Jesus And Mary Chain

"“Their only single to date, but, if any of us are around for a Festive Fifty next year, I confidently expect there to be a lot of Jesus And Mary Chain tunes in there.” (John Peel, 19 December 1984, after Upside Down reached #37 in that year's listeners' chart)" The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. They released a string of albums, singles and EPs between their 1983 formation and their 1999 breakup, and gained notoriety in their early days for short sets and violence that became common at their live shows. In 2007, the band reunited. (Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links to Peel
Peel's preference was for shorter tracks by the band as opposed to their longer sonic workouts: "''I always like the Jesus & Mary Chain when they do those little kind of, minute and a half, two minute-songs and things, little reflections I think of them as being in a rather pretentious way.' (02 July 1994 (BBC World Service))"

Festive Fifty Entries
In 1985, JAMC became the first band to fill the top two places in Peel's annual listeners' chart, a feat not repeated until Pulp did it ten years later. As noted by Mark Whitby in The Festive Fifty (p 52), it was perhaps surprising that no tracks from the band made it into the all-time 2000 Festive Fifty.

1984 Festive Fifty 1985 Festive Fifty 1986 Festive Fifty 1987 Festive Fifty 1988 Festive Fifty 1989 Festive Fifty 1992 Festive Fifty 1998 Festive Fifty
 * Upside Down #37
 * Never Understand #1
 * Just Like Honey #2
 * You Trip Me Up #12
 * Some Candy Talking #9
 * April Skies #16
 * Kill Surf City #39
 * Nine Million Rainy Days #41
 * Sidewalking #3
 * Blues From A Gun #13
 * Reverence #13
 * Cracking Up #11

Peelenium

 * Peelenium 1985: Never Understand

Sessions
Six sessions. Released on The Complete John Peel Sessions (2xLP and CD, 2000, Strange Fruit), as well as The Peel Sessions (12” and CD, 1991, Strange Fruit) (sessions #2, #4 only). Also, 'Inside Me' appeared on New Season: The Peel Sessions (CD, 1991, Strange Fruit). The first Peel session was produced by latter-day BBC DJ Mark Radcliffe, who admitted in John Peel's Scottish Sessions (2009) that he still regretted persuading the band to lay off the feedback.

1. Recorded: 1984-10-23 Transmitted: 31 October 1984 Repeated 18 December 1984 2. Recorded: 1985-02-03 Transmitted: 13 February 1985 Repeated 04 March 1985 3. Recorded: 1985-10-29 Transmitted: 11 November 1985 Repeated 16 December 1985, 26 November 1985 4. Recorded: 1986-11-25 Transmitted: 05 January 1987 Repeated 03 February 1987 5. Recorded: 1988-05-31 Transmitted: 13 June 1988 Repeated 06 July 1988, 26 December 1988 6. Recorded: 1989-11-26 Transmitted: 12 December 1989 Repeated
 * In A Hole / You Trip Me Up / Never Understand / Taste The Floor
 * The Living End / Inside Me / Just Like Honey
 * Some Candy Talking / Psycho Candy / You Trip Me Up / Cut Dead
 * Fall / In The Rain / Happy Place
 * Side Walking / Coast To Coast / Take It / My Girl
 * Far Out And Gone, Silverblade / Here Comes Alice

Live

 * 08 July 1998: Live set from the Royal Festival Hall, Meltdown. Recorded 1998-07-04.


 * Cracking Up
 * Head On
 * I Love Rock N Roll
 * Man On The Moon
 * Virtually Unreal

Other Shows Played
(The list below is by no means complete and was compiled only from the database of this site. Please add more information if known.)


