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John Peel Wiki
in: 1969, Peel shows, Available online,
and 3 more

05 March 1969

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Show[]

Name
Station
YYYY-MM-DD
  • 1969-03-05
Comments
  • The first anniversary Night Ride, featuring the same guests as the first programme on 6 March 1968; the Incredible String Band and Adrian Mitchell. Peel compliments Mitchell by saying that he was the first poet he'd choose to have on the programme.
  • Present in the studio was the graphologist Fraser White, whose "spookily accurate" analysis of Peel's handwriting was read out in full on the programme by JP; it is discussed by Ken Garner in The Peel Sessions (pp. 189-190). Apparently it was also printed in that week's edition of the pop weekly Top Pops.
  • Peel plays an instrumental single from the Bread And Beer Band, a version of the theme tune from a famous BBC radio serial of the 1940s and '50s, which Peel describes for the benefit of his "younger listeners" ("it was required listening for a long time…”). The track features the then little-known Elton John on piano. Peel played it again on the Top Gear of 09 March 1969 and revisited it towards the end of his career; see June 2004 (FSK) for details.
  • Peel mentions that he was supposed to go to Sunderland on the Monday for his DJ gig but missed the train and went instead to Bristol, where the university was having its Rag Week with Pink Floyd and Principal Edwards Magic Theatre. He says he was given rice pudding, tea and crumpets by a stranger before going to the gig.
  • The rest of the Incredible String Band and Mississippi Fred McDowell's session tracks were apparently broadcast on Jon Curle's section of Night Ride after Peel's programme, although Peel's announcement at the end of the show only mentions the ISB.
  • After the first ISB session track, Peel observes that they're now using electric guitars and wah-wah pedals. Tyrannosaurus Rex soon followed their example, although Roy Harper, writing in Melody Maker, claimed he was the first acoustic artist to do this.
  • Peel says he’s now got a secretary, “who does nothing, very well”

Sessions[]

  • Incredible String Band #3. Available on the 2007 Hux CD Across The Airwaves (HUX 087). 'Fine Fingered Hands' is taken from an off air source; Peel was so involved with his chat with Adrian Mitchell during the broadcast that the show ran out of time. This song was therefore played in the second (non-Peel) half of 'Night Ride', which no longer exists in the BBC archives. (With thanks to Shane Pope's Incredible String Band - Live and Unreleased listings for this information)
  • Mississippi Fred McDowell #1. Recorded: 1969-02-26
  • Adrian Mitchell (poet)

Tracklisting[]

  • File 4 starts at end of news read by Jon Curle and beginning of Peel's show
  • Mississippi Fred McDowell: Louise (session)
  • Bread And Beer Band: Dick Barton Theme (The Devil's Gallop) (7") Decca
  • Incredible String Band: All Writ Down (session) #4 (JP: Mmm…electric guitars, wah-wah pedals and all…)
  • Peel chats to graphologist Fraser White and reads out his "frighteningly accurate" analysis of Peel's handwriting in full. It’ll be published in Top Pops newspaper tomorrow, says White
  • Mississippi Fred McDowell: Burying Ground Blues (session)
  • Peel chats to Adrian Mitchell
  • Adrian Mitchell: A Party Political Broadcast On Behalf Of The Burial Party (poetry) @
  • BBC Archives: Polish Wedding Song sung by the Polish Radio Folk Music Group
  • Mississippi Fred McDowell: Glory Hallelujah (session) $ (with spoken introduction from Fred; he talks about his life and says it’s his second time in England – “I do not play no rock’n’roll”)
  • Peel pays tribute to Fred McDowell, regrets that he wasn't able to be there when the session was recorded, and gets a little tongue-tied
  • Incredible String Band: Dust Be Diamonds (session) #3
  • Adrian Mitchell: Open Day At Porton Down (poetry) @
  • Adrian Mitchell: Smiling (poetry) @
  • Peel chats to Adrian Mitchell about his current activities – he’s got a fellowship at Lancaster University, where he’s putting on a musical
  • Los Calchakis Avec Guillermo De La Roca: Pescadores (LP - La Flute Indienne) Barclay
  • Somebody just phoned in to say that the music selection on the programme is deplorable, says JP. He thanks them for reacting
  • Mississippi Fred McDowell: Jesus On The Mainline (session)
  • Peel mentions he has not enough time left for the ISB’s "Fine Fingered Hand" (six minutes long) – it will be played in Jon Curle’s half of the programme
  • Incredible String Band: Theta (session) #1
  • Pink Floyd: Careful With That Axe, Eugene (b-side of single Point Me At The Sky) EMI Columbia DB 8511
  • File 4 ends with end of Peel's section and Jon Curle reading out the first few words of the news; “In the Commons…”
  • The rest of the tracks sourced from Paul Bryant's Night Ride Playlists, Tim Joseph's playlists and Ken Garner's The Peel Sessions are likely to be from Jon Curle's section of the programme below:
  • Mississippi Fred McDowell - Lord Are You Going To Find My Suitcase (?)
  • The Beatles - It's All Too Much
  • Chat with Frazer White
  • Billie Holiday: I Loves You Porgy
  • Mississippi Fred McDowell - Way Out On The Frisco Line (session)
  • Frank Zappa - Excerpt From Lumpy Gravy (LP - Lumpy Gravy) Verve VLP 9223
  • Count Basie and Lester Young: listen (?)
  • Art Tatum: The Man I Love
  • Incredible String Band - Fine Fingered Hands (session) #2 5
  • Spike Jones: Never Hit Your Grandma With A Shovel
  • Mississippi Fred McDowell - Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning (session)
  • Mississippi Fred McDowell - Balling the Black (session)
  • Alan Lomax: Balling The Bass
  • Mississippi Fred McDowell - Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (session)
  • Tracks marked # available on File 1
  • Tracks marked @ available on File 2
  • Track marked $ available on File 3
  • Track marked 5 available on File 5

File[]

Name
  • 1a) ISB - Peel session - Night Ride 6/3/68 and 5/3/69
  • 1b) 1969-03-05 ISB Night Ride 5.3.69 poss inc one from 6.3.68.mp3
  • 2) 1968-1969 Night Ride Albert Hall 1965 poets at high speed
  • 3) 1969-03-05-xx-xx NR 5.3.69 Mississippi Fred McDowell
  • 4) J P Night Ride 05 March 1969 complete.mp3
  • 5) 1969-03-05 Fine Fingered Hands
Length
  • 1a) 20:44 (from 2:36)
  • 1b) 18:09
  • 2) 18:33 (5:40-11:00)
  • 3) 9:22 (to 2:56)
  • 4) 54:51
  • 5) 6:26
Other
  • Many thanks to Colin Harper. File 1b is separated from the other show on the source tape and centred.
  • 2) Night Ride Poets Mix
  • 4) Thanks to Warwick Johns and Tim for digitising the tape
  • 5) Originally published as part of "Incredible String Band - God's Holiday (STU/FLAC) 16 CD's" posted on The Ultimate Bootleg Experience Blogspot, and subsequently on Guitars 101.
Available
Footnotes


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