John Peel Wiki

Changes to the look of John Peel Wiki will take place in the near future due to a new skin being rolled out over Oct/Nov across Wikia. Please see the Wikia Staff Blog for further details. On this site, the changes will affect the navigation from the left menu, as well as introduce a fixed page width with narrower content space. Please be patient while adjustments are made for the switch to the new system.

UPDATE: As the change is now in force for some users, I have switched the navigation to the simplified one for the new system. Please check Navigation in the Help section if you can't find things. I also initially made small adjustments to the front page layout, but have now reverted to the old look until all users are on the new system.

COUNTDOWN: Just a reminder for people still using Monaco that the final switch to the new skin is due on Nov. 3. After that, it will no longer be offered as an option. Sorry. Nothing to do with me.

Steve W

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John Peel Wiki
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Pop Group

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Background[]

Line Up
Mark Stewart (lyrics, vocals)
Jon Waddington (guitar)
Gareth Sager (guitar)
Simon Underwood (bass)
Bruce Smith (drums, percussion)

"The Pop Group were not the easiest band of the early post-punk era to listen to, but those who made the effort were in for an interesting melange of primitive rhythms and avant-garde guitar racket." allmusic.com)

The Pop Group are a post-punk band from Bristol, UK. Their debut single, "She Is Beyond Good And Evil" was released on Radar Records in March 1979. Their debut album, Y, was produced by Dennis Bovell and found critical acclaim but low sales figures. Although it did not chart, the album's success was sufficient to convince Rough Trade to sign the band, but not before more line-up changes, with Dan Catsis replacing Underwood on bass.

R-383341-1156087429

Original sleeve for We Are All Prostitutes, featuring portraits of the band and quoting from an Amnesty International report

The band's career with Rough Trade commenced with what is possibly their best-known single, "We Are All Prostitutes", which featuring a guest appearance by free improviser Tristan Honsinger on cello. This was followed by the release of their second album, For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder? in 1980, which included a contribution from US proto-rappers The Last Poets.

Shortly afterwards, The Pop Group released a split single, "Where There's a Will...", with the Slits, a band with whom they now shared a drummer and managers (Christine Robertson and Dick O'Dell), as well as a growing interest in exploring musical genres such as dub and funk rhythms.

The_Pop_Group_She's_beyond_Good_and_Evil

The Pop Group She's beyond Good and Evil

Pop Group, "She's Beyond Good And Evil"

The band split in 1981 after legal wranglings and internal disagreements. Members of the group went on to join bands including Pigbag, Maximum Joy, Head and Rip Rig & Panic, the latter notable for the involvement of Neneh Cherry. Stewart later collaborated with On-U Sound, issuing records firstly as Mark Stewart and Maffia, then as a solo artist.

The band were patently favoured by Peel, as witness the numerous plays he gave to their early releases and his comment on 29 August 1979 when hearing that they were to support Patti Smith on her upcoming tour, "she knows a good band when she hears one." However, Bill Aitken gave a less than flattering description of the circumstances surrounding the recording of their only session ([1]).


Festive Fifty Entries[]

  • None

Sessions[]

One session. Recorded 1978-07-03. First broadcast 10 August 1978, repeated 29 August 1978 and 07 December 1978. No known commercial release.

1. Words Disobey Me / Kiss The Book / We Are Time (Mooo)

Other Shows Played[]

1979
(JP: 'I can't help but wonder that the observations about consumer fascism... I mean, does this mean that the Pop Group don't want us to buy their record?')
1980
1981

1982

1983

1984
1988
  • 25 June 1988 (BFBS): The Boys From Brazil (LP – Y) Radar

Links[]

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