Taken down! John Peel Soundcloud streams removed

That was quick...it appears the 458 John Peel shows that were recently available on Soundcloud are now gone. I had only found out about it TWO days ago! Oh well...you go BBC legal department!

458 full John Peel shows - is that all?

Wow...This is completely insane, and I mean that in the best possible way. 458 complete John Peel broadcasts on Soundcloud! Thanks to Liverpool website, Seven Streets, for pointing these out, and thanks to +dB for posting them! What a valuable undertaking.

As Seven Streets says, "The scope of music on these shows is still gobsmacking. From fuzzy psychedelic rock to turn-of-the-century gospel music, clanging industrial to pastoral folk, Peel was the most wonderfully eclectic host to ever take to the airwaves. We love hearing how his typically dry, borderline shambolic presenting style was in effect right back in his earliest episodes, too. So take some time out over the next few months to explore these: open your ears, soak up some brilliantly broad sounds, and pay your respects to the greatest DJ who ever lived."

And, of course, don't forget about the John Peel Record Collection. 

The John Peel Record Collection - A Wonder to Behold!

In case you've been living under a rock, the famed John Peel record collection is slowly making its cataloged-way on line courtesy of the geniuses at The Space in the UK - a "a new, deliberately experimental service, managed by Arts Council England and developed in partnership with the BBC" as they describe themselves.

Under the name The John Peel Centre For Creative Arts, not only is Peel's formidable collection being preserved for the generations, but The Centre have also created one of the best looking & well thought out websites I have ever seen. If you're into music, vinyl, record collecting, catalogs, what have you...click through and spend some time. The photo above shows the home page. Each item highlighted in yellow is clickable and Peel related. From Peel home videos, to Peel sessions, to photos, plus of course - the collection! Its unbelievable.

As the Guardian put it a couple of days ago: Every week, the Centre will expand the scope of its virtual museum, adding another 100 records, covering everything from Appalachian mountain music to zouk. "It's a very personal look at John's collection," producer Charlie Gauvain said. According to Sheila Ravenscroft, Peel's widow, curators will highlight one artist from each batch, picking through more than 65,000 items in his archive. Peel kept meticulous files about his records: each sleeve was given a typed filing card, with all sorts of information.

"There'll be information about the record sleeve, front and back, all the information about the record itself, as well as whether John rated the album or not," Ravenscroft explained. Although copyright prevents the centre from streaming the records, links will be included, when available, to purchase or stream the music on Spotify and iTunes. "I think people are going to be very interested as to what's in the collection," Ravenscroft said. "They will be amused and intrigued by it."

Besides the details of Peel's records, the virtual museum will also include videos, and incorporate Peel's own home movies. Producers discovered 30 hours of footage at his home in Suffolk, with everything from clips of bands to footage from Liverpool's Anfield stadium. The website will apparently launch with John Peel's Suffolk Comforts, a 1989 film "that's never been broadcast before", Gauvain said. "It's a real gem … [with] some really personal things in it."

Daisy's Letter From London, Nov. 7, 2011

Dear Mr Boogaloo -


Have you managed to get all your make up off from last week? No? Me neither.

Here's the story from my pumpkin patch - wonders The Great Pumpkin delivered to us here in the UK:

Hey! I know I mentioned Rough Trade in my last letter – but you might like to know there’s a documentary called The Story Of Rough Trade – you can watch it here. I love Geoff Travis. Hair and No Hair. I like his “let’s try it” attitude. I didn’t realize what a scary time he’s had.

Did you know that the idea behind dressing up on Halloween is that because Departed Spirits come out of their tombs on the 31st October and walk around looking for people to take back to the underworld with them that if you dress up and disguise yourself, they won't be able to figure out it's you and you will remain on earth? And they especially won't grab you if you look like you are a Departed Spirit yourself.

We went to Nambucca on the Holloway Road. They put on a show to channel the spirit of our Dear Departed JOHN PEEL (the 25th of October was JOHN PEEL DAY).

The line up:
14 ICED BEARS (ethereal. very late night radio friendly)
TELEVISION PERSONALITIES
VIV ALBERTINE (The Slits)
VIC GODARD AND THE SUBWAY SECT
followed by Blindness.

Blindness is a local up and coming talented girl band.
I think that’s a clever name. Don’t you?

What we got was an exciting blood pumping night. I swear if I had turned round, I would have being saying hello to John Peel. Wait! Look!

No, no...Not John Peel. Is this Lee McFadden from Television Personalities? (they had that single "Where's Bill Grundy Now"?). I understand Dan Treacy was off sick. Please God let him get well. (Rumour has it Dan might have something to do with Arctic Monkeys - ?)

Enjoy a song from the TVP’s set here. (Lee played with my hero, Mark Perry in Alternative Television. Watching Lee, I think he should visit the States and play with Tom Verlaine. I bet they would get a kick out of each other.)

So here's the poster:

JOHN PEEL DAY 7 years since his death. We loved him. We still love him.

This is Spizz (who was signed to Rough Trade back in the day). Tonight he was Our Hero in this fabulous homemade hero outfit.

Do not be confused. This is not a halloween outfit. He wears this to all the gigs he goes too. It's very practical. He is a biker. I saw him tie his bike up to a lamppost outside earlier. Nice bike.

