Peel On Record

Related articles: Peel On Record Covers, Peel On Record Cover Sleevenotes

Background
John Peel, by his own admission, was no musician. He could not sing in any other than a vibratoless low baritone and knew no instruments,, and so limited himself to spoken word appearances, whistling, and once only as part of a backing chorus to one of his favourite bands. (The exception to this rule is his performance of the original Top Gear sig on jew's harp, included on the BBC Records Top Gear album from 1970.) He started a project recording hippy poetry (including some by Syd Barrett) to musical backgrounds in around 1967, but abandoned it when he realised that it would be a dubious legacy that could come back to haunt him, and claims all available tapes were destroyed.

He admired musicians and, especially in the earlier years of his career, valued his friendships with some of those whose work he championed. Peel first made some tentative forays into management and production in the United States, notably during his time in California when he attempted to promote the career of The Misunderstood. Back in the UK, his popularity during 1967-69 made him an in-demand LP sleeve note writer and occasional producer, although he played down his abilities in the latter role. Music business apathy towards performers he respected eventually caused him to found and run a record label called Dandelion in 1969. It lasted into the early 70s, but by his own admission (again) Peel had no head for business and therefore, by only recording material he liked personally, made no money at all (despite gaining a UK chart entry for the band Medicine Head.)

Nevertheless, he was namechecked in a variety of songs by grateful bands either during sessions or in early releases. (One band, the Mighty Jungle Beasts, even named their record label John Peel Is A Good Bloke Records and optimistically gave their sole release a catalogue number of JP051 .) This page is an attempt to catalogue any occasions when he was either a performer on an official release (having refused to participate in any of the session recordings) or mentioned in the course of a song by name.

1960s

 * Liverpool Scene: 'The Amazing Adventures of Che Guevara, Part 2 (LP- Amazing Adventures Of) (RCA: "Produced by John Peel")
 * Track features backchat between JP in control booth and poet Mike Evans in studio, following the lines "Billy Fury and John Peel track down/members of the outlawed Flint and/Denbighshire Hunt"


 * Tyrannosaurus Rex: 'Frowning Atahualpa (My Inca Love) (LP-My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair...But Now They're Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows' (Fly, originally released on Regal Zonophone)
 * Peel reads a children's story at the conclusion of this track. He appeared to find this increasingly embarrassing, and on one show from the 90s did not play his contribution.


 * Tyrannosaurus Rex: 'Romany Soup' (LP-Unicorn)' (Regal Zonophone)
 * Another children's story reading.


 * 'Intro/Top Gear Signature Tune (Compilation LP-John Peel Presents Top Gear)' (BBC Records)
 * Includes Peel playing the theme tune on the Jew's Harp.


 * Bill Oddie: 'Harry Krishna (7"-B side of On Ilkla Moor Baht'At)' (Dandelion)
 * Famously included in John Peel's Record Box, this curious version of a Hare Krishna chant is credited on the label as featuring Peel on 'tape, reels and vocal'. He also claimed (26 October 1991) that Sheila and John Walters were present on the recording (and that he had nearly all available copies).

1970s

 * Carol Concert, broadcast 26 December 1970.
 * Despite his claim in 2004 that he had 'never sung on ANYTHING' with the exception of the Altered Images track, both John and Sheila are featured in the 'choir' singing Christmas carols. See Christmas.


 * Rod Stewart: 'Maggie May'
 * John was featured on Top Of The Pops purportedly playing the mandolin part, which would be difficult, since he is holding it flat on his lap. In fact, in 2003, Ray Jackson of the band Lindisfarne, who actually played mandolin on this, sued Stewart for royalties. Jackson claimed he was paid a small sum for the session and never made any more when the song became a hit.


 * Various: 'A Day In The Life Of Radio One (7"-Radio One's 21st Birthday Souvenir Disc)' (BBC Enterprises)
 * John appears along with other DJs in a short extract from 15 December 1971.


 * Third Ear Band: 'Area Three (LP-Alchemy)' (Harvest)
 * John plays the Jew's Harp.


 * David Bedford: 'Some Bright Stars For Queen's College (LP-Nurses Song With Elephants)' (Dandelion)
 * Released on his own label, this features JP as a 'pipe twirler' along with several others.


 * Robert Wyatt: LP-Las Vegas Fandango (Archive Recordings)
 * A live recording at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1974-09-08, but not available until 1994, and not officially released. Peel plays 'percussion', and it is also notable that Ivor Cutler and Mike Oldfield appear on this CD.

