- 1976: The Full List

So, here they are then, the tracks you voted for. I'm glad that many of you voted for what you were actually listening to at the time, rather than what you feel you should have been listening to. I had great fun putting this together and will definitely be tackling another chart next year.

Thanks again and have a great new year everyone.



01 Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK
02 Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop
03 Damned - New Rose
04 Junior Murvin - Police and Thieves
05 ABBA - Dancing Queen
06 Queen - Somebody to Love
07 Joan Armatrading - Love and Affection
08 Candi Staton - Young Hearts Run Free
09 Pere Ubu - Final solution
10 Thin Lizzy - The boys are Back in Town
11 Donna Summer - Love to Love you Baby
12 Osibisa - Sunshine Day
13 David Bowie - Golden Years
14 Be Bop Deluxe - Ships in The Night
15 Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown
16 Bob Marley & the Wailers - Johnny was
17 Peter Frampton - Show me the Way
18 Saints - Stranded
19 Buzzcocks - Boredom
20 David Bowie - Station to Station
21 Steve Miller Band - Fly Like an Eagle
22 Thin Lizzy - Cowboy Song
23 Bob Dylan - Hurricane
24 Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded by the Light
25 Blue Oyster Cult - (Dont Fear) the Reaper
26 Peter Frampton - Baby, I love your Way
27 Queen - You're my Best Friend
28 Billy Ocean - Love Really Hurts without you
29 Eddie & the Hot Rods - Teenage Depression
30 Rick Springfield - Take a Hand
31 Electric Light Orchestra - Rockaria
32 Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band - A Fifth of Beethoven
33 War- Low Rider
34 ABBA - Knowing Me, Knowing You
35 Electric Light Orchestra - Evil Woman
36 Sensational Alex Harvey band - Boston Tea Party
37 Richard Hell - Blank Generation
38 Max Romeo & the Upsetters - War in a Babylon
39 Vicki Sue Robinson - Turn the Beat Around
40 Steve Miller Band - Take the Money and Run
41 ABBA - Money, Money, Money
42 Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
43 Tina Charles - I Love to Love
44 Wild Cherry - Play that Funky Music
45 Sailor – Girls, Girls, Girls
46 Kiss - Beth
47 Leroy Smart - Ballistic Affair
48 Rose Royce - Car Wash
49 David Soul - Don't Give up on Us
50 K.C. & the Sunshine Band - (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake your Booty

- Countdown to Festive Season #11: All New 1976 Part Three - 20 to 1

This is what albums looked like in 1976

Just like Steve over yonder at Teenage Kicks, I'm coming to terms with the increasing inappropriacy of the title to these threads, as the countdown is pretty much over. The second part of his Peel Sessions 50 is finally with us and what a belter it is. Not to be outdone, I've cobbled together the third and final part of my 1976 opus, and here it is...

Download and listen at your leisure:



86 mb for an hour and a hlaf of sheer listening bliss. As ever, you can listen now:



This time round there are three video clips for you; numbers 18, 14 and 12. Hope you've all had a lovely Christmas and I wish you all the best for the coming year.

- Countdown to Festive Season #10: 1990

Hope everyone had a nice time yesterday. Ok, first up it’s joke time:

One sunny day end of January, 2009 an old man approached the White House from Across Pennsylvania Avenue, where he'd been sitting on a park bench. He spoke to the U.S. Marine standing guard and said, "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush." The Marine looked at the man and said, "Sir, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here." The old man said, "Okay", and walked away. The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush." The Marine again told the man, "Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here." The man thanked him and, again, just walked away. The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same U.S. Marine, saying "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush." The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, "Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Bush. I've told you already that Mr. Bush is no longer the president and no longer resides here. Don't you understand?" The old man looked at the Marine and said, "Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it." The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, "See you tomorrow, Sir."


Now on to business… in 1990, the Leaning Tower of Pisa was closed to the public due to safety concerns. Something to do with it leaning a bit, apparently. February was a pretty big month as history goes. In South Africa President F.W. de Klerk allowed the African National Congress to legally function again and promises to set Nelson Mandela free. This he fairly promptly did: Mandela, a political prisoner for 27 years, was freed from Victor Verster prison outside Cape Town. Also, an agreement was reached for a two-stage plan to reunite Germany which, as we know, worked out so well. Indeed, East Germany hastily accepted the Deutsche Mark as its currency, thus uniting the economies of East and West. Later in the year Latvia proclaimed independence and the first post-Communist presidential and parliamentary elections were held in Romania. In November, destroyer of towns Margaret Thatcher resigned as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, which was nice.

Bitch

In the world of computing, the Windows 3.0 operating system was released by Microsoft to wide lack of acclaim and Paperback Software were found guilty by a U.S. court of copyright violation for copying the appearance and menu system of Lotus 1-2-3 in its competing spreadsheet program (that's the abacus equivalent of Excel for all you young 'uns). The first known World Wide Web page was written in November. Interestingly, on 8th July or 7th August, depending on how (un)American you are, the time and date was 12:34:56 7/8/90.

This was the future of dance music

This year’s Festive 50 was broadcast between 22nd and 30th December. This was the first chart for a while (ever?) to include a genuine pop chart #1 (OK, I’ll give you a clue, it went in at that all-important #44 slot, although officially it only made #2 in the pop charts – can you remember why?). If my memory serves me well (which it probably doesn’t), this was the closest I ever came to voting for an FF #1 (I went for MBV’s epic ‘soon’). There are a shed load of different downloads for this particular fifty, so I’ll try and make it easier for you not to get lost in them all:

22nd – here, here, here and here
23rd – here, here and here
29th – here, here, here, here and here
30th – here, here, here and here

- Countdown to Festive Season #9: All New 1976 Part Two - 35 to 21

This is what people looked like in 1976

In case you're worried, I'm officially declaring this part of the chart a David Soul-free zone. This then is the second part of the chart, running down from that all-important #35 to the very brink of the top 20. My apologies in advance if you find me taking the piss out of any songs that you chose.