 * 1984
 * 10 October 1984 (VPRO): Upside Down (7") Creation
 * 16 October 1984: Upside Down (7") Creation
 * 27 November 1984: Upside Down (7") Creation
 * 04 December 1984: Upside Down (7") Creation
 * 19 December 1984: Upside Down (7 inch) Creation FF#37 (JP: “Their only single to date, but, if any of us are around for a Festive Fifty next year, I confidently expect there to be a lot of Jesus And Mary Chain tunes in there.”)
 * 1985
 * 05 February 1985: Never Understand (single) Blanco Y Negro
 * 12 February 1985: Suck (7" single - Never Understand b-side) Blanco Y Negro
 * 06 March 1985: Never Understand (single) Blanco Y Negro
 * 13 May 1985: You Trip Me Up (7") Blanco Y Negro
 * 20 May 1985: You Trip Me Up (7") Blanco Y Negro
 * 03 June 1985: You Trip Me Up (7") Blanco Y Negro
 * 22 October 1985: Just Like Honey (?) Blanco Y Negro
 * 23 December 1985: You Trip Me Up #12
 * 25 December 1985: Just Like Honey FF#2
 * 25 December 1985: Never Understand FF#1
 * 30 December 1985: Cut Dead (album - Psychocandy) Blanco Y Negro
 * 1986
 * 09 January 1986 (BFBS): 'You Trip Me Up (LP-Psychocandy)' (Blanco Y Negro) Peel 026 (BFBS)
 * 23 January 1986 (BFBS): 'Some Candy Talking (Compilation 7"-NME's Big Four)' (New Musical Express) Peel 027 (BFBS)
 * 28 January 1986: Some Candy Talking (v/a 7" - NME's Big Four) New Musical Express
 * 29 January 1986 (VPRO): Some Candy Talking (EP – Big Four) NME
 * 29 April 1986: Some Candy Talking (v/a 7" - NME's Big Four) New Musical Express
 * 31 July 1986 (BFBS) (Peel 038 (BFBS)): 'Some Candy Talking (7")' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * 18 August 1986: Psychocandy (7" - Some Candy Talking) Blanco Y Negro
 * 30 December 1986: Some Candy Talking (7"-NME's Big Four) New Musical Express FF#9
 * 1987
 * HO John Peel 2 1987: April Skies
 * 24 April 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 058 (BFBS)): 'April Skies (7")' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * 08 May 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 060 (BFBS)): 'April Skies (Long Version) (12")' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * 17 June 1987: Sowing Seeds (LP - Psychocandy) Blanco Y Negro
 * 07 September 1987: Deep One Perfect Morning (LP - Darklands) Blanco y Negro
 * 08 September 1987: Fall (LP – Darklands) Blanco Y Negro (JP: "And you’re probably thinking to yourself, “A lesser disc jockey would almost certainly follow that rather cheaply with a track by The Fall, but not old Peely, he wouldn’t do that to us.” You over-estimate me, I’m afraid.")
 * 18 September 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 069 (BFBS): 'Deep One Perfect Morning (LP-Darklands)' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * 18 September 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 069 (BFBS): 'Fall (LP-Darklands)' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * 24 September 1987 (BBC World Service): Nine Million Rainy Days (album - Darklands) Blanco Y Negro
 * 25 September 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 069 (BFBS): 'Nine Million Rainy Days (LP-Darklands)' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * 02 October 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 070 (BFBS)): 'Down On Me (LP-Darklands)' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * 22 December 1987: Nine Million Rainy Days (LP-Darklands) Blanco Y Negro FF#41
 * 23 December 1987: Kill Surf City (7 inch-B side of April Skies) Blanco Y Negro FF#39 (JP: “A surfeit of orange colouring matter in their food does it, I'm sure of that.”)
 * 29 December 1987: April Skies (LP-Darklands) Blanco Y Negro FF#16
 * 1988
 * HO John Peel 4 1987 1988: Sidewalking (single) Blanco Y Negro NEG 32(T)
 * HO John Peel 6 1988: Surfin' USA (April Out-Take) (v/a album - Under The Covers - Other People Sing Other People's Songs)  WEA International WX 146
 * 07 March 1988: Nine Million Rainy Days (Live) (v/a 7" - Sounds - Waves 2) Sounds (Magazine)
 * 13 April 1988: Head [LP - Barbed Wire Kisses (B-Sides And More)] Blanco Y Negro
 * 18 May 1988 (Rockradio): Just Out Of Reach (album - Barbed Wire Kisses)
 * 09 November 1989: In The Black (b-side 'Head On' single) Blanco Y Negro
 * 19 December 1988: Sidewalking (7") Blanco y Negro (JP: "Seeing as tomorrow I start on the Festive Fifty, your choices of the year, I thought tonight I'd play some of my favourites of the year. Only a selection, certainly not a definitive selection.")
 * 28 December 1988: Sidewalking (7 inch) Blanco Y Negro FF#3
 * 1989
 * 14 March 1989: Sowing Seeds (album - Psychocandy) Blanco Y Negro BYN 7
 * 20 March 1989: You Trip Me Up
 * 07 April 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 101 (BFBS)): 'Cut Dead (LP-Psychocandy)' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * 08 May 1989: Just Like Honey (LP - Psychocandy) Blanco Y Negro
 * 04 September 1989: Blues From A Gun (12") Blanco Y Negro NEG 41T
 * 05 September 1989: Shimmer (12" - Blues From A Gun) Blanco Y Negro NEG 41T
 * 05 September 1989: Penetration (12" - Blues From A Gun) Blanco Y Negro NEG 41T
 * 05 September 1989: Subway (12" - Blues From A Gun) Blanco Y Negro NEG 41T
 * 06 September 1989: Blues From A Gun (12") Blanco Y Negro NEG 41T
 * 19 September 1989: My Girl (CD - Blues From A Gun) Blanco Y Negro
 * 23 September 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 117 (BFBS)): 'Blues From A Gun (12")' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * 07 October 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 119 (BFBS)): 'My Girl (CDS- Blues From A Gun)' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * HO John Peel 15 1989 probably 09 October 1989: UV Ray (album - Automatic) Blanco Y Negro BYN 20
 * HO John Peel 15 1989: Between Planets (album - Automatic) Blanco Y Negro BYN 20
 * 28 October 1989 (BFBS):  'Here Comes Alice (LP- Automatic)' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * 28 October 1989 (BFBS):  'UV Ray (LP- Automatic)' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * 28 October 1989 (BFBS):  'Coast To Coast (LP- Automatic)' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * 09 November 1989: In the Black (single - Head On) Blanco Y Negro NEG 42
 * 18 November 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 123 (BFBS)): 'Head On (7")' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * 27 December 1989: Blues From A Gun (LP-Automatic) Blanco Y Negro FF#13
 * 1990
 * 04 April 1990: Guitar Man (v/a album - The Last Temptation Of Elvis) New Musical Express NME
 * 14 August 1990: You Trip Me Up (LP-Psychocandy) Blanco Y Negro (Fall In August)
 * 15 August 1990: Some Candy Talking (Compilation 7"-NME's Big Four) New Musical Express (Fall In August)
 * 1991
 * HO John Peel 29 1991: Reverberation (Doubt) (Compilation CD-Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye - A Tribute To Roky Erickson) WEA International Inc.
 * 23 February 1991 (BFBS) (Peel 172 (BFBS)): Reverberation (Doubt) (Compilation CD-Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye - A Tribute To Roky Erickson) WEA International Inc.
 * 14 July 1991: Reverberation (Compilation CD-Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye: A Tribute To Roky Erickson) WEA International Inc.
 * 07 September 1991: Happy Place (mini-album - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit SFPMA 210
 * 15 September 1991: Fall (LP - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 28 September 1991: Just Like Honey (mini-album - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit SFPMA 210
 * 1992
 * 18 January 1992: Reverence (acetate) Blanco Y Negro
 * 01 February 1992: Heat (b-side of Reverence 7") Blanco Y Negro
 * 01 February 1992: Reverence (7") Blanco Y Negro
 * 02 February 1992: Guitarman (12" - Reverence) Blanco Y Negro
 * 16 February 1992 (BFBS): Guitarman (12" - Reverence) Blanco Y Negro
 * 16 February 1992 (BFBS): Reverence (7") Blanco Y Negro
 * 26 September 1992: Little Red Rooster (CD-The Sound Of Speed) Blanco Y Negro
 * 03 October 1992: Little Red Rooster (v/a album - Ruby Trax - The NME's Roaring Forty) New Musical Express
 * 18 October 1992 (BFBS): Little Red Rooster (CD - Ruby Trax) NME
 * 25 December 1992: Reverence (7 inch) Blanco Y Negro FF#13
 * 1993
 * 05 April 1993 (John Peel Is Jakki Brambles): Inside Me (Peel session)
 * 25 June 1993: Little Red Rooster (10 inch – Sound Of Speed EP) Blanco Y Negro
 * (JP: “I do think that British music is really terribly dull. It's going through a really bad period at the moment. It won't go on forever, one hopes, but at the same time, I'm not sure why it is really, but people seem to be reluctant to do anything that they've not done many times before, which brings us to a new single from the Jesus And Mary Chain, which in spite of what I've just said, I rather like.”)

