Belle & Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996. They are often compared with acts such as The Smiths and Nick Drake. The name "Belle & Sebastian" comes from Belle et Sébastien, a 1965 children's book by French writer Cécile Aubry later adapted for television and for anime. Though consistently lauded by critics, Belle & Sebastian's "wistful pop" has enjoyed only limited commercial success. After releasing a number of albums and EPs on Jeepster Records, they are now signed to Rough Trade Records in the United Kingdom and Matador Records in the United States. (Read more at Wikipedia.)
Links to Peel[]
John Peel often cited Belle and Sebastian as one of his favourite Scottish bands and they were one of the few to perform at Peel Acres, the DJ’s home studio.
Peelenium[]
- Peelenium 1996: The State I Am In
Festive Fifty Entries[]
Belle & Sebastian were the 17th most successful act in the history of Festive Fifty during Peel's lifetime, according to Mark Whitby in The Festive Fifty (Nevin Publishing, pg 145), using David Gedge's formula of one point for a 50th placing and 50 points for a chart-topper, additionally weighted to discount the effect of multiple entries of the same song in all-time lists.
- 1996 Festive Fifty: The State I Am In #28
- 1997 Festive Fifty: Lazy Line Painter Jane #5
- 1997 Festive Fifty: Dog On Wheels #12
- 1998 Festive Fifty: The Boy With The Arab Strap #3
- 1998 Festive Fifty: Sleep The Clock Around #26
- 2000 Festive Fifty: Lazy Line Painter Jane ATFF#31
- 2000 Festive Fifty: I Fought In A War #49
- 2001 Festive Fifty: Jonathan David #17
- 2001 Festive Fifty: I'm Waking Up To Us #32
- 2002 Festive Fifty: You Don't Send Me #20
- 2003 Festive Fifty: Step Into My Office, Baby #11
- 2003 Festive Fifty: Stay Loose #43
- Post-Peel
- 2010 Festive Fifty: I Didn't See It Coming #20
- 2015 Festive Fifty: Enter Sylvia Plath #9
- 2015 Festive Fifty: Nobody's Empire #2
- 2017 Festive Fifty: We Were Beautiful #18
- 2018 Festive Fifty: A Plague On Other Boys #39
- 2019 Festive Fifty: Safety Valve #35
- 2019 Festive Fifty: Did The Day Go Just Like You Wanted? #33
- 2019 Festive Fifty: Sister Buddha #17
Sessions[]
Four sessions in Peel’s lifetime, including live at Peel Acres (#2), for Christmas special (#3) and for Burn’s Night special (#4). As listed by Ken Garner in The Peel Sessions, the band also played at BBC Radio One’s Peel Night special on 16 December 2004. The band’s first session for Peel was released as part of The BBC Sessions (CD, 2008, Matador).
1. Recorded 2001-05-11. First broadcast 19 June 2001. Repeated 10 July 2001.
- Shoot The Sexual Athlete / The Magic Of A Kind Word (For Papa John) / Nothing In The Silence / (My Girl's Got) Miraculous Technique
2. Live at Peel Acres 25 July 2002.
- You Don't Send Me / Roy Walker / Love On The March / Sleep On A Sunbeam / Desperation Made A Fool Of Me
3. Live Christmas special 18 December 2002.
- Christmas Time / Santa Claus / Step Into My Office Party / Jonathan David / Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto / Photo Jenny / Silent Night / Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem / Santa Bring My Baby Back Home / If You Find Yourself Caught In Love / The Boy With The Arab Strap / O Come O Come Emmanuel / Get Me Away From Here / Took Some Time For Christmas /12 Days Of Christmas / Oh Come All Ye Faithful
4. Recorded in artist's own studio, unknown date. First broadcast 23 January 2003 (Burn’s Night Special)
- Ye Banks And Braes / Address To The Toothache
- Post-Peel
5. Live from Maida Vale 4 16 December 2004 (for Peel Night)
- Meat And Potatoes / Funny Little Frog / I Took A Long Hard Look
Live[]
- 29 June 2004: live from Glastonbury.
