peel sessions

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

i know we've had a peel classic or dud. but this thread is more for the peel sessions. quite a few have been released commercially, but what about those that haven't?

what are you favourite peel sessions? are there any you wish you had on tape? what about ones you were looking forward to but ended up rubbish or disappointing?

i will have a look at my tapes when i get home, and think about which ones i liked best. so, lets talk about peel sess ions...

― gareth, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i have this bitchen pavement peel session that was never released

― chaki, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

When I was fifteen, I found the commercial releases of Peel Sessions to be an excellent way to 'try out' new discoveries.

Apart from the bizarre Sudden Sway session, my faves would have to be those by The Associates (frantic) and Birthday Party (scary).

Do bands still make it 'big' after an early Peel Session - a la Killing Joke?

― Zanny Gognet, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Barbel.

― N., Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Stereo MCs did a brilliant Peel session at the time of their second album (about 1991?). The session stuff blew the eventual album tracks away. Unfortunately I've lost the tape. Also, The Farm were a completely different band on Peel session - much better than their official output which sounded far too 'does this sound fashionable?'.

― Eagle, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My favourite PS - which has never to my knowledge been released - is a Martin Carthy one from about '71/72 (I think: my dad taped it on our old-style reel-to-reel machine at the time) which includes possibly the most frightening musical performance ever - "Reynard the Fox." He did record it for his "Out of the Cut" album, and although superb doesn't have the chill that the Peel version did. It wasn't on Carthy's recent box set either.

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have a tape of several of the punk and new wave PS's from 1977-78 when these were rebroadcast '10 years on' (The Slits, Gen X, The Fall's debut session, Magazine, Nightingales, etc.). From memory, I also have the following Strange Fruit releases: Bonzo Dog Band, Robert Wyatt, Siouxsie, Undertones, Only Ones, Wah Heat!, New Order, The Wedding Present, Colorblind James Experience and Too Pure Records (debut sessions from PJ Harvey, Stereolab and Th'Faith Healers). I want to get the Elastica and Kenickie PS albums too sometime.

1981 was a bit of a golden year for the PS. Every night seemed (at the time, anyway) to have a great new one. I taped loads of stuff that year, but have since wiped a lot (idiot). Stuff I can still recall vividly - most of these contained material never released on record or far superior versions: Pigbag, Rip Rig & Panic, ACR, Girls At Our Best, Altered Images (two or three sessions by them, I think), 23 Skidoo and The Fall (again). From '82, I remember The Farmers Boys, Shambeko Say Wah! and Scritti.

In later years: The Smiths, Cocteaus, The Cookie Crew, more Fall, The Orb... I could go on and on, but I'm already rambling I ph34r ;-)

I really would like to see an official release of the second and third Stereolab PS's. The groop are supposed to "working on it".

― Jeff W, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I believe the Girls At Our Best! session was indeed commercially released, and all the Fall sessions are easy enough to track down (for some reason they're usually on top form on Peel sessions--the one with "New Puritan," in particular, is amazing). The Sonic Youth one where they did four Fall songs is pretty super, too.

Other favorites: the astonishing June Tabor session that came out as a Strange Fruit 12" (the best two songs from it ended up on _On Air_); This Heat (collected on _Made Available_); Gang of Four (heretically, I like their Peel Sessions comp better than _Entertainment!_); the second Swell Maps session, with Lora Logic guesting on sax and a rip-roaring "Vertical Slum/Forest Fire"; IVOR CUTLER!!

― Douglas, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I could never be bothered to stay in (or stay tuned) to record them, so my memories are secondhand recollections of friends Peel Sessions tapes. Two that I'd love to hear again are a Blue Orchids session from about 1982 with an unbelievable version of No Looking Back, much better than the one on 'The Greatest Hit'. Also a Passage session which had some of the songs from Enflame, but uncluttered with the Simmons drums which stomped on the album versions.

Best Peel Sessions I own - The Only Ones album, the Magazine tracks in the box-set and The Nightingales session released as an EP. The second JoyDiv session is fantastic too.

