(This page is about the indie band. For the electronic musician of the same name, see Hefner(2)).
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.)
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.
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).
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.
01 July 1998 (BFBS): The Sad Witch (CD-Breaking God's Heart) Too Pure (JP: “I have to be honest with you, in a way, I didn't really want to like this LP, because somebody whose opinion I don't normally respect much has been telling me how wonderful it is. But I'm only three tracks into it and those three tracks, each one of them is wonderful, I have to say.”)
14 October 1998: China Crisis (v/a EP – London) Plastic Cowboy
22 December 1998: Pull Yourself Together (CD single) Too Pure FF#43 (JP: “I can't remember that I actually played that when it first came out, but I'm playing it now because it's number 43 in the Festive Fifty, your choice of your favourite tracks of the year.”)
Hefner - The Hymn For The Things We Didn't Do
1999
02 February 1999: The Hymn For The Things We Didn't Do (EP: The Hefner Heart) Acuarela Discos
06 October 1999: A Belly Full Of Babies (CDS-I Took Her Love For Granted) Too Pure
10 October 1999 (BFBS): A Belly Full Of Babies (CDS-I Took Her Love For Granted) Too Pure
Hefner - The Hymn for the Alcohol
13 October 1999: To Hide A Little Thought (CDS-I Took Her Love For Granted) Too Pure (A Jonathan Richman cover, originally recorded for Steve Lamacq's show (1999-04-12))
17 October 1999 (BFBS): 'To Hide A Little Thought (CDS-I Took Her Love For Granted)' (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.”)
26 July 2001: When The Angels Play Their Drum Machines (album - Dead Media) Too Pure
25 September 1997 (BFBS): Car Chase (12") Inertia (No double-takes necessary: this is not the Darren Hayman-led indie band, but future jazz artist Lee Jones.)
31 October 1999 (BFBS): Piano Magic: 'There's No Need For Us To Be Alone (7") (Rocket Girl) (As JP tells us, vocals and lyrics from Darren Hayman of Hefner)
