John Peel's unknown soul record from 1975?

[Derek Pearson]

Given the vast combined amount of knowledge contained within the members on this forum can anyone identify this record?

It's not me that wants to know - I spotted this request online earlier and felt like being helpful.

Dx

Quote unquote "John Peel playing an unknown soul record, broadcast in 1975 on BBC Radio One. Does anyone know who the artist is and the title"?

 

 

[Geeselad]

haven't a clue, but its really unusual and I really like it. Sounds like indie release and it's surely called October. Be great to find out who it's by

 

Q

[Pete S]

Sounds like she's singing "Joba"

[Yockyman]

It sounds like rose Royce to my untrained ear !!!!!

[maslar]

Sounds like Bonnie Bramlett. I'm not saying it is - just a similar voice. I even thought Maggie Bell but I guessing it's probably American

[Guest]

Kathy Sledge?.....sounds very similar and the right era!

[Guest Spain pete]

Maybe Marsha hunt ?🎲

[Tomangoes]

So the 30 odd year old Toba guy is dumped by the girl and is thinking about suicide, and she says take your time and think it over?

A real uplifting tune just right for John Peel, who always played oddities, even Margaret Mandolph SB one Sunday afternoon.

Not my cup of tea unfortunately.

Ed

[Smudger]

Name probably taken from below

 

Theatre Owners Booking Association, or T.O.B.A., was the vaudeville circuit for African American performers in the 1920s. The theaters mostly had white owners (the recently restored Morton Theater in Athens, Georgia, originally operated by "Pinky" Monroe Morton, being a notable exception) and booked jazz and blues musicians and singers, comedians, and other performers, including the classically trained, such as operatic soprano Sissieretta Jones, known as "The Black Patti", for black audiences.

 

Contents

  [hide] 

• 1History
• 2Additional reading
• 3References
• 4External links

 

History[edit]

The association was established following the work of vaudeville performer Sherman H. Dudley. By 1909, Dudley was widely known as the "Lone Star Comedian" and had begun an attempt to have a black-owned and operated string of venues around the United States.^[1] By 1911 Dudley was based in Washington, D.C. as general manager and treasurer of the Colored Actors' Union,^[2] and set up S. H. Dudley Theatrical Enterprises, which began buying and leasing theaters around Washington and Virginia.^[3] By 1916 the "Dudley Circuit" had extended into the south and Midwest, enabling black entertainers to secure longer-term contracts for an extended season; this circuit provided the basis for T.O.B.A.^[3] His circuit was advertised in a weekly column published in black newspapers, "What's What on the Dudley's Circuit", and by 1914 it included over twenty theaters, "all owned or operated by blacks and as far south as Atlanta."

T.O.B.A. was formally established in 1920 by people associated with Dudley's circuit.^[4] Its President was Milton Starr, owner of the Bijou Theater in Nashville;^[5] its chief booker was Sam Reevin of Chattanooga.^[6] The organization had more than 100 theaters at its peak in the early to mid 1920s. Often referred to by the black performers as Tough on Black Artists (or, by Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, as Tough on Black Asses), the association was generally known as Toby Time (Time was a common term for vaudeville circuits). It booked only black artists into a series of theatres on the East Coast and as far west as Oklahoma. T.O.B.A. venues were the only ones south of the Mason-Dixon line that regularly sought black audiences, according to one reference.^[7] T.O.B.A. paid less and generally had worse touring arrangements than the white vaudeville counterpart. But like white vaudeville, T.O.B.A. faded from popularity during the Great Depression, collapsing in late 1930 when Dudley sold his chain of theaters to a cinema company.^[6][8]