- Step Into My Office, Baby
- Judy And The Dreams Of Horses
- Jonathan David
- Dog On Wheels
- The Boy With The Arab Strap
- I'm A Cuckoo
- Stay Loose
Other Shows Played[]
(The list below was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive. Please add more information if known.)
- 1996
- 14 October 1996: The Stars Of Track And Field (LP - If You're Feeling Sinister) Jeepster
- 09 November 1996: The Fox In The Snow (album - If You're Feeling Sinister) Jeepster
- 17 November 1996: The Stars Of Track and Field (CD - If You're Feeling Sinister) Jeepster
- 23 November 1996: Seeing Other People (album - If You're Feeling Sinister) Jeepster
- 01 December 1996 (BBC World Service): The Stars Of Track And Field (album - If You're Feeling Sinister) Jeepster
- 07 December 1996: Seeing Other People (album - If You're Feeling Sinister) Jeepster
- 22 December 1996: The State I Am In (LP-Tigermilk) Electric Honey FF#28 (JP: 'I gave my copy of that, being a very generous kind of chap, to the BBC in Manchester, to the Radcliffe programme, and they had to send me a DAT with that track on it.')
- 1997
- 02 April 1997: Dog On Wheels (7 inch ) Jeepster
- 30 April 1997: Dog On Wheels (single) Jeepster
- 25 September 1997: A Century Of Fakers
- 23 December 1997: Dog On Wheels (CD single) Jeepster FF#12
- 23 December 1997: Lazy Line Painter Jane (CD single) Jeepster FF#5
- 1998
- August 1998 (FSK): It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career (CD - The Boy With The Arab Strap) Jeepster
- 06 August 1998: It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career (LP - The Boy With The Arab Strap) Jeepster
- 11 August 1998: Ease Your Feet Into The Sea (LP - The Boy With The Arab Strap) Jeepster
- 12 August 1998: A Summer Wasting (LP - The Boy With The Arab Strap) Jeepster
- 13 August 1998: Is It Wicked Not To Care (LP - The Boy With The Arab Strap) Jeepster
- 20 August 1998: A Summer Wasting (LP - The Boy With The Arab Strap) Jeepster
- 23 August 1998 (BFBS): A Summer Wasting (CD-The Boy With The Arab Strap) Jeepster
- 25 August 1998: A Space Boy Dreams (LP - The Boy With The Arab Strap) Jeepster
- 26 August 1998: Dirty Dream No 2 (LP - The Boy With The Arab Strap) Jeepster
- 01 September 1998: The Boy With The Arab Strap (LP - The Boy With The Arab Strap) Jeepster
- 06 September 1998 (BFBS): The Boy With The Arab Strap (CD-The Boy With The Arab Strap) Jeepster
- 09 September 1998: It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career (CD-The Boy With The Arab Strap) Jeepster
- 01 December 1998: This Is Just A Modern Rock Song (EP - This Is Just A Modern Rock Song EP) Jeepster
- 09 December 1998: Slow Graffiti (EP - This Is Just A Modern Rock Song) Jeepster
- 11 December 1998 (BBC World Service): This Is Just A Modern Rock Song (12") Jeepster Recordings
- 13 December 1998 (BFBS): Slow Graffiti (CDS-This Is Just A Modern Rock Song) Jeepster
- 23 December 1998: Sleep The Clock Around (CD-The Boy With The Arab Strap) Jeepster #FF26 (JP: 'Not the track I would have chosen from the LP, but this is your Festive Fifty, friends, not mine.')