― Dr. C, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm with you on that Joy Division one, I like it better than the proper records. The Birthday Party session is pretty ferocious too.

― fritz, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Only Ones one is indeed great and contains perhaps my favourite track of all, unreleased elsewhere, in 'Prisoners'.

I taped that Stereo MCs one and did used to love the version of 'The Other Side'. I must give it a listen sometime to see if it is in fact rubbish.

Other ones I taped that are great: Teenage Fanclub in 90/1, The Wedding Present around the same time (tracks that later appeared on Seamonsters), Babes in Toyland also around the same time (thinking about it, I didn't tape things much before or after this period). The Nirvana one from 89 or 90 is pretty fun. I'm a big fan of 'Shoot the Sexual Athlete' too.

― N., Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I just picked up This Heat's Peel Sessions, and they are amazingly intense and interesting--I had no idea the band sounded like that, and it shattered my image of what I thought they might sound like.

― Clarke B., Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

isan

― dbini, Friday, 11 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"I'm a big fan of 'Shoot the Sexual Athlete' too" // AND The Black Prince = see, you are bonkers like I said.

― the pinefox, Friday, 11 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Moonshake one ('93?) where Margaret cooed her way through Dave's songs and Dave growled his way through Margaret's was pretty special. Of course, I've taped over it.

― Michael Jones, Friday, 11 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think most of the classic sessions have already been mentioned. In 1990, Peel repeated all of the Fall sessions from 1980-86 and I taped the lot. I was very disappointed when I found out that the recent Fall Peel Sessions album didn't contain all of these tracks because I'd love to own them all on c.d. They are the best Fall recordings I have ever heard.

I started listening to Peel in the late 80s and I remember lots of great twee jangly-pop sessions from that time. The two Siddeleys sessions are my favourites of that type.

I taped many great sessions during the 90s. The 1991 Bongwater session contained a version of "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" that was far superior to the album version. Anne Magnusson begins the song by dedicating it to all of her friends who have died of Aids. It is a very moving performance. Other highlights from the 90s include sessions by Aphex Twin, A Guy Called Gerald, Pulp, Half Man Half Biscuit and Broadcast.

In recent years the sessions have been slightly sidelined by festival recordings and live performances from Maida Vale. These live broadcasts tend to drag on for too long.

― Mark Dixon, Friday, 11 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Of course, I've taped over it.

Damn you, sir.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 11 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Talk of Moonshake has reminded me of 'Moonshot' and Galaxie 500's session. They also covered the Sex Pistols' 'Submission'. I love that session.

― N., Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've still got a very poor recording of that Moonshake session somewhere.

― RickyT, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

If anyone's gagging for a copy, that is.

― RickyT, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Best ones are often when the artist uses it as an excuse to do something they wouldn't do otherwise e.g JAMC accoustic 85, Blur at Peel acres,Sonic Yoof Fall covers.

Other faves Slits, Smiths, Cocteaus, Pixies, Fatima Mansions c 90, Orb and most recently Cowcube. I'm sure there's a darn good Will Oldham session but I could be imagining it.

― Billy Dods, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one year passes...

I've got the Strange Fruit 12"s of the Fall's first session and the Slits' same (I'm guessing, anyway); both are just incredible and absolutely necessary. Also, both feature the best/only maybe versions of amazing songs by both, 'Mess of My' (Fall), 'Vindictive' (Slits). I can't work out why these are the best (in terms of both playing and recording) early things these bands have... also the Subway Sect Peel stuff on the 'Retrospective' Rough Trade Lp is amazing and so on, too. Despite being partly produced by a Tony Wilson (probably not the Factory one, I guess)

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Monday, 23 June 2003 11:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Well maybe a strict schedule and producer helped these recordings... I also have great Royal Trux stuff on their box set, lucky me

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Monday, 23 June 2003 11:08 (twenty-two years ago)

is the Boards Of Canada Peel Session the only place you can get Happy Cycling? if so, it's pretty essential...

