ title in the MM Poll, John Peel has been mocked and worshipped. Today he wipes the slate clean... (read more)

1967

 * November 11 From "The Raver" column: "John Peel asked by pop magazine for a short, clean joke for their Christmas number replied: "How about Tony Blackburn?"
 * December 2 From "The Raver" column: "Fantastic response to gOD poll from readers. Votes went to Eric Clapton, Tony Coe, John Lennon, Roland Kirk, Ginger Baker, John Peel, Donovan, John Coltrane, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Mavis Greebstabling, an undiscovered drummer from South London called George Jeffrey, and Edwin Bulstrode"
 * December 16 From "The Raver" column: "John Peel played Captain Beefheart's "Electricity" on Top Gear. Yes John, it's "Safe As Milk"!"
 * December 30 "Old Dawbarn's Almanack". Bob Dawbarn's comic predictions for the music scene in 1968, including the replacement of Radio 1 DJs by much older, established BBC presenters; "November: Radio One replace John Peel with Jack de Manio".

1968

 * February 10 Mailbag - readers' letters: "It is said that the most common mistake made by would-be deejays is repetition. Yet every week on Radio One's Top Gear, John Peel, while playing great material by groups like Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and the Chicken Shack, gets on my nerves with his repetition of the word "nice""...
 * February 17 From The Raver column: "We gather John Peel likes Tyrannosaurus Rex"
 * February 17 Mailbag - readers' letters; "BBC's Radio One has recently received adverse criticism, However, one show shines through. Top Gear is always alive and progressive and John Peel is the only deejay with real knowledge and understanding of the type of music he presents...."
 * February 24: Focus On Folk, Folk News section by Karl Dallas: "By the way, Pentangle were beautiful, as John Peel would say, on Top Gear last Sunday. Come to think of it, I think he did say it."
 * February 24: Mailbag - readers' letters: "Why pick on Peel?", one letter supporting Peel, one attacking him ("The bulk of Mr. Peel's Sunday afternoon show consists of the most unmusical releases of the week....").
 * March 2:  "Radio One - Swinging Or Just Plain Square?" Interview with Radio One "chief" Robin Scott. Asked about JP, he previews Night Ride ("different from Top Gear") and says "I have a great respect for him - and that's why I put him on. He is one of the few people who can communicate and generate an interest in a wide range of subjects from progressive pop to modern poetry"
 * March 9: Mailbag - readers' letters: "The case for and against John Peel" 
 * March 16 "Once again - is it folk?" Karl Dallas interviews the Incredible String Band. "I went down to the BBC's Aeolian Hall to talk to them, after they had finished recording a John Peel Night Ride appearance....compared with the average Radio One definition of folk one can only be glad they are getting an airing with John Peel."
 * March 30: Full-page review of Donovan's Royal Albert Hall concert by Bob Dawbarn: "Compere John Peel looked happy, possibly because Tyrannosaurus Rex had shared the first half."
 * March 30: The Raver column: "Deejay John Peel is planning a radio programme on suggestive lyrics in pop songs and hopes to get Cliff Richard, Mick Jagger and Mick Farron [sic], of the Social Deviants, to take part" (Link as above)
 * April 20: Mailbag - readers' letters; "We were absolutely disgusted to read Bob Brown's letter (MM April 6) describing Captain Beefheart as tripe.....Long live Beefheart and John Peel".
 * April 27: Chris Welch reviews new singles: "Tyrannosaurus Rex: Deborah (Regal Zonophone): Marc Bolan has been around some time, recording infrequently, but always producing interesting sounds....Now Marc is receiving a measure of recognition with the aid of his bongo playing mate and deejay John Peel..."


