john peel r.i.p - Beyond Tiki

TW Trader Woody Member Tiki Manor, Forest of Bowland,UK Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 2301	TW Trader Woody Posted posted on Wed, Oct 27, 2004 3:49 PM He was described on the news last night (the main headline) as the most important man in the history of British music. A list of his "discoveries" published today is difficult to believe unless you understand the symbiotic nature of the British/American music scene and the strange way we set up our radio stations in the UK . (ie - No college stations - just a few nationwide commercial and public service stations attempting to cover the spectrum of music and talk). Here's a few from the list: Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Beefheart, Bowie, T-Rex, Bob Marley, Ramones, Clash, Cure, Joy Division, Grandmaster Flash, Smiths, Pogues, Public Enemy, Pixies, Nirvana, Orbital, Blur, P J Harvey, White Stripes etc etc. I know it's difficult to believe these, but he genuinely played them when nobody outside of a few hipsters had heard of them. Concentrating on the ones who went on to be legends just touches a side of John Peel's love of music. I don't know of any radio show on earth that could leap from 'The Bhundu Boys' to 'Extreme Noise Terror' via a ten minute Aphex Twin interlude and make it sound like the most natural thing on earth. His love of the music just flowed through the speakers and his ego was non-existant. I wrote to him many years ago for a copy of his 'Festive 50' (his favourite tunes of the past year) and asked him to sign it. His signature was so small you could hardly see it. He was from a different planet from the one all the other DJ's came from. Personally, I spent my teenage years listening to his evening show with a finger over the record button, waiting to tape the sounds that would shape my record collection. I still have those tapes, but the one I'll treasure most is the one I put together of his banter between the songs. We won't hear anything like his enthusiasm, humour and humanity again. Trader Woody

He was described on the news last night (the main headline) as the most important man in the history of British music.

A list of his "discoveries" published today is difficult to believe unless you understand the symbiotic nature of the British/American music scene and the strange way we set up our radio stations in the UK . (ie - No college stations - just a few nationwide commercial and public service stations attempting to cover the spectrum of music and talk).

Here's a few from the list: Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Beefheart, Bowie, T-Rex, Bob Marley, Ramones, Clash, Cure, Joy Division, Grandmaster Flash, Smiths, Pogues, Public Enemy, Pixies, Nirvana, Orbital, Blur, P J Harvey, White Stripes etc etc. I know it's difficult to believe these, but he genuinely played them when nobody outside of a few hipsters had heard of them.

Concentrating on the ones who went on to be legends just touches a side of John Peel's love of music. I don't know of any radio show on earth that could leap from 'The Bhundu Boys' to 'Extreme Noise Terror' via a ten minute Aphex Twin interlude and make it sound like the most natural thing on earth. His love of the music just flowed through the speakers and his ego was non-existant. I wrote to him many years ago for a copy of his 'Festive 50' (his favourite tunes of the past year) and asked him to sign it. His signature was so small you could hardly see it. He was from a different planet from the one all the other DJ's came from.

Personally, I spent my teenage years listening to his evening show with a finger over the record button, waiting to tape the sounds that would shape my record collection. I still have those tapes, but the one I'll treasure most is the one I put together of his banter between the songs. We won't hear anything like his enthusiasm, humour and humanity again.

Trader Woody

Post #122069 by Trader Woody on Wed, Oct 27, 2004 3:49 PM