Tuesday, October 9, 2007

- Nicholas Brace Downs Liverpool - End Rush Run: '87 FF part 2

So, who’s wondering if I’ll run out of cup finals to talk about before I run out of ’87 festive 50 mp3s?

1987 was a pretty good year for cup finals in general, although I’m not sure Peel would agree after Liverpool’s League Cup debacle. When Liverpool took the lead through an Ian Rush goal in the 1987 League Cup final, many fans assumed that the trophy was Liverpool's, as they had never, up to that point, lost a match in which Ian Rush had scored. However, the incredible 145-game run ended that day, as two, ahem, Charlie Nicholas goals gave Arsenal the cup. A week later, Liverpool lost 2-1 to Norwich at Carrow Road, the first time that they lost a league match in which Rush had scored. Rush went on famously to note, while playing for Juventus, that ‘living in Italy is like living in a foregin country’ although he subsequently denied saying it, as you would.

Dodgy moustache
Men used to have moustaches like this

Although it would be a bit hasty to say that this was the beginning of the end for the great Liverpool dynasty, it would also be fair to say that this might have marked the beginning of the end for the Liverpool dynasty. This Arsenal victory saw a resurgence of the Gunners as one of the major forces in English football, while Liverpool started to sign some really crap players from this point on, although it took everyone else about five years to fully realise this.

This was a good year for Peel heads, as there are approximately one shit load of Peel shows out there in the MP3 ether, many of which I’ll get round to sharing with you at some point. If you can’t wait, head over to John Horne Central.

31 Wedding Present - Getting Nowhere Fast
32 Prince - Sign o' the Times
33 James Taylor Quartet - Blow Up
34 Smiths - Sheila Take a Bow
35 McCarthy - Frans Hals
36 Eric B & Rakim - I Know You Got Soul
37 Sonic Youth - (I got a) Catholic Block
38 Public Enemy - You're Gonna Get Yours
39 Jesus and Mary Chain - Kill Surf City
40 Smiths - I Started Something I Couldn't Finish

Some cool HipHop in there at last, although if you look at the festive 50s the the following years, you’ll notice it didn’t last long.

Download the file

Monday, October 8, 2007

- Houchen Sinks Spurs in Cup Final Stunner: 1987 Festive 50

A lot of you will try and tell met hat the 2006 Cup final was a bit special. You’re wrong, it was rubbish but just happened to have a lot of goals, one of which was really good and scored in the last second of the match. The 1987 final, on the other hand, was bloody brilliant. Being young and having only really discovered footy a year or two earlier has probably helped to romanticize this match but for those of you who’ve never seen Keith Houchen’s goal, click on the pic:

Keith Houchen
Houchen’s brilliant goal

From an article in the Observer, February 3rd, 2002:

Houchen moved to Coventry at the start of the Cup-winning season, aged 26, with over 300 league games already under his belt for Hartlepool, Leyton Orient, York and Scunthorpe. He was the classic 1980s forward: big and bustling. It was an era Houchen loved: 'Football was at its best,' he says. 'We had got through the Seventies when people were kicking the shit out of each other. In the Eighties people liked good play but they liked to see a solid tackle as well.' There were no stars in the 1987 Coventry side, which relied on graft and teamwork. 'When people saw us play,' says Houchen, 'they would say "that is a team."' As they advanced to the final, the preparations took on a pattern. 'We used to go to Fuengirola in Spain before every Cup match,' Houchen reminisces. 'We'd be there for a couple of days then come back to a hotel in Bournemouth and play a bit of golf. And we would drink all week - do a little bit of training and then go out drinking. And we kept winning.'

Good lad. As we all know, football is crap nowadays but back then it really was different. I think it all went downhill when the players stopped being normal people. Earning a shitload of money probably caused this, along with lack of booze. Houchen’s biography is intruigingly titled A Tenner and a Box of Kippers.

John Peel, meanwhile, had reason to celebrate the demise of the Smiths that same year, as it meant that other bands actually had a chance of getting into the festive 50. The show you’re about to download is part one of the 1987 showcase, numbers 50 to 41 to be precise:

41. Jesus and Mary Chain - Nine Million Rainy Days

42. Big Black - L Dopa

43. New Order - 1963

44. Butthole Surfers - 22 Going On 23

45. Smiths - Shoplifters of the World Unite

46. M/A/R/R/S - Pump Up the Volume

47. Colorblind James Experience - Considering a Move to Memphis

48. Gun Club - The Breaking Hands

49. Beatmaster/Cookie Crew - Rok Da House

50. Talulah Gosh - Talulah Gosh


The broadcast is for the whole show for the evening of 22nd December, 1987. I seem to remember getting a CD player for Christmas that year, early adopter that I was.

Download the file

The rest of the ’87 festive 50 may well show up on the blog at some point in the future, depending on how many comments you buggers leave.

- Teenage Kicks Blog - So Hard to Beat

You Peelians are putting me to shame, you really are. Teenage Kicks, quickly becoming one of the all time greatest blogs, has been churning out the quality posts faster than I can change my four month old nipper’s diapers, how’s that for a bad analogy?

Recent delights include stupendously good posts on Jesus Jones, White Town and Squarepusher to name but a few. I wish I had the energy to craft my blog as well as this, but you’ll just have to make do with my brief inane ramblings for now. Some great broadcast festive 50s to appear soon to make up for me just telling you how good other blogs are.

- In Session Tonight Reaches Ae...


One of my favourite Peel project blogs is the fabulous In Session Tonight, who has been brave enough to try and present every Peel session in alphabetical order. Can you imagine? I'm so glad that I opted for a rambling nonsensical stick whatever I fancy whenever I feel like it format for Fades in Slowly.

Anyway, the site has got as far as Ae, with the 1998 session from Aerogramme. In Session Tonight also features a rather fine podcast, the second of which is currently available.

- Big Ozine UPDATE #6

Another week, another incredible collection of free mp3s over at the Big Ozine:

-Miles Davis: Fillmore West 1970

-Jeff Buckley: Grace Outtakes

-The Beatles: The Bigger The Love, The Greater The Hate

-Van Morrison: Astral Weeks Live

-Elton John: Rock Of The Fillmore Westies

-Simon & Garfunkel: Alternate Bookends

-Neil Young: Bottom Line 1974

-Eric Clapton: The Rainbow Concert 1973 (Late Show)

-Rainbow Rising: Rough Mix

-John Hiatt: Since His Penis... Came Between Us

-Copperhead: First Unreleased LP 1970

-Lucinda Williams: Strawberry Music Festival 2007

-Stomu Yamashta: Stockholm 1974

-Peter Gabriel: After The Flood Demos

-Brian Wilson: London 2007

-Robbie Fulks: Scotland 2007


Like I always say, remember to read the articles too!

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The philosophy of this blog is a celebration of music in the spirit of the late John Peel. For those of you who want to learn more, click here.

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