Wire

Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman (vocals, guitar), Graham Lewis (bass, vocals), Bruce Gilbert (guitar), and Robert Gotobed (drums). They were originally associated with the punk rock scene, appearing on the Live at the Roxy WC2 album—a key early document of the scene—and were later central to the development of post-punk (read more at Wikipedia)

Links To Peel
Peel was a strong supporter of Wire, particularly during the band's initial run of three groundbreaking LPs on Harvest between 1977 and 1979, which coincided with their first three sessions for his show. The third session, consisting only of an epic version of 'Crazy About Love', stood out as a landmark in Wire's rapid evolution away from their early punk sound, as later recalled by Colin Newman:



"“Instead of the usual four songs of three minutes, we did a 12-minute song, which was the antithesis of everything the Peel show was about: short, punky, unpretentious. A rumour reached us that he wasn't pleased, but fair play to him, he played it – twice.'(Mick Wall, John Peel, p92)"

Peel continued to play releases featuring band members during Wire's subsequent hiatus, with Lewis and Gilbert being booked for a session, but appears to have largely ignored the band's return in the second half of the 1980s, apart from a further session in 1988. Following a second extended spell of inactivity, Wire again featured on his shows in the early 2000s, including a fifth session, after a gap of 14 years and 4 months from their previous visit to Maida Vale.

Widely viewed as one of the leading bands of the post-punk era, Wire were a major influence on many outfits played by Peel in later years. Britpop band Elastica eventually reached an out of court settlement over similarities between their 1994 single 'Connection' and the Wire track 'Three Girl Rumba'.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 2002 Festive Fifty: 99.9 #34

Sessions
1. First broadcast 31 January 1978. Repeated 17 February 1978, 21 February 1980, 19 August 1986
 * Practice Makes Perfect / I Am The Fly / Culture Vultures / 106 Beats That

2. First broadcast 03 October 1978. Repeated 31 October 1978
 * The Other Window / Mutual Friend / On Returning / Indirect Enquiries

3. First broadcast 18 September 1979. Repeated 24 October 1979
 * Crazy About Love

4. First broadcast 10 May 1988
 * German Shepherds / Boiling Boy / Drill

5. First broadcast 17 September 2002
 * Spent / I Don't Understand / 1st Fast / 99.9

1. Recorded 1980-09-11. First broadcast 07 October 1980
 * G Lewis & BC Gilbert
 * Anchors / Norde / Quicken Your Step

Live

 * 1. Broadcast: 11 April 2000. Recorded: All Tomorrow's Parties, Camber Sands.
 * 1) Boiling Boy
 * 2) Lowdown
 * 2. Broadcast: 25 April 2002. Recorded: All Tomorrow's Parties, Camber Sands, 19-21 April 2002
 * 1) Ten Years After
 * 2) Lowdown

Featured in shows
The list below was researched only from the database of this site, Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive and Ken Garner's Peel Sessions (pg219). It is almost certainly incomplete. Please add further information if known.


