18 July 1974

Show[]

Olivetti Chronicles (Lena Zavaroni, p469 - Sounds article published on 1974-07-20): "Last night's Top Gear was, for me, one of those programmes that inexplicably takes off in such a way that getting back down again when it's all over is really a difficult, even unpleasant task. We started with a track from a Capricon LP by Grinderswitch (a fine new band) which featured Dickie Betts and moved on through Bryn Haworth, Sandy Denny, Magma, Don Covay, Cream, Sweet (yes, Sweet), Ry Cooder, The Fatback Band, Eric Clapton, Willie Mitchell, Bill Black's Combo, Kevin Coyne, Joni Mitchell and Sunny Ade and His African Beats (from Nigeria)."
The Olivetti Chronicles article does not match the playlist of this show. It was more likely to be an earlier show, as there was no programme on the 19th and Peel was presumably writing to a deadline several days before the paper was published. The weekly music papers were usually on sale in newsagents' shops on Thursdays, even if the front cover date was a Saturday. At this time, Peel's shows went out on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, but none of the names in the Sounds article feature in Ken Garner's session listings for the previous week's programmes in The Peel Sessions.
Full tracklisting from the PasB of the BBC Written Archives Centre.

Nice: Top Gear Anthem
Robert Wyatt: A Last Straw (LP - Rock Bottom) Virgin
Fatback Band: Fatbackin' (LP - People Music) Perception
High Level Ranters: Fenwick Of Bywell (session)
Carol Grimes: Somebody's Sleeping In My Bed (session)
Fela Ransome-Kuti And The Africa '70: Open And Close (LP - Open & Close) His Master's Voice
Bob Sargeant: Let Yourself Go (session)
Sandy Nelson: Civilization (LP - Compelling Percussion) Imperial
Carol Grimes: That's What It Takes (session)
Groundhogs: Plea Sing, Plea Song (LP - Solid) WWA
High Level Ranters: Marley Hill Ducks (session)
Chuck Berry: Ingo (Inst.) (2xLP - Golden Decade Volume 3) Chess
Carol Grimes: Give It Everything You've Got (session)
Country Joe & The Fish: Pat's Song (LP - I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die) Vanguard
Bob Sargeant: First Starring Role (session)
High Level Ranters: Dance To Your Daddy (session)
Sparks: Something For The Girl With Everything (LP - Propaganda) Island
Edgar Froese: Panorphelia (LP - Aqua) Virgin
Betty Wright: Secretary (7" - Secretary / Value Your Love) Atlantic
Michael Chapman: Another Season Song (LP - Deal Gone Down) Deram
Carol Grimes: A Change Is Gonna Come (session)
Kevin Ayers: After The Show (7") Island
Bob Sargeant: Never Again (session)
Blue: You Give Me Love (LP - Life In The Navy) RSO
Bryan Ferry: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (LP - Another Time, Another Place) Island
High Level Ranters: Hesleyside Reel (session)