Podcast available in download and keep format:



56 mb for just over an hour's entertainment. Alternatively, listen now:

There's just one video clip in this part of the chart, it's #23 and you can download it here. Stay tuned for the top twenty some time between now and the new year.

- Countdown to Festive Season #8: All New 1976 Part One - 50 to 36

Welcome to 1976 from David Soul

So here we go then with part one of the 2008 1976 Festive Fifty. I think you'll find it's somewhat different to the original chart. In this first part, we'll be going from #50 through to # 36.

Here's the link to part one (50 to 36):



54 minutes and 51 mb. Alternatively, listen now:



I couldn't get hold of mp3s for #47 or #45, so you can get hold of them by clicking here (45) and here (47). Thanks to Steve, these are also now available in mp3 format (see comments for details).

- Deleted Post Retaliatory Move

See comments for details of how to view my first ever deleted post...

- Countdown to Festive Season #7: 1986

Why the bloody hell didn't I do this in order? I'm only seven 50s into the marathon and I've already lost count and have to go back and check what I've already done. On to 1986 then. This was the year that Spain and Portugal were admitted into the European Community, there was the first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley) and Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just after takeoff killing all seven astronauts onboard.  Even worse, Sandra Kim won the thirty-first Eurovision Song Contest for Belgium singing "J'aime la vie" (I love life). 

In an interview with Playboy magazine, science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke came out as a bisexual and  US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met in Reykjavík, Iceland, in an effort to continue discussions about scaling back their intermediate missile arsenals in Europe. In Ukraine, a nuclear reactor at the Chornobyl (Chernobyl) nuclear plant exploded, creating the world's worst nuclear disaster. I should warn you, this clip doesn't make for comfortable viewing...

Aftermath of Chernobyl

This year's Festive 50 was broadcast between 22nd and 31st December and is one of the greats, especially if you happen to be a Smiths fan. #47 has long been a personal favourite of mine...

Camper Van Beethoven's Take The Skinheads Bowling

If you're one of the tens of people who might actually be interested in listening to the shows, you can do so here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Notice how I carefully avoided mentioning any hand of God type incidents?

- Countdown to Festive Season #6: 1994

The year 1994 was designated as the "International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. For me, it was the international year of getting drunk in different countries as I embarked on my first and so far only round the world trip. It was also the year that I gave university life a second, and eventually successful, try. Hence, a lot of Peel shows were listened to around this time with people of a like minded disposition.

Famous slaphead Telly Savalas died this year, as did Richard Nixon, A-Team legend George Peppard and East German bastard Erich Honecker. Newt Gingrich led the United States Republican Party in taking control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in midterm congressional elections, the first time in 40 years the Republicans secured control of both houses of U.S. Congress. George W. Bush was elected Governor of Texas. Russia and the People's Republic of China finally agreed to de-target their nuclear weapons against each other. Michael Schumacher cheated his way to his first Formula 1 World Championship and Colombian footballer Andrés Escobar was shot dead in Bogotá. His murder is commonly attributed as retaliation for the own goal Escobar scored in the 1994 FIFA World Cup against the United States.

The Festive Fifty for this year, given my student status at the time, remains one of my favourites. It was broadcast on 17th and 23rd December. Anybody who doesn't think the #25 isn't just wonderful is in big trouble...

Mazzy Star's Fade Into You

Hope you weren't as freaked out by Tarantino's sudden appearance at the end of that clip as I was. this was, of course, the year of Pulp Fiction. It's almost impossible to choose a definitive clip so here's the trailer to the film with the best soundtrack ever.

Travolta was well and truly back

It's the middle of December and it's a balmy 20 degrees C here in Istanbul. Listening to all these Festive charts is the only thing keeping me in the Christmas mood, I'm telling you. To enjoy the many delights of the 1994 chart, click here, here, here, here and here.

- Far from Moscow New Look

My favourite Russian inspired music site Far from Moscow has got a new look. That's all I have to say about it, really.

- My Name is Yon Yonson, I Work in Wisonsin

I'd completely forgotten about this for the best part of 20 years and have no idea why it popped back into my mind. This is just fantastic, if you've never heard it before you're in for a real treat:

- Countdown to Festive Season #5: 1992

There was never enough hip hop in the festive 50 for either my or Peel's liking, but when it did make it into the chart it did so in some style. For those of you who still doubt the genre, listen to this absolute classic which charted at a lowly #30 in 1992.

Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy's Language Of Violence

Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain married Courtney Love in February, 1992, while in March, Microsoft launched the, er, crap Windows 3.1. Michael Schumacher won his first Formula One race at the Belgian Grand Prix that year and the Toronto Blue Jays became the first non-US team to win the World Series. Absolutely Fabulous aired its first episode on BBC1.

Ab Fab: The first 10 minutes

The Festive 50 had truly moved into the 90s following the 'debacle' of the 1991 chart (soon to be detailed at the ever marvellous Teenage Kicks blog). I believe this was the beginning of the kind of fifties that Peel wanted, very few comparatively established mainstream artists appear, the chart appearing to be a championing of the causes of the upcoming stars. Fair enough, there's still a healthy representation of the Fall and the Wedding Present, but that's par for the course.

For those of you who haven't been keeping up, Steve has been doing the odd years while I've been doing the evens. Hence, you need to pop over to Teenage kicks. OK, I'll make it easy for you. Here are his posts for 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985 and 1987. Back to 1992... the chart for that year was broadcast between 19th December, 1992 and 1st January, 1993. If you want to give it a listen, and I'm sure you do, you can do so here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

- Countdown to Festive Season #4: 1984

'Why festive season and not Christmas' I hear hardly any of you ask? Well, living in a predominently Muslim country means that I've gained a bit of perspective on how others view this time of year. Sadly, they've gone the whole hog as far as the commercial aspect goes, but the true meaning it seems is being lost just the same as is the case elsewhere. Tradition here in Turkey is that people exchange presents on New Year's Eve, which is good news for my young 'uns who basically get two sets of presents.

