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John Peel Wiki
in: 1967, Peel shows, Perfumed Garden, Transcripts

19 July 1967 (Transcript)

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19 July 1967


Transcript[]

JP: Good evening and welcome to the Perfumed garden. Those are Country Joe & The Fish and that is called Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine, and if you listen to the words you will understand why, you see. Five minutes after 12 midnight anyway. And we have a brand-new LP that I got today in the mail, and it is by the Incredible String Band. And the Incredible String Band, of course… What’s that noise in the background? The Incredible String Band consist of Mike Heron and Robin Williamson, as I’m sure you must know. And this new LP has got a glorious cover, fantastic, by Simon [Posthuma] and Marijke [Koger], however it’s pronounced, which is very well worth getting just for the cover, actually. And we’ll be listening to six of the tracks from it tonight and the other six tomorrow night – well, actually, seven on the second side. This is Chinese White, which you may have heard before, because it was released as a demonstration single. But hear it again anyway, because it is very good. The Incredible String Band, and this is The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion.

JP: The Incredible String Band from Radio London, and that was called Chinese White. And we will be hearing more from this brand-new LP as we go along through the evening. A couple more entries we got in the zodiac contest, which of course is over, but I thought they were worthy of mention – in fact, they’re all worthy of mention really. One from Ross, who lives in Southport in Lancashire. And it’s a beautiful thing, it’s Aquarian, and it’s beautiful, with sort of flowing, liquid, green – very, very sort of watery green, beautiful – and the violets and the blues and turquoise. Terrific, marvelous work it is. Probably would have been one of the winners actually. And one from Peter Stroud, who lives in Snodland, Kent. And I had no idea there was a place called Snodland, but if there is, that’s where it is. But anyway, his was Sagittarian, and it’s a sort of cartoon thing, actually. It’s style looks rather like one of those drawings we see occasionally in Punch, so I don’t know if Peter Stroud is somebody we see occasionally in Punch. Anyway, that was very good also. I’m going to have details perhaps, if I think about it, of another contest later on. Actually, not so much a contest as a non-contest. I shall tell you more later. These are our leaders, or some of them.

  • The Beatles: I'm Only Sleeping (LP - Revolver) Parlophone

JP: I spent most of the day actually going back and listening to earlier Beatles LPs, and sort of listen to them develop while I was sitting there. And it just sort of flooded over me in the most extraordinary fashion. Beautiful it was too. That of course was from Revolver, and I’m Only Sleeping. If you’re spending a holiday on the Isle Of Wight, then you must go along to the Seagull Ballroom this Saturday, the 22nd, and you will see a live group playing there, the fantastic Action, who had a record Shadows & Reflections on the Feb 40, which was a John Peel climber actually. And a good record, and they’re very nice people, so go and see them. That’s the Seagull Ballroom, Rise Pier, Isle Of Wight, this coming Saturday. And when you do go, tell them that John Peel sent you, because I’d like you to go and see them, because they’re nice. And here’s John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers with Paul Butterfield, and one of John’s favourite stage things, Riding on the L&N.

JP: There you go, John Mayall playing one of his strange homemade guitars there, along with the Bluesbreakers and Paul Butterfield on a Decca EP, called – well, that called Riding On The L&N actually. Sixteen minutes after 12 midnight, Radio London. And a record for Matt Hayward now. I wonder when the RCA Victor company are going to get around to releasing Surrealistic Pillow and not just giving us singles from it, because it’s maddening, it is. Because the whole LP is very important. Here’s Somebody To Love.

JP: There you go, the Jefferson Airplane from Radio London. I feel in a good mood tonight you’ll be delighted to learn. I was a little depressed last night. Tonight, ecstasy reigns. And that was called Somebody To Love, certainly. Twenty minutes now after 12 midnight, which of course is the fabled Radio London time. An announcement for you to hearken to here. Rather a noisy one, too.

(Advertisement: Radio London racing driving course)

JP: Actually, I’ve done that myself, I must admit, and it was faintly superb. It was a slightly sort of erotic sensation driving very fast around Brands Hatch, which is kinky, you know. Anyway, here’s something else from The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion by the Incredible String Band. This is No Sleep Blues, with Robin Williamson, lead guitar, vocal and flute; Mike Heron, lead guitar and vocal – and two lead guitars, no, anyway – and Danny Thompson on bass. No Sleep Blues!

