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
TOP_OF_THE_POPS_(_THE_STORY_OF_1980_)

TOP OF THE POPS ( THE STORY OF 1980 )

Top Of The Pops - The Story Of 1980 was a BBC documentary first broadcast on BBC Four on 2 January 2015, continuing the documentary series shown prior to repeats of the Top of the Pops shows of a particular year. The programme mixes archive footage and studio performances with contemporary interviews with artists and presenters who featured on the programme during the year in question.

The '1980' edition deals in particular with changing musical and visual styles and upcoming new groups, as well as with the industrial action by BBC orchestra members which hit the programme directly in the summer, resulting in the show going off the air for several weeks for the first time in its history. As a result the programme received a notable overhaul, thanks to new producer Michael Hurll.

Links to Peel[]

TOTP Story of 1980 Peel still

Still from Top of the Pops - The Story of 1980

Although John Peel was still some years away from becoming a regular presenter on Top of the Pops, the 1980 documentary features a section on group the Piranhas, a band who had been championed by Peel but who then broke the charts and enjoyed some degree of mainstream success with their single 'Tom Hark'. According to band member John Helmer, Peel stopped playing the bands records after they had appeared on Top of the Pops, as they had apparently "sold-out". A brief clip of Peel's voice features him saying "So you're going to end it like that are you? You teasers! Those are the Piranhas..", immediately followed by a video clip of Peel saying "good night and good riddance".[1](approx 40:53 of above video)

As well as The Piranhas, the programme also includes interviews with members of former Peel session groups Madness, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, The Human League, The Vapors, Dexy's Midnight Runners and Adam Ant who all made it onto Top of the Pops in 1980. Archive footage of Gary Numan, Motorhead and Genesis also features.

Notes[]

  1. Origin of the Piranhas comment, and video clip of "good night and good riddance" are unknown but probably from different sources.