― pete b. (pete b.), Monday, 23 June 2003 11:10 (twenty-two years ago)

My favourite is the Elastica Peel sessions. For reasons that will not become apparent until you look at the album cover VEERRRRRRY closely.

― kate (kate), Monday, 23 June 2003 11:14 (twenty-two years ago)

plant bach ofnus did a cracker of a session as well. front 242, foetus and a cast of thousands have done sessions that sadly will not get released. there's one track from the foetus session available via soulseek - don't know the title but total chaos from the deaf / ache era. cocteau twins sessions are fantastic as is the portion control one (or was that for kid jensen?) memory's not as good as it used to be.

― frenchbloke (frenchbloke), Monday, 23 June 2003 11:28 (twenty-two years ago)

happy cycling is also available on the us version of music has the right to children

― gareth (gareth), Monday, 23 June 2003 11:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I've been trying to get hold of Vivian Stanshall's 1988 and 1991 installments of Sir Henry at Rawlinson End. On such school nights I would have Peel on the radio in the background while battling homework, it was only when Stanshall's sessions came on that I could not fully concentrate; laughing, trying to figure out and picture in my head the Rawlinson clan in their blissfully arrogant petulance. I have downloaded Radio 4's transmissions of the early (1970s) sessions which were broadcast shortly after Stanshall's death, but no-one seems to have copies of these later sessions.

― tacit (tacit), Monday, 23 June 2003 13:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I've got them on tape somewhere, but most of my blank tapes are currently in storage. I'll try & find them next time I'm up in Oxford/Glasgow.

btw I am doing the sleevenotes for Marc Almond Radio 1 Sessions (Jensen rather than Peel) '83-84 - my first sleevenote! :-)

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 23 June 2003 13:43 (twenty-two years ago)

hey, good one you!

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Monday, 23 June 2003 14:20 (twenty-two years ago)

btw I am doing the sleevenotes for Marc Almond Radio 1 Sessions (Jensen rather than Peel) '83-84 - my first sleevenote! :-)

! No I'm not insanely jealous or anything. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 June 2003 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

scatterd across various fading cassettes from 1977/8 to 1981/2, some have all broadcast tracks, some not:
Bauhaus (1st), OMD (1st), Tubeway Army(1st & possibly 2nd), Magazine(2nd or 3rd?), Comsat Angels (1st), Punishment Of Luxury (only), Cabaret Voltaire(dunno), Pink Military (dunno), The Passage (with female vocalist), Ivor Cutler(various), Joy Division (2nd), XTC (dunno), Athletico Spizz '80 (i think it was that incarnation - might have been Spizz Oil...), Cure(1st i think), Siouxsie & Banshees (tracks from 2nd album - much better than vinyl versions), Killing Joke (both 1st & 2nd i think), ACR (dunno), Fall (dunno), Out On Blue Six (1st), Chameleons (1st- think their later sessions were for Kid Jensen...), Wire (dunno), Transmitters (dunno), The Sound (dunno), Minny Pops (dunno)

i need to check my tapes

some of my favourites: Out On Blue 6 doing a song called 'mascara', Pink Military doing a song called 'stand alone', ACR's 'knife cuts water', Magazine's '20 years ago'

yes i need to check my tapes

― Snowy Mann (rdmanston), Monday, 23 June 2003 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)

you have the tubeway army one¡ dude that's awsome.

― dyson (dyson), Monday, 23 June 2003 19:04 (twenty-two years ago)

ooh, that'll be the kid jensen soft cell session then? used to have a tape of that.

― frenchbloke (frenchbloke), Monday, 23 June 2003 20:18 (twenty-two years ago)

The Passage (with female vocalist)

I've been listening to the BBC sessions disc for them just this hour. The one with Lizzy Johnson is great but both of the other ones are equally fantastic in differing ways.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 June 2003 20:53 (twenty-two years ago)

My favourite is the Elastica Peel sessions. For reasons that will not become apparent until you look at the album cover VEERRRRRRY closely.

LOL fame at last!

I got into three of my all-time Favourite And Extremely Important bands through Peel Sessions: The Cure, JAMC and The Smiths.