On to business... 1984 was a big year for me. I moved to the North of England from the South, which had quite an impact on how my life panned out from that point on. Elsewhere, big brother wasn't watching that closely just yet, although lots of stuff did happen. Hulk Hogan won the World Wrestling Federation Championship from the Iron Sheik, in New York's Madison Square Garden. Hulkamania was born as a consequence. Konstantin Chernenko succeeded Yuri Andropov as general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and famously appeared in this video with Ronald Reagan, who defeated Walter Mondale to be re-elected in one of the largest electoral landslide in United States election history.

Great video for this year's FF #25

This also happened in 1984...

Torvill and Dean in Sarajevo

This year's Festive 50 marked the start of The Smiths' short-lived but nonetheless remarkable domination of the chart. The Cocteau Twins were also at the height of their FF activity, while elsewhere there were entries for, ahem, Peel favourites The Cult and The Sisters of Mercy. There were also some classic entries from best band ever The Fall, most notably (if you ask me) at #9. The chart was broadcast between 18th December, 1984 and January 1st, 1985. Those of you who are interested in listening to the shows can do so here, here, here, here and here.

My long-lost (now found) half sister Gemma also arrived this year.

- Countdown to Festive Season #3: 1980

1980 was a busy year. There was a Military coup here in Turkey, the Solidarity trade union was formed in Poland, Björn Borg won his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title, while in Australia the State of Origin rugby league series, possibly the world’s greatest sporting spectacle, was born. To make you feel really old, Christina Ricci, Chelsea Clinton, Venus Williams, Jessica Simpson, Macaulay Culkin and Jake Gyllenhaal were born in this year. Lest we forget, this was the start of the decade of debauchery, greed and excess, which could have been predicted when Ronald Reagan was elected the 40th US president in a sweeping victory. Hero of the year was a certain Alan Whipper Wells, who benefited greatly from loads of people not showing up at the Olympics to win the 100m men’s title in a time of about 15 seconds that wouldn’t even have got him to this year’s final.

A Flying Scotsman

In December, shortly before the broadcast of the Festive Fifty, Mark David Chapman murdered former Beatle John Lennon in New York. As a seven-year-old, I clearly remember the night it happened, I guess I was just about at that age where you can gauge the importance of events like this.

BBC NEWS reports John Lennon’s death, December 8th, 1980

The Festive Fifty was still ostensibly an ‘all-time’ list in 1980, although you’d be hard pressed to find anything in the top 50 dating back much further than 1977. You have to look to the extended 65 list to find a few old gems from the likes of Pink Floyd and The Who. Indeed, it was probably fear of this year’s one and two duking it out for top spot in the following years that prompted JP to change to the year’s best format that we came to know and love. If you’d like to listen to the shows, broadcast between 22nd and 30th December, 1980, you can do so here, here, here and here.

While we’re on the subject of festive charts, I should mention that this will be a joint operation between myself and Teenage Kicks Steve, who has just begun his half of the shift with the 1977 chart.

- CD Cover Printing

I got to thinking the other day about my own exploits in the world of music, as limited as they have been. What would I do if people actually started listening to the bloody stuff? Where would I get CDs pressed, who would design the CD sleeve and how much would it cost to produce? Idle thoughts at present and probably forever, but it got me thinking and doing a bit of internet research into how I’d go about it if I ever needed to. PSprint is a prime example of the kind of online resource that could help me should I ever need CD cover printing for 10000 units in a hurry. PSprint prints custom posters for businesses, artists, as well as special events and promotions. Additionally, they offer customized CD cover printing and DVD sleeves for artists, musicians, movie makers or anyone else who may need such products.

So, how easy would it be for me to use PsPrint? Put it this way, the company has even developed CD/DVD packaging product templates to make it easier for its customers to prepare print-ready files in graphic design software programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Quark Express. These templates can be downloaded from the website and give information on product dimensions, layout, bleed, safety zone, and any folding or mailing guidelines for those of you who want to design your own sleeves.

The cost of getting sleeves produced is clearly displayed on this site and as you’d expect, buying in bulk makes for a more economic process. The service also offers full color poster printing, which I’ll think about later on my path to world music domination.

- Countdown to Festive Season #2: 1988

Just to make it clear, I will be posting links to every currently available Festive Fifty over the next month or so, as long as the day job doesn't get in the way. I should also make it clear that they will in no way be coming along chronologically, just in whatever order takes my fancy. This time we leap forward to December, 1988, a time when I was a moody fifteen-year-old who spent way to much time alone in his room listening to Pink floyd and, ahem, Marillion. Photos of me during this period exist, apparently, although I go to great efforts to keep them hidden.

This was also the month that Roy Orbison died; it's been twenty years, really. It was also the month that Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing a total of 270 people, Benazir Bhutto was sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of an Islam-dominated state and Estonian became the official language of Estonia; communism was well and truly on its way out. for a couple of days in September, the world was astounded by this...

Oooh, you cheeky bugger

...of course, he was to cause more of a stir when his cheating was discovered. I remember getting up at something like 3:00 am to watch this race, I was so happy when that smug git Carl Lewis lost. Oh well. This was also the year that Red Dwarf started. The Festive 50 this tear was broadcast between 20th and 28th December. Should you wish, you can get to listen to these shows by clicking here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

- Countdown to Festive Season #1: 1978

'What were you doing in December, 1978' is a question I'm rarely asked these days. Watching 'The wizard of Oz', 'Jeux sans frontieres', 'The generation game' and 'Blankety blank' is probably about as accurate an answer as I can give right now. I think this was the year that I got a Kermit the frog for christmas, although that could well have been 1979. I've absolutley no doubt that I wasn't tuning in to John Peel's 1978 Festive 50. As a five year old, I just didn't see the appeal at the time. My tastes have changed somewhat, which is why I'm so glad that I am now able to listen to this feast of music.

