Alphabet Beats #105: P is for....The Peel Sessions

P is for....

Back when I was a youngster one of the highlights of listening to John Peel was the Sessions. They were always a great way to hear new bands or to hear your favourite bands performing new songs. With over 4,000 Sessions recorded in his time at Radio One it's a bit tough to choose my favourites so here's a mere sprinkling and in no particular order at all. Click on the links to enjoy the music.

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The Peel Sessions

(Dates Are Broadcast Dates - though some might be date of recording, have checked to make sure so apologies for any mistakes). 

Punk and New Wave

The Jam Peel Session 5th November 1979.

1. Thick As Thieves
2. The Eton Rifles
3. Saturday's Kids
4. When You're Young.

Stiff Little Fingers Peel Session 18th September 1978.

1. Johnny Was
2. Law And Order
3. Barbed Wire Love
4. Suspect Device. 

The Slits Peel Session 27th September 1977.

1. Love Und Romance
2. Vindictive
3. New Town
4. Shoplifting.

The Boys Peel Session 15th May 1978.

1. T.C.P.
2. Brickfield Nights
3. Classified Susie
4. Boys. 

The Ruts 18/02/80.

 1. In A Rut.

2. Secret Soldiers.

3. Staring At The Rude Boys.

4. Demolition Dancing.

The Lurkers 22/10/77.

1. Freak Show.
2. Total War.
3. I'm On Heat.

 4. Then I Kissed Her.
5. Be My Prisoner.

UK Subs 31/05/78. 

  1. I Couldn't Be You.

2. Tomorrow's Girls.
3. Disease.

4. C.I.D. 

5. Stranglehold.

Swell Maps Peel Session 27th October 1978.

Another Song
 Full Moon In My Pocket / Blam!! / Full Moon etc
Harmony In Your Bathroom
International Rescue
Read About Seymour.

The Skids 01/09/78.

1. Dossier (Of Fallibility).

2. The Saints Are Coming.

3. Hope And Glory. 

Subway Sect 24/10/77.

 1. Chain Smoking.
2. Parallel Lines.
3. I Don't Split It.
4. Nobody's Scared.

The Members 13/04/81.

 1. Boys Like Us.
2. Chairman Of The Board.
3. Working Girl.
4. Birmingham. 

The Rezillos 30/12/77.

1. (My Baby Does) Good Sculptures.

 2. No.
3. Fight Amongst Youselves (It Gets Me).
4. Top Of The Pops.

XTC 15/10/79.

 1. Opening Signature Tune And Speech
2. Scissor Man
3. Roads Girdle The Globe
4.Ten Feet Tall
5.Real By Reel.

The Only Ones 20/10/77.

 1. Lovers Of Today.
2. Oh No.
3. Telescopic Love (Special View).
4. In Betweens.

Ian Dury and the Blockheads 12/12/77.

1. Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll .
2. Clevor Trever.
3. Sweet Gene Vincent.
4. Blockheads.

999 - 01/11/78.
1. Subterfuge.
2. Homicide.
3. Soldier.
4. Let's Face It.

Boomtown Rats - 03/08/77.
1. Joey's On The Street Again.
2. Neon Heart.
3. Looking After No. 1.
4. Mary Of The 4th Form.

Eddie and the Hot Rods - 21/02/77.
    1. Keep On Keeping On
    2. Why Can't It Be
    3. Teenage Depression
    4. On The Run.

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Peel Sessions.
love in a void/mirage/metal postcard/suburban relapse/hong kong garden/overground/carcass/helter skelter/placebo effect/playground twist/regal zone/poppy day/halloween/voodoo dolly/into the light/candyman/cannons/lands end.
 

Indie

The Smiths - 2nd Peel Session - 8th December 1983.
This Charming Man Back

 To The Old House 

Still ill 

This Night Has Opened My Eyes.

The Mo-dettes 04/02/80.

1. Norman (He's No Rebel).
2. Dark Park Creeping.

 3. Kray Twins.
4. Bitter Truth.

Rollerskate Skinny 03/07/93.

1. Bow Hitchhiker.
2. Abba's Song.
3. Violence To Violence.

Girls At Our Best 23/02/81. 

(One of my favs).

1. China Blue.

2. This Train.

3. Getting Beautiful Warm Gold Fast From Nowhere. 

Half Man Half Biscuit 20/10/85.

 1. D'ye Ken Ted Moult?

2. Arthur's Farm.
3. All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit.
4. The Trumpton Riots.
5. Ol' Tige. 

Teenage Fanclub 30/09/80.

