John Peel Wiki

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John Peel Wiki

As a keen connoisseur of cover versions, Peel cast his net widely for unusual takes of songs originally recorded by other performers. One reliable source of such material was various artists (v/a) covers compilations, which offered themed collections for the DJ to explore. Favourite albums included the Imaginary tribute series from the Manchester label of the same name, which inspired an outbreak of similar indie anthologies in the late 80s and early 90s, while the first 'Exotic Beatles' CD focused on radically different interpretations of tunes by the Fab Four. He later took huge delight in the Trikont label’s four-volume 'La Paloma' series, featuring nothing but recordings of the popular nineteenth-century Spanish song by different artists.[1]

Listeners responded with Festive Fifty places for 'Superstar' (originally by the Carpenters) by tribute-album regulars Sonic Youth and the Fall cover of 'Legend Of Xanadu' (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Titch), from the collections 'If I Were A Carpenter' and 'Ruby Trax', respectively.[2]

The list below features known plays by Peel of v/a covers compilations, released on that basis and therefore excluding multi-artist albums that happened to contain covers alone because none of the performers wrote original material. It also ignores any releases featuring a single musician claiming to be multiple artists, such as the 'Hybrid Kids' album of Morgan Fisher. Releases should feature only covers, making ineligible the many seasonal compilations that also included original songs.

Plays[]

(The following list of v/a covers compilations is chronological, in order of first known play by Peel. Please add more information if known.)

1970s[]

(LP - Bionic Gold) Big Sound BSLP-001

1980s[]

(LP - KROQ-FM Devotees) Rhino

(LP - Beyond The Wildwood - A Tribute To Syd Barrett) Imaginary ILLUSION 001

(LP - Christmas Soul Special) QAG

(LP - Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father) NME

The_Fall_-_A_Day_In_The_Life

The Fall - A Day In The Life

(LP-A Tribute To Andy Warhol) Crazy Mannequin

(LP / CD - Fast 'n' Bulbous: A Tribute to Captain Beefheart) Imaginary ILLUSION 002

Electricity

Electricity

(LP - Edward Not Edward) Wooden[3]

(LP / CD - Til Things Are Brighter...A Tribute To Johnny Cash) Red Rhino

(LP / cassette / CD - The Melting Plot) SST

(LP / CD - Shangri-La - A Tribute To The Kinks) Imaginary ILLUSION 003

(LP / CD - Time Between - A Tribute To The Byrds) Imaginary ILLUSION 004

(LP / CD - The Bridge - A Tribute To Neil Young) Caroline

1990[]

(LP / CD - Stoned Again - A Tribute To The Stones) Imaginary ILLUSION 006

(2xLP / CD - Every Band Has A Shonen Knife Who Loves Them) Giant

(2xLP / 2xCD - The Last Temptation Of Elvis) NME

(LP / CD - Alvin Lives (In Leeds)) Midnight Music

THE_POPGUNS_-_BYE_BABY_BYE_BYE

THE POPGUNS - BYE BABY BYE BYE

(LP / CD ‎– !!!Here Ain't The Sonics!!!) Popllama, Estrus Records

(LP / CD - If 6 Was 9 - A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix) Imaginary ILLUSION 008

(LP / CD - Smiles, Vibes & Harmony: A Tribute To Brian Wilson) Demilo

(LP / CD - Heaven And Hell Vol 1 - A Tribute To Velvet Underground) Imaginary ILLUSION 016

(2xCD - Rubáiyát (Elektra's 40th Anniversary)) Elektra

1991[]

(LP / CD - Rutles Highway Revisited) Shimmy Disc

(LP / CD - Through The Looking Glass - 1966) Imaginary ILLUSION 023

(CD, 2xLP - Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye - A Tribute To Roky Erickson) WEA

(CD - Out Of Time - The Very Best Of The Imaginary Tribute Series) Imaginary ILL CD 031

(2xLP - I’m Your Fan: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen By…) EastWest

(2x7" - Alice Cooper Tribute) Sub Pop

(LP / CD – The Clash Tribute: The Never Ending Story (Part 1)) Released Emotions

1992[]

(LP /CD - Heaven And Hell Vol 3 - A Tribute To The Velvet Underground) Imaginary ILLUSION 022