Stuart Hall and Ostriches, circa 1978

While my new toys were occupying me - perhaps this was the year that I got my six million dollar man doll - JP was busy broadcasting what was quickly becoming an international institution. The Festive 50 for that year was broadcast between 26th December, 1978 and 1st January, 1979. For those of you interested in listening, you can do so by clicking here, here, here and here. This is how the UK sounded before Thatcher got her hands on it.

- 30 from 30 Breaks the DivShare Bank

So many of you rushed to download the latest podcast that the monthly limit is about to be breached. Never fear ,boys and girls, I've uploaded it to a new account and you can download it here. A fantastic effort from Steve to name all thirty tracks, now it's down to the rest of you to fill in the gaps:

1. Siouxsie and The Banshees, 'Love In A Void' (Session #1)
2. Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band, 'Electricity' (Session #1)
3. Meteors, 'Ain't Gonna Bring Me Down' (Session #2)
4. David Bowie, 'Queen Bitch' (Paris concert)
5.  
6. Smiths, 'What Difference Does It Make' (Session #1)
7.
8. Cure, '17 Seconds' (Session #3)
9. Department S, 'Is Vic There' (only session)
10. Killing Joke, 'Wardance' (Session #1)
11. Joy Division, 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' (Session #2)
12. Adam And The Ants, 'Deutscher Girls' (Session #1)
13. Queen, 'Spread Your Wings' (Session #3)
14. Damned, 'New Rose' (Session #1)
15. Motorhead, 'Louie Louie' (only session)
16. Cocteau Twins...
17. Pavement, 'The Classical' (Session #4)
18.
19. Chameleons, 'The Fan The Bellows' (Session #1)
20. Fall, 'ROD' (Session #10)
21.
22.
23.
24.
25. House Of Love, 'Christine' (Session #3)
26.
27. Nirvana, 'About A Girl' (Session #1)
28. Breeders, 'Hellbound' (only session)
29. Future Sound Of London, 'Papua New Guinea' (Session #1)
30. Billy Bragg, 'Between The Wars' (Session #3)

If you think you can help, leave comments below and I'll update the list. Meanwhile, in news from elsewhere, those of you who feel that the blog is, and I quote, 'slightly bewildering' and even a 'complete mess', you should bloody well see the rest of my life. While we're at it, I don't really know where you live, stop being silly. I've changed the little caption anyway, hope you approve.

All new listen now...

- 30 from 30: Peel Session PODCAST

Ok, first of all, down to business. Vote for your favourite 3 tracks from 1976 in my super duper (haven't written that in years) 1976 Festive 50. Go on, do it now. After you've done that, go to Steve's blog and vote for your favourite Peel sessions. Thirdly, go to dandelion Radio amd vote in the 2008 Festive 50. Then, only then, listen to my stupendous Peel Session Podcast.

The tracks featured today span 30 years of Peel sessions and Peel show concerts, from the late '60s to the late '90s (thirty years if my maths is right). Just to spice things up a little, I'm not going to give you the details of any of the tracks, I'd just like anyone who can identify them to leave details in the comments section below. There are a fair few classics in there, even some from my selections for Steve's Peel session 50. There are also a few more obscure tracks, which is where it might get tricky.

I've had a bad back for the last few days and have generally been feeling miserable and bored, so was really happy when Davy H pointed out that the Guardian had written a piece about the blog. I get in a bit of a downer about the blog from time to time, especially as I have nowhere near enough time to devote to it as I'd like, so it's nice to know that people out there give a damn.

Getting down to business, finally, here's the download and keep forever link to the podcast:

Length: almost 2 hours

File size: 100mb

Alternatively, make use of the 'listen now' format:

There's much less chitter chatter from me this time, you'll be delighted to hear. I eagerly await your wildly inaccurate guesses about band names, track names and session dates in the comments section!

- Peel Radio Times Feature, August, 1999

Thanks to Andrew for scanning the 'Do you think I'm sixty?' feature from August, 1999.There are 11 pages from the Radio Times of Peel's 60th birthday, including pics, stories and schedules.

Download the 'bit of a monster' pdf (20mb)



Now, does anyone have a copy of this...

- Flock of Seagulls on TOTP

At some point you have to just say that the music must take precedence over the hair - pretty much any piece of music ever produced being that point. Never mind anything else, think of the damage this bugger singlehandedly did to the ozone layer keeping that monstrosity im place. JP must have heard something in the music though, as he featured them in session in 1981 (see my post 'May 12th 1981: The Birth of the Haircut'. ), probably before the patented hairstyle became the band's focal point.

This is a great clip, never the less. TOTP was once the coolest program on TV, lest we forget:



Also available for your downloading pleasure:



File size:50mb

- Erazerhead Session: 20th July, 1982

I haven't shared any sessions with you for a while so I felt it was about time. Here we have Erazerhead's one and only offering, dating from 1982. The East Londoners were more often compared with the likes of The Ramones than the nihilistic thrashings of their UK contemporaries, but their relentless enthusiasm and manic vibrant energy ensured their place in the annals of UK punk. Formed in 1980, their frontman Lee Drury's passion for rock 'n' roll would help colour Erazerhead's musical offerings.

Visit the band's website

Lineup:

Lee Dury (Vocals)
Jim Berlin (Guitar)
Billy Trigger (Drums)
Gary Spanner (Bass)

I await the deluge of complaints that this track list doesn't match the one that you've seen elsewhere. Please let me know if you have more info.

Track list:

I Hate You
Teenager In Love
Noone sees me now
Martian girl




File size: 7mb

- iPod or MP3 players?

I feel like I’m getting old when I can actually remember when MTV used to play music videos and I used to haul around a portable CD player with a stack of CDs. Then came the ipod, one of the classic inventions of this decade as well as being one of the world’s most popular music and video players. I was late to the trend, only getting mine a couple of years ago, but some of the latest mp3 players now offer the same great features and storage memory.