1. God Knows It's True.
2. So Far Gone.
3. Alcoholiday.
4. Long Hair.

Billy Bragg 03/08/83.

 1. A New England.
2. Strange Things Happen.
3. This Guitar Says Sorry.
4. Love Gets Dangerous.
5. Fear Is A Man's Best Friend.
6. A13 - Trunk Road To The Sea.

10,000 Maniacs - 01/07/85.
Order of Broadcast (link is incorrect order)
    1. Just As The Tide Was A'Flowin'
    2. Lily Dale
    3. Maddox Table
    4. Back O' The Moon

 The Blue Orchids - 05/05/82.
1. A Year With No Head.
2. No Looking Back.
3. Bad Education.
4. Sun Connection.

Post-Punk

Joy Division Peel Sessions.
Exercise One

Insight

She's Lost Control

Transmission

Love Will Tear Us Apart

Twenty Four Hours

Colony

Sound of Music.

Cocteau Twins Peel Session 15th July 1982.

Wax And Wane
Garlands
Alas Dies Laughing
Feathers Oar/Blades.

New Order Peel Sessions.

1.Truth 2. Senses 3. I.C.B. 4. Dreams Never End 5.Turn the Heater On {Keith Hudson Cover} 6. We All Stand 7. Too Late 8. 5-8-6 .

Gang of Four Peel Session 9th July 1979.

1. Natural's Not In It
2. Not Great Men
3. Ether
4. Guns Before Butter.

Echo and the Bunnymen Peel Session 22nd August 1979.

1. Read It In Books
2. Stars Are Stars
3. I Bagsy Yours
4. Villiers Terrace. 

The Cure 11/12/78.

1. Killing An Arab.

2. 10.15 Saturday Night.

3. Fire In Cairo. 

4. Boys Don't Cry.

The Psychdelic Furs 30/07/79.

 1. Imitation Of Christ.
2. Fall.
3. Sister Europe.
4. We Love You.

Scars 06/03/80.

 1. She's Alive.
2. So Strong.
3. Author! Author!

4. Je T'Aime C'Est Le Mort.

The Fall 04/08/04.

The final and 24th Session

1. Clasp Hands
2. Blindness
3. What About Us?
4. Right Place, Wrong Time/I Can Hear The Grass Grow.

Two Tone

Madness Peel Session 27th August 1979.

1. The Prince 

2. Bed And Breakfast Man 

3. Land Of Hope And Glory
4. Stepping Into Line.

The Beat 05/10/79.

1. Tears Of A Clown.

2. Mirror In The Bathroom.

3. Ranking Full Stop.

 4. Click Click.

 5. Big Shot.

The Specials 29/05/79.

 1. Gangsters 

2. Too Much Too Young 

3. Concrete Jungle 

4. Monkey Man

 

Rock
Motörhead - 25/08/78.
1. Louie Louie .
2. Tear Ya Down.
3. I'll Be Your Sister.
4. Keep Us On The Road. 

Nirvana 03/11/91.

1. Dumb.
2. Drain (Drain You).
3. No Title As Yet (Endless, Nameless).

Reggae

Culture 11/01/83.

1. Too Long in Slavery.

2. Two Sevens Clash.

3. Lion Rock.

4. Armageddon.

Prince Far I and Creation Rebel 04/07/78.

1. Spoken Introduction.
2. Black Man's Land.
3. No More War.
4. The Dream.
5. Foggy Road.
6. Front Line.

Misty In Roots 05/06/79.

The link has them in the wrong order.

1. Oh Wicked Man

2. Rich Mam

3. Salvation

4. Babylon's Falling.

Steel Pulse 29/09/77.

1. Prodigal Son

2. Ku Klux Klan

3. Prediction

4. Bad Man.

Laurel Aitken (backed by The Ruts) - 12/05/80.
 1. Big Fat Man.
2. Rudi Got Married.
3. Jesse James.
4. Rock Me Baby/Caledonia.

Zion Train (with Ruts DC) - 16/03/96.
1. Teenage Dub.
2. Suspect Dub.
3. Bass Adds Growth.
4. Waiting For The Dub.

Hardcore
Bolt Thrower - Complete Peel Sessions.

Hip Hop
Cookie Crew - 08/05/85.
    1. B The Place To Be
    2. The Cut Master Swift Rap
    3. It's Gotta Be Fresh.