porcy62 Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 I know there are few UK boards member here, and this is a jazz bb, but I think it's fair to pay a tribute for a great music lover, and more. A friend just told me John Peel died one month ago. I asked: "Peel's who?". "The guy of Peel's sessions". A for the guy who got the first play of The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band full coverage http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/t...dio/3955289.stm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Lark Ascending Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 John Peel shaped my musical taste! I first started listening to his shows in 1970 and was a regular listener until about 1976. To his credit he went on playing the new in rock music when my abiliy to keep up slacked off and stopped. I just remember the early 70s when you could listen to his programme and hear the most amazing range of music - The Faces next to Martin Carthy next to Stone the Crows next to Billy Pig next to Pink Floyd next to Elton Dean next to Ivor Cutler. Thinking back I'm sure my fascination with music crossing genres is rooted in Peel's programmes. In latter years he had a parallel career running a programme called Home Truths, a magazine programme exploring the idiocyncrasies of family life - some hilarious, some tragic. He gained a whole new audience, most of whom wouldn't have known Captain Beefheart from the Archies. Without doubt the best music radio broadcaster I ever came across. Unpretentious, down to earth, real. A huge loss! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Burke Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 Our Amercian understanding of him was that of a guy who (we heard) played cool records and (knew) recorded great bands on the air but I wouldn't exactly feel comfortable if I said I knew very much about him. The 'Sessions' obviously made their way over here. Some personal favorites are The Fall, Joy Division, and Wire. (Seems funny that the Mekons never did one. Maybe I'm missing something.) Anyway, those who haven't seen it should definitely hunt down the Captain Beefheart documentary. (Peel served as narrator.) I should also add, and this is simply because it makes me feel cool, that Peel played one of my old band's songs on the radio once. He also played my (then) roomate's band and apparently said "this is for all the blokes in Lawrence (KS)". In any case... Good show, John! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Lark Ascending Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 To the end Peel would go through piles of tapes sent in by hopeful bands looking for something new, something different. He had a habit of moving past bands once they'd made it, using his shows to expose new bands rather than give more publicity to those already established. He had little time for jazz, but even after I lost interest in the music he liked I could still appreciate the spirit of his approach. Why has he been followed by so few radio presenters prepared to put together musical programmes (of whatever musical genre) with such catholicity and integrity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Burke Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 To the end Peel would go through piles of tapes sent in by hopeful bands looking for something new, something different. He had a habit of moving past bands once they'd made it, using his shows to expose new bands rather than give more publicity to those already established. That's what amazed me! We never sent anything in to him. I guess somebody must have but our label was too small to bother sending anything to UK radio. In fact, the only reason why I know he played one of our songs is because I decided to Google our band name several months back and a Peel playlist from something like 1997 came up. So I found that out seven years after we broke up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 Anyway, those who haven't seen it should definitely hunt down the Captain Beefheart documentary. (Peel served as narrator.) look here. I haven't downloaded it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Burke Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 Yeah, my brother said he found it at a bit torrent site as well. I still have an old dubbed VHS copy. Very good with amazing footage. The stuff on the beach in France ("Electricity") is really intense. According to the Zoot Horn Rollo book, they were all....er....*somewhere else* during that performance. Rollo claims he doesn't even remember playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted December 4, 2004 Report Share Posted December 4, 2004 I grew up with his late night radio 1 show back in the 1970s with its lineup of obscure punk bands and regular interludes of 'dub'. On occasions the music on the Peel show could really suprise - such as the time I heard him play a great Miles/Coltrane Prestige track (from 'Cookin', or one of the other albums in that sequence) after something like the Smiths... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonym Posted December 4, 2004 Report Share Posted December 4, 2004 Slightly off-topic, but did anyone see his appearance on Room 101? He did, as hinted, come across as a caring, funny and unpretentious person. Heart-warming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Lark Ascending Posted December 4, 2004 Report Share Posted December 4, 2004 Yes, I saw that one. He also did some nice bits on that 'Grumpy Old Men' series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maren Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 I should also add, and this is simply because it makes me feel cool, that Peel played one of my old band's songs on the radio once. He also played my (then) roomate's band and apparently said "this is for all the blokes in Lawrence (KS)". In any case... Good show, John! Similar story here -- we heard from friends in England that he played one song off my first band's one (and only) album (small label) quite often in 83-84. A later "Riot Grrrl" type band (that I was more of an occasional "hired hand" in) recorded a Peel session -- what a thrill! I'm telling this not so much to toot my own horn -- more in admiration and fondness for John Peel! Again, as Bev said: To the end Peel would go through piles of tapes sent in by hopeful bands looking for something new, something different. He had a habit of moving past bands once they'd made it, using his shows to expose new bands rather than give more publicity to those already established... Why has he been followed by so few radio presenters... with such catholicity and integrity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 Why has he been followed by so few radio presenters prepared to put together musical programmes (of whatever musical genre) with such catholicity and integrity? I can't speak for your side of the great divide, Bev, but over here we just don't allow such things anymore, or at least try hard to kill them whenever possible. Radio like that just isn't around anymore, at least here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Lark Ascending Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 Why has he been followed by so few radio presenters prepared to put together musical programmes (of whatever musical genre) with such catholicity and integrity? I can't speak for your side of the great divide, Bev, but over here we just don't allow such things anymore, or at least try hard to kill them whenever possible. Radio like that just isn't around anymore, at least here... The amazing thing is that he survived so long on Radio 1 (the UK's 'pop' station). He was one of the original DJs from the 1967 setting up of the station (something the BBC mandarins did through gritted teeth, it would seem). From the off he was totally unlike any of the other DJs, most of whom were out to become 'stars'. It would appear the administrators had their knives out for him and he was very lucky to make it through the first few years. He didn't seem to change. He stuck to his way of doing things and won an audience...well, a new audience every few years as his interest in new pop/rock music went ahead of his existing audience...that was there to the end. The side of Peel that people outside of the UK are unlikely to know is the 'Home Truths' John Peel. Over the last decade he made an alternative career as a champion of the ordinary and often eccentric lives of the regular (and irregular!)family. He had never been shy of talking about his wife and family but this programme brought out just how much it all meant to him. His abilities as an interviewer talking to an adult about their experience of bereavement, child abuse or other horrors were second to none. He created a whole new audience who did not know his Radio 1 show. And then a couple of days later he'd be playing the latest 23 second thrash metal opus! An amazing chap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 (edited) I wonder what will happen to his incredible collection of vinyl and CDs? There was a rumour that the National Sound Archives might pick up a fair chunk of it. Edited December 5, 2004 by sidewinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Dolphin Posted December 5, 2004 Report Share Posted December 5, 2004 I felt like flagging his death up at the time but thought perhaps it wasn't the place.The one constant through all the obituaries was that although most never met the man they felt they'd lost a friend.He was one of a kind... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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