So folks, what are you, an iPod devotee or will any of the many brands of mp3 players do the trick? What do you think about the differences and similarities of iPods and mp3 players? For me, and a big part of me hates to say this, I’ve been suckered in to the iconic status of the iPod brand, so much so that since buying our family’s first one for my wife, we now have another two for the kids (one an iPod Touch) and I’m hankering after an iPod Nano for myself for Christmas. I think another big factor for me is the shear range of iPods on the market, there’s one for just about every shape and size of person.

As those of you who come to the blog regularly will know, I live in Turkey and am often complaining about stuff like the 'entertainment tax' the government places on cool stuff like mp3 players. As a result, I often employ the services of my brother to bring things over from England when he visits. He put me on to the price comparison website Save Buckets (see pic) recently, even going so far as to suggest I abandon my beloved iPods in favour of a Creative zen mp3 player. Sorry Jim, but I guess I'm too much of a traditionalist.

- Your Favourites: Sid Vicious - Slender and Likeable at 50?

This documentary, which I first posted back in May of last year, remains a perennial favourite, so it earns a repost. Remember everyone, war is bad.





Interviewer: Are you having fun at the moment?
Vicious: Are you kidding? No, I am not having fun at all.
Interviewer: Where would you like to be?
Vicious: Under the ground.
Interviewer: Are you serious?
Vicious: (quietly, and sad) Yeah.

Sid Vicious would have turned 50 last weekend. His story is a sad one indeed. The BBC broadcast a one-hour documentary last weekend commemorating him.

Download the program...

-here (part one)

-here (part two).



His version of My Way has never been a personal favourite, but never the less, here it is...

- 2008 Festive 50 needs your vote

As you'll know, the Festive Fifty is an annual chart featuring the previous year's best tracks, as voted for by listeners. Peel presented the first ever Festive Fifty on Radio 1 back in 1976 and continued to do so until his untimely passing in 2004.

Radio 1's One Music show hosted the poll in 2005, before Peel's former production team asked Dandelion Radio to become the new home of the Festive Fifty from 2006 onwards. The time has come for you to make your selections for this year's chart by clicking here! .

- Son of Purges Continue

- Happy Days

'Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King could walk; Martin Walked so Obama could run; Obama's running so our children can FLY!'

Words of wisdom from Jay-Z

- Ten Glorious Moments from the ‘60s

Something a little different for post #200. These are ten very cool clips from the 1960s, available in ‘watch now’ format or, by clicking on the name of the artist and song title, yours to keep forever. In order to generate bickering in the comments section, let’s say that the ordering from 10 to 1 is definitive and can’t be argued with:


Sneaking in at that ever popular #10 spot we have Glen Campbell, whose biggest hits came in 1968 and 1969 were with evocative songs written by Jimmy Webb: "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Where's The Playground Susie?", "Galveston" and "Wichita Lineman." He was nowhere near as squeaky clean as this polished performance suggests:





At that all-important #9 spot we have Aretha Franklin with, quite frankly, a much too fast for my liking rendition of "Respect":




At #8 is the simply gorgeous Petula Clark with "Downtown". Failure to love this could result in serious punishment:





‘Bobbie Gentry only at #7?’ I here you rant. You have a point, especially after watching this bizarre yet fabulously ‘60s-esque clip of "Ode to Billie Joe":




#6 sees the Welsh legend Tom Jones belting out "Delilah", bring back black and white I say:





Elvis Presley ranks a lowly #5 with the epic "If I can dream", despite the 1968 comeback special being the greatest TV event ever (yes, the moon landing was a fake and doesn’t count):





At #4, Dusty Springfield is left alone in the spotlight to kind of dance around on her own for a bit, to great effect, while crooning "I only want to be with you":





Right up the with the best of them at #3 are the Moody Blues and "Go now":





Just missing out on top spot is the greatest of all TV chefs Isaac Hayes with a very compact version of "Walk on by". If you can’t make it black and white, have the brightest colours visible to the human eye:





At #1 we have the cool as a cucumber that’s been at the back of the fridge where it gets a bit frosty Nancy Sinatra with "These boots were made for walking". Caution: there really are a lot of women in boots in this clip, you have been warned:



Complaints, links to better videos and death threats belwo, please...

- Podcast 6 in 'listen now' format

The internet badass cops have got me on the run, so let me assure them that no downloads can be made from this particular post, honest guv. This is merely for those who want to listen to the recent podcast without having to download it, which you can't from this post, as I'd mentioned.



For a complete tracklist, click here. My next post will be my 200th, so I'm planning something a bit spectacular. Please be patient, as it might take a while.

- The Purges Continue

Every day, I hear new stories of post rape, where one of you poor bloggers has been violated with the total eradication of one or more of your finely crafted posts by a bunch of right bastards. Think yourselves comparatively lucky, however, when you consider that that fine chap Stuart of the many, many blogs has had an entire blog deleted. Not to be disuaded, however, Stuart has recreated his entire Costello Variety blog at a different address. If you're interested in all things Costello, you can visit the fabulously well salvaged blog here. Let this be an example to us not to let the buggers grind you down.

- Let's try again, shall we: PODCAST 6

FOREWORD: This may look familiar but I've had to repost for reasons that are becoming increasingly obvious.

Stockholm's finest: Let's Say We Did

Many, many mentions of the issue of blog posts being disappeared by big brother by my fellow bloggers, who all write more eloquently than I could manage, so I'll just get down to business and talk about the tracks on the podcast. My apologies in advance for not linking to many of the blogs but blogspot sites are currently banned in Turkey (I’m currently trawling backwards through the constitution in hope of finding one bloody good reason why but to no avail) so it’s quite awkward putting any kind of post together via a proxy server, never mind doing all the necessary htmling.

First up we have the ever cheerful Bauhaus with their tribute to a Hollywood legend, ‘Bela Lugosi’s dead’. Possibly the longest ever Goth track, certainly the last Goth I’ll be playing for quite some time, you have my word. Following that dark extravaganza is the first from Stockholm’s finest, Let's say we did, ‘Come on honey’. I’m quite enamored of their music and am happy to have finally gotten round to putting them in a podcast. Now on to your first taste of Turkish metal; I’ve been somewhat remiss in terms of playing Turkish bands on the podcasts, something I’ve tried to make up for this time. The first of four is from Insistence with their track ‘The filler’.