 * April 27 Focus On Folk by Karl Dallas: "I don't know if John Peel has difficulty saying the name of John Renbourn's new LP for Transatlantic, SirJohnalotofMerrieEnglandesmisicthyngeandyeGreneKnyghtte...John also appears on another new Transatlantic LP, "Pentangle", due on May 17 with notes by the lovely and loving Mr. Peel" (link as above)
 * May 4: Focus On Folk by Karl Dallas: "After their appearance in the big concert at the Albert Hall next Wednesday, Shirley and Dolly Collins will appear in John Peel's Night Ride show. Peel is presenting some very nice folk-flavoured stuff on both his weekly programmes. The Pentangle on Top Gear last Sunday were superb."
 * May 18: "Pink Floyd Work On A New Art Form - Tony Wilson Reports". "Now the Floyd have approached the public body of the Arts Council for a grant in the region of £5,000 to finance another project combining a number of the arts. Says Roger (Waters): "It would be a story, using other groups, written as a saga, like the Iliad....There would probably be a narrator, possibly John Peel..."
 * May 18 "Mick Jagger Today" interview. "I don't listen to the radio at home, although I do in the car...Mind you, there are things I like on Radio One, John Peel for example. And that guy who does the blues programme, Mike Raven..." (link as above)
 * May 25 "Marc Bolan - The Man Behind Tyrannosaurus Rex by Chris Welch; "...John Peel played a record called "Hippy Gumbo" I made two years before on Perfumed Garden. I went to meet John and we started doing things at London's Middle Earth for two pounds ten a gig. Then we did Top Gear and we got lots of nice letters...". 
 * June 1 Focus on Folk: jazz writer Christopher Bird reviews Pentangle's first album, and criticises Peel's sleevenotes; "Oh yes, and it would have been much better if John Peel had told us who freaks when on the instrumental passages in "Pentangling" and "Waltz". I mean, we haven't all been "squatting, swollen-eyed and morning-mouthed outside garish Wlison Picketted shop windows" waiting for the record to come out...."
 * June 15: Singles reviewed by Bob Dawbarn. Spooky Tooth: "Love Really Changed Me"; "...I wish it luck and lots of plugs. John Peel will play it anyway."
 * June 15: Mailbag - readers' letters: "I'm sick and tired of John Peel playing Tyrannosaurus Rex every Wednesday night and Sunday afternoon...." (link as above)
 * June 22: The Raver column: "Nice's "America" is a seven-minute sensation. John Peel - please help."
 * June 29: "No Peel for Marmalade" - interview by Chris Welch. They complain that Peel doesn't like them.and won't play their records ("Maybe we're not beautiful enough")
 * July 6: Front page item with Peel picture from Perfumed Garden era: "John Peel, Radio One deejay of Top Gear fame, is the latest attraction to be added to the all-star bill appearing at this weekend's mammoth Melody Maker Woburn Festival. John will be compering the Sunday Afternoon With Donovan (2.30 to 5.30 p.m.)"
 * July 6: Small ads: "The Ellis-Wright Agency solely represent Jeff Beck Group, Chicken Shack, Circus, Clouds, Pete Drummond, Eclection, Marc Ellington, Jethro Tull, The Liverpool Scene, The Nice, John Peel, Reparata and the Delrons, Savoy Brown, Spirit of John Morgan, Ten Years After, Tyrannosaurus Rex" (link as above).
 * July 6 : Mailbag. Letter complaining about Radio One. "Please let's have more of John Peel, Spooky Tooth, the Nice, Arthur Brown, the Incredible String Band and Tyrannosaurus Rex. Let's have a break from Davy Jones and the Monkees - a permanent break". (link as above)
 * July 13: "1968 - the year of the Nice" by Chris Welch. "Lee (Jackson) is not just a bass player. He is a poet, writer and a good spokesman for the group. A fearsome-looking giant, he displays a streak of sensitivity. He is writing for a forthcoming John Peel's poetry album which will include writing from Eric Burdon, Stevie Winwood and Roy Harper"
 * July 13: Mailbag - letter responding to Marmalade article in June 29 issue: "...the Marmalade claim that they try to please the masses with ultra commercial sounds. The essence of Peel's Top Gear is striclty esoteric. Obviously, therefore, anyone aiming solely for the charts cannot expect invitations from such as Top Gear." (link as above)
 * July 20: Focus On Folk, interview by Tony Wilson with "Roy Harper, folk's one-man Mother": "What I'd really like to do is form a thirty-piece band with the Mothers, the Floyd, the Nice, Tyrannosaurus Rex, the Liverpool Scene, Peel and me, and have the total PA all arranged in a big free space somewhere and just play for two days solid."