1998 ​1999 ​2000 2003
 * 26 June 1993 (BFBS): Snakedriver (10"-The Sound Of Speed EP) Blanco Y Negro (JP: “This was Single of the Week in that week's NME.”)
 * 26 June 1993 (BFBS): Little Red Rooster (10"-The Sound Of Speed EP) Blanco Y Negro
 * 1994
 * 02 July 1994 (BBC World Service): 'The Perfect Crime (10"-Sometimes Always)' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * 09 July 1994: The Perfect Crime (CD single – Sometimes Always) Blanco Y Negro
 * 15 July 1994: Drop (CD single – Sometime Always) Blanco y Negro
 * 23 July 1994 (BFBS): The Perfect Crime (10" - Sometimes Always) Blanco Y Negro
 * 27 August 1994: Hole (CD – Stoned & Dethroned) Blancoi Y Negro
 * 27 August 1994 (BFBS): Bullet Lovers (album - Stoned & Dethroned) Blanco Y Negro
 * 03 September 1994 (BFBS): Hole (album - Stoned & Dethroned) Blanco Y Negro (John rips the fact that JMC have put their lyrics on the sleeve....)
 * 14 October 1994: New York City (CD: Come On) Blanco Y Negro
 * 1995
 * 02 December 1995: 45 RPM (v/a album - 104.9 (An XFM Compilation Album)) XFM Ltd. CD2
 * 05 December 1995 (Radio Mafia): 45 rpm (CD: 104.9 Xfm compilation album, Xfm ltd, 1995)
 * 09 December 1995 (BFBS): 45 RPM (Compilation CD-104.9 (An XFM Compilation)) XFM Ltd.
 * 10 March 1998: Cracking Up (single) Creation
 * 17 March 1998: Rocket (CD single "Cracking Up")
 * 24 March 1998: Cracking Up (single) Creation
 * 02 April 1998: Rocket (CD single - Cracking Up) Creation
 * 24 April 1998 (BFBS): 40,000 K (EP-I Love Rock 'N' Roll) Creation
 * 27 May 1998: Supertramp (album - Munki) Creation
 * 16 June 1998: Never Understood (LP - Munki) Creation
 * 24 June 1998 (BFBS): Never Understood (2xLP-Munki) Creation
 * 01 July 1998 (BFBS): I Can't Find The Time For Times (CD-Munki) Creation
 * 29 December 1998: Cracking Up (Maxi CD) Creation FF#11
 * 31 August 1999: Never Understand Peel's 60th birthday
 * 15 December 1999: Never Understand Peelenium 1985
 * 26 February 2000 (BFBS): In A Hole (CD-The Complete John Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 15 March 2000: In a Hole (LP - The Complete John Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit (Mentions that the old Jesus & Mary Chain session track was produced by Mark Radcliffe)
 * 16 March 2000: Some Candy Talking (LP - The Complete John Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 28 May 2003: 'Reverence (Live in Concert)' (Strange Fruit)