Intro to title track includes a sample of Peel saying something like "a tumble over there but still nice to hear"
 * Be-Bop Deluxe: LP - Modern Music (Harvest) 1976
 * Monochrome Set ‎– LP/CD-Volume, Contrast, Brilliance... (Sessions & Singles Vol. 1)
 * Contains a Peel link from session tracks 'Ici Les Enfants' & 'Fat Fun' "...are you boys getting at me?"

1980s

 * Altered Images: 'Song Sung Blue (LP-Pinky Blue)' (Epic)
 * The only other time John allowed himself to be caught singing, in a kind of rugby chorus background and some whistling, which he claimed was his own idea. Peel related the story of this recording session a few years later to John Walters: "I think I did a gig with them at Leicester Polytechnic. They were very very good. I can say this now: I was very smitten by Clare Grogan, the only time I’ve ever felt infatuated by a pop star…She was almost the only person, apart of course from my wife, who could have persuaded me to go into a recording studio and sing! Her and the drummer [Michael 'Tich' Anderson] came and collected me after a programme. They hadn’t warned me about it beforehand, which is probably a very good idea, because I would have found excuses not to go. They took me out to a recording studio. On the way out there, I was horrified to find that the drummer and Clare, put together, weighed the same as me, which is a very depressing statistic. We got out there, and they wanted me to sing on 'Song Sung Blue', the Neil Diamond song." Transcribed from Peeling Back The Years, Part 5.


 * Intestines: 'The Man Speaks (LP-Borborygmus Vol. 2)' (Inept)
 * As might be expected, a spoken word contribution.


 * Yeah Yeah Noh: 'The First Corner/Edges/The Missing Place (EP-Temple Of Convenience)' (In Tape)
 * Sampled talkovers.


 * Andreas Ammer/FM Einheit: 'Voice-The Radio (CD-Radio Inferno)' (Rough Trade, UK release)
 * An ambitious album based on Dante's 'Divine Comedy'.


 * Various Artists: 'Narrator (LP-U.K. Buzz #001)' (Thirsty Ear)
 * Peel is the narrator on the album.


 * Various Artists: 'Narrative (LP-U.K. Buzz #002)' (Thirsty Ear)
 * Peel does the narrative on the album.


 * Various Artists: 'Narrative (LP-U.K. Buzz #003)' (Thirsty Ear)
 * Peel does the narrative on the album.


 * Spit: 'John Peel (CD-You Would If You Loved Me)' (Vinyl Communications)
 * Vinnie samples Peel's voice introducing his only Festive Fifty entry, 'Road Pizza', and subjects it to tape loops.


 * Dentist From Boscaland: 'Untitled (12 inch-The Dentist From Boscaland)' (Boscaland Recordings)
 * This is a hardcore acid band, and the release was on purple vinyl.

1990s

 * Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine: 'Rubbish (single)' (Rough Trade) (1990)
 * Includes a sample of Peel saying, 'what do you think of the programme so far?'.


 * Bryan Ferry: 'Rescue Me (LP - Taxi )' (Virgin) (1993)
 * This cover of Fontella Bass' hit contains a sample of John Peel's voice saying "cheers" at the start of the track.


 * Fall: 'Symbol of Mordgan (LP-Middle Class Revolt)' (Permanent) (1994)
 * An instrumental track that has in the background a recording of Craig Scanlon of the Fall, on the phone to Peel with a match report of Manchester City v West Ham. This is taken from the Peel show from 12 February 1994.


 * Rubher: Johnny Peel [Is Dead] (7 inch - Red Truck EP) Lighthouse (1995)
 * Different samples of Peel are played on the track.


 * Billy Bragg: 'Deck The Halls With Bows Of Holly' (Peel Session)
 * Bragg is playing live in the studio, and John joins in on this track: see 22 December 1996.

2000s

 * High Fidelity: Pig Might Fly (LP - The Omnichord Album) Plastique
 * This 2001 album by Sean Dickson's project includes a track built around a melody composed and played on an omnichord by Peel.


 * Emma Gibbs Loves Badges: 'Assured' (Utopia PANTS001) 7”: Patience
 * Tony Blackburn and John Peel: 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers'
 * A rare piece of music, where John Peel collaborates with Tony Blackburn on a cover of Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond's song and was played on BBC Radio One. Not surprisingly the record was not released. It can be heard on a show from 28 October 2004.