 * July 20: From "The Raver": "John Peel to have own marquee at Kempton Festival. Will Tyrannosaurus Rex appear?" (link as above)
 * July 27: "I can't really get hung up on a pop ego thing", says Marc (Bolan). "The only unpleasantness we had was in the early days at Tiles Club, when John was doing a Perfumed Garden thing. Sad thuggies who wanted to beat John up".
 * July 27: From "The Raver": "Bee Gees dig John Peel..." (link as above)
 * July 27: Mailbag - "Just what gives John Peel the right to voice his political opinions on the BBC? As an American I thought it in bad taste that he should air his views of the United States on Night Ride..."(link as above)
 * August 3: Review by Chris Welch: ""All this needs is for John Peel to appear with three loaves and five fishes and he could feed the ten thousand" said an observer at the highly successful free concert in Hyde Park, London on Saturday..."
 * August 3: From "The Raver": "John Peel met Peter Green at an apple dipping contest in aid of old folks - cor!"
 * August 17: From "The Raver": "Tim Rose jammed in John Peel's tent..." (at the Sunbury National Jazz and Blues Festival)
 * August 17: Mailbag - letter on the state of jazz: "Jazz is in great danger of losing its place as the music of revolution and anti-bowler hat. Just listen to John Peel and then Humphrey Lyttelton...." (link as above)
 * August 24: Andy Fairweather-Low of Amen Corner reviews new singles in Blind Date: Doors: "Hello, I Love You...": "...They've gone commercial. Three cheers for Doors! I was getting a bit lonely. What will John Peel say? I don't think he'll even play it."
 * September 7: ""We love the screamers" say Skip Bifferty", by Chris Welch. "The Small Faces are their greatest fans and helped produce the single. Other supporters include deejay John Peel...Their first album, with sleevenotes by John Peel, is quite a revelation...".
 * September 14: Mailbag - letter responding to MM's interview with anti-porn, anti-pop campaigner Mrs. Mary Whitehouse; "In future Mrs Whitehouse, if you don't want to watch Top Of The Pops, take John Peel's advice; go into the park and talk to the birds...."   Another letter comments on a gig ad in the 31 August issue; "The Move, Cliff Bennett and of all the bloody sock-it-to-me cheek, Geno Washington in a blues festival. Oh, John Peel. What's up with you?... "
 * September 21: From "The Raver": "There should be some pretty fair chat on John Peel's The Voice of Pop this Saturday (21) when Mick Jagger, Tim Rose, Barry Mason, and Tyrannosaurus Rex's Marc Bolan discuss pop lyrics and censorship...."
 * September 21: "Great Group Controversy - Britain v. America" - Chris Welch criticises US groups; "Jim Morrison clumping around was about as sexy as Arthur Mullard and as exciting as John Peel reading the football results..." (link as above)
 * September 21; 1968 Pop Poll results; "John Peel jumps six places to win the Number One Deejay slot...." ; "Top Gear tops"; Bernie Andrews talks about working with Peel on the programme.  (link as above)
 * September 21; Mailbag - "Thank Scott, or someone, for Pete Drummond on Friday's Mid-day Spin...as a result of Dummond's unobtrusive presentation,....I am rapidly being converted into an appreciator of this mew-fangled, so-called "progressive" music. The ponderous John Peel never achieved as much" (link as above)
 * September 28: From "The Raver": "John Peel, MM Poll Number One Deejay, voted on his own poll coupon for Kenny Everett..."
 * October 5: From "The Raver": "Ed Stewart, Tony Brandon, Rick Dane, Dave Cash, David Symonds and John Peel among Radio One deejays battling it out in stock cars at Wembley Stadium on October 12. Makes a change from the other kind of smashes!"
 * December 7 Farewell to the Cream, by Chris Welch (review of their final concert, which Peel introduced).: "John Peel must be Britain's only at once inteliigent, funny, informative and popular compere and such a relief from all those dire idiots who have made us cringe with embarrassment at so-called "pop" shows." (read more here)
 * December 7 "Alvin Lee contacts MM from the States - 'We're all turned on to America'". Interview with Ten Years After guitarist in which he praises American underground radio and says of Peel: "John Peel is cool to himself with his show but unintentionally he is making the scene paraniocally aware as soon as anything new gets on it. Then when it gets popular he leaves it alone..." (read more)