According to writer Preston Lauterbach, "a basic TOBA troupe carried about all the variety a single stage could hold, not to mention all the personalities one sleeping car could hold", including tap dancers, comedy teams, actors, and blues singers. Their backdrops, costumes and props moved with them.^[6] Its earliest star performers included singers Ethel Waters, Gertrude Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Edmonia Henderson,^[9][10] Mamie Smith, Minto Cato, and Adelaide Hall; comedian Tim Moore with his Chicago Follies company (which included his wife Gertie); the Whitman Sisters and their Company; musicians Fletcher Henderson, Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Noble Sissle, Eubie Blake, Joe "King" Oliver, and Duke Ellington; comedians Sandy Burns, Salem Whitney Tutt, Boots Hope, Seymour James and Tom Fletcher; future Paris sensation Josephine Baker; songwriter and pianist Perry Bradford, the mime Johnny Hudgins; dancers U. S. Thompson, Walter Batie, Earl "Snakehips" Tucker, and Valaida Snow; comic monologuist Boots Hope; and many others. In addition, later well-known names such as Florence Mills, Lincoln "Stepin Fetchit" Perry, Hattie McDaniel, Mantan Moreland, Jackie "Moms" Mabley, Dewey Pigmeat Markham, Johnny Lee, Marshall "Garbage" Rogers, Amanda Randolph, Chick Webb, Cab Calloway, a young William Basie (before he came to be called "Count"), and four-year-old Sammy Davis, Jr. all performed on the T.O.B.A. circuit.

The most prestigious black theaters in Harlem, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., were not part of the circuit, booking acts independently; The T.O.B.A. was considered less prestigious. Many black performers, such as Bert Williams, George Walker, Johnson and Dean, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Tim Moore, and Johnny Hudgins also performed in white vaudeville, often in Blackface.

Additional reading[edit]

• Nadine George-Graves, The Royalty of Negro Vaudeville: The Whitman Sisters and the Negotiation of Race, Gender, and Class in African American Theater, 1900-1940, in Dance Research Journal, Vol. 33, No. 2, Social and Popular Dance (Winter, 2001), pp. 134–138.
• David Krasner, A Beautiful Pageant: African American Theatre, Drama, and Performance in the Harlem Renaissance, AIAA, 2002, ISBN 978-0312295905.
• Bernard L. Peterson, Jr., Profiles of African American Stage Performers and Theatre People, 1816-1960, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000, ISBN 978-0313295348
• Henry T. Sampson, Blacks in Blackface: A Source Book on Early Black Musical Shows, Scarecrow Press, Second edition, 2013, ISBN 978-0810883505
• Redd Foxx and Norma Miller, The Redd Foxx Encyclopedia of Black Humor, W. Ritchie Press, 1977, ISBN 978-0378083027
• Iain Cameron Williams, Underneath a Harlem Moon ... the Harlem to Paris Years of Adelaide Hall, Bayou Jazz Lives, Continuum, 2002, ISBN 0826458939^[11]

[Guest Spain pete]

Wow!🎶any one know who it is ?

Edited May 16, 2017 by Spain pete
change

[Steve S 60]

I actually think she is singing Tova, which is a Hebrew name.  Rhymes nicely with think it over.

[maslar]

I think a better question is why is it referred to as "John Peel's "soul". record? It sounds more rock (blues based) than soul to me.The backing track could be Eric Clapton in that period.  It reality it could be anyone in the Janis Joplin style of that era - from Merry Clayton to Curved Air to  a few county and western singers. even.  JP wasn't known as a champion of soul music. 

[Liamgp]

2 hours ago, maslar said:

I think a better question is why is it referred to as "John Peel's "soul". record? It sounds more rock (blues based) than soul to me.The backing track could be Eric Clapton in that period.  It reality it could be anyone in the Janis Joplin style of that era - from Merry Clayton to Curved Air to  a few county and western singers. even.  JP wasn't known as a champion of soul music. 

Maybe not a 'champion of soul', but he played a fair amount on his shows over the years. I seem to recall he played a lot of stuff he associated with his times in the USA in the early to mid 60s. 

[maslar]

1 hour ago, LiamGP said:

Maybe not a 'champion of soul', but he played a fair amount on his shows over the years. I seem to recall he played a lot of stuff he associated with his times in the USA in the early to mid 60s. 

Really? I wouldn't have said so so personally.  I think it was Jeff Dexter who said back in the 60s at least Peel hated soul music and refused point blank to play any  - and I think that went for Jamaican music too. Not much Motown or Stax in the Perfumed Garden.

[Liamgp]

47 minutes ago, maslar said:

Really? I wouldn't have said so so personally.  I think it was Jeff Dexter who said back in the 60s at least Peel hated soul music and refused point blank to play any  - and I think that went for Jamaican music too. Not much Motown or Stax in the Perfumed Garden.