(LP / CD – Virus 100) Alternative Tentacles

(LP / CD - Outlaw Blues) Imaginary ILLUSION 014

(LP / CD - Fortune Cookie Prize) Simple Machines

(3xLP / 3xCD - Ruby Trax - The NME's Roaring Forty) NME

1993[]

(CD - Masters Of Misery - Black Sabbath: An Earache Tribute) Toy's Factory

(LP / CD - Outlaw Blues Volume Two - A Tribute To Bob Dylan) Imaginary

(CD - Gimme Shelter) Food

(CD - The Exotic Beatles - Part One) Exotica

Derek_Enright_-_Eleanor_Rigby_(in_latin).avi

Derek Enright - Eleanor Rigby (in latin).avi

(LP – Brum Brum) City To City

(CD - Dü Hüskers: The Twin Cities Replay Zen Arcade) Synapse Recordings

(12" - Malaria! – Delirium: Remixed, Remade, Remodelled) MFS

(CD - The Pretty And The Vacant) Released Emotions

1994[]

(CD- The Song Retains The Name II) Safe House

(7" - Dumbrock Vol 5: Tommy (In Seven Minutes)) Vital Music

(CD - The Sound Of Music (An Anti-Racist Benefit) Bring On Bull

(CD - If I Were A Carpenter) A&M

(3x10" - We're All Normal And We Want Our Freedom - A Tribute To Arthur Lee And Love) Alias

(2xLP / CD - Turban Renewal: A Tribute To Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs) Norton

(10” - Think Link) Drink N Drive

1995-99[]

(LP / CD - Beat The Retreat - Songs By Richard Thompson) Capitol / EMI

(10” - Watch For Me Girl – A Tribute To DMZ) Wallabies

(LP + 7” - Godz Is Not A Put-On) Lissy's

(10” - Electronic Evocations: A Tribute To The Silver Apples) Enraptured

(LP / CD - Abbasalutely) Flying Nun

(CD - The Smiths Is Dead)) Les Inrockuptibles

(CD - Violent World (A Tribute To The Misfits)) Caroline

(2xCD - Random: New Interpretations Of Gary Numan) Beggars Banquet

(CD - A Tribute To Spacemen 3) Rocket Girl ‎

(CD – 21 Beggars Banquet) Beggars Banquet

2000s[]

(CD - A Tribute To The Ruts) Rejected

(CD - Hmm) Sprawl Imprint

(CD - La Paloma #4) Trikont

(CD – La Paloma) Trikont

([CD - La Paloma #3) Trikont

(CD - La Paloma #2) Trikont

(CD - Cool Blue Rocks: Rock & Roll In The Bluegrass Tradition) Sugar Hill

(CD - Instant Karma 2002 - A Tribute To John Lennon) Uncut

(CD – Give The People What We Want: Songs Of The Kinks) Sub Pop

(LP, CD - Dynamite With A Laserbeam: Queen As Heard Through The Meat Grinder Of Three One G) 31G

(CD – A Tribute to Robert Altman's Nashville) Mint

(CD - Painted Black) tUMULt

Tanz_Mit

Tanz Mit

- Helen Lundy Trio

(promo CD - After Low) Gallery16

(2xCD - Everything Is Ending Here: A Tribute To Pavement) Homesleep

(2xCD - The Necessary Effect - Screamers Songs Interpreted) Xeroid

(CD – 25: Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before…) Rough Trade

(2xCD - I Am A Cold Rock. I Am Dull Grass: A Tribute To Will Oldham) Tract

  • 05 May 2004: Iron And Wine: We All, Us Three, Will Ride

(v/a CD - Lemme Take You To The Beach) Cordelia

(CD - Hard-Headed Woman: A Celebration Of Wanda Jackson) Bloodshot

References[]

  1. Written in the 1850s by Spanish composer Sebastián Iradier (later Yradier), 'La Palona' is one of the most-recorded songs in the history of music.[1] The first known release, by Cornet Duet, dates back to 1894.[2]
  2. 'Legend Of Xanadu' was voted #5 in the 1992 Festive Fifty; 'Superstar' reached #47 in the 1994 Festive Fifty.
  3. Songs by Edward Barton covered by Manchester area bands.

Links[]