JP: No Sleep Blues from the Incredible String Band on Radio London, the Perfumed Garden. And I know exactly what they mean actually, because last week I shared a cabin with one of the engineers here on board called Barry, and he had the most extraordinary set of nocturnal noises. He was like a sort of, you know, he was a sort of sleeping equivalent of something by Wagner of considerable violence. The noises he produced during the night you would scarcely credit. Absolutely astonishing. Anyway, he’s gone now for a week on shore, so I can sleep again. A letter here from a good person called Tom Cairns, who lives up in Glasgow. And he said, you know – this will take about half a minute, so I hope you will pay attention. In Britain there are a considerable number of people who are aware, he says, of themselves and of the universe, and for the past few months these people have been linked in love through a programme called Perfumed Garden. But in the streets even these beautiful people cannot meet and communicate easily. Fear and embarrassment, doubt and things harass their minds, and very few people can go up to a stranger and say hello. Clothes are hardly a guide. There has to be a point of contact and there rarely is. But there can be, you see, so he says, and he may be right. All you beautiful people can wear a badge with the words Perfumed Garden on it. Very simple, you see, if you’d listen. And its significance is that all you have to do is listen and appreciate the Perfumed Garden, if you can, and what it stands for – because that is the important part – and that he or she wants to communicate with others. He or she wants you to stop and say hello and talk and makes friends and things without any hedging or embarrassment. And in a crowd, two people with badges can smile at each other and talk, and in the street or anywhere else it acts as a recognition symbol. You see the badge and you look upon them then as a friend. And the effect on Britain without exaggeration could be enormous, Tom thinks. Even if the Perfumed Garden itself passes away, as threatened, all its efforts can live on, and everyone can be drawn together 24 hours a day instead of two by the cohesive effort of the badge. So there you are – that’s what Tom thinks, and actually it is rather a nice idea. I mean, you know, not through any sort of self-glorification thing, because that is really very trivial and unimportant. And the only people who would know what the Perfumed Garden was would be the people who listen, you see, and they already know John Peel and that’s it. So what would be nice is anyone who listens to the programme, you see, would wear such a badge when they go to the Love-In thing at Alexander Palace on the 29th of this month. And I shall be there. And that way, if you are wearing a badge – you would have to wearing it yourself, it can’t be very difficult – if you were wearing a badge you would have something to talk about to the people. And the only thing that was wrong with the last one was there wasn’t enough communication between the people who were there. People saw people they knew and talked to them, but they seemed to be rather reluctant to talk to strangers, which is a very British type thing. Anyway, I’ll be having more about this later on. But think about it – it would be rather a nice idea. And it would also give me a chance to meet people too, because I’m too terrified to go up and say hello to anybody. Here’s a record that has a message unusually poignant at this time, I think.

JP: A revived 45, there you go, from the Rolling Stones. And I was looking at the cover of the Rolling Stones’ latest LP release in the States, which is called Flowers incidentally, and there was a picture of Charlie Watts on there looking unusually “dibblerian”, I think. And talking about dibblers, I hope you’ve been pestering London Zoo and Australia House. Write to London Zoo telling them we must have dibblers, because dibblers are essential. And write in to Australia House to find out more about them, because we’ve got so many people aware that they have returned to us, you see, and that they want to be with us again, which is a strange decision on their part, but welcome nevertheless. Anyway, a record now for – who shall I play this one for, let’s see – for Keith Williams of Rainham in Essex, possibly. This is by the Blues Project from the LP Projections, and it’s called Steve’s song.

  • The Blues Project: Steve's Song (LP - Projections) Verve

JP: Steve’s Song, from the Blues Project from the LP Projections, which isn’t available in this country, I don’t think. And I don’t know any – the only Steve that could possibly apply too is Steve Whiting, who is the bass player with the Misunderstood, who was an enormous benevolent grinning giant god-like person, splendid. It makes me think of when I was a child and I used to run and laugh through sort of personal woods and fall in the browning bracken and enjoy contact with the earth. Did you ever used to do that? We used to do that. There was masses of bracken in these woods about half a mile behind the house where I lived out in the country. And I just used to go, my brother and I, and just run through there, you know, it seemed like in slow-motion. We’d just fall over on purpose and tumble through the bracken. Glorious. And in the woods were people who were strange friends, people that we knew lived there, various different people. Very nice it was. Anyway, here’s John Peel’s climber for the week, and it’s called Nirvana, which is a state we will all attain one of these days.

