Three Johns

The Three Johns were a post-punk/indie rock band formed in 1981 in Leeds, originally consisting of guitarist Jon Langford (co-founder of the Mekons), vocalist John Hyatt and bassist Phillip "John" Brennan, augmented by a drum machine. The band initially formed just before the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer, and their first gig was to be part of a "Funk the Wedding" event, but they were refused permission to play because they were drunk. They signed to CNT Records in 1982, which Langford jointly founded. A reworking of the Mekons' "English White Boy Engineer", which attacked hypocritical attitudes towards South Africa and apartheid, led to the band being labelled as left-wing rockers. Their left-wing leanings were further evidenced by the sleeve of their 1984 Atom Drum Bop album, which carried the words "Rock 'n' Roll Versus Thaatchiism", a reference to then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her marketing by Saatchi & Saatchi. On 7 July 1985, The Three Johns played at the GLC's Jobs for a Change festival in London's Battersea Park. (...read more on wikipedia)

Links To Peel
Peel discovered the band in the early 80's and the group did six sessions for his shows. Their left wing leanings sympathised with Peel's own political views and the band did a cover of his favourite football team, Liverpool's anthem, You'll Never Walk Alone, as a session track. However, after the group split in 1990, the band were rarely played on his programmes.

Festive Fifty Entires

 * 1985 Festive Fifty: Death Of The European #14

Sessions
1. Recorded: 1982-07-21. Broadcast: 10 August 1982. Repeated: 10 August 1982, 25 August 1982 2. Recorded: 1983-03-05. Broadcast: 09 March 1983. Repeated: 29 March 1983 3. Recorded: 1983-10-26. Broadcast: 07 November 1983. Repeated: 22 December 1983, 23 January 1984 4. Recorded: 1984-04-17. Broadcast: 30 April 1984. Repeated: 21 May 1984 5. Recorded: 1985-07-14. Broadcast: 23 July 1985 6. Recorded: 1987-02-15. Broadcast: 02 March 1987
 * Pink Headed Bug / Lucy In The Rain / Heads Like Convicts / No Place / You'll Never Walk Alone
 * Fruit Flies / Marx's Wife / Windolene / Men-Like Monkeys / Sad House
 * Sun Of Mud / The Day Industry Decided To Stop / A Public Song For A Friend Under Suspicion Of Fire Bombing A Private Shop / Poo-Poo-Poodle Bourgeois / Mouths To Feed
 * Nightingales / Train / Bloop / 3 Junk
 * Demon Drink / Coals To Newcastle / King Car / Torpedo / Third World War
 * Key Largo / The Book Of The Dead / Computer / Never And Always

Other Shows Played

 * The Three Johns - Death Of The European - AUDIO Punk Vinyl
 * 22 June 1982: English White Boy Engineer (7") CNT
 * 1984
 * 30 August 1984: Bloop
 * 19 September 1984: Teenage Nightingales To Wax (LP - Atom Drum Bop) Abstract Sounds
 * 17 October 1984: Missing (LP – Atom Drum Bop) Abstract Sounds
 * 1985
 * 02 January 1985: The Devil’s Music (LP – Atom Drum Bop) Abstract Sounds
 * 13 May 1985: Death Of The European (7") Abstract Sounds
 * 04 June 1985: Death Of The European (7") Abstract Sounds
 * 11 June 1985: Death Of The European (7") Abstract Sounds
 * Peel 014 (BFBS): 'Death Of The European (12")' (Abstract Sounds)
 * 1986
 * Peel 030 (BFBS): 'A.W.O.L. (7")' (Abstract Sounds)
 * 01 May 1986 (BFBS) / Peel 034 (BFBS): 'King Car (LP-The World By Storm)' (Abstract Sounds)
 * 12 May 1986: King Car (LP - The World By Storm) Abstract
 * 14 October 1986: The Day Industry Decided To Stop (album - Live In Chicago) Last Time Round