14 August 1968

Show

Name

• Night Ride

Station

• BBC Radio One

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. .
• 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

• Gordon Smith #1. Recorded: 1968-07-31
• Ron Geesin #1 (live poetry)

Tracklisting

• Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown
• John reads a letter from a disgusted listener
• Gordon Smith: Pearlie Blues (session) 2

(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

• Gordon Smith: Worried Life Blues (session) 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

• Bob Harris talking about new mag "Time Out"
• Françoise Hardy: Tiny Goddess (album - En Anglais) United Artists
• Ron Geesin: Railway Sleeper (poem)
• Elizabeth Cotten: Look And Live, My Brother (album - Vol. 2: Shake Sugaree) Folkways
• Gordon Smith: Highway 51 (session) 2

(JP: 'Gordon Smith and Highway 51') 2

• French New Guinea Music BBC Archives
• Olivier Messiaen: Turangalîla (2xLP - Turangalîla Symphony / November Steps) RCA Victor Red Seal
• John Marshall talking about film festival
• Gordon Smith: Walkin' Blues (session) 2

(JP: 'Gordon Smith and that was of course Walkin' Blues') 2

• Ron Geesin: Emotions (poem)
• Russian Music BBC Archives
• Gordon Smith: Rollin' And Tumblin' (session) 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

• 1) YouTube
• 2) Download