[peel] 60s 70s early 80s Peel

[John Bravin]

I've listened since 1967 and there is no doubt he has changed style.
The early years were more earnest, with the 'music is the message'
being the approach.  I have some tapes from the 60s, but rarely does
he say anything other than the artist and title.  This style was
epitomised
by the late Alexis Korner who used to give record label, record number
and list the musicians for each track played.  There were some flashes
of excitement: the day Peel played Midnight Rambler by the Stones from
Get Yer Ya Yas Out. I happened to have the recorder running, and he
was clearly thrilled by the unlabelled vinyl which was clearly the
Stones.
In those the pedigree of musicians seemed endless (cf Pete Frames(?)
rock family trees.  Peel was always the first to play the new line-ups,
and
spin-off bands (Fairports/Steeleye/Fotheringay).  Live he was also
pretty laid back (stoned), but with bands like Principal Edward's Magic
Theatre it was hard to get excited.

Despite the apparent serious approach, much of what he was doing
was revolutionary.  Playing whole LPs (no copyright in the early days),
first play of the Beatle's Hey Jude as a single that blew away the 3
minute
formula.  Playing Eric Clapton & the Yardbirds and then the original
blues artists that influenced Clapton.  Providing an outlet for Roy
Harper
who then used it to give a tirade against the BBC, and what it stood
for.
(incidentally Roy Harper played London last week, and he's still a moody
bugger).

The first real on-radio excitement came with Rod Stewart and the Faces.
>From then on Peel as friend of the band was common, and this has
continued today with the Fall and Wedding Present etc.

The 70s featured some pretty dire music until 1976/77 so Peel's
enthusiasm
was limited.  Of course the dry humour has always been there. His radio
documentaries for the radio were always well crafted and amusing (if
verging
on the pretentious ("clean cut college students wearing button down
madras shirts and snappy slacks were aware as a result of buying
Peter, Paul and Mary LPs that somewhere there was an artist writing
songs by the name of Bob Dylan").

The cult of the presenter at Radio 1 also led to some of the changes.
I remember Peel wetting himself with excitement with Kid Jensen when
Liverpool won the European Cup.  He followed this by the Kop Choir
and the Mighty Wah.

It's ironic isn't it that in his youth he was deadly serious, and now in
his
60's his shows are entertainment in their own right.

--
John Bravin
Hours of early tapes, but poor quality, with most of the Peel intros
edited out.
Still priceless though!


-----Original Message-----
From: .Keith Hawley <keith@...>
To: peel@egroups.com <peel@egroups.com>
Date: 22 September 2000 16:15
Subject: Re: [peel] 60s 70s early 80s Peel

>my impression (from various snippets played during documentaries etc.)
>was that his tone was much more serious and earnest in the seventies...
>probably reflecting a view of, say, prog-rock that was much more
>strokybeardy... took it much more seriously...
>
>so, i suspect he is far more laid back and jokey than he used to be.
>
>
>i'm too young to know for sure thought...
>
>i'd also be keen to hear tapes if anyone has this sort of thing.
>
>
>
>
>- keith hawley
>
>e: keith@...
>fax: 0870-7058333
>
>
>
>