 * Cuban Boys: 'The Nation Needs You'
 * A posthumous tribute containing numerous spoken samples (2005).


 * Cuban Boys: Ten Shillings A Years EP: The Cuban Boys On TV (WHITE LABEL==001)


 * "The History of British Radio" Peel sample can be heard alongside other radio broadcasters on show from 06 December 2000


 * Listen With Sarah: 'Another Nice Mix (7")' (Womb)
 * Samples of John's voice are included. This made the 2005 Festive Fifty (#13).


 * Satanicpornocultshop: 'Dandelion (mp3-Session 5)' (Tribute To John Peel)
 * Sadly, a posthumous contribution (released 2005).


 * Wedding Present: 'The Complete Peel Sessions' (Sanctuary) 2007.
 * Disc 4 of the box set includes snippets of an interview with the group's David Gedge, conducted at the 1995 Phoenix Festival and originally broadcast on 15 July 1995, along with the group's live set, recorded the previous day.
 * Disc 5 of the box set begins with Peel introducing the group live on stage at the Sound City event in Leeds, and includes later excerpts of chat with David Gedge, as broadcast on the show on 12 April 1996.


 * Various - John Peel's Festive 15 (compilation CD issued with 'Uncut' magazine, Jan 2006)
 * There is a 'hidden' track at the end of this disc, not listed on the CD sleeve. It comprises a 17 second snippet of Peel discussing the Smiths, presumably taken from a show in which one of their earlier sessions was broadcast.

Name Checks

 * Note that Peel's name is appended to every Strange Fruit session release and most of those released by other companies such as Sub Pop.

1960s

 * Soft Machine: 'The Moon In June' (Peel Session):
 * "How would you feel/In the place of John Peel/You can't please all the musicians/All the time". A song about doing a Top Gear session; more details in Ken Garner, The Peel Sessions, p.64


 * Tractor: 'Ravenscroft's 13 Bar Boogie (CD-The Way We Live/Tractor)'
 * Psychedelic folk rock duo (and see below) who Peel funded and persuaded to change their name from The Way We Live when they signed to Dandelion.


 * Bridget St. John: 'The Present Song/Peel And Pig (CD-BBC Radio 1968-1976)' (Hux).
 * Her version of 'This Old Man', with lyrics altered to "Peel and Pig/Peel and Pig/My love for you is really big."

1970s

 * Damned: 'New Rose' (Peel Session)
 * Dave Vanian cheekily interjects the cry, 'Eat your heart out, John Peel!'


 * Damned: 'Burglar' (Peel Session)
 * 'I'll nick anything that's removable, including John Peel's record collection. I'll have his priceless blues LPs away...'


 * Nasty Media: 'John Peel (7 inch-Spiked Copy)' (Lightning) (1978)
 * Television Personalities: 'Part Time Punks (7 inch-Where's Bill Grundy Now? EP)' (Kings Road) (1978)
 * Includes the line 'then they go to Rough Trade to buy Siouxsie &amp; the Banshees / They heard John Peel play it just the other night'.


 * Cockney Rejects: 'East End (b-side 'I'm Not A Fool' 7 inch)' (EMI)
 * Previously recorded for a Peel session in the summer of 1979, the track features the exclamations 'Awright, John?' and 'Thanks, John!' which top and tail it. These were retained on the re-recorded version, released in October 1979, with one difference: the session version has a massed greeting at the start of the song, whereas a lone voice provides it on the released version.


 * Skids: 'TV Stars (7 inch-Into The Valley)' (Virgin) (1979)
 * Recorded live at the Marquee and famed for the 'chorus' of 'Albert Tatlock'. Originally recorded as a Peel Session.


 * Wencke Myrhe: 'John Peel (Lucille) (LP-Album)' (Ariola)
 * Played on 14 August 1979 and 29 April 1980. Based on a Kenny Rogers song.


