Tag Archive: John Peel


DELVING INTO DESERT ISLAND DISCS

Filed under: Books, Music — Leave a comment
May 23, 2012

Roy Plomley

The BBC are not renowned for their generosity with regard to their broadcasts. They are ever protective of their global markets so, for example, You Tube is subject to rigorous patrols to ensure TV shows are not posted without their permission.

Even when it comes to their radio shows, the listening rights for which are not subject to the television license fee, you can usually only listen again to a programme for a week after the transmission date.

One of the longest running shows is Desert Island Discs which began on 29th January 1942 and is as much of an institution as The Archers. It was devised by Roy Plomley and he presented it  until his death in 1985, after which, presenters have been Michael Parkinson, Sue Lawley and, the current host, Kirsty Young. Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Read More & Comment

JOHN PEEL’S VIRTUAL MUSEUM

Filed under: Good causes, Music — 1 Comment
April 16, 2012

John Peel with a record by The Fall - one the bands that is bound to figure prominently in the 'virtual museum'.

Excited to hear that The John Peel Centre for Creative Arts in Stowmarket, Suffolk  have been  given exclusive access by the family to the record collection at Peel Acres which includes 25,000 LPs, 40,000 singles and many thousands of CDs.

Tom Barker, the centre’s director, describes the collection as “one of the most important archives in modern music history.”

With the help of funding and resources of  the Arts Council and the BBC, they have an ambitious plan for this unique collection to be transformed into a digital service known as The Space, enabling visitors to view John’s home studio.his personal notes, archive performances and filmed interviews with musicians.

John Peel’s wife Sheila Ravenscroft, affectionately known as ‘the pig’ because of the way she snorts when laughing, says : “This project is only the beginning of something very exciting”.

Sounds like something worth snorting about  to me.

Related articles
Tags: , , , , ,
Comment

TEN REASONS TO (STILL) BE CHEERFUL

Filed under: Atheism, Blogging, Health and fitness, Italy, Music, Politics — Leave a comment
April 4, 2012

Today I am 54. Instead of allowing myself to be burdened by birthday blues, I decided to make a list of ten things that give me reason to smile today.

My own glass is half full because :

TOUCH WOOD, MY HEALTH IS GOOD
This is something I never take for granted. Having passed the half century mark four years back I am all too aware of the ageing process and, being fearful of middle age spread , I exercise regularly, eat sensibly and drink moderately. In consequence I feel in better shape than I did 20 years ago.

I’M STILL A MUSIC JUNKIE 
Up until his untimely death at the age of 60, John Peel always said that he remained as massive a fan of new music as when he was in his teens. I feel the same way. The limitless availability on the net and the CDs I get to review help fuel an insatiable passion that I’m sure will never wane. Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Read More & Comment

BACKTRACKING #37 : THE CORTINAS

Filed under: Italy, Music, Politics, Television — Leave a comment
October 14, 2011

Part of an irregular series of bite-sized posts about 7″ singles I own – shameless nostalgia from the days of vinyl. (Search ‘Backtracking’ to collect the set!)

THE CORTINAS – Fascist Dictator / Television Families” (Step Forward, 1977)

Cover image by Jill Furmanovsky.

On the day Berlusconi won a vote of confidence for this toe-rag government, this seems like the right choice for today’s backtrack since it targets Il Cavaliere’s twin stock-in-trades of fascism and lame TV ‘entertainment’.

The Bristol-based band were a short-lived phenomenon who with the benefit of hindsight, frankly, not very good. The single is very much of its time and hasn’t dated well.

It was their debut single and I bought at a time when I was grabbing any half way decent punk tune I heard on John Peel.

They got to record a session for Peelie and almost made a front cover of Sniffin’ Glue, so they had their fifteen minutes of fame. However, their one and only album bombed and then they were no more.

On the cover shot the five guys are adopting appropriately sullen poses and look more like Mods than Punks.

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment

BACKTRACKING #27 : THE SMITHS’ CHARMING MAN

Filed under: Music — 1 Comment
July 23, 2011

Part of an irregular series of bite-sized posts about 7″ singles I own – shameless nostalgia from the days of vinyl. (Search ‘Backtracking’ to collect the set!)

THE SMITHS – This Charming Man b/w Jeane (Rough Trade, 1983)

This Charming Man

The record sleeve of This Charming Man which uses a still frame of Jean Marais from Jean Cocteau's 1949 film Orphée.

I first heard This Charming Man playing on the radio in an Indian grocer’s shop in Tottenham. It was one of those epiphanic moments that I will probably  recall on my death bed. The freshness and sheer beauty of this most perfect of pop songs struck me immediately.

As John Peel once said, with most bands you know exactly what they have been listening to but The Smiths just seemed to materialise out of nowhere. There was nothing like them before and there has been nothing like them since.

Journalists still write articles wondering why Morrissey still has such adoring fans, which means they either weren’t around to be smitten by these early singles or simply have no taste.

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment