Pop Will Eat Itself (also known as PWEI or The Poppies) are an English alternative rock band formed in Stourbridge in 1986 with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a grebo act, their style changed to incorporate sample-driven indie and industrial rock. Their highest charting single was the 1993 top ten hit, "Get The Girl! Kill The Baddies!". After initially disbanding in 1996, and having a brief reformation in 2005, they issued their first release in more than five years in 2010.
Links To Peel
Peel along with Janice Long played the band's debut single on their shows in 1986, which led the group having a session for his programme on the same year. A year later, he invited them for their 2nd session, but after playing their session track, Beavor Patrol (a cover of the Wild Knights song) in 1987, he described the song as "Pop Will Eat Itself at their most fatuous I think. They only do it 'cos they know it teases. Misquote there I suspect." [1]
In an interview with Alex Ogg of Spiral Scratch published in May 1991, Peel described liking their debut single, but found them as formulaic:
"I liked their first record, I like the fact that they exist. There are some bands whose stuff I wouldn't play on the radio because I'm not keen on the music, but I like the idea of the band being there and Pop Will Eat Itself fall rather into that category. There's the occasional track I like but they're a bit – is there such a word as formulaic? I think there may be. They're a bit of that to me. I liked them when they started out and I liked the fact they wrote me a letter once pretending to be one of their Mums, thanking me for playing one of their records, because they knew that was the kind of thing which, being a sentimental old fellow, would win me over. I've still got the letter somewhere, saying "I'm such and such of the Poppies' Mum and thank you very much for playing their stuff on the radio." [2]
Nonetheless he did continue play some of their music through into 1994, including Clint from the band reviewing a football match between Wolves and Port Vale on his 29 January 1994 show.
Sessions
POP WILL EAT ITSELF John Peel 14th June 1987
1. Recorded: 1986-06-17. Broadcast: 30 June 1986. Repeated: 16 July 1986
- Inside Out / Demolition Girl / Oh Grebo I Think I Love You / Sweet Sweet Pie
2. Recorded: 1987-06-14. Broadcast: 06 July 1987. Repeated: 21 July 1987
- There Is No Love Between Us Anymore / Grebo Guru / Beaver Patrol / Razor Blade Kisses (Evelyn)
Other Shows Played
- 21 May 1986: Theresapsychopath In My Soup (7" EP - The Poppies Say GRRrrr!) Desperate
- 10 June 1986: Mesmerized (7" - The Poppies Say GRRrrr!) Desperate
- 17 June 1986: Theresapsychopath In My Soup (7" - The Poppies Say GRRrrr!) Desperate
- June 1986 (Radio Bremen): Theresapsychopath In My Soup (7" - The Poppies Say GRRrrr!) Desperate
- 28 August 1986 (BFBS): 'Theresapsycopath In My Soup (7"-The Poppies Say GRRrrr!)' (Desperate)
- October 1986 (Radio Bremen): Theresapsychopath In My Soup (7" - The Poppies Say GRRrrr!) Desperate
- 11 November 1986: Oh Grebo, I Think I Love You (7" - Poppiecock) Chapter 22
- 12 November 1986: B-B-B Breakdown (7" - Poppiecock) Chapter 22
- 15 November 1986 (BFBS): 'Oh Grebo, I Think I Love You (7"-Poppiecock)' (Chapter 22)
- November 1986 (Radio Bremen): Oh Grebo, I Think I Love You (7" - Poppiecock) Chapter 22
- 20 December 1986 (BFBS): 'The Black Country Chainstore Massacreee (12"-Poppiecock - The Poppies Play 5 A Side)' (Chapter 22)
- 07 January 1987: Like An Angel (v/a LP - "Take The Subway To Your Suburb") Subway Organization
- 14 January 1987: Sweet Sweet Pie (7") Chapter 22
- 20 January 1987: Sweet Sweet Pie (7") Chapter 22
- 30 January 1987 (BFBS): Sweet Sweet Pie (7") Chapter 22
- 11 February 1987: Sweet Sweet Pie (7") Chapter 22
- 17 February 1987: Sweet Sweet Pie (7") Chapter 22
- 13 May 1987: Love Missile F1-11 (12" - Love Missile F1-11 "The C'overs E.P.") Chapter 22
- May 1987 (BBC World Service): Love Missile F1-11 (single) Chapter 22
- 26 May 1987: Love Missile F1-11 (single) Chapter 22
- 09 June 1987: 'Love Missile F1-11 (Designer Grebo! Megamix)' (Chapter 22)
- 28 October 1987: U.B.L.U.D. (LP - Box Frenzy) Chapter 22
- 07 November 1987 (Radio Bremen): U.B.L.U.D. (album - Box Frenzy) Chapter 22
- 1988
- 19 January 1988: There Is No Love Between Us Anymore (7") Chapter 22
- 30 January 1988 (BFBS): There Is No Love Between Us Anymore (7" Remix) Chapter 22
- 11 March 1988 (BFBS): 'Evelyn (LP-Box Frenzy)' (Chapter 22)
- 1989
- 23 January 1989: Can U Dig It? (7") RCA
- 28 January 1989 (BFBS): Can U Dig It? (12") RCA
- 31 January 1989 (Radio Bremen): Can U Dig It? (7") RCA
- 08 February 1989: Can U Dig It? (12") RCA
- 16 August 1989: PWEI-zation (12" - Very Metal Noise Pollution) RCA
- 1990
- 28 April 1990 (BFBS): 'Rock-A-Hula Baby (2x Compilation CD-The Last Temptation Of Elvis)' (New Musical Express)
- 01 May 1990: Touched By The Hand Of Cicciolina (Album - Cure For Sanity) RCA
- 19 May 1990 (BFBS): 'Rock-A-Hula Baby (2x Compilation CD-The Last Temptation Of Elvis)' (New Musical Express)
- 30 September 1990: Dance Of The Mad (12") RCA
- 1992
- 06 November 1992: Eighty Eight Seconds And Still Counting (v/a album - Never Again!) Nil Satis
- 1993
- 02 April 1993: Gimme Shelter (v/a album - Gimme Shelter) Food
- 10 April 1993 (BFBS): Gimme Shelter (v/a 12" - Gimme Shelter) EMI
- 28 August 1993: ‘RSVP (12 inch)’ (Infectious Records)
- 1994
- 26 February 1994: ‘Ich Bin Ein Auslander (Fun-Da-Mental 7" Mix) (CD single)’ (Infectious Records)
- 05 March 1994 (BFBS): ‘Ich Bin Ein Auslander (Fun-Da-Mental 7" Mix) (CD single)’ (Infectious Records)
- 27 August 1994: unknown