JP: That’s Nirvana and John Peel’s climber for the week, Radio London. It’s called Tiny Goddess. And the opening of that thing was borrowed with love from Donovan’s Sunny Goodge Street. It sounded familiar anyway. Got a letter from Ricky Wiseman of Blackheath, and he says, “Is Englebert Humperdink on the front of the Sergeant Pepper cover?” I find it very difficult to believe that he is, but I honestly don’t know, because I’m not too sure – it’s interesting trying to recognize… I found out somebody else that you might not know on the front of the Beatles cover. On the top row, fifth from the left, next to WC Fields – I can hear everyone rushing for their Beatles album … nobody moves! Anyway, fifth from the left is a chap called Stockhausen, I think they told me his name was. And I didn’t find this out myself, you know – don’t give me the credit for it. He was a composer of electronic music who has influenced Paul McCartney’s ideas considerably. So there you are – there’s someone else you might not have know. Fifth from the left on the top row, with his head in his hands, a chap called Stockhausen. There you go, more vital information from the Perfumed Garden. And here for a great number of people who have requested it, the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Third Stone From The Sun, which is us.

(Peel announces his "non-contest" and invites non-entries from listeners)

JP: There you go, those are the Mothers Of Invention from Radio London, and their track called Uncle Bernie's Farm, followed by Son of Suzy Creamcheese. And six minutes before 1 it is, and that LP is not available in this country yet, and may never be – I don’t know. It’s called Completely Free anyway – Absolutely Free, I’m sorry – and the Mothers Of Invention. Very strange. You can’t really say anything about it, can you? It’s difficult to know. Anyway, here’s Donovan. And I’d like to thank him and Christopher Logue for a few beautiful moments on television a few weeks ago – one of the few decent things we’ve ever had on TV actually, I think. And this is Writer In The Sun.

  • Donovan: Writer In The Sun (LP - Sunshine Superman, UK version) Pye

JP: There’s an incredible intimacy, isn’t there, about Donovan? Makes you feel you’ve known his things first since the first thing you heard in your cradle. Makes you feel as though you’ve known them all your life, or perhaps even before that. And makes you want to run naked and sort of unashamed through his songs – there’s something incredibly intimate about them. Beautiful. That was Writer In The Sun anyway. And here are the Incredible String Band from their new LP. This is called Painting Box.

JP: There’s some very good stuff on this LP. I like that. That’s called painting Box, with Mike Heron and Robin Williamson, the Incredible String Band, featuring – in case you heard a woman’s voice back there – someone called Licorice, you see, who is also singing and playing also finger cymbals. Anyway, going to play some more tracks from that in the next hour, and it’s a very very good LP. Now this.

(Radio London jingle)


(Part 2)

Well, at three minutes past the hour of 1 o’clock, which is a little late but anyway, showers which will still be affecting, or might be affecting – forget it, because that’s before midnight. It will have stopped raining right now. Temperatures will drop to around 60 degrees tonight and rise to the mid-70s tomorrow. And the forecast for tomorrow is much the same as today – or today is much the same as yesterday. I get so confused with these weathers and nobody really cares, do they? So here are The Move, and this is called Walk Upon The Water, which one of these days we will all be able to do, wait and see.

  • The Move: Walk Upon The Water (single, Deram)

