The Psychedelic Furs are an English rock band founded in 1977. Led by singer Richard Butler and his brother Tim on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk scene. Their music went through several phases, from an initially austere art rock sound, later touching on new wave and hard rock. (Read more at Wikipedia)
Links to Peel[]
Peel was initially a supporter of The Psychedelic Furs playing their singles releases and album tracks from their albums as they appeared. After playing "Sister Europe" on 22 January 1980 he noticed that the B side was in fact a shorter version of the song since he had been given a DJ promo copy. This was later rectified on the 11 February 1980 show when he played the B-side proper. The band recorded three sessions for his program, the first anticipating tracks from their debut album release of some months later. The second premiered on 28 February 1980, a show hosted by Mike Read due to John being ill. When it was repeated one month later (25 March 1980), Peel said he was looking forward to hear it for the first time, especially their version of the Brecht/Weill song "Mac the Knife". The session was then repeated twice more during the course of the year. The Psychedelic Furs also featured in the 1982 Festive Fifty.
However, as time went by, it's possible that John changed his mind about some of the material he originally endorsed. In a 1986 programme, when a listener requested a play of the band's "Pretty in Pink", Peel did not oblige, stating that it was "a stadium version of a song which I never very much cared for in the first place", even though the track was played more than once during his 1981/2 shows.
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- Peel's Era
- 1982 Festive Fifty: 'Love My Way (7 inch)' (CBS) #29
- Post-Peel
- 2020 Festive Fifty: 'No One' #33
Sessions[]
Three sessions. Officially released on "The Radio One Sessions" (Strange Fruit – SFRSCD003, 1997)
1. Recording date: 1979-07-25. First broadcast: 30 July 1979.
- Imitation of Christ / Fall / Sister Europe / We Love You
2. Recording date: 1980-02-18. First broadcast: 28 February 1980. Repeated: 25 March 1980, 01 May 1980, 19 June 1980.
- Soap Commercial / Susan's Strange / Mac the Knife
3. Recording date: 1981-02-02. First broadcast: 10 February 1981, repeated 26 February 1981.
- Into You Like a Train / On and Again / All of This and Nothing
Other Shows Played[]
(Please add more information if known)
- 1979
- 24 October 1979: We Love You (7") Epic S EPC 8005
- 25 October 1979: We Love You (7") Epic S EPC 8005
- 29 October 1979: We Love You (7") Epic S EPC 8005
- 03 November 1979 (BFBS): We Love You (7") Epic S EPC 8005
- 19 November 1979: We Love You (7") Epic S EPC 8005
- 04 December 1979: Pulse (b-side We Love You 7") Epic S EPC 8005
- 08 December 1979 (BFBS): Pulse (7" - We Love You) Epic S EPC 8005
- 17 December 1979: Pulse (7" - We Love You) Epic S EPC 8005
- Late December 1979: Imitation of Christ (LP – The Psychedelic Furs) CBS
- 1980
- 22 January 1980: Sister Europe (7") CBS
- 06 February 1980: Sister Europe (7") CBS
- 11 February 1980: **** (b-side to 'Sister Europe' 7") CBS
- 19 February 1980: Sister Europe (7") CBS
- 03 March 1980: India (LP – The Psychedelic Furs) CBS S CBS 84084
- 04 March 1980: Fall (LP – The Psychedelic Furs) CBS
- 04 March 1980: Pulse (LP – The Psychedelic Furs) CBS
- 06 March 1980: Flowers (LP - Psychedelic Furs) CBS S CBS 84084
- 15 March 1980 (BFBS): Fall (album - The Psychedelic Furs) CBS 84084
- 15 March 1980 (BFBS): Pulse (album - The Psychedelic Furs) CBS 84084
- 17 March 1980: Imitation of Christ (LP – The Psychedelic Furs) CBS
- 19 March 1980: Fall (LP – The Psychedelic Furs) CBS
- 19 March 1980: Pulse (LP – The Psychedelic Furs) CBS
- 24 March 1980: unknown
- 26 March 1980: Imitation of Christ (LP – The Psychedelic Furs) CBS
- 27 March 1980 (BFBS): India (album - The Psychedelic Furs) CBS 84084
- 29 March 1980 (BFBS): Imitation Of Christ (album - The Psychedelic Furs) CBS 84084
- 20 October 1980: Mr. Jones (7") CBS S CBS 9059
- 23 October 1980: Mr. Jones (7") CBS S CBS 9059
- 30 October 1980 (BFBS): Mr. Jones (7") CBS S CBS 9059
- 1981
- 21 April 1981: "advertisement of talk talk talk sleeve" (as scanned). Possibly an excerpt from flexi sleeve that came with 7" - Dumb Waiters CBS CBS A1166
- 27 April 1981: Dumb Waiters (7") (CBS)
- Peel April To July 1981: I Just Want To Sleep With You (forthcoming album - Talk Talk Talk) CBS S CBS 84892
- 10 May 1981 (BFBS): Pulse (album - The Psychedelic Furs) CBS 84084
- 11 May 1981: Mr. Jones (album - Talk Talk Talk) CBS S CBS 84892
- 14 May 1981: Dumb Waiters (7": Dumb Waiters) (CBS)
- Karl's Tape April May 1981: Dumb Waiters (7") CBS CBS A1166
- 28 May 1981 (BFBS): It Goes On (album - Talk Talk Talk) CBS S CBS 84892
- 04 June 1981 (BFBS): So Run Down (album - Talk Talk Talk) CBS S CBS 84892
- 09 June 1981: She Is Mine (album - Talk Talk Talk) CBS S CBS 84892
- 11 June 1981: Mack The Knife (7"- Pretty In Pink) CBS A 1327
- 18 June 1981: unknown
- 30 July 1981 (BFBS): Dumb Waiters (7") CBS CBS A1166
- 14 December 1981: Pretty In Pink (7") CBS
- 1982
- 14 March 1982 (BFBS): Into You Like A Train (album - Talk Talk Talk) CBS S CBS 84892
- 28 July 1982: Love My Way (7") CBS CBS A2549
- John Peel 1982 edited 2: Love My Way (7") CBS CBS A2549
- 01 August 1982 (BFBS): Love My Way (7") CBS CBS A2549
- 21 September 1982: Forever Now (LP - Forever Now)
- 22 September 1982: Run And Run (LP - Forever Now)
- 02 November 1982: Pretty in Pink
- 08 December 1982: Pretty In Pink (7") CBS
- 22 December 1982: 'Love My Way (7 inch)' (CBS) Festive Fifty #29
- 1983
- 24 January 1983: Pretty In Pink (LP - Talk Talk Talk) CBS
- 22 May 1983 (BFBS): President Gas (album - Forever Now) CBS CBS 85909
- 1984
- Peel January 1984 / Peel February March April 1984: Love My Way (7") CBS
- John Peel February March 1984: Heaven (7") CBS
- 09 April 1984 (BBC World Service): Heartbeat (New York Remix) (12" - Heaven) CBS TA 4300
- 07 June 1984: Here Come Cowboys
- 16 December 1984 (BFBS): Alice's House (album - Mirror Moves) CBS CBS 25950
- 1985
- 03 February 1985 (BFBS): Into You Like A Train (album - Talk Talk Talk) CBS S CBS 84892