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.
As a kind of precursor to the Festive Fifty that would dominate Peel's programming in December until his death, he chose his 30 favourite singles from 1975 and played them through the week, culminating with the top 15 in this programme. UK chart placings, where applicable, are taken from the Guinness Books of British Hit Singles and tend to give the lie to the popular misconception of Peel as a champion of deliberately obscure or "difficult" music - nine of these records made the UK Top Forty and some were very big hits, including two number ones (although JP mentions that none of his top four choices were hits at all). John was interested in quality and if public taste agreed with his then so much the better.
Start of show: "Well, good evening once again, and on tonight's programme, we're going to be playing you my own favourite fifteen singles for the year, so, er, that could be quite interesting, I think. It might not be but I hope you'll find it so. Also, the last broadcast of our Christmas mystery group. If nobody gets it now, I'm not going to play it again: I'm getting fed up with it. Your chance to win 5 LPs, a Christmas card signed by Stephanie De Sykes, a cheap alarm clock, two Top Gear pens, and one Radio 1 calendar. I'm going to start the programme off, though, by playing you, in its entirety, our signature tune once again, because a lot of people write in and ask what it is and they say they'd like to hear the whole thing, so here's the whole thing."'
He sends a personal message to Liverpool FC, asking them to get to the top of the first division before Sheila can give birth to their first child (she has been "holding on to it for about a week.") His team obliged by beating QPR 2-0 at Anfield the following day.
Joan Armatrading is the only artist to gain two entries.
Only one of the choices, Millie Jackson, would subsequently be among the Peelenium selections for 1975.
(JP: 'Well, unless I'm struck by lightning in the next 54 minutes, you'll hear that again before the end of the night....A couple of people in the studio tell me that was written by Elmore James, which is going to come as a very nasty shock to the members of Grinderswitch, because they claim on the sleeve of the LP to have written it themselves.')
15: Peter Skellern, 'Hold On To Love (7") (Decca F 13568, UK no. 14)
14: Laurel And Hardy with the Avalon Boys, 'The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine (7") (United Artists UP 36026, UK no. 2)
(JP: 'The fact that that is currently number two in the BBC charts indicates to me at least that there is still some hope left for mankind.')
13: Mike Oldfield, 'In Dulci Jubilo (7")'(Virgin VS 131, UK no. 4)
(JP: 'If Liverpool don't go to the top of the table tomorrow, I think we're going to have the longest pregnancy in history.')
11: 10cc, 'I'm Not In Love (7")' (Mercury 6008 014, UK no. 1) [1]
10: Bob Sargeant, 'First Starring Role (7")' (RCA 2507)
09: Peter Frampton, 'Show Me The Way (7")' (A & M AMS 7174, UK no. 10)
(JP: 'Very difficult, you know, making up these useful lists of favourite records for the year, because it's taken me about three weeks to put this one together, and I keep changing it and things. I like the guitar playing on that so much that perhaps it should have been a bit higher.')
05: Rod Stewart, 'Sailing (7")' (Warner Bros K 16600, UK no. 1)
(JP: 'And you may have seen in today's paper that Rod and the Faces have finally parted company and gone their own separate ways. I don't think that comes as a great surprise to anyone, but it's very sad nevertheless, because although there may have been better bands musically, I don't think there's ever been a more enjoyable band, and I for one am very sad to hear it.')