As you listen, you’ll find my ever meticulous preparation is at work again as I completely forget which film the excellent Frances Ashman’s ‘Peculiar groove’ comes from (Nil by mouth, by the way). This track seemed to be a nice interlude before returning to the abrasiveness of my Turkish offerings, namely Groza and their deceptively charmingly titled ‘Denizlere döneceğim’ (which means ‘I will return to the seas’).

Let's say we did consist of Sebastian Fors, Gustav Bengtsson, Joakim Johansson, Tobias Adolfsson and Jens Wicksén. My apologies once again for the terrible pronunciation. Their second track of the podcast is ‘Galaxys’, which links in a nice Waltersesque way onto the following track, Notwithstanding’s ‘Gezegen’ (meaning ‘planet’).

Those of you who have somehow managed to avoid Ed’s excellent 17 seconds blog will be unaware of his efforts to start his own record label. His first signing, Aberfeldy, offer the delightfully catchy ‘Come on claire’. A wallow in self-indulgence for me next with one of my all time favourites of all time, Harvey danger’s ‘Flagpole sitta’. Cenotaph’s 'Horrific realms of gorextacy’ completes my Turkish selection for this time round.

In a blatant effort to pull in more punters, I’ve gone all mainstream on your asses with selected highlights from Oasis’ recent Wembley gig. Tracks featured are as follows: ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’, ‘Lyla’, ‘The Shock Of The Lightning’, ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’, ‘The Meaning Of Soul’, ‘To Be Where There’s Life’, ‘Waiting For The Rapture’, ‘The Masterplan’, and ‘Songbird’. I have the rest of this gig hidden away deep in the vaults and may stick it in the next podcast if your comments make it worth my while.

Thanks again to Ed for the fabulous three tracks from the forthcoming ‘Kung Fu Super Sounds - Unreleased Shaw Brothers Soundtracks’ compilation. There’s no way of describing how cool these are: Counterspy – ‘Dirty Ho Theme', Spin Out – ‘Heaven and Hell' and The Mystified man – ‘Flag Of Iron' I’ve finished up with the final offering from Let's say we did, ‘Straight back to you’.

On to the comments section please, as you definitely, certainly, without doubt can't download this unless you do...

- Entrailicus in blatant attempt to bring in the punters

One for the metal fans among you. Take a chance and download this...



File size:21mb

- This is where I live

Ladies and gentlemen, this is where I live, as presented by the should have been more successful Tea Party:


There's much more traffic than this nowadays, mind.

I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to download this and keep forever...



File size: 17mb

- Jubilee 1977

It seems like I've acquired an obsession with the punk era recently, although I can't fully explain why. Perhaps the proliferation of late 70s Peel shows now appearing has something to do with it, coupled with the fact that I've just received my first copyright-related slap on the wrist over sharing that bloody K-Tel monstrosity with you. Anyhow, by way of keeping this going, I'm sharing this soundtrack that I recently stumbled upon.

Some young punks in action

I haven't seen the accompanying film, and the label 'cult classic' which is regularly applied to it make me feel that I probably wouldn't want to. There is some great musical accompinments, however.

Info kindly borrowed from Wikipedia:

In Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth I (Runacre) is transported forward in time by the occultist John Dee (Richard O'Brien) through the spirit guide Ariel (a character from Shakespeare's The Tempest). Elizabeth arrives in the shattered Britain of the 1970s. Queen Elizabeth II is dead, killed in an arbitrary mugging, and Elizabeth I moves through the social and physical decay of the city observing the activities of a group of sporadic nihilists including Amyl Nitrate (Jordan), Bod (Runacre in a dual role), Chaos (Hermine Demoriane), Crabs (Nell Campbell), and Mad (Toyah Willcox).

The film is heavily influenced by the 1970s punk aesthetic in its style and presentation. Shot in grainy colour it is largely plotless, episodic, untidy, confrontational, often incoherent and noisily anti-establishment and anti-royalty (Buckingham Palace has become a recording studio run by a seedy music producer named Borgia Ginz).

Numerous punk icons appear in the film including Jordan (a Malcolm McLaren protege), Toyah Willcox, Campbell (Little Nell), Adam Ant, Demoriane and Wayne County. It features performances by Wayne County and Adam and the Ants. There are also cameo appearances by The Slits and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The film was scored by Brian Eno.


Track listing:

1. Deutscher Girls - Adam & The Ants
2. Paranoia Paradise - Wayne County & The Electric Chairs
3. Right to Work - Chelsea
4. Nine to Five - Maneaters
5. Plastic Surgery - Adam & The Ants
6. Rule Brittania - Suzxi Pinns
7. Jerusalem - Suzi Pinns
8. Wargasm in Pornotopia - Amilcar
9. Slow Water - Brian Eno
10. Dover Beach - Brian Eno




File size: 69mb

- 7th November, 1978

Thanks to Dr. Mango for bringing this one into the 21st centruy for us. You can get more information by clicking here.

