John Peel Wiki

Changes to the look of John Peel Wiki will take place in the near future due to a new skin being rolled out over Oct/Nov across Wikia. Please see the Wikia Staff Blog for further details. On this site, the changes will affect the navigation from the left menu, as well as introduce a fixed page width with narrower content space. Please be patient while adjustments are made for the switch to the new system.

UPDATE: As the change is now in force for some users, I have switched the navigation to the simplified one for the new system. Please check Navigation in the Help section if you can't find things. I also initially made small adjustments to the front page layout, but have now reverted to the old look until all users are on the new system.

COUNTDOWN: Just a reminder for people still using Monaco that the final switch to the new skin is due on Nov. 3. After that, it will no longer be offered as an option. Sorry. Nothing to do with me.

Steve W

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John Peel Wiki

Show[]

Name
Station
YYYY-MM-DD
  • 1968-08-14
Comments
  • Ken Garner's The Peel Sessions lists Bob Harris (then a journalist making his first radio appearance to promote the new magazine Time Out, which he co-founded and had just published its first issue) and John Marshall (record producer, graphic designer, film-maker and husband of Shirley Collins) as studio guests. [1].
  • Ron Geesin is the poet and country blues revivalist Gordon Smith makes his session debut.
  • Peel included both Ron Geesin and Gordon Smith in his ABC Of Beauty article in Disc & Music Echo, in November of that year. He praises Geesin ("Must be the most startling and original performer in the country") but is slightly critical of Smith ("Does country blues things well especially "Diving Duck". Should bring in a bit of 1968 to complement the 1928")[1]
  • Before the Ron Geesin poem there is an introduction by Peel, probably from near the start of the programme, as he names the guests. He mentions that his late-night shows have been criticised for sounding like private parties which exclude some of the listeners. He also reads out an angry letter from a "disgusted" listener, annoyed by the "death dirges" and "trash" which supposedly make up Peel's programme.
  • A cover version of one of Peel's favourite singles of 1967, Nirvana(2)'s "Tiny Goddess", done by Françoise Hardy on an English-language LP produced by Simon Napier-Bell, who began his career as a member of the Yardbirds and had managed John's Children.
  • Full tracklisting with thanks to Tim Joseph link

Sessions[]

Tracklisting[]

(JP: 'Uhm earlier in the week last Sunday actually, I had a wondrous evening in Sunbury at the Jazz Blues Pop And Folk Festival, whatever it's full name is, and Gordon Smith played there') 2
(Peel's introduction) 1
  • Ron Geesin: Wind Of Life (poetry) 1
  • Macusi Tribe: Savannah Shuffle (British Guyana) BBC Archives
  • New York Pro Musica: second part of last week's LP
(JP: 'Time for the second number from Gordon Smith, which is a Fred McDowell number this time, it's Worried Life Blues') 2
(JP: 'Worried Life Blues from Gordon Smith and the night air is suddenly become hideous, full of Pete Drummond's who is in the other room stealing LP's from people and so forth') 2
(JP: 'Gordon Smith and Highway 51') 2
(JP: 'Gordon Smith and that was of course Walkin' Blues') 2

File[]

Name
  • 1) Ron Geesin - John Peel's Introduction / Wind Of Life
  • 2) GordonSmith1968-07-31NightRideLondonUK
Length
  • 1) 0:03:43
  • 2) 0:14:15
Other
  • 1) Many thanks to RatBatBlue
  • 2) Full details at, and thanks to Sugarmegs
Available

References[]

  1. Marshall was producing a documentary film for BBC TV's Omnibus arts series on the Incredible String Band, which was scheduled to be shown later in the year. But the BBC judged it too weird for broadcast and it eventually surfaced in 1970 as a film, Be Glad For The Song Has No Ending. It only had a limited cinema release at the time but has since been reissued on video and DVD