I also have a fantastic Even As We Speak session that opened many more doors about 10 years ago. Oh, and Hole. And Babes in Toyland, more importantly, and Shonen Knife - fuck I've got loads actually.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Monday, 23 June 2003 21:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Used to record religiously from the mid 80s to the end of that decade. Just started again with CD burning. The 2 that I remember playing over & over again at the time were the 1st PJ Harvey session & the 1st (?) King Of The Slums session.

― Wandering Boy Poet, Monday, 23 June 2003 23:26 (twenty-two years ago)

oh i forgot - and how could i - Metal Urbain: don't know if it was 1st, 2nd or only - but it included 'numero zero' & 'futurama' , and another song which i don't know the title of but is WONDERFUL
the recording quality of this my fav is fuxored though grrrrr

i would love a copy of the 'Les hommes morts sont dangereux' album in some form - have read it includes their BBC session stuff

dyson i will have to check - i may only have the 2nd one they did after all :(
(am sure it has 'film' and 'my conversation' included - but i'm pretty certain the first one also included a much better-than-album sounding version of 'me i disconnect from you')

Ned - a couple of songs from that last session they did for the BBC, using a brass section & harp player, they're really intriguing

― Snowy Mann (rdmanston), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 09:28 (twenty-two years ago)

the Even As We Speak sessions were supposed to be coming out on CD last year, or so Mary from the band said in an e-mail, but nothing seems to have happened yet :( maybe i just missed the release (esoj to thread!)

― zebedee (zebedee), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 11:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Does anyone remember the two Sophie & Peter Johnston Peel Sessions from 83-84? They were just the most sparkly melodic electropop you've ever heard; so un-Peel (except for the innocent girly vocal style of which he seemed so fond), and therefore the best Peel sessions.
Also v fond of: Primal Scream's first (Subterranean, I Love You et al), June Brides' final (This Town, Waiting For A Change et al), and all six of Microdisney's: the third one, with Loftholdingswood etc, is perhaps my favourite 'indie' music ever (see Charlie's 'opening doors' line above).

― harveyw (harveyw), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 12:05 (twenty-two years ago)

the EAWS peel sessions were meant to come out on Gifted Records but their site no longer mentions it so I'm stumped. Perhaps there were licensing issues?

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

The first Echo & the Bunnymen PS is pretty damn good. Better than any of their later records.

― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 12:58 (twenty-two years ago)

The commercial release of Peel Sessions was one the most eagerly awaited events in British music history but the reality has all been a bit less than thrilling. For a start, there's the basic fact that these sessions were produced and engineered to be played on radio, which means certain kinds of compression have been used, which means that they hardly ever sound as good when you hear them anywhere but radio (and especially not on CD). There are exceotions of course. Secondly, Peel and Clive Selwood and the BBC seriously fucked up the whole release project: they set up Strange Fruit exclusively to release sessions but then they (generally) picked the wrong sessions and put them on crappily designed EPs which no-one bought. I don't know the current state of play vis a vis releasing sessions en masse but I do know that a comprehensive The Fall session box set has been pending longer than even Kraftwerk's new album.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 13:03 (twenty-two years ago)

if ever anything could be done on a select'n'buy basis.....i mean ppl usually want these things because they've already heard them or have bootlegged them
if only they put the entire HUGE list in chronological order on a website (does that actually exist anywhere? tried googling but couldn't find one) and CD burn/supplied them on an orders-only basis to punters requests

(haha entire fucking recording industry to thread)

― Snowy Mann (rdmanston), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 13:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I have a Peel Sessions tape of The Field Mice which is really good. The song "Anoint" in particular.

― flowersdie (flowersdie), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 13:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Snowy: there was a book published awhile back (mid-90s?? certainly pre-mass-internet-access) called "In Session Tonight", which, besides telling the story of radio 1 live/prerecorded sessions, printed a complete alphabetical list of every session (&, I think, live in concert??) with recording & transmission dates, titles broadcast, band line-up, producer & engineer details. You also got a free CD of session highlights. Dunno if it's still in print, but it's just what you need. Your CDr marketing suggestion is an interesting one, but hugely impractical, given the size of the archive, unless you're prepared to pay like £50 per CD. (Actually, you probably *can* do this if you're a researcher. It's certainly how tv works up to a point).