Tracklisting:

-XTC: Red (LP - Go 2) Virgin
-Sham 69: Red London (single b-side – I Don't Wanna) Step Forward
-Joe King Carrasco and El Molino: Jalapeno con Big Red (LP - Joe King Carrasco & El Molino) Lisa Records
-The Mekons: Trevira Trousers (Peel session)
-Gary Moore: Back on the Streets (single) MCA Records
-Spizz Oil: 6000 Crazy (single) Rough Trade
-Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: When I See Mommy I Feel Like A Mummy (LP - Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller))
-Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: Owed t'Alex (LP - Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller))
-Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: Candle Mambo (LP - Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller))
-The Mekons: Rosanne (Peel session)
-Buzzcocks: Promises (single) United Artists
-John Cooper Clarke: Readers Wives (LP - Disguise in Love) CBS
-Status Quo: Accident Prone (LP - If You Can't Stand the Heat) Vertigo
-Peter and Paul Lewis: Ethiopian Land (single)
-Red Crayola: War Sucks (LP - The Parable of Arable Land)
-Ted Nugent: Smokescreen (LP - Weekend Warriors)
-Jimmy McCracklin: The Walk
-The Mekons: Like Spoons No More (Peel session)
-Bethnal: Nothing New (single) Vertigo
-Xdreamysts: The Right Way Home (single) Good Vibrations

File size: 54mb

- 14th March, 1992

Another complete show, this time from the collection of Ken Garner. In his own words:

Here's a complete show from early 1992 which featured heavily in chapter 1 of In session Tonight. This was the show which featured the debut `freakout' session by Spiritualized, and several other scoops as well: three tracks from The Fall's new 12-inch; three tracks from the forthcoming new LP by P J Harvey `Dry'; three tracks from the new Pavement LP `Slanted and Enchanted'; three from The Meathooks; and a repeat of Leatherface's session. Added to that in the first ten minutes a treat for those trying to collect everything in John Peel's Singles Box, I think. All in all, with the benefit of hindsight this is clearly a very newsworthy, busy and noisy show. Enjoy!

Download links:

Peel 1992-03-14a

Peel 1992-03-14b

Peel 1992-03-14c

Peel 1992-03-14d


Instant gratification video clips:


Possibly the sexiest song ever.


This be the Peel session version of 'Secret Knowledge Of Backroads'

- Thursday, 26th December, 2002

Regail in the delight that was Peel's five hour marathon at Christmas, 2002. Didn't those buggers at the BBC appreciate that the man was already in his sixties and that 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. was a bit much.

More thanks to Teenage Kicks Steve for his work in sharing this spectacular show.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 and Part 7.

... and here's the tracklisting.

- Prolific Blogger Cheers me up No End

The blogger I'd previously only known as Mr. Obscure but whom I now know as Stuart sent me a couple of fantastic emails recently that cheered me up no end, hence the title of this post. I'm sure anyone who blogs knows the feeling: from time to time you just feel like there's no bloody point and you just want to jack it all in. I've been going through a few of those days recently, but a few kind words from a fellow blogger or two are all it's needed to get me back on track. Aforementioned Stuart has a load of, quite frankly, marvellous music blogs, all of which I'm going to list now:

- Mr. Obscure

- Post Punk Power Pop

- Free Fiction 4 U

- Guitar Instrumentals 4 U

- Rare & Elusive

- Super 70s Sounds

- The Audio Emporium

- The World Upstairs

- The Tremolo Men

- '78 to '81

- Costello Variety

If there isn't something for everyone in that little lot, then I don't know what the world is coming to. Thanks to all of you who support what I'm doing and those who leave comments on posts, they are always appreciated. Thanks also for the recent (relative) deluge of votes for the 1976 Festive 50, the chart is shaping up to be a nice mix of punk and disco classicvs with a little bit of reggae thrown into the mix.

I hope you'll be glad to hear that there's no chance of me packing in this blogging lark just yet. While we're at it, anyone know if the 7/3/1979 Peel show with a session from Hi Fi has surfaced yet?

- The Ramones: The 914 Sessions, September, 1975

Thanks to the mighty Big Ozine for this…

Before the Ramones hit it big with their self-titled debut album in 1976, there was this little nugget flying around. Recorded on September 19, 1975 at 914 Studios, Blauvelt, New York, Judy's In The Basement was released as a 10-inch EP by Hit & Run Records, and made in East Berlin. The liner notes also state that the songs were produced by Tommy Erdelyi.

At that time, the Ramones were punk. But then, given the simplicity of the songs, the catchy melodies, the singalong-ness of their tunes and those bombastic chords (never mind that they were the same three or four ones) - it's hard not to like the Ramones and doubly hard not to be inspired by them. For many, the idea of the Ramones might be boiled down to this: it's so simple anyone can do it! But the Ramones were being themselves and the fans understood this.

Track list:

-I Don't Wanna Go Down To The Basement
-53rd & 3rd
-I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
-Judy Is A Punk
-Loudmouth

Lineup:

Johnny Ramone - guitar
Joey Ramone - vocals
Dee Dee Ramone - bass
Tommy Ramone – drums




File size: 14mb
 

- Your Favourites: James Taylor and Joni Mitchell 1970

This concert remains one of the most visited posts I've ever written, so I thought it was more than about time for a repost. It remains a pretty darn special concert.

Track Listing

-That song about the Midway
-The Gallery
-Rainy Day Man
-Steamroller
-The Priest
-Carey
-Carolina on my Mind
-California
-The Circle Game
-You can Close your Eyes

Download the show here. I can't recommend this enough, this is really beautiful music. For instant gratification, click on the video clips below...


Joni Mitchell & James Taylor - A Case Of You


James Taylor & Joni - You Can Close Your Eyes

- Hols

Well everyone, it's the end of Ramadan and the kind folks I work for have given me all this week off work, which is nice. I'll be back with more K-Tel classics next week.

- Roast Fish on the Menu: Podcast 4

Well, after a mere 3 months of inactivity I've already finished podcast 4.


I'll update this post even more when I have time, but for now you can download the reggae special here (only 31 mb for 45 minutes).

01 - POLICE and THIEVES - JUNIOR MURVIN
02 - ROAST FISH and CORNBREAD - LEE PERRY
03 - WAR INA BABYLON - MAX ROMEO and THE UPSETTERS
04 - NATTY TAKEOVER - JUSTIN HINES
05 - COLUMBIA COLLY - JAH LION
06 - MAN IN THE HILLS - BURNING SPEAR
07 - CROAKING LIZARD - PRINCE JAZZBO and THE UPSETTERS
08 - RASTAMAN - BUNNY WAILER
09 - NO SYMPATHY - PETER TOSH
10 - THREE BABYLON - ASWAD


Alternatively, listen below...



As I said, more details to follow when I get a chance.

