Have we done this? If not then let’s do so now. I am working my way through The Fall’s Complete Peel Sessions and what a mighty thing it is. Though I’m not a Peel obsessive, the session from 1983 that marked the end of the Rough Trade years and saw them canter through Smile, Garden, Hexen Definitive/Strife Knot. Three are significantly extended from the versions on Perverted by Language and benefit from the clutter-free studio production. It’s perhaps the perfection of the Krautrock sound they had at this time, that felt like it could go on forever once they hit a groove. So we’re after not just great artists and songs, but where the session versions really hit the spot. Here’s a mighty version of Eat Y’Self Fitter (in comments) featuring the two-drummer line up in all its glory. And one Wikipedia anecdote to whet your appetite:
When Peel had first heard the track – in a session the band recorded in March 1983 – he stated on air that he had fainted and his producer, John Walters, had had to resuscitate him. The fact that Peel took this to his Desert Island and I would have guessed he used this version seals it as my nomination. Yours?
Best John Peel sessions
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Pshaw. Shouty rubbish. Now the “Rawlinson’s End” episodes or “The Orb”, or Elton John’s pub-piano Bob Dylan melody – THEN you’re talking.
Ms Moles was singing along. That tells you a lot.
This one is certainly a legendary example: Love Sculpture, performing the then otherwise unrecorded ‘Sabre Dance’ on Top Gear in October 1968. The tale in Ken Garner’s ‘The Peel Sessions’ book is that producer Bernie Andrews, who would normally have scheduled a long session track (this is 6 mins) at the end of the programme, deliberately scheduled it at the start of the show – having an idea what would happen. Sure enough, after he played it, Peel phoned Bernie at home and asked if he could play it again. Bernie had deliberately scheduled another 6 minute track at the end of the show – and told Peel he could take it out and play the session track again.
Bernie (from Ken’s book): ‘That was the first and only time a pre-recorded session item was played twice in the same programme. The reason it hadn’t been done before was because it incurred an immediate full repeat fee. But ‘Sabre Dance’ justified it. Parlophone picked up on it, re-recorded it, rush-released it, and had a hit. But Dave Edmunds always said that first BBC version was the best recording.’
I’ve had a quick look online and the BBC version doesn’t appear to be commercially available, so here it is – digitised from a 50-year old reel of tape two days ago, with Peel’s awe apparent in his spoken outro. It’s clear that this must have been the second play in the show.
Excellent choice Moseleymoles; the version of Garden on that sesssion is one of the finest things The Fall ever recorded.
The best Peel session is a tough one; I’ll say for now that The Pixies honored the idea of a session as an experiment by trying out a set of new songs in 1988 that would turn up later on Doolittle, although I think these earlier versions have the edge.
Stiff Little Fingers managed 4 Peel Sessions – the first seems to have been “lost”.
The third session contained an working version of Nobodys Hero (Jake Burns had finished the lyrics at this stage) which sounds more urgent than the later album version
Error: they were lost, but have since been uncovered (My mistake – I’m working from the original issue of The Peel Sessions album, not the re-issue on CD which restores the 6 tracks from April 1978
I believe Jake’s running some kind of anniversary tour this year and tkts are selling well. I saw their opening 5 minutes at a show in Belfast in the 90s and left – it was dreadful: epic intro music and then they start playing, and it’s a weedy, tinny nothingness. I daresay they’ve turned their volume up since then.
Upcoming tour for March is pretty much sold out.
There is a big event for the 40th taking place at Custom House Square in Belfast in August – support from Stranglers, Ruts DC, The Outcasts and Terri Hooley. This is selling pretty quick too.
The late 80s/early 90s shows were a bit laboured and lumpen – they were still getting back up to speed.
The “plod” of those early shows has been banished – certainly since “new” drummer Steve Grantley joined
(“new”? he joined in 1996)
The Smiths Radio 1 sessions are almost all better than the Rough Trade records… most spectacularly This Charming Man.
Agree with Moose re: The Smiths. Also Billy Bragg: excellent.
Just listened to this and by golly it transported me back to my bedroom and the sixth form common room.
I’m sure I didn’t leave home for sixth months without my copy of Spy tucked under my arm.
I know without having to check that my tape of this is an orange BASF.
Culture – 1982
Culture recorded a Peel Session in December 1982.
Two old songs (“Too Long in Slavery” and Two Sevens Clash), and
Two new songs (Armageddon and Lion Rock).
Four peerless versions of four top-notch songs.
Peel loved this sessiion, and no wonder.
Was surprised when Pet Shop Boys did a session –
Early 80s Peel sessions were my absolute lifeblood through the slog of sixth form – Bragg, Smiths, The Fall, JAMC, Wah!, Sudden Sway, Bunnymen, Redskins, early Primal Scream, all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff. The cassettes I made the NME ones were the only ones I kept in the great tape clear out.
Lest we forget, Duster Bennett, November ’68. Listen, Billy Bragg, and weep.
The Undertones Peel Sessions album is brilliant.
Plus there’s a version of Rock n Roll (Part 2) that can be enjoyed relatively guilt free
The Joy Division sessions are immense – much as I love Hannett’s production it’s great to hear them a bit stripped back and just as intense without him.