Flowersdie: thanks. I enjoyed that session too. Certainly an interesting experience (tho not as much fun as the Trembling Blue Stars session), and we got to meet the drummer from Mott The Hoople. For that alone, I (heart) the BBC.

― harveyw (harveyw), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 15:00 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, i got "in session tonight" - it's great, but obviously stops c. '91

if only they put the entire HUGE list in chronological order on a website - does that actually exist anywhere?
there was one for a while online which IIRC carried on where the book left off, but it had to be taken down (for legal reasons?) about 18 months ago

― zebedee (zebedee), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 15:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I guess I've got a few hundred Peel sessions on tape, mostly from 1985 onwards.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 20:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I enjoy the Peel comp. Manchester: So Much to Answer For. First side in particular, if I recall. Need to find that thing and listen again. And I second that Wedding Present stuff. The sheets of guitar are so over the top on that. Fun fun fun to blast in the car. Or anywhere where one blasts fun things.

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 21:26 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

In light of Peel's sad death (RIP) let's talk about our favorite Peel sessions.

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 13:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Wire, because they were difficult bastards (of course!)

Gang of Four, because the Peel Sessions album beats the hell out of their actual debut

The Wedding Present just because. That whole Ukrainians thing alone!

The Undertones (of course they would take it a step up)

The Mountain Goats earlier this year.

The Chameleons for finding other ways of playing some of the best songs ever written

And the motherfuckin' goddamn Fall.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 13:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Both Sudden Sway sessions

― Deadaismus? (Dada), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 13:33 (twenty-one years ago)

The Smiths and Pavement are the only ones I can think of. I'm not that knowledgable about them, and most sessions I've heard have been put down on cd, but they've always been real quality, and always a highlight of a bands catalogue. I think that's some of the best stuff the Smiths ever recorded, for sure.

― John Cei Douglas (John Cei Douglas), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 13:54 (twenty-one years ago)

'Peel Sessions 2' is my favorite Autechre cd.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 14:03 (twenty-one years ago)

The Underworld thing is good too.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 14:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll second Wire and any number of sessions by The Fall

Low

and, just because it's not likely to get a mention, I really enjoyed the Cuban Boys session with the cover of The Laughing Gnome.

― coco, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 14:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually another one of my favorite Peel Session efforts would have to be the much-maligned 70 Gwen Party album of the five or so sessions they did, just because it was there and it was them.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 14:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Wire, esp the later one with the ace version of Boiling Boy.

The Shamen, an early one with a great cover of The Fugs - Nothing.

Smiths/Fall, obv

Most of The Cure ones.

Straitjacket Fits - I'm still listening to this one.

― mzui, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

black dog productions and the second autechre one

― tricky (disco stu), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 14:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Billy Bragg's Peel Sessions release is the only place where the original "Lover's Town" appears. For that alone I am grateful to the man.

― frankE (frankE), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 14:45 (twenty-one years ago)

For me, from my old tapes: Teenage Fanclub, Galaxie 500, The Orb, Barbel.

Retrospectively, the Go-Betweens, The Only Ones and Fairport Convention.

Recently, Michael Mayer and Belle & Sebastian's 'Shoot The Sexual Athlete'

Towering over them all, the Smiths, yes.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Funnily enough I was listening to The Damned's Peel Sessions CD on my way into work this morning and they've got to be right up there, for me at least.

So many great memories there - particularly when they unexpectedly burst into a rather unflattering rendition of Gary Numan's "Cars" (with the title subtly amended to "Bars" and the lyrics altered accordingly, of course) in the middle of what was supposed to be a version of "Curtain Call".

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

So many great memories there - particularly when they unexpectedly burst into a rather unflattering rendition of Gary Numan's "Cars" (with the title subtly amended to "Bars" and the lyrics altered accordingly, of course) in the middle of what was supposed to be a version of "Curtain Call".