 * Virginia Doesn't: 'Peely' (Peel Session)

1980s

 * Miniatures Vol. 1: 'John Peel Sings The Blues Badly'.
 * Norman Lovett  impersonates John, strumming one chord on a guitar to the memorable lyrics,  "I gave myself a ring/To make sure I was not in/But I was/Because I answered/Wasn't that a funny thing/Oh yeah."  He then announces that he intends to go and buy an inflatable Kenny Dalglish doll. 'Miniatures' was an album of 50 tracks all less than a minute long, with the invited artists including Robert Fripp and Andy Partridge of XTC. It was compiled by Morgan Fisher (Mott The Hoople, British Lions). Released 1980. (Cherry Red)


 * Sporten Är Död: 'John Peel (cassette album-Sporten Är Död)' (Sporten Är Död Self-Released). First released in 1981.
 * "Efter jobbet klockan tio rusar jag hem precis i tid & satta på min radio & lyssna på John Peel's show" (After work at ten o'clock I rush home just in time & put on my radio and listen to John Peel's show)


 * UB40 Session #2 first broadcast 25 Jan 1982, repeated 11 Feb 1982 and again on 27 April.  Contains Prince Baldhead Meets Gymslip And The Schoolgirls At The Chemist. Toasted intro states
 * "Right about now this  is to all the bad djs down at Radio 1 in a rub a dub style - this one is for the man called John Peel, wheeler dealer, mash it."


 * Altered Images: 'Song Sung Blue' (Peel Session)
 * It would appear that Clare Grogan is attempting to get John to sing along with the chorus, on the grounds that "anybody can sing this...this is your big moment." Apparently, he voiced over "Not on your nelly" on the first broadcast. However, as can be seen above, she managed it eventually.


 * Ivor Cutler: 'Pass The Ball Jim (For John Peel) (LP-Privilege)' (Rough Trade). First released in 1983.
 * Trixie's Big Red Motorbike: 'Splash Of Red' (Peel Session)
 * Lyric goes, "she goes to the disco every night and hopes she will meet some fantastic guy - a sort of mixture between Barry Manilow and John Peel". Peel mused when played on 24 August 1982: "Although I do think a cross of Barry Manilow and myself would not live!"


 * City Limits Crew: Keep It On (Peel Session)
 * Rap lyric goes "John Peel, the man on the radio".


 * Mad Professor: 'John Peel Dub' (Peel Session)
 * John's rather sour comment on this was "I’m not certain that having something that sounds like a bunch of old washing machine parts being dragged around in a sack named after you is entirely complimentary."


 * Three Wise Men: 'Hard Bop' (Peel Session)
 * "Toil, toil, toil and trouble/This is John Peel, and it's time to rumble."


 * Frankfurter: 'We're Gonna Eat John Peel' (Peel Session)
 * Doctor And The Crippens: 'Peely Backwards' (Peel Session)
 * Overlord X: 'The Dedication' (Peel Session)
 * Peel and Walters are named amongst many others.


 * Mekons: 'Skid Row' (Peel Session)
 * A cover of the Merle Haggard number, includes an extra verse: "Well hello John Peel, what we want to know / When you going to quit? Where will we go? / We'll never get played on the radio / But we'll see you down on skid row."


 * Subterraneanz: 'J.P.s Music (LP-Drastic)' (Big Store)
 * "I'm listening to John Peel's music"

1990s

 * Bleach: 'Jingle' (Peel Session)
 * Ipswich band Bleach recorded a short jingle for their debut Peel session, first broadcast 02 December 1990. Based on their single 'Wipe It Away', the song includes the line, 'we tune our dials to Radio One / the week just ain't the same if we don't listen to John'. Afterwards Peel commented, 'that's the way to get yourselves rebooked, no question'.


 * Krispy Three: 'Where We Going' (Peel Session)
 * "Where we going, straight to John Peel's listeners". Peel's reply: "Well I hope so."


 * Ragga Twins: 'Bring Up The Mic Some More / Ragga Trip' (Peel Session)
 * "Big shout to big John Orange Peel, you know we respect you to the maximum." Peel's reply: "I think I can overlook the orange peel business in view of the general excellence of the work."


 * Philistines Jr.: 'Thank You John Peel' (Peel Session)
 * O Level: 'The John Peel March (LP-1977-1980: A Day In The Life Of Gilbert &amp; George)' (Rev-Ola)
 * Recorded in April 1978 but not released until the Revola compilation was issued in 1992.


 * Diblo Dibala: 'Matchatcha Wetu' (LP - OK Madam) (Afric Music) (1993)
 * Andy Kershaw plays this on his tribute show 31st October 2004 and introduces it as a record that mentions 1 minute and 12 seconds in 'BBC John Peely' as part of the lyrics: "John loved Diblo's guitar playing, so admired him, that one afternoon we were down here at the BBC and we learned that Diblo was over in Stern's African Records. We raced over there just so John could get his autograph."


