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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Wild Swans

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Wild Swans (Mk

The Wild Swans were a post-punk band from Liverpool, UK originally founded in 1980. Its core-members and founders were Paul Simpson, formerly of Teardrop Explodes, with Ged Quinn and Jeremy Kelly. Their debut 1982 single release "Revolutionary Spirit" (part-financed and produced by Pete de Freitas of Echo & the Bunnymen who also played drums on the record) gained the band critical acclaim, live support slots and two Radio One sessions. The bassist for the group at the time was Rolo McGinty, who would leave the group shortly after the release of the single, and found The Woodentops. Notwithstanding a certain degree of success, but with no album forthcoming, the group split up within the year with Kelly and Quinn going on to form The Lotus Eaters with Peter Coyle. Simpson meanwhile formed his own new band Care with Ian Broudie, later of Lightning Seeds. In 1986 Simpson, Kelly and Quinn re-formed The Wild Swans ("Mk. 2") spurred on also by the official release of their Peel session that year. In 1988 the group finally managed to issue their debut album, Bringing Home the Ashes, although Quinn had since dropped out of the band. A second album Space Flower was released on Sire in 1990, subsequent to the departure of Kelly, produced by and featuring Ian Broudie as well as Ian McNabb and Chris Sharrock of former Peel session band The Icicle Works in the line-up. (Read more on Wikipedia)

Links to Peel[]

Peel will have become aware of The Wild Swans as originating from the Liverpool scene of the late seventies and early eighties and gave airplay to their single "Revolutionary Spirit", the last release on Zoo Records, when released. On playing the record on the 29 December 1982 show, when it had made it to no. ten of the 1982 Festive Fifty, he commented, "I'm with you on that one, brothers and sisters". The group recorded just one three-song session in May of the same year, although sessions for Kid Jensen and Janice Long were also recorded. "Revolutionary Spirit" was played regularly throughout the eighties and even as late as 1992, after Peel had met a listener at his former National Service camp 144 SU at Ty Croes Camp Anglesey, who had specifically requested the single. Peel's preference for the track seems to have remained constant too. On playing 'No Bleeding' from the session, which had been officially released on Strange Fruit after listeners' requests on the 05 July 1988 (BFBS) show, he commented that the final piano solo of the song was "a bit Elton John" and that he "was never terrifically keen on this, facts have to be faced".

Festive Fifty Entries[]

Sessions[]

The_Wild_Swans-Thirst_(Peel_Session_1st_May,_1982)

The Wild Swans-Thirst (Peel Session 1st May, 1982)

One session. Available on "The Peel Sessions" Strange Fruit SFPS 006, 12" & cassette, and on "Incandescent", 2 x CD, Renascent, RENCD 7 and 2 x LP, Vinyl 180, VIN180LP064 (also feature Jensen and Long sessions).

1. Recorded: 1982-05-01. First broadcast: 13 May 1982. Repeated: 02 June 1982, 25 July 1983

  • No Bleeding / Enchanted / Thirst

Other Shows Played[]

1982
1983
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
  • 18 November 1990: Revolutionary Spirit (v/a album - 'The Zoo' Uncaged 1978-1982) Document
1992

See Also[]

External links[]

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