You're absolutely right, I had forgotten about that!

Not to mention...

"Are we really 37 on the charts?"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, and Microdisney.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

"Not to mention...

"Are we really 37 on the charts?""

My favorite is "I'd especially like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who bought our last album, making us so enormously successful that now we get to live on twelve pounds a week instead of eleven" (or words to that effect).

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Also in Burglar where Ratty threatens to "break into John Peel's house and have all his classic blues albums away and his Sex Pistols album with a white label!"

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Microdisney, definitely

― Deadaismus? (Dada), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Codeine
Tim Buckley
Sonic Youth ca. "4 Tunna Brix"
This Heat

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 15:20 (twenty-one years ago)

There's a Too Pure Peel Sessions disc that I just love, with PJ Harvey, Stereolab, and Th Faith Healers. Awesome.
Big ups (repeating some of what others have already listed) to :Autechre I, The Smiths, Joy Division II, and all (six?) of Mogwai's sessions.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)

S: Lightning Bolt, Bardo Pond, Will Oldham

― Ian John50n (orion), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Repeating some:

Sonic Youth's all Fall covers session

Autechre's first Peel Sessions EP

The Birthday Party's one, especially for "Rowland Around in That Stuff"

― Vic Funk, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Far too many amazing ones, but right now I'm listening to the STUPIDS. Totally brilliant.

― everything, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

said it many times...

the Monochrome Set and the Au Pairs Peel Sessions are much better then the same versions from the LPs, which lack the rawness and life. esp the Monochrome Set.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 16:08 (twenty-one years ago)

the slits peel session where they do an AWESOME 11-minute version of "in the beginning there was rhythm" that's way better than the studio version.

and all the fall sessions i've heard are great but i give big big ups especially to the one with "garden" on it.

― joseph (joseph), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 17:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Radio 1: request a peel session track:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/alt/johnpeel/favetracks.shtml

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 17:20 (twenty-one years ago)

One of my favorite Peel Session recordings is the version of "Cut Out Witch" that Guided By Voices did with a bit of "Acorns & Orioles" in the middle.

I hope to one day hear that elusive final Pavement Peel session which was recorded live on the air in the middle of the night for John Peel's birthday in 99. I know they did Carrot Rope, The Hexx, Unfair, and a few others.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 17:22 (twenty-one years ago)

i haven't heard the fits one!, did this come out as a release? the slits one is pretty grand, as are the stereolab ones compiled on the abc sessions..

― chris andrews (fraew), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 18:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Any links to mp3s? I know the Sonic Youth one is easily found ( http://www.saucerlike.com/mp3/peel88/ ); what about others?

― alex in montreal, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 18:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Tallulah Gosh did a really shit first session but later on did a really great thrashy one (the one with Spearmint Head). I think both came out on a record some time.

― everything, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 19:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I haven't heard the fits one!, did this come out as a release?

Not as far as I know, it had 4 tracks that ended up on the Melt album, Roller Ride, Bad Note For A Heart, Hand In Mine & Quiet Come.

True to the cliche, they are loads better than the released versions.

― mzui, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 19:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I loved The Wedding Present session too. There are so many to choose from but my favourite or most listened to Peel Session would be Datblygu's second once in '88. He was a real champion of British music -- including the Welsh and Scottish artist who tend to be overlooked with regards to national airplay.

― evan, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 19:34 (twenty-one years ago)

did jpse ever do a peel session?

― chris andrews (fraew), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 20:13 (twenty-one years ago)

The Wedding Present's first Americaned up Peel Session, with tracks that would end up on Seamonsters, was great.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

The will date me, but...

The first Slits, summer 77, with the original versions of Love And Romance, Shoplifting, New Town & Vindictive.

The first two Siouxsie & The Banshees, early 78, before they signed to Polydor.

This Heat, Autumn 76.

Generation X & XTC, spring/summer 77, before their record deals.

The Specials in late 79: Skinhead Symphony, Rude Boys Out Of Jail, Rat Race.