- 29 December 1998: The Boy With The Arab Strap (CD-The Boy With The Arab Strap) Jeepster FF#3
- 1999
- 26 May 1999: I Don't Love Anyone (LP - Tiger Milk) Electric Honey
- 2000
- 12 January 2000: The State I Am In (LP-Tigermilk) Electric Honey Peelenium 1996
- 12 January 2000: Lazy Line Painter Jane (EP-Lazy Line Painter Jane) Jeepster ATFF#31
- 13 June 2000: I Fought In A War (LP - Fold Your Hands Child You Walk Like A Peasant) Jeepster
- 15 June 2000 (Radio Eins): I Fought In A War (LP - Fold Your Hands Child You Walk Like A Peasant) Jeepster
- 14 December 2000 (Radio Eins): O Come, O Come Emmanuel
- 26 December 2000: I Fought In A War (LP-Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant) Jeepster FF#49
- 2001
- 17 May 2001: Take Your Carriage Clock & Shove It (EP - Belle & Sebastian Sing Jonathan David) Jeepster
- 22 May 2001: The Loneliness Of The Middle-Distance Runner () Jeepster
- 24 May 2001: Jonathan David (EP - Belle & Sebastian Sing Jonathan David) Jeepster
- 30 May 2001: Take Your Carriage Clock & Shove It (EP - Jonathan David) Jeepster
- 31 May 2001 (Radio Eins): The Loneliness Of The Middle-Distance Runner () Jeepster
- 05 June 2001: The Loneliness Of The Middle Distance Runner (7" - Sing Jonathan David) Jeepster
- 07 June 2001 (Radio Eins): Take Your Carriage Clock And Shove It (EP - Belle & Sebastian Sing Jonathan David) Jeepster
- 10 June 2001 (BBC World Service): The Loneliness Of A Middle Distance Runner (EP - Sing Jonathan David) Jeepster
- 14 June 2001 (Radio Eins): The Loneliness Of The Middle Distance Runner (EP - Sing Jonathan David) Jeepster
- 24 October 2001: I'm Waking Up To Us (EP – I’m Waking Up To Us) Jeepster
- 11 November 2001 (BBC World Service): I'm Waking Up To Us (single) Jeepster
- 14 November 2001: I’m Waking Up To Us (single) Jeepster
- 15 November 2001 (Radio Eins): I'm Waking Up To Us (CD Single) Jeepster
- 22 November 2001 (Radio Eins): Marx And Engels (EP - I'm Waking Up To Us) Jeepster
- 25 December 2001: O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Compilation CD - It's A Cool, Cool Christmas) Jeepster
- 26 December 2001: I'm Waking Up To Us (EP-I'm Waking Up To Us) Jeepster FF#32
- 27 December 2001: Jonathan David (EP-Sing Jonathan David) Jeepster FF#17
- 2002
- 11 December 2002: O Come, O Come Emmanuel (LP - It's A Cool, Cool Christmas) Jeepster
- 26 December 2002: You Don't Send Me (Peel Session) FF#20
- 26 December 2002 (Radio Mafia): O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Compilation CD - It's A Cool, Cool Christmas) Jeepster
- 2003
- 16 September 2003: Step Into My Office Baby (5 track sampler) Rough Trade
- 26 September 2003 (BBC World Service): Step Into My Office Baby (5 track sampler) Rough Trade
- 01 October 2003: You Don't Send Me (LP – Dear Catastrophe Waitress) Rough Trade
- 01 October 2003: Final Day (LP – 25: Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before...) Rough Trade
- 02 October 2003: Step Into My Office Baby (LP-Dear Catastrophe Waitress) Rough Trade
- 02 October 2003 (Radio Eins): Step Into My Office Baby (LP-Dear Catastrophe Waitress) Rough Trade
- 02 October 2003 (Radio Eins): Wrapped Up In Books (LP- Dear Catastrophe Waitress) Rough Trade
- 14 October 2003: Piazza, New York Catcher (LP - Dear Catastrophe Waitress) Rough Trade
- 23 October 2003: Wrapped Up In Books (LP- Dear Catastrophe Waitress) Rough Trade
- 24 December 2003: Stay Loose (LP-Dear Catastrophe Waitress) Rough Trade FF#43 (JP: 'I'm not 100 per cent certain that I ever played that before tonight. I mean, I listened to it here at home, but never played it on the programme.')
- 25 December 2003: Step Into My Office, Baby (LP-Dear Catastrophe Waitress)' Rough Trade FF#11
See Also[]
- Looper
- John Peel's Scottish Sessions
- Christmas Video Gallery A-C:
- May 2001 (Peel's Record Box)
- November 2001 (Peel's Record Box)
- Record Collection: Auction