Top SIXTEEN Gaps between PEEL SESSION Appearances...

[ken garner]

Obviously when I wrote the book I was thinking exactly as Martin is 
now, sticking to bands only. But I think I'm changing my mind. I am 
certainly not going to spend a year checking every name and no-one 
should, that way madness lies, but if we've got this many 
observations flooding in when the book's only been on the streets 3 
days - and all the info you need for this nutty parlour game is or 
should be in there! - then we should get everyone spotted within a 
few weeks. The nature of the changes in the programme mean that it's 
only a relatively small number of musicians or acts who appear either 
throughout, or who return after long gaps. I suppose this appears 
anal, and it seems just a bit of fun, but actually, now I come to 
look at it seriously for the first time, the chart (latest update 
below) does in fact say something worth pointing out, something I did 
not say explicitly in the book (space pressure kept the main chapters 
pretty tight, I can tell you). A bonus 15 points to the first person 
to spot what it is I'm thinking of...

k



Top 16 Longest Gaps Between Peel Session Appearances



John French
36 years
2nd with Beefheart in May 68, 3rd with new Magic Band in July 04

Incredible String Band
27 years
11th in Oct 73, 12th in Nov 2000

Faust
26 years
1st in June 73, 2nd in Jan 99

Gary Numan
21 years
2nd in March 79, 3rd Dec 2000

The Undertones
20.5 years
6th in Dec 82, 7th in May 03

New Order
16.5 years
2nd in June 82, 3rd in Dec 98

Misty in Roots
16 years
8th in May 86, 9th in July 02

Steve Hillage
14.5 years
with National Health March 76, with The Orb Oct 90

Wire
14 years
4th in May 88, 5th in Sept 02

Echo and the Bunnymen
14 years
6th in Oct 83, 7th in Sept 97

Culture
13.5 years
2nd in Jan 89, 3rd in July 02

The Pastels
13.5 years
1st in Feb 84, 2nd in Nov 97

June Tabor
13 years
5th in Feb 78, 6th in Jan 91

Pulp
11.5 years
1st in Nov 81, 2nd in March 93

Orbital
11 years
1st in Sept 93, 2nd in July 04

Eon
11 years
1st in June 91, 2nd in Aug 02