I was a bit young for the Perfumed Garden, but listening to his shows from the late 70s onwards, I recall he played soul, blues and RnB fairly frequently. I think he preferred the 'deep' or Southern soul sound rather than Motown stuff though, and I don't recall any definitive Northern Soul, although one night I was most surprised to hear him play Dean Parrish's 'Determination'.

I got the feeling that he was regularly fed new releases by labels like Charly or Ace...

As for Jamaican music, he was obsessive about reggae and played it all the time!

[maslar]

38 minutes ago, LiamGP said:

I was a bit young for the Perfumed Garden, but listening to his shows from the late 70s onwards, I recall he played soul, blues and RnB fairly frequently. I think he preferred the 'deep' or Southern soul sound rather than Motown stuff though, and I don't recall any definitive Northern Soul, although one night I was most surprised to hear him play Dean Parrish's 'Determination'.

I got the feeling that he was regularly fed new releases by labels like Charly or Ace...

As for Jamaican music, he was obsessive about reggae and played it all the time!

My comments were aimed at the 60s scene he was involved in. To be honest I never really rated him. And those people who view him as a sort of ultimate arbiter of taste ( " well John Peel said this blah blah blah") I've got no time for really. As for his interest in reggae.....  things changed from the 60 to the 70s when he supposedly became a champion of Jamaican music. For one thing the  British reggae scene was taking off. Bob Marley was living in London and groups like Aswad were difficult to ignore. Peel may refused to play ska or rock steady in the late 60s but his credibility would have taken a hard knock  if he'd rubbished or ignore groups like Aswad or Steel Pulse. Also he took it upon himself to be a champion of new wave from 1976. And the new wave/reggae link was very strong.

And let's  not forget the fact  that it doesn't really matter what soul or reggae or blues or jazz record you put out there - he always thought  "Teenage Kicks by the Undertones was better . His obsession with this mediocre faux punk singalong always made me laugh. Apparently upon first hearing it he burst into tears, overcome by emotion. I've always like to think that this is an urban myth because the alternative - that he actually really did burst into tears - is just too   ridiculous to contemplate - he was almost 30 at that time.

[Guest Spain pete]

21 hours ago, maslar said:

My comments were aimed at the 60s scene he was involved in. To be honest I never really rated him. And those people who view him as a sort of ultimate arbiter of taste ( " well John Peel said this blah blah blah") I've got no time for really. As for his interest in reggae.....  things changed from the 60 to the 70s when he supposedly became a champion of Jamaican music. For one thing the  British reggae scene was taking off. Bob Marley was living in London and groups like Aswad were difficult to ignore. Peel may refused to play ska or rock steady in the late 60s but his credibility would have taken a hard knock  if he'd rubbished or ignore groups like Aswad or Steel Pulse. Also he took it upon himself to be a champion of new wave from 1976. And the new wave/reggae link was very strong.

And let's  not forget the fact  that it doesn't really matter what soul or reggae or blues or jazz record you put out there - he always thought  "Teenage Kicks by the Undertones was better . His obsession with this mediocre faux punk singalong always made me laugh. Apparently upon first hearing it he burst into tears, overcome by emotion. I've always like to think that this is an urban myth because the alternative - that he actually really did burst into tears - is just too   ridiculous to contemplate - he was almost 30 at that time.

I remember the first time l heard the knight brother's l burst into tears  , but that's another story  surely someone knows who the feck it is ?🎶🎶

[Mick Holdsworth]

Was this something JP played on the radio and simply never said who it was, or is the recording just edited down without his comments at the beggining or end.

Just wondered.

[Derek Pearson]

On 2017-5-18 at 16:01, maslar said:

I think a better question is why is it referred to as "John Peel's "soul". record? 

Just to clarify matters - it was the person who initially asked the question (on another website) that described it as 'John Peel's unknown soul record from 1975' - whether it is soul, rock or blues isn't really the question - the question is who is the artist?

9 hours ago, Mick Holdsworth said:

Was this something JP played on the radio and simply never said who it was, or is the recording just edited down without his comments at the beggining or end. Just wondered.

I'm assuming JP played said track during one of his shows circa 1975 and just simply never voiced who the artist was. I don't think the initial thread was one of those where somebody knows who the artist is but sets up a nameless audio clip online as a bit of fun - a puzzle - to see who can correctly name the artist.