 * Other


 * Peel Late Oct 1984: #1 session
 * Peel Late 1984: Upside Down (7") Creation
 * Peel January 1985: Never Understand (7") Blanco Y Negro
 * Peel February 1985: #2 session
 * Peel March 1985: #2 session
 * Peel Spring 1992: Far Gone And Out (7") Blanco Y Negro
 * Mainly Peel December 1992: Reverence (12") 25 December 1992
 * Peel 006 (BFBS): Never Understand (7") Blanco Y Negro (1985-02-00)
 * Peel 019 (BFBS): Taste Of Cindy (Compilation 7"-The Hit RED Hot EP) The Hit (1985-09-00)
 * Peel 019 (BFBS): Head (7"-Just Like Honey) Blanco Y Negro (JP: “Well, I like that, but they do still sound like Hawkwind at times.”) (1985-09-00)
 * Peel 022 (BFBS): Taste The Floor (LP-Psychocandy) Blanco Y Negro (JP: "Our Charles (Foster), the producer, doesn't much care for that. Do you need any higher recommendation?")
 * Peel 022 (BFBS): The Hardest Walk (LP-Psychocandy) Blanco Y Negro
 * Peel 022 (BFBS): Cut Dead (LP-Psychocandy) Blanco Y Negro
 * Peel 026 (BFBS): You Trip Me Up (LP-Psychocandy) Blanco Y Negro (JP: "From their début LP, which I recommend to you: if you haven't already got it, at least try and hear it all the way through because, quite clearly, when they first started out, more than a certain amount of critical acclaim followed by the inevitable backlash. But I do think it's one of those LPs people will listen to in three or four years' time and say, "Actually, that was extraordinarily good!", as indeed it is.")
 * Peel 027 (BFBS): Some Candy Talking (Compilation 7"-NME's Big Four) New Musical Express
 * Peel 038 (BFBS): Some Candy Talking (7") Blanco Y Negro
 * Peel 101 (BFBS) (07 April 1989): 'Cut Dead (LP-Psychocandy)' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * Peel 119 (BFBS) (07 October 1989): 'My Girl (CDS-Blues From A Gun)' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * Peel 120 (BFBS) (28 October 1989): 'Here Comes Alice (LP-Automatic)' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * Peel 123 (BFBS) (18 November 1989): 'Head On (7")' (Blanco Y Negro)
 * John Peel's Scottish Sessions: Never Understand (session #1) (Mark Radcliffe tells how he persuaded Jesus & Mary Chain to lay off the feedback and regrets it to this day.)