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Echo & The Bunnymen

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Echo Bunnymen

Echo & The Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut album, Crocodiles, met with critical acclaim and made the UK Top 20... (read more at Wikipedia)

Links to Peel[]

As mentioned in the Peel-narrated TV documentary Rock Family Trees: The New Merseybeat, Ian McCulloch had been in the earlier (unrecorded) Liverpool band the Crucial Three with Julian Cope (later Teardrop Explodes) and Pete Wylie (Wah!).

Peel saw the Bunnymen supporting The Fall at the Factory club in Manchester on 20th July 1979[1] and helped to bring the group to a wider audience. According to guitarist Will Sergeant:

"He was enormously influential in bringing the Bunnymen to the public. You can't imagine us getting anywhere without having done the early Peel sessions. We treated them as demos too, they were dead important for us in discovering and recording our sound. But he was more than that. He was important as a fan, because everyone listened to him." [2]

Peel had been particularly impressed by their performance at the Futurama 2 two-day festival in Leeds, in September 1980, as described in his Sounds column published the week after the event:

"..Echo and The Bunnymen carried Saturday by a mile [...]. No posturing, no compromise, just a devastating set that was weakened only by a rather half hearted series of encores."

After the DJ played early versions of 'Pictures On My Wall' and 'Monkies' by the original lineup of the Bunnymen, with drum machine, the band would record seven sessions for Peel and also perform at a special gig for his 60th birthday.

Festive Fifty Entries[]

Sessions[]

Seven sessions plus other live appearances. Official releases:
-'Read It In Books' from session #1 on Various Artists: 21 Years Of Alternative Radio 1 2xLP / CD, 1988 (Strange Fruit ‎SFRLP 200 / SFRCD 200)
- Session #1 on The Peel Sessions EP 12"/CD, 1988 (Strange Fruit SFPS060)
- 'Read It In Books' from #1 on Various Artists: Winters of Discontent: The Peel Sessions 77-83 CD, 1991 (Strange Fruit, SFRCD 204)
- Selection of session tracks on 2xCD limited edition of Evergreen (London, 828908-2) (marked *)
- 'Villiers Terrace' (session #1), 'No Hands' (#4), 'Watch Out Below' (#6) on Crystal Days 1979 - 1999 4xCD, 2001 (Rhino R2 74263)
- Sessions #1 - #6: The John Peel Sessions 1979-1983 2xLP (Rhino, rel. 2019-09-06) ("Pressed on red vinyl because of the bands love of Liverpool Football Club")

1. Recorded: 1979-08-15. First broadcast: 22 August 1979. Repeated: 27 September 1979, 13 July 1982, 08 February 1983. Complete session available on The Peel Sessions EP (Strange Fruit). 'Villiers Terrace' available on 4xCD boxset Crystal Days (Rhino).

  • Read It In Books* / Stars Are Stars / I Bagsy Yours / Villiers Terrace*

2. Recorded: 1980-05-13. First broadcast: 22 May 1980. Repeated: 17 June 1980, 28 July 1980

  • The Pictures On My Wall / All That Jazz* / Over The Wall*

3. Recorded: 1980-11-04. First broadcast: 12 November 1980. Repeated: 08 December 1980, 30 December 1980

  • All My Colours Turn To Clouds* / That Golden Smile / Heaven Up Here / Turquoise Daze

4. Recorded: 1982-01-27. First broadcast: 08 February 1982. Repeated: 24 February 1982, 10 June 1982. 'No Hands' available on 4xCD boxset Crystal Days (Rhino).

  • Taking Advantage* / An Equation / No Hands

5. Recorded: 1983-06-06. First broadcast: 20 June 1983. Repeated: 11 July 1983, 21 December 1983, 30 January 1985, 03 September 1985

  • Silver / Seven Seas* / The Killing Moon

6. Recorded: 1983-09-19. First broadcast: 24 October 1983. Repeated: 14 November 1983, 21 December 1983, 26 August 1985. 'Watch Out Below' available on 4xCD boxset Crystal Days (Rhino).

  • Nocturnal Me* / Watch Out Below / Ocean Rain* / My Kingdom

7. Recorded: 1997-09-16. First broadcast: 16 September 1997. Not repeated.

  • Rescue* / Don't Let It Get You Down / Altamont / Villiers Terrace

(Please correct mistakes and add any missing info)

Live[]

  1. Altamont
  2. The Killing Moon
  3. Rescue
  4. I Want To Be There
  5. Nothing Lasts Forever
  • 01 April 1999: Recorded live the same evening at the Improv Theatre, London, headlining special gig for Peel's 60th birthday, supported by PJ Harvey.
  1. Fools Like Us
  2. Baby Rain
  3. Rescue
  4. I Want To Be There
  5. Bedbugs & Ballyhoo
  6. The Cutter
  7. Rust
  8. What Are You Going To Do
  9. Back Of Love
  10. Lips Like Sugar
  11. Do It Clean

Other Shows Played[]

(The list below was compiled only from the database of this website and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive and is certainly incomplete. Please add more information if known.)

1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1996
1997
1999
2002
  • 26 September 2002: In The Midnight Hour (Crystal Days 1979-1999 Box Set) Warner Archives
2003
Other
Will Sergeant
  • 18 April 2000: Themes For GRIND No.2 (EP: Themes For GRIND/Remixes) Ochre

See Also[]

External Links[]

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