An all-time classic start to the show: 'Yo, gat! You may have seen in today's Guardian that Archbishop Mikhail of Vologda and Velakusjug lashes out in a letter published in Pravda at pop music and at the, and I quote, "wild whining, howling, banging and crackling", and at "the entire cacophony that violates human hearing and the human soul." You'll be pleased to hear that we have lots of these things in tonight's programme.'
The obligatory session repeats and the first part of the 1987 Festive Fifty, numbers 50-41.
Peel wonders if any of the bands featured in the Festive Fifty ever listen to it: David Gedge apparently did so without fail.
Sessions
Robert Lloyd, #1 (repeat). Recorded 1987-03-10. Billed as 'Robert Lloyd & The New Four Seasons'. No known commercial release.
Paul Johnson, one and only session (repeat). Recorded 1987-07-27. No known commercial release. 'A Song For You' is a radically altered cover of a song by the Carpenters, a band JP did not number among his favourites.
Heresy, #1 (repeat). Recorded 1987-07-26. No known commercial release. 'Too Slow To Judge/A Sense Of Freedom' not TX in this show.
Mekons, #6 (repeat). Recorded 1987-02-10. No known commercial release. 'Sophie' not TX in this show.
Datblygu, #1 (repeat). Recorded 1987-04-26. Available on The Peel Sessions (Ankst). 'Nesaf' not TX in this show.
(JP: 'Chartbound sound! Well, it would be if it were available on record.') Peel is rather optimistic here, as a track containing the word 'wanker' repeatedly would have been hard-pressed to get played on daytime radio.
(JP: 'The next two are for our Flossie, should she be still up, which is unlikely. She said something a couple of days ago, of great profundity, I thought. I know there's nothing more tedious than fond fathers who repeat what their children say and so forth, but that's exactly what I'm going to do. She was talking to Al Martin, who's helping out at home at the moment, and, not being entirely sure of the party line, Al didn't know quite what to say when Flossie brought up the subject of death with her, and wanted to know a bit about death. She asked what happened to good people when they died, and Al said, rather nervously, "I think they go to heaven", and Flossie said, "Oh, that means that bad people go to London." I can sympathise with that, I must say.')
Heresy: 'Belief/Network Of Friends' (Peel Session)
(JP: 'Time to embark on the Festive Fifty. I was very tempted to fiddle it this year, as I am every year. I never have done yet, and probably never will, not as long as I continue to do it, because at number 51 was the Real Sounds football record: but I suspect that was probably issued in 1986 anyway, perhaps even '85.') Maybe John is referring to Real Sounds Of Africa, well-known for football-inspired tracks.
(JP: 'At number 47, well, the first of the surprises for me, a gratifying surprise. A record I only played a couple of times on the radio, and I don't think anybody else played it at all.')
46: M/A/R/R/S, 'Pump Up The Volume (12 inch)' (4AD)(JP: 'In just a moment the 45 that's at...number 45! Oh boy.)
(trailer for Peel's Christmas Day all record show of festive tracks, 'Only At Christmas')
45: Smiths, 'Shoplifters Of The World Unite (7 inch)' (Rough Trade)
44: Butthole Surfers, '22 Going On 23 (LP-Locust Abortion Technician)' (Blast First) (a wrong speed moment-Peel claims it is his first ever in the Festive Fifty)
43: New Order, '1963 (12 inch-B side of True Faith)' (Factory) (JP: 'While that was going on I was speaking to The Pig on the phone and she asked me to solve the clue of a crossword she was doing. I couldn't immediately do it, but if you're listening Pig, I think it could be 'romantic' - it fits anyway.')
42: Big Black, 'L Dopa (LP-Songs About Fucking)' (Touch & Go) (JP: 'From the LP with the perfectly shocking title.')
41: Jesus And Mary Chain, 'Nine Million Rainy Days (LP-Darklands)' (Blanco Y Negro)