 * 1977
 * 25 November 1977: Mannequin (LP - Pink Flag) Harvest
 * 30 November 1977: Unknown (4 tracks from Pink Flag LP)
 * 01 December 1977: Unknown (tracks from Pink Flag LP)
 * 1978
 * 14 July 1978: Dot Dash (single) Harvest
 * 16 August 1978: Dot Dash (7") Harvest HAR 5161
 * 31 August 1978: Practice Makes Perfect (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 31 August 1978: French Film Blurred (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 31 August 1978: Another The Letter (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 31 August 1978: Men 2nd (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 11 September 1978: Mercy (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 11 September 1978: Outdoor Miner (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 11 September 1978: I Am The Fly (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 14 September 1978: Practice Makes Perfect (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 14 September 1978: ? (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 14 September 1978: ? (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 18 September 1978: I Feel Mysterious Today (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 18 September 1978: From The Nursery (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 25 September 1978: Practice Makes Perfect (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 26 September 1978: Another The Letter (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 28 September 1978: French Film Blurred (album - Chairs Missing) Harvest SHSP 4093
 * 19 October 1978: 'Marooned (LP-Chairs Missing)' (Harvest)
 * 19 October 1978: 'Sand In My Joints  (LP-Chairs Missing)' (Harvest)
 * 19 October 1978: 'Being Sucked In Again (LP-Chairs Missing)' (Harvest)
 * 21 December 1978: unknown (LP - unknown)
 * 1979
 * 08 January 1979: Outdoor Miner (LP - Chairs Missing) Harvest
 * 11 January 1979: Outdoor Miner (7”) Harvest
 * 18 January 1979: Outdoor Miner (7”) Harvest
 * 11 June 1979: A Question Of Degree (single) Harvest
 * 18 June 1979: A Question Of Degree (single) Harvest
 * 23 June 1979 (BFBS): A Question Of Degree (7") Harvest
 * 23 June 1979 (BFBS): Former Airline (7" - A Question Of Degree) Harvest
 * 28 June 1979: A Question Of Degree (single) Harvest
 * 17 September 1979: On Returning
 * 18 September 1979: I Should Have Known Better (LP - 154) Harvest
 * 27 September 1979: The 15th (album - 154) Harvest
 * 29 September 1979 (BFBS): Map Ref. 41ºN 93ºW (LP - 154) Harvest
 * 11 October 1979: On Returning (LP – 154) Harvest
 * 20 October 1979 (BFBS): Map Ref. 41ºN 93ºW (album  - 154) Harvest SHSP 4105
 * 22 October 1979: Map Ref. 41ºN 93ºW (single) Harvest
 * 30 October 1979: The Other Window (LP – 154) Harvest
 * 05 December 1979: Map Ref. 41°N 93°W (single) Harvest
 * 1980s
 * 04 February 1981: Practice Makes Perfect (7" b-side Outdoor Miner) Harvest
 * 06 May 1981: Our Swimmer 7” Rough Trade
 * 29 April 1982: 12XU (LP - Pink Flag) Harvest
 * 13 July 1982: Outdoor Miner (single, 1978) Harvest
 * 18 May 1983: Second Length (Our Swimmer)
 * 09 June 1983: Outdoor Miner (7") Harvest HAR 5172
 * 12 June 1983 (BFBS): Outdoor Miner (7") Harvest HAR 5172
 * 28 October 1985: Map Ref. 41ºN 93ºW (album - 154) Harvest
 * 05 March 1986: Dot Dash (LP - Wire Plays Pop) Pink Label
 * 11 March 1986: Map Ref 41°N 93°W (LP - Wire Play Pop) The Pink Label
 * 08 April 1986: Outdoor Miner (LP - Wire Play Pop) The Pink Label
 * 01 December 1986: A Serious Of Snakes (EP - Snakedrill) Mute
 * 06 January 1987: Drill (12" EP - Snakedrill) Mute
 * 20 January 1987: Advantage In Height (12" - Snakedrill) Mute
 * 10 April 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 057 (BFBS)): 'Ahead (12")' (Mute)
 * 04 December 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 075 (BFBS)): 'Culture Vultures (12"-The Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
 * 08 January 1988 (BFBS) (Peel 077 (BFBS)): 'I Am The Fly (12"-The Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
 * 18 March 1988 (BFBS) (Peel 082 (BFBS)): Kidney Bingos (7")' (Mute)
 * 28 June 1988: Silk Skin Paws (LP - A Bell Is A Cup... Until It Is Struck) Mute
 * Mostly Peel Spring 1989: Eardrum Buzz ( 12") Mute 12 MUTE 87
 * 1995
 * 17 March 1995: 'Outdoor Miner (7 inch white vinyl)' Harvest
 * 14 April 1995: I Am The Fly (single) Harvest
 * 1996
 * 08 June 1996: Culture Vultures (CD - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 13 December 1986 (BFBS) (Peel 047 (BFBS)): 'Advantage In Height (12"-Snakedrill)' (Mute)
 * 16 December 1996: I Am The Fly (session) (John Peel's Classic Sessions)
 * 1997
 * 05 May 1997: I Am The Fly (single) Harvest
 * 2000
 * 16 March 2000: Pink Flag/2 (CD – The Wire Trappers No.5 ) The Wire
 * 2002
 * 07 May 2002: In The Art Of Stopping (EP – Read & Burn 01) Pinkflag
 * 09 May 2002: Germ Ship (EP – Read & Burn 01) Pinkflag
 * 23 May 2002 (Radio Eins): In The Art Of Stopping (CD EP - Read & Burn 01) Pinkflag PF4
 * 23 May 2002 (BBC World Service): In The Art Of Stopping (EP - Read & Burn 01) Pinkflag
 * 05 June 2002: Comet (EP - Read & Burn 01) Pinkflag
 * 12 September 2002: Culture Vultures (EP- The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 26 December 2002: 99.9 (session)
 * 2004
 * 24 November 2004 (Rob Da Bank): ‘I Am The Fly’ (LP- Peel Sessions) - (Strange Fruit)


 * SOLO / COLLABORATIONS


 * Dome (Lewis & Gilbert)
 * 15 May 1980: Say Again (LP – Dome) Dome
 * 28 May 1980: And Then …. (LP – Dome) Dome
 * 02 April 1981: Ritual View (LP - Dome 2) Dome


 * Cupol (Lewis & Gilbert)
 * 01 July 1980: Like This For Ages (12") 4AD
 * 09 July 1980: Like This For Ages (12”) 4AD


 * Duet Emmo (Lewis & Gilbert)
 * 22 August 1983: Friano (LP - Or So It Seems) Mute
 * 27 August 1983 (BFBS): Friano (LP - Or So It Seems) Mute


 * He Said (Graham Lewis)
 * 28 October 1985: Only One I (7") Mute
 * 13 September 1992 (BFBS): Only One I (7") Mute


 * Colin Newman
 * 22 February 1982: 1, 2, 3, Beep Beep (LP-Not To) 4AD
 * 22 June 1982: Not To (version) (7" - We Means We Starts / Not To) 4AD