1969

 * September 20 "Pop Poll '69" (p.1) Cartoon of Peel appears on front page with other winners in annual readers poll.

1970

 * July 18 "Cool or Uncool?" (p.8) Light-hearted article with lists of people and things which fit the two categories, including "Cool: John Peel - Uncool: Tony Brandon "
 * September 19: 1970 Pop Poll Results: "John Peel makes it a hat-trick of Top Disc Jockey awards, follows it up with the first and second places in the Top Radio Show division with his Top Gear and Sunday Show".

1971

 * February 13 "Football on Peel 'Special'". "Guests on John Peel's Late-Night Line-Up "special" on BBC2 TV on February 20 at 10.45 p.m. will include former Liverpool and Scotland football international Billy Liddell and soprano saxist Lowen Coxhill..." (read more). Programme was described as first of a regular series, but only this one featured Peel. The series was called "One Man's Week" and was edited by Rowan Ayers, father of Peel favourite Kevin Ayers.

1973

 * September 29: Peel winning the Best DJ category in the 1973 Melody Maker Readers' Poll. (read more)

1978

 * November 11: Peel wins Top DJ and comes 2nd in the Best Radio Show in the 1978 Melody Maker Readers' Poll. (read more)

1991

 * January 5: Peel wins Best Radio Show in the 1990 Melody Maker Readers' Poll (read more)

Melody Maker v/a Compilations
(Known plays by Peel of various artist (v/a) releases from Melody Maker, listed in order of first appearance on his R1 show. He also gave airtime to at least one flexidisc issued with the paper (see 03 May 1982). Please add more information if known.)

(v/a LP - Red Stripe - Playback Volume 1)
 * 17 November 1982: IQ: Beef In Box
 * 07 December 1982: Hibi Yaki: Labours And The Land

(v/a 7" - MM Vinyl Conflict 1)
 * 11 February 1986: Housemartins: Anxious

(v/a 7" - Vinyl Conflict 2)
 * 24 September 1986 (VPRO): Fall: Lucifer Over Lancashire (Alternative Version)
 * 24 September 1986 (VPRO): Cocteau Twins: Orange Appled
 * October 1986 (BBC World Service): Cocteau Twins: Orange Appled

(v/a cassette - Five Alive)
 * 05 February 1993: Therapy?: Nausea
 * 14 February 1993 (BFBS): Therapy?: Nausea

(v/a 3xCD - The Serious Road Trip )
 * 12 November 1994: Banco De Gaia: White Paint
 * 12 November 1994: Loop Guru: Yayli (Unity Vibrations)
 * 12 November 1994: Dust Brothers: Be That Thing

(v/a cassette - Reading Present)
 * 26 August 1994: Elastica: Waking Up [BBC Radio 1 FM Session]
 * 27 August 1994: Elastica: Waking Up [BBC Radio 1 FM Session]
 * 02 September 1994: Elastica: Waking Up [BBC Radio 1 FM Session]
 * 10 September 1994 (BFBS): Elastica: Waking Up [BBC Radio 1 FM Session]
 * 08 October 1994 (BFBS): Elastica: Waking Up [BBC Radio 1 FM Session]
 * 23 December 1994: Elastica: Waking Up [BBC Radio 1 FM Session] FF#7

(v/a cassette - Reading Present 1995)
 * 25 August 1995: Stereolab: Pop Quiz

(v/a CD - ...Hold On)
 * 02 September 1995: Dick Dale: Mexico
 * 09 September 1995: Sleeper: Disco Duncan

Links

 * Wikipedia: Melody Maker
 * Jazz Lives : 1934 photo of Louis Armstrong reading Melody Maker
 * Pathe News: Peel at 1968 MM Readers' Poll Awards
 * Pathe News: Peel at 1969 MM Readers' Poll Awards
 * Archived Music Press: Melody Maker
 * rocklist.net: Melody Maker Annual Critic Lists 1978-2000
 * Melody Maker Pop Poll 1973 - Best disc jockey