h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I remember that also....but I didn't think he'd been banned. I was of the impression that he'd been dragged, kicking and screaming onto the show as part of a policy to homogenise R1. This was his attempt to blot his copybook. I gather he only consented to appear if he was accompanied by Kid Jensen or Janice Long.

I also remember an anniversary editition. At the end, all the DJs were shown dancing. When the camera swung towards him, he looked it in the eye and mouthed a two word epithet...

Who is going to do what Peel did for new music? I can't see anyone who's doing what he did, although 6 Music makes a reasonable attempt.
But it's the eclecticism, the complete "sod you" to the establishment that I treasure. Ivor Cutler. Sir Henry at Rawlison End. Punk. Reggae. The Fall.
I was completely bereft when I heard. It's a bit like losing an older brother who's guided you through the morass of rubbish music to find hidden treasures.

My favourite John Peel on TOTP moment..... "...and now the truly awful Yes"....

BTW... it was a Yes track I liked, but I still loved the comment. He could do that
I can't believe there will be no more festive 50s, Pig's big 78s, miscued records/cds at the wrong speed, amazing and interesting music, raids from the archives, stories, comments or Home Truths- or appearances on Grumpy Old Men.
for his loved ones.

..... Sir Henry, what a hoot. Joyous.

Is there an entry on him in the Guide? It must be possible to put one together and include these stories. I am not volunteering, but someone here must be able to do it.

B

There is and it's on the Front Page as "recently updated".

Good.

B

ive found 3 including the one on the front page

A389757 A457094A715565 the last one is John's top 50 (1998-2000)

There's also a spookily apposite quote from him near the start of my Half Man Half Biscuit entry A2998498

'They are a national treasure....when I die I want to be buried with them.'

Just thinking though, there is no guide entry on "The Undertones" it might be a nice tribute if someone who knew who they actually were wrote an entry on them, especially as John Peel's favorite track was by them and he apparently funded some of there early recordings out of his own pocket.

Researcher PSG

Ah! Yes! Then we could say "You've Got Their Number , Why Don't you Use It!"!!

Peel's version of the Undertones story was that they'd occasionally phone him up and he'd hear this strange noise on the the other end of the phone which, because of their Derry accents, sounded like a foreign language to him. Eventually they'd get together and there'd be some excited gibbering in the background before they put on one member who they reckoned was 'well brought up' and thus had the best speaking voice. This only partially worked. He'd maybe understand one word in four.

Peely always seemed to prefer the music to the actual band members anyway

I remember when John Peel was on Room 101. My favourite bit was when he wanted to put Essex in it

And beards.

Thanks for the link to Peely's all time favourite festive. I've just been through it and worked out how many of those tracks I've got...

Forty-two of them

The word that sums up my feelings on seeing the news at work while having a quick break was 'B*llocks'. Just sums it all up for me.

I very rarely listened to his Radio 1 program and rarely liked the music he played. But that did not matter I *knew* that most of that music would would grab enough people for it get a foot hold in what is these days a pretty ruthless music industry. I appreciated the music even if it did not grab me.

For me John Peel was the voice of Saturday mornings when I woke early enough to here him interviewing normal people about extraordinary things and although he interupted on a regular basis it was never to upstage the people merely to interject a piece of his life experience.

I always listen to PM on radio 4 and last night, for once, the american election and all the other crap in the world took second place to John and for the most part it was normal people sending in e-mails about what John meant to them.

The one comment that set me off and is doing now was from a chap who said he remembers John giving the news that John Lennon had died - that was the first time the e-mailer had cried over someone dying. Last night on hearing the news was the second. It is probably the third for me. And you can bet if Peely was alive today he would have another sodding anecdote to upstage even that one.

A comment from someone on the BBC website tribute page to Peely:

"John was the greatest - please let the second stage at Glastonbury be renamed to honour a true genius."

A genius idea! Must be done.

Just heard on Radio 2 they are going to name the new tent at Glastonbury after JP.

Frankly they should rename the whole festival! Peely had such a wide taste in music and was certainly responsible for widening this researcher's musical horizons - folk, punk, reggae, world music ect ect ect.
I know I betray my vintage by that list, and I know more recently there was other stuff (I think the new-fangled phrase is "urban"?) but the point is that he didn't seem to have any musical boundaries or prejudices, just liked what he liked. Amazing man.

'The John Peel Festival' I like it.