To be honest the track in question whatever it's called doesn't do much for me at all (it's not gone onto my wants list put it that way) and I'm slightly surprised with all the combined depth of knowledge on this forum that nobodies nailed it yet. It's just a matter of time me thinks.

Derek

[Guest Spain pete]

Not the greatest piece of recorded music that's for sure but interesting all the same  racked my brain's  with this one so some one must be able to identify who the hell it is 🎶🎶?

[Guest]

On 2017-5-18 at 22:00, maslar said:

My comments were aimed at the 60s scene he was involved in. To be honest I never really rated him. And those people who view him as a sort of ultimate arbiter of taste ( " well John Peel said this blah blah blah") I've got no time for really. As for his interest in reggae.....  things changed from the 60 to the 70s when he supposedly became a champion of Jamaican music. For one thing the  British reggae scene was taking off. Bob Marley was living in London and groups like Aswad were difficult to ignore. Peel may refused to play ska or rock steady in the late 60s but his credibility would have taken a hard knock  if he'd rubbished or ignore groups like Aswad or Steel Pulse. Also he took it upon himself to be a champion of new wave from 1976. And the new wave/reggae link was very strong.

And let's  not forget the fact  that it doesn't really matter what soul or reggae or blues or jazz record you put out there - he always thought  "Teenage Kicks by the Undertones was better . His obsession with this mediocre faux punk singalong always made me laugh. Apparently upon first hearing it he burst into tears, overcome by emotion. I've always like to think that this is an urban myth because the alternative - that he actually really did burst into tears - is just too   ridiculous to contemplate - he was almost 30 at that time.

I liked much of what Peel played but I agree with you on that one. The Undertones (Pants!) were a laughably sub-mediocre band and Teenage Kicks I thought was a bloody awful squawk!

[Davenpete]

Re-him 'hating' soul music. Wasn't Sandie Sheldon supposed to have come out of his collection?????

Dx

[Tomangoes]

As a 16 year old lad, fishing one Sunday, and listening to his Sunday show, he definitely played Margaret Mandolph SB.

I was shocked as it was a fairly big tune at the Cleethorpes all dayers at the time.

Must have been an original somebody loaned him.

I always remember him also playing a band called Alien Sex Fiend. 

I never got around to buying their album! 

Ed

 

Edited May 21, 2017 by tomangoes
Miss spelt lad..

[Paul R]

I remember him waxing Lyrical about Linda Jones, especially IJCLML. It was just after they did a record collectors article about Northern Soul Collecting. Ian Levine was interviewed, and they played, if my memory serves me correctly, Invitation Band Of Angels and Love On A Mountain Top which had just been reissued, and became a pretty big hit. So late 73 ish.

 

Paul

[Liamgp]

I think it's worth remembering that he lived in the US for several years in the 60s and would have heard a hell of a lot more soul and RnB than any of his UK contemporaries even just on the radio. But he also once described in an interview actually going to Black dance events (white folk only allowed on the balcony!) and watching the kids dancing to Howlin' Wolf. Etta James, Otis Rush, Elmore James, etc and how they would mix the faster tempo records - with all the latest steps - with the slower ones where the girls and boys would dance together. Must have been great to see!

[maslar]

Just to clarify my comments on JP: I've never met him so I don't really know what he was or wasn't into. My comments were based on those of Dexter who was a top London club  DJ and worked with JP at Middle Earth and did know him.  Also i don't really see how playing the odd record here and there elevates you to "champion" status. The real champion of soul music at Radio 1 was Tony Blackburn. No one else comes close.

My early knowledge of JP came about through my teenage obsession with T.Rex/Bolan. They were great friends until Bolan became really successful. At which point JP openly declared he was refusing to play his (supposedly) mate's records. In particular he wouldn't play Get It On (in my opinion one of the all-time classic Britsh rock/pop records).  I can understand anyone not rating it -taste is a personal thing. But Bolan was supposed to be one of his best friends. It's well known it was this attitude that resulted in Bolan severing ties with him.

At the same time JP would sometimes play a record that he regarded as crap - The Slits comes to mind - under the "they're so bad they good" BS he sometimes espoused. There was another novelty record