- 1978 Shows

There seem to be shows coming left right and center these days, which is only a good thing, of course. It's getting hard even trying to find the time to download them all, never mind liten to them. Here's a selection of the latest 1978 offerings from the fabled 400 box:

1978-07-31 (Patrik Fitzgerald, Magazine)

1978-08-04 (Adam & The Ants, The Fall sessions)

1978-08-08 (All records show, Robin Tower album)

1978-08-15 (Tyla Gang session)

Thanks as ever to those doing the ripping.

- 7th April, 1995

Thanks again to the increasingly legendary Steve for this complete 1995 show, featuring sessions from Black Star Liner and Mug.

Download links:

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. Tracklisting is available here.

- When I were a lad...

Firstly, I'm from Yorkshire so I'm allowed bad subject verb agreement. When I were a lad football was much better than it is now. I think we can all agree on that fact. The fact alone that football managers used to dress like this should seal the argument...

70s man in full effect

For those of you who haven't wasted as much of your lives following this bloody game as I have, Malcolm Allison, pictured above on his way to a fancy dress party as a pimp, was a fairly successful manager of newly-crowned 'world's richest club' Manchester City. City have, for my lifetime at least, been total crap. Americans among you may understand if I draw an analogy with the LA Clippers. They have had what can only be described as an anti-midas touch, everything they touch turns to shit. they haven't won a trophy since 1976, although they have recently been acquired by the Dubai royal family and have the benefit of a 200 billion family fortune behind them. There was a time, however, when they were just another poorly run club, stumbling from one disastrous signing and managerial appointment to the next.

The documentary you're about to download hails from the early 80s, when Malcolm Allison was sacked and the club taken over by John Bond. Obviously it's mostly of interest to City fans, but I recommend it to anyone who has forgotten what English football was like before it was taken over by the world's dodgiest gangsters and ne'erdowells.

A greedy Brazilian, yesterday

File size: 123mb

- 25 years of the Festive 50

Peel's commemorative shows from 19th ;December, 2000. Thanks to big Ken Garner for these beauties:

"25 Years of the Festive 50" Special, pt 1

142.9 MB
1 02' 27"


"25 Years of the Festive 50" special, pt 2

137.9 MB
1 00' 14"

- New Peel Shows

Just a quick summary of some of the new Peel shows that are now available in digital format. Thanks to all those who have put in the time and effort to make these available...


1: Monday 26 September, 1988

Session artist is Four Brothers, an mp3 @ 320 kbps
 
Tracklisting available here and more information on the '500 box' here.

2: Peel on daytime radio

Peel's complete first lunchtime show from Easter Monday 1993, 5th April.

PEEL stands in for  BRAMBLES

part 1: 1993-04-05a, 12.45-1.30pm

part 2, 1993-04-05b, 1.30-2.15pm

part 3, 1993-04-05c, 2.15-3pm

3: Peel's 50th birthday gig

Recorded at Subteranea London the night before Wednesday 30th August 1989, and broadcast on that evening (24 hrs later).

Peel 50th Birthday show 1989-08-30a (part 1)

Peel 50th Birthday show 1989-08-30a (part 2)

- The K-Tel Hit Machine (1976)

The Summer of 1976 was considered, by many who lived through it to be the best and longest summer within in recent memory. Throughout Europe a large area of High Pressure dominated the majority of Europe for all of the Summer months. The Pressure system moved into place in late May 1976 and remained until the first traces of rain were recorded on August 27th and continued into the Bank Holiday weekend.

Rainfall throughout the July-August period was down by half the annual average. During this spell of hot weather temperatures exceeded 32 °C at several weather stations within in the UK every day, and Cheltenham had 11, including seven successive days from 1 July - recording 35.9 °C on the 3rd. For that entire period, much of Europe was bathed in continual sunshine with the UK seeing an average of more than 14 hours of bright sunshine. 1976 was dubbed 'the year of the Ladybird' in the UK due to mass numbers of Ladybirds brought on by the long hot period. I myself was three years old and don't remember a bloody thing about it. While all this was going on, K-Tel saw fit to churn out this chart busting compilation.

I'll be honest, boys and girls, voting for the all-new 1976 Festive 50 has been a bit slow so far. I haven't even received enough votes to put together a full fifty yet. So.... in order to entice to get your voting boots on, I've uncovered this truly spectacular compilation contemporary to the new chart.

Back in the days before 'Now that's what I call music' (do they still make those?), you had the likes of this little gem, the K-Tel Hit Machine. If this doesn't get you in the voting mood, just wait until next week when I hit you head on with the K-Tel Music Machine: that's right, it gets even worse.

Side 1

01 - (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty - K.C. & The Sunshine Band (1976)
02 - Right Back Where We Started From - Maxine Nightingale (1975)
03 - Moonlight Feels Right - Starbuck (1975)
04 - Summer - War (1976)
05 - When Will I Be Loved - Linda Ronstadt (1974)
06 - Happy Days - Pratt & McClain (1976)
07 - Our Day Will Come - Frankie Valli (1975)
08 - (You're) Having My Baby - Paul Anka (1974)
09 - Love Really Hurts Without You - Billy Ocean (1976)
10 - Disco Duck (Part 1) - Rick Dees & His Cast Of Idiots (1976)

Side 2

11 - Island Girl - Elton John (1975)
12 - A Fifth Of Beethoven - Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band (1976)
13 - Let Your Love Flow - Bellamy Brothers (1975)
14 - Welcome Back - John Sebastian (1976)
15 - Evil Woman - Electric Light Orchestra (1975)
16 - Take A Hand - Rick Springfield (1976)
17 - Rock And Roll All Nite - Kiss (1975)
18 - I'm Not Lisa - Jessi Colter (1975)
19 - Who Loves You - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (1975)
20 - Disco Lady - Johnnie Taylor (1976)

Remember, you're being punished for having not voted, so the quicker you get the votes in, the quicker I can return to decent music. I don't think I need comment on what will happen if any of you choose bloody 'disco duck'.



File size:93mb