Those are the move from Radio London, and Let’s Walk Across The Water. We ought to all go down to the Serpentine and see who can get the furthest one of these weekends. Anyway, it occurred to me during that record that we don’t have a Poet Laureate, do we? I mean, since the last one has died, no one has been appointed, have they? If they have of course, that kills my entire scheme. But what would be nice, I thought, would be, you know, to find out who ought to be Poet Laureate, who people would like to have. And you know, you could elect George or Paul or John or Donovan or Christopher Logue or Roger McGough or Adrian Henri or Brian Patten or Mike Evans or somebody, to be Poet Laureate, you know. So if you’ve got any ideas about who should be Poet Laureate, let’s find out who the Perfumed Garden people would like to have as Poet Laureate. Send a postcard – make it a nice postcard, because I’m tired of looking at drab ones. Make it a picture postcard or something, it’ll only cost you a tanner, send us a postcard with your nomination for the next Poet Laureate – and it’s got to be someone living, preferably, because I can’t think of anyone dead actually that I’d like to see Poet Laureate at this particular moment. So let’s hear from you and see who you would like to have as Poet Laureate. Of course, probably no one will write, but if you do, I’ll say who’s leading and everything like this and keep it going, forever – at least up until the 15th of August. Anyway, a lot of soul records, you may have noticed there’s an injunction for you to come and shake with the person who is singing the record. Let’s hope that the expression “shake with me” came from here. This is Howling Wolf.

What a drag. I’m sorry about that. This isn’t my record, so I’m sorry, it was cracked/scratched before. Actually, the LP belongs to Peter, who is one of the more beautiful members of the Firm. And I didn’t scratch it, Peter, really I didn’t. And I’m sorry it was like that. Anyway, that was Howling Wolf, and that was a drag that it was like that – I’m sorry – Shake For Me. And the next record is for somebody who has a very small and defenceless pet sparrow who thinks he’s a cake, believe it or not, and worries considerably about whether his icing is going to crack or not. Simon And Garfunkel.

Simon And Garfunkel there, and that’s The Sparrow from Radio London. Very significant. Thirteen and a half minutes after one o’clock, and don’t forget to make up your Perfumed Garden badge to wear about, so that other people who listen and people who wonder lightly through the Perfumed Garden can contact you and know that you like the same things they do. And you know, a lot of people have said what a drag, you know, it’s just another disc jockey gimmicky thing. It’s not for me, you know, it’s for you. And in fact the whole programme is for you if you stop and think about it. At least I like to think that it is anyway.

(Advertisement: radio training)

OK, back to The Incredible String Band now and the LP The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion, which as I said before has got a strange cover. And I’m going to play The Mad Hatter’s Song now, which features Robin Wilson on vocal and guitar, somebody called Summer, strangely enough, on guitar and someone called “Soma”, strangely enough, and a certain John Hopkins on the piano. Mad Hatter’s Song.

That was superb. Have you noticed how many records there are lately that are involved in some way or other with Alice In Wonderland and Alice Through The Looking Glass? Books that you should definitely reread. Anyway, those are The Incredible String Band and that was called The Mad Hatter's Song. I don’t know why, but during that record I was thinking of something, some people who live very close to my mother in Notting Hill Gate. They live at 9 Jamison Street in Notting Hill gate, and every time I walk past the house on the way to my mother’s I look in and they have such beautiful things in there, and it looks like such beautiful people. They ought to have nice records and things going. I’m dying to meet them. So if you know anybody who lives at 9 Jamison Street, tell them that John Peel is dying to meet them, you know. Because I’m dying of curiosity every time I go by there. Here’s a record for John Parsons from Christine. These are the Yardbirds.

  • The Yardbirds: The Nazz Are Blue (LP - The Yardbirds) UK Columbia EMI

That was the Yardbirds, and that was called The Nazz Are Blue, featuring the guitar of Jeff Beck there. And you may not realize it, but used to (???) it was a single in the United States. And in the part of California I was, it was #1 on the charts. And there you are, you see, just because I played it, and used to play it incessantly. The things that I’ve done for the British economy, you’d be amazed! So would they! These are John Mayall from the LP A Hard Road, Another Kind of Love. Is there another kind?

… The Eucalyptus Lovers. It’s quite short, and I’m doing it for the White Rabbit.

  • The Eucalyptus Lovers (poem): read by John Peel (Indian music background)

All right, (???), beautiful people.

That’s the stuff that hymns should be made of. That was The Miunderstood, and that was called I Can Take You To The Sun. And even if I can’t I shall keep trying, said he throwing things about. Anyway, from something as incredible and beautiful as that, to something that is actually very frightening indeed, but it’s well worth hearing anyway. And it’s the other side, so to speak, of the Velvet Underground. It’s seven minutes long, and you must listen very carefully to it, because it’s important.

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