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Gorkys 01 446

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci (pronounced 'monkey') were formed in Ysgol Bro Myrddin, Carmarthen in 1991 while the members were still in school and sang songs in English and Welsh. allmusic describe them as "sounding like a bizarrely sweet and whimsical cross between progressive rock, psychedelia, and pure pop." They have stated that their main influences are the Kinks, Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Robert Wyatt, which chimes well with JP's own likes. [1] Their first LP, a 10" called Patio, was released on the Welsh label Ankst in 1992, but the band stubbornly resisted success and remained a cult favourite throughout their career, despite consistent Peel airplay, eight sessions and a slew of albums and singles. The latter included Patio Song, which was virtually the only one of their tunes to be regularly played on daytime radio (and it still didn't chart). However, they can claim the distinction of being the first act to play a session tune live down the line from Maida Vale (on 21 April 1996): this experiment was repeated during their fourth session. Members of the band were also part of the scratch choir that sang in the 20 December 2001 Christmas show. They split up in May 2006. Euros Childs, the main singer / songwriter of the band, said of JP in 2011:

"John Peel was very important, it’s hard to imagine us starting a band without having listened to his programme. I started listening to Peel around 1989, just before John and I started writing together. When I started listening to it my favourites were The Four Brothers from Zimbabwe, The Fall and lots of indie guitar bands." [2]

Festive Fifty Entries

Live

  1. Meirion Wyllt
  2. Lucy's Hamper
  3. The Barafundle Bumbler
  4. Gegin Nos
  5. Starmoonsun
  6. Young Girls And Happy Endings
  7. Patio Song
  8. Blood Chant
  9. Diamond Dew
  10. Heart Of Kentucky [1]
One track, 'Hush The Warmth,' available on Radio 1 Sound City Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (New Musical Express)
  1. Instrumental
  2. Tidal Wave
  3. Diamond Dew
  4. ?
  5. Mongrels
  6. Let's Get Together
  7. Poor Ditching Boy [2]
  8. Sweet Johnny
  9. Hush The Warmth
  1. The Blue Trees
  2. The Girl I've Always Known
  3. This Summer's Been Good From The Start
  4. Sbia Ar Y Seren
  5. Dead Aid
  6. Lady Fair Easy Love
  7. Tough Jazz
  8. Her Hair Hangs Long
  9. My Honey
  1. Channels
  2. Waking For Winter [3]
  3. Mow The Lawn
  4. Eyes Of Green
  5. Single To Fairwater
  6. Meiron Wylit
  7. Poodle Rockin'
  8. Christina
  9. Country
  10. Sweet Johnny
  11. Spanish Dance
  12. Iechyd Da

Sessions

  • Eight sessions, none released commercially (except where shown below).

1. Recorded: 1993-12-19. First broadcast: 29 January 1994. No repeats.

  • Y Fford Oren / Bocs  Angelica / Merched Yn Neud Gwalt Ei Gilydd / Gewn I Gorffen

2. Recorded: 1995-02-12. First broadcast: 11 March 1995. No repeats. 'Pethau' available on CD single of If Fingers Were Xylophones (Ankst).

  • Paid Cheto Ar Pam / If Fingers Were Xylophones / Pethau / Mynwes Kentucky

3. Recorded: 1996-04-21. First broadcast: 11 May 1996. Repeated: 02 November 1996.

  • Young Girls Happy Endings / Diam Atsain (Patio Song) / Meirion Wylit / Pen Gwag Glas [4]

4. Recorded: 1998-07-21. First broadcast: 25 August 1998. No repeats.

  • The Tidal Wave / Freckles / Spanish Dance Troupe / Catrin [5]

5. Recorded: 2000-02-27. First broadcast: 05 April 2000. No repeats.

  • Honeymoon With You / The Lady And The Travelling Man / Out On The Side / How I Long To

6. Live from Peel Acres. First broadcast: 20 September 2001. No repeats. (JP: 'Gorky's for a bit of a change of pace are going to be doing a death metal set tonight here at Peel Acres.')

  • These Winds Are In My Heart / Let Those Blue Skies / Instrumental 2 / My Honey [6] / This Summer's Been Good From The Start

7. Recorded: 2003-07-30. First broadcast: 28 August 2003. No repeats.

  • Monica / Old Fanny Mahoney / Eyes Of Green, Green, Green / The Film That Changed My Wife

8. Live from Maida Vale 4 (Keeping It Peel night). First broadcast: 16 December 2004. No repeats.

  • Y Teimlad [7] / Ladyfair / Y Fford Oren

Other Shows Played

1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2003
Other

External Links

Footnotes
  1. This is the setlist as first broadcast. It has subsequently been repeated at least twice on 6Music: on 03 April 2003, omitting 'Lucy's Hamper' and 'Starmoonsun'; and on 28 October 2012, with two incorrect titles given on the website ('Lucy's Up There' and 'Bloodchanta') and omitting 'Gegin Nos.'
  2. Richard Thompson cover.
  3. Keeping It Peel site lists this as "Walking For Winter."
  4. This track only first TX live from Maida Vale 3, 21 April 1996.
  5. This track only TX live from Maida Vale 4, 21 July 1998.
  6. This was so popular Peel persuaded the band to perform it again immediately.
  7. Cover of a Datblygu song: not listed in Ken Garner's The Peel Sessions.
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