 * Black Star Liner: 'Harmon Harroot (12 inch EP-Smoke The Prophets)' (Soundclash) (1994)
 * Rubher: Johnny Peel [Is Dead] (7 inch - Red Truck EP) Lighthouse (1995)
 * Princess Superstar: Blue Beretta (LP - Strictly Platinum) 5th Beetle (1996)
 * "I got more rhymes than John's got Peel Sessions."


 * Bis: 'We Love John Peel' (Peel Session)
 * Wauvenfold: Clip (Clopped For Peel) (session)
 * Session version of instrumental that later appeared on the 3 Fold album.


 * Jeremy: 'I Wish I Was John Peel's Son (Compilation LP-Suction Prints)' (Sorted) (1998)
 * Brief (52 seconds) and to the point feedback drone. Played by Peel on his 10 September 1998 show.


 * 10 5 Neuton: 'Thanks John' (Peel Session)
 * An instrumental, after which Peel comments, 'Thanks 10 5 Neuton for the session.'


 * Man...Or Astroman?: Inside The Head Of Mr John Peel
 * Man...Or Astroman?: Welcome To The Wicky Wacky World Of John Peel
 * Man...Or Astroman?: 'Oh Cha Cha Cha And Once Again Ladies & Gentlemen I'm John Peel And While Only A Minor Political Activist I'd Like To Say That Man Or Astroman Is Indeed My Favourite Band Even Moreso Than The Fall' (Peel Session)

2000s and beyond

 * Helen Love: 'Happy Hardcore' (CD-Love and Glitter, Hot Days and Muzik) (Che 87) 2000
 * "It's like a nuclear war happy hardcore wow John Peel play some more HappyHardcore."


 * Dalek Beach Party: 'John Peel (LP-Dead Men On Holiday)' (white label)
 * A tribute from an unfortunately named album (2003).


 * Hamfatter: 'John Peel (On My Radio) (LP - Fireworks)' (Pink Hedgehog)
 * Another release from 2003. The singer regrets missing a call from Peel, but concludes he must like the record and will play it on the radio and they'll all be rich and famous!


 * CLSM: 'John Peel (Not Enough) (12 inch)' (G-Core)
 * This happy hardcore epic made the 2003 Festive Fifty at number 9. Apart from John, it mentions other Radio 1 DJs such as Dave Pearce, Judge Jules and Pete Tong in the process of bemoaning the fact that JP is the only one to play hardcore tracks above 120 bpm.


 * Jeffrey Lewis: 'The Story Of The Fall'. (2004)
 * A history of the band in less than two minutes, which namechecks John: 'DJ John Peel says they're his favourite band because they're always different and always the same.'Lyric illustration.


 * Jon E Cash: 'Cami Carzee-John Peel VIP Dub (CDR)' (white label)
 * John is namechecked throughout. Played by him on 20 April 2004, 04 May 2004.


 * Negatives: 'John Peel (CD-No Truth No Justice)' (Bad Dog)
 * Oi-style and one minute long Swedish tribute: 'John Peel was a great man...rest in peace.'


 * Tractor: 'John Peel's Boogie 2006 (CD-John Peel Bought Us Studio Gear And A PA)' (Ozit Morpheus)
 * Psychedelic folk rock duo who had previously recorded for Dandelion (see above).


 * Eat Static: 'Their CD De-Classified features this tribute: "Dedicated to the memory of John Peel, a true maverick and a lover of all music wacky'n weird...You will be sorely missed." (Solstice Music International, 2007.)


 * MDK Cartel: 'John Peel (7 inch-Hostile Takeover)' (Unknown label) 2007
 * "John Peel left a hole in the BBC." 


 * MC Lars: 'True Player For Real (CD-This Gigantic Robot Kills)' (Oglio) 2008
 * "Piss off the British press when I’m like, “Who’s John Peel?”


 * Helen Love: 'John Peel Roadshow (7 inch-Calm Down Dad)' (Elefant)
 * Affectionate and effervescent tribute from a favoured JP band, written as if he were still alive (2009).


 * Shirley Lee: An Old Cricketer (For John Peel) (CD - Winter Autumn Summer Spring) (2011)
 * A tribute to Peel by the former Spearmint frontman, listing many of the artists that the DJ introduced to the song's author.


 * Footnotes

Links

 * #KeepingItPeel Podcast – Peel On Record Part 1
 * #KeepingItPeel Podcast – Peel On Record Part 2