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(This page is about the indie band. For the electronic musician of the same name, see Hefner(2)).
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Darren Hayman, Antony Harding, John Morrison.

Hefner were a British indie rock and "urban folk" band formed in east London in 1995. They were active from about 1996 until 2002; since then they have played together only once, for a tribute to the DJ John Peel, who was a strong supporter … (read more at Wikipedia.)

Links to Peel[]

The band recorded ten sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio One programme, as well as a number of live performances, and eleven of their tracks made it into the Festive Fifty. After Peel's death, the group reformed only once for the "Keeping It Peel" tribute show, marking the death of one of their biggest supporters, Radio 1 DJ John Peel.

Festive Fifty Entries[]

Hefner were the 20th most successful act in the history of Festive Fifty during Peel's lifetime, according to Mark Whitby in The Festive Fifty (Nevin Publishing, pg 144), 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.

1998 Festive Fifty
  • Pull Yourself Together #43
1999 Festive Fifty
  • The Hymn For The Cigarettes #2
  • The Hymn For The Alcohol #3
  • I Stole A Bride #22
  • I Took Her Love For Granted #32
  • Hymn For The Things We Didn't Do #49
2000 Festive Fifty
  • The Greedy Ugly People #7
  • The Day That Thatcher Dies #12
  • Good Fruit #15
  • Painting And Kissing #44
2001 Festive Fifty
  • Alan Bean #31

Sessions[]

Hefner_-_Peel_Session_2001

Hefner - Peel Session 2001

Nine sessions. #1 was chosen for the Peel Sessions: The Best 125 list. #1 released as John Peel Session 13.10.98 (PRE 013, 2022), #2 (gospel covers) as Revelations (Top Dog, 2000), #5 on the double CD single The Greedy Ugly People (Too Pure, 2000) and #6 (live at Maida Vale) as Maida Vale (Belka Records, 2006).

1. Recorded: 1998-09-27. First broadcast: 13 October 1998.

  • The Science Fiction / I Stole The Bride /You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone / Lisa And Me

2. Recorded: 1999-01-17. First broadcast: 03 March 1999. Repeated 17 June 1999.

  • (Gospel Covers session): Nobody Knows / Dragnet For Jesus / Better Things For You / Turkle Dove

3. Recorded: live at Peel Acres. First broadcast: 12 August 1999

  • We Love The City / Hold Me Closer Tonight / Down Street / Seafaring / Good Fruit

4. Recorded: live from Maida Vale (Christmas special). First broadcast: 08 December 1999.

  • Lonely This Christmas

5. Recorded: 2000-02-16. First broadcast: 28 March 2000. No repeats.

  • Don't Give Up / Kate Cleaver’s House / Milkmaids / Everything Is Falling Apart (first broadcast 12 April 2000)

6. Recorded: live at Maida Vale. First broadcast: 23 August 2000.

  • Your Head To Your Toes / The Greater London Radio / Don’t Flake Out On Me / Good Fruit / The Greedy Ugly People / The Cure For Evil / Don't Go / She Can’t Sleep No More / The Day That Thatcher Dies / The Sad Witch

7. Recorded: 2000-12-13. First broadcast: 19 December 2000 (25 years of the Festive 50 special).

  • Hymn For The Alcohol

8. Recorded: 2000-11-29. First broadcast: 16 January 2001. Repeated: 11 April 2001.

  • King Of Summer / Peppermint Taste / Can't Help Losing You / The Nights Are Long

9. Recorded: 2001-09-09. First broadcast: 11 December 2001. No repeats.

  • Gabriel In The Airport / New French Tits / The Pines / Anne And Bill

Live[]

As noted noted above, Hefner played a live session at Peel Acres (#3), a full live session at Maida Vale (#6) as well as live at Maida Vale twice at special events (#4 and #7). In addition, the following live non-session sets by the band were broadcast on the Peel show.

  1. (please add tracklisting details if known)
  1. We Love The City
  2. Hello Kitten
  3. Hymn To The Alcohol
  4. Blind Girl With Halo
  5. Twisting Mary's Arm
  1. Hello Kitten
  2. Sad Witch
  3. Greedy Ugly People
  4. Librarian
  5. Hymn For The Alcohol
  6. Don't Flake Out On Me
  7. Painting & Kissing
  8. Hymn For The Coffee
  9. Sweetness
  10. Twisting Mary's Arm
  1. The Nights Are Long
  2. Don't Go
  3. Pull Yourself Together
  4. The Hymn For The Alcohol
  5. Alan Bean
  6. China Crisis
  7. The Greater London Radio
  8. Painting And Kissing
  9. I Stole A Bride
  10. The Sad Witch
  11. I Love Only You
  12. Hello Kitten
  13. The Hymn For The Cigarettes

Other Shows Played[]

(The following list was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive. Please add further details if known.)

Hefner_-_Pull_Yourself_Together

Hefner - Pull Yourself Together

1998
Hefner_-_The_Hymn_For_The_Things_We_Didn't_Do

Hefner - The Hymn For The Things We Didn't Do

1999
2000
(JP: "Track originally recorded for a session for this show; a chart bound sound we like to think. ... That was Hefner, and this is Hefner.")
2001
  • 14 January 2001 (BFBS): 'Half A Life (shared 7" with Murry The Hump)' (Too Pure)
  • 11 July 2001: When The Angels Play Their Drum Machines (LP - Dead Media) Too Pure
  • Alan_Bean

    Alan Bean

    18 July 2001: Alan Bean (single) Too Pure
  • 19 July 2001: (JP: “Twenty four hours ago my favourite track on the new Hefner LP was probably 'When The Angels Play Their Drum Machines'. But it's been supplanted in my affections by this.”)
    Peppermint Taste (LP - Dead Media) Too Pure
(JP: “From the excellent LP 'Dead Media', that's Hefner - definitely a steel guitar on that - which is called 'Peppermint Taste'. One of the sad things about growing old is that you know you're never going to experience those kind of breathlessly exciting moments again.”)
2002

2004

See Also[]

External Links[]

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