(NB: The Damned in late 79 changed Numan's "Here in my car" to "In a gay bar"... chortle...)

The Smiths, late 86: Sweet And Tender Hooligan, Half A Person, Is It Really So Strange, London.

Bhundu Boys, 86.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 21:36 (twenty-one years ago)

And oh bloody hell how could I forget... Viv Stanshall's "Sir Henry At Rawlinson End" sessions.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 21:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Lamacq is presenting a tribute show filled with Peel session tracks at the moment, to anyone who doesn't realise. It's streamed online.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 21:53 (twenty-one years ago)

June Tabor's and Wyatt's, probably amongst my very faves.
Don't think I've heard any sessions that're more recent than early-90s, though.
But of the older there're about thirty-something vinyls in the other room - alas me old rec-players is kaput, which especially tonite saddens me lots :(

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 21:59 (twenty-one years ago)

They just played Jesus and Mary Chain "Some Candy Talking" on the tribute show ... nearly every JAMC Peel sessions track (there's a 21-track disc of them) is FAR superior to the regular recorded versions. In particular, "Never Understand", "Here Comes Alice".

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 22:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Already mentioned a couple times above, but the Too Pure sessions with Stereolab, P.J. Harvey, and Th' Faith Healers singlehandedly made me care about the UK underground again after the disappearance of the Shop Assistants...

― Pete Scholtes, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 23:19 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

Revive, as I have suddenly become obsessed with Kenickie'a version of "Come Out 2Nite" from their Peel session. It's acoustic and, more importantly, slower, so the backing vocals come out more. So instead of the definance and energy of the original, the whole vibe of the song is wistful -- like "tonight" is the school reunion instead of a random Saturday night senior year. And only when she sing's last line "It's dark and it's savage but it's only in neon, so come and grab it" do you hear quite the same sneer.

One for the ages, definitely. (The Shimuras should cover it!)

― pleased to mitya (mitya), Saturday, 20 May 2006 13:04 (nineteen years ago)

Nico = most essential Peel Session in view of artist's entire catalog

― Myke. (Myke Weiskopf), Saturday, 20 May 2006 14:12 (nineteen years ago)

six years pass...

Does anyone know what the story is currently with regard to licensing and releasing BBC recordings, especially Peel Sessions?

I thought that maybe someone here might have been through the process...

Thanks.

― only NWOFHM! is real (krakow), Thursday, 14 June 2012 14:12 (thirteen years ago)

seven years pass...

https://www.clashmusic.com/news/more-than-1000-peel-sessions-appear-online

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 10 June 2020 22:50 (five years ago)

Opinion- New Order peel sessions version on 5-8-6 is the best version of that song.
Are there any particular peel sessions version of songs that are your favorites?

― 24tracks, Thursday, 11 June 2020 01:03 (five years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/embed/vAsLZQej0SM?autoplay=1

― 24tracks, Thursday, 11 June 2020 01:05 (five years ago)

four years pass...

nice

https://preciousrecordingsoflondon.bandcamp.com/music

― go polish your nose ring (sleeve), Saturday, 7 September 2024 15:25 (one year ago)

(lots of C86 type bands' Peel Sessions, many released for the first time)

― go polish your nose ring (sleeve), Saturday, 7 September 2024 15:26 (one year ago)

Yeah it's been a great new series. Also, massive new set of Man or Astroman? sessions out (some had been shared individually but this is a good way to get them all) -- a mix of Peel Sessions and other BBC appearances:

https://chunklet.bandcamp.com/album/roygbiv-recordings-from-the-bbc

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 7 September 2024 15:31 (one year ago)

This might be my favorite Aphex Twin track and afaik it's only been released on this peel session

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc45MX6naUU

― Ubiquitor, Tuesday, 10 September 2024 14:02 (one year ago)

Love that this recent release of an Aerial M session is using the classic Peel Sessions 12" packaging: https://aerialm.bandcamp.com/album/the-peel-sessions

― Position Position, Tuesday, 10 September 2024 15:00 (one year ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.