A belated but heartfelt tribute to JP
Although Rob Da Bank and Ras Kwame seem to be doing an excellent job in John Peel's Radio 1 slots (or so it seems on the rare occasions I tune in) they don't seem to have the knack for pulling out the unexpected that JP did. Still, I guess it's best not to try and imitate the great man, although it's sad that Napalm Death can no longer count on Radio 1 support for their new releases!
Although my later memories of Peel mainly involve him either playing gabba to a load of stoners at the Big Chill or laying down some ferocious jungle on his radio show just as I’m turning into bed, I’m going to have to pay my respects with some old skool indie.
Observe. The Festive Fifty from 1992 (well, the top twenty)
1 Bang Bang Machine - Geek Love
2 PJ Harvey - Sheela-Na-Gig
3 Ministry - Jesus Built My Hotrod
4 Wedding Present - Come Play With Me
5 Fall - The Legend Of Xanadu
6 Fall - Free Range
7 Sonic Youth - Youth Against Fascism
8 Pavement - Trigger Cut
9 Babes In Toyland - Bruise Violets
10 Pavement - Here
11 Future Sound Of London - Papua New Guinea
12 Fall - Ed's Babe
13 Jesus And Mary Chain - Reverence
14 Wedding Present - Flying Saucer
15 Suede - The Drowners
16 Sugar - Changes
17 Sonic Youth - Sugar Kane
18 Wedding Present - Silver Shorts
19 Wedding Present - Love Slave
20 Orb - Blue Room
Full of the usual Peel suspects as you see... however you will notice sitting proudly at number one a song that seems to have disappeared into the mists of time. "Geek Love".
I remember listening to the countdown that year and apparently the Bang Bang Machine track won by the biggest margin since the festive fifty began. I remember JP saying something along the lines of "you don’t even need me to tell you what the number one is". “Oh, it’s Nirvana then” I thought. And then while anticipating some power chords this incredible track came on.
I've listened to it again and again over the last few days, and it's every bit as astounding as on that first listen. The version i'm posting here is the 9 and a half minute original. It was marked on the reissued CD single as the 'Spangle Mix', however I also have the original 12" (a bit of A4 paper glued onto an inner sleeve. Limited to 250 copies or something) and it's exactly the same version that appears on that record (minus the pops and crackles).
It's an astonishing debut and propelled them to a brief flirtation with the top 40 that they were never able to capitalise on with their later releases. I don't really have dreams of being a rockstar, however it would be fantastic to leave the world something this good then fade away into obscurity.
These are the only two pictures of the band that seem to exist on the interweb. They deserve to be remembered more than this.
BANG BANG MACHINE – GEEK LOVE
“To Love. But never to be in Love.” That sounds very familiar.
Janice? Mabel?
Another record I discovered through Peel was by a band called 'Delicate Vomit'. Three girls from Newcastle who kind of arrived as part of that 'Riot Girrl' thing that Huggy Bear started. Well, I say 'arrived' however 'hung around in the car park outside' might be more apt. A Google search for the track I am going to post brings up NO results!
Perhaps if they hadn’t a: chosen a terrible name and b: tucked this song away as the third track on their one-sided 7” they could have been as big as…well.. Elastica.
I don't know if anyone else in the world actually owns this (except the band, me and my mate Ant - who virtually ran down to Crash records straight after hearing me play it.)(Hello Ant!). It's bloody great though.
DELICATE VOMIT – NOWHERE BOY
I guess as well as the Peel link both songs have similar lyrical themes of unrequited love. "It's just not fair, 'cos I quite like him and he doesn't care." They are also linked by both being fucking amazingly good. Whatever you do PLEASE make sure you listen to ‘Geek Love’ in particular. It truly is one of the greatest records of all time.
Although my later memories of Peel mainly involve him either playing gabba to a load of stoners at the Big Chill or laying down some ferocious jungle on his radio show just as I’m turning into bed, I’m going to have to pay my respects with some old skool indie.
Observe. The Festive Fifty from 1992 (well, the top twenty)
1 Bang Bang Machine - Geek Love
2 PJ Harvey - Sheela-Na-Gig
3 Ministry - Jesus Built My Hotrod
4 Wedding Present - Come Play With Me
5 Fall - The Legend Of Xanadu
6 Fall - Free Range
7 Sonic Youth - Youth Against Fascism
8 Pavement - Trigger Cut
9 Babes In Toyland - Bruise Violets
10 Pavement - Here
11 Future Sound Of London - Papua New Guinea
12 Fall - Ed's Babe
13 Jesus And Mary Chain - Reverence
14 Wedding Present - Flying Saucer
15 Suede - The Drowners
16 Sugar - Changes
17 Sonic Youth - Sugar Kane
18 Wedding Present - Silver Shorts
19 Wedding Present - Love Slave
20 Orb - Blue Room
Full of the usual Peel suspects as you see... however you will notice sitting proudly at number one a song that seems to have disappeared into the mists of time. "Geek Love".
I remember listening to the countdown that year and apparently the Bang Bang Machine track won by the biggest margin since the festive fifty began. I remember JP saying something along the lines of "you don’t even need me to tell you what the number one is". “Oh, it’s Nirvana then” I thought. And then while anticipating some power chords this incredible track came on.
I've listened to it again and again over the last few days, and it's every bit as astounding as on that first listen. The version i'm posting here is the 9 and a half minute original. It was marked on the reissued CD single as the 'Spangle Mix', however I also have the original 12" (a bit of A4 paper glued onto an inner sleeve. Limited to 250 copies or something) and it's exactly the same version that appears on that record (minus the pops and crackles).
It's an astonishing debut and propelled them to a brief flirtation with the top 40 that they were never able to capitalise on with their later releases. I don't really have dreams of being a rockstar, however it would be fantastic to leave the world something this good then fade away into obscurity.
These are the only two pictures of the band that seem to exist on the interweb. They deserve to be remembered more than this.
BANG BANG MACHINE – GEEK LOVE
“To Love. But never to be in Love.” That sounds very familiar.
Janice? Mabel?
Another record I discovered through Peel was by a band called 'Delicate Vomit'. Three girls from Newcastle who kind of arrived as part of that 'Riot Girrl' thing that Huggy Bear started. Well, I say 'arrived' however 'hung around in the car park outside' might be more apt. A Google search for the track I am going to post brings up NO results!
Perhaps if they hadn’t a: chosen a terrible name and b: tucked this song away as the third track on their one-sided 7” they could have been as big as…well.. Elastica.
I don't know if anyone else in the world actually owns this (except the band, me and my mate Ant - who virtually ran down to Crash records straight after hearing me play it.)(Hello Ant!). It's bloody great though.
DELICATE VOMIT – NOWHERE BOY
I guess as well as the Peel link both songs have similar lyrical themes of unrequited love. "It's just not fair, 'cos I quite like him and he doesn't care." They are also linked by both being fucking amazingly good. Whatever you do PLEASE make sure you listen to ‘Geek Love’ in particular. It truly is one of the greatest records of all time.
posted by headphonesex @ 10:23 PM