First Damsel Of Distress comes to stage: Viv Albertine. Here is Spizz coming to her aid as he (a) noticed she wasn't plugged in (b) and needed help tuning up:

The clip that follows is our shimmering Viv Albertine. The gang around me liked the way she looked but found Viv’s lyrics "difficult to listen too". I found it quite the opposite. Her anger was an energy. I gave the little gang a bit of a lecture along the lines of if they want peace and joy, you're here on the wrong day. I quoted Professor of Punk Viv Goldman - "You are listening to Sassitude" I told them. “This is a Real Life she's singing about. We’re hearing a woman channeling pain. Being real. Expressing her inner life not putting on a mask and humming sweet fuck-alls.” I didn’t spit.

To review: I particularly liked her last song "Home Sweet Home". The song “Needles” needed no explanation – but the effect: it was like she just transferred the song’s meaning into you or like she put her eyes on you, and put herself into his skin for a moment - then pointed to The End. It was great. She sang an incredibly cleverly slam poetry song called "I WANT MORE" – Well everything, really, everything she sang had me grinding my teeth; clenching or wanting to pump my fists, shaking my head - wait - not in a hippie way. Viv can handle being on stage on her own. I tell you – she makes living look valuable.

The song is FairyTale but during the lead in she is talking about Keith Levine who gave her some guitar tips. She says "I don't mind my voice being out of tune but I do care about my guitar. Not punk I know..." No Encore. That’s Punk.

We see Edwyn Collins & Graham Coxon present.

Furthering the theme of Glamourous Roadies - some bloke in a Royal Mail shirt comes on and organizes some bits and pieces.

Then a drummer we recognize as PAUL COOK from The Sex Pistols takes a seat. Paul Myers arrives with his own roadie (wearing crash helmet and goggles) and on keyboards – Kevin Younger. The Royal Mail Roadie then reappears in a suave beige jacket you might wear on a golf course with plus fours, some navy slacks (Royal Mail?) and a white shirt and tie and beautiful pale wood guitar. It is himself. It is Vic Godard.

Can we say hell of a set? Can we tell you they smoked? Can we tell you what a JOY it flipping is to hear Paul Cook on drums, on the beat, standing for no nonsense, getting the show on the road – we haven’t got time to hang around. The reggae Rhododendrun Town could have been my favourite. The moment when guitarist Mark Braby plugged in and – huh? nothing? and Vic presented his own guitar for the rest of the set so the show could go on... I don’t know – bits like that. You were hearing a wall of wonderful sound. You were hearing a rolling, well oiled, well rehearsed, poet in motion. Did they have Phil Spector’s phone number in Prison? I think so. Is Vic Godard related to Leonard Cohen in any way? I wonder. That deep soulfulness that you felt in Cohen at Glastonbury –, with a glint in his eye and that mournful, wailing spirit. I felt happiness. I felt warmth. I felt great. No Encore of course and I just felt myself flying through the air, stage diving for the set list (nobody got hurt and Gary confirmed nobody saw up my skirt).

Meanwhile, Gary's like, “Oh great, there's the drum roadie.” He says, "Are you going to throw away that set list with Paul Cook's name on it?"
Drum tech: Do you wannit?
Gary: Cheers mate.

Signed by Vic

Outside afterwards we give my set list to two lads who motored down from Leeds (Wayne looked a bit like a young Paul Cook) and we even get them signed by Vic Godard. I even got Gary to take a photo of me with Mr. Godard who, now I look at the photo, was wearing that Royal Mail work shirt again.

And I have to tell you, we grinned our faces off all night. I know. Not very punk.

Scratch you next week,
xxxxdaisy

Special Movie of the Week: Turn That Racket Down

In honor of John Peel Day, which was this past week, I'm happy to present Turn That Racket Down. It originally aired in 1999 for Peel's 60th, and profiles his life and career. Thanks to Slicing Up Eyeballs for initially posting the film.

In addition, I have a special guest post from new pal, Bob the Chiropodist, over in the UK. Be sure to visit his sites which are linked below. Take it away Bob!

On my first trip to the States in 1989 I was complaining about the number of adverts on US TV and the fact that, despite there being loads of channels to chose from, there seemed to be nothing on worth watching. “Makes you appreciate the BBC and the license fee” “What?! You need a licence to watch TV in England?” “You sure do!” £145.50 a year for advert free viewing alone, in my opinion, is worth every penny but when you consider the radio output too – it’s an absolute bargain!

We watch some telly as a family (‘Dr Who’ and ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ spring to mind) but I could easily live without it. I’d find it VERY hard however, to survive without the radio. My habit of late night listening started with John Peel when I was a teenager in the late 70’s. Music obsessed, I was a sponge for anything new and Peel was a treasure trove of new, old, weird, druggy, folky, reggae-fied, post punk loveliness – A late night listening tradition that was kept alive by Andy Kershaw and Mark + Lard.

These days it’s the BBC’s digital/ on line channel 6 Music which rules the kitchen at night. I guess the station's centre piece is the Sunday ‘Jarvis Cocker’ shows which are highly entertaining……but it’s the workday Monday to Thursday’s from 7pm (when Marc Riley comes on) til midnight (when Gideon Coe goes off) when I’m at my happiest. Live bands with Marc and old Peel and other BBC sessions and live shows with both Marc + Gid means the telly, more often than not, sits neglected in the corner. Let’s not forget Peelies son Tom Ravenscroft is also a 6 Music jock who’s a chip off the old block.

You can do so much more when you’re listening to the radio – like write this….

Bob the Chiropodist
http://quims.org/
http://keepingitpeel.wordpress.com/

Movie of the Week - Rock Family Trees: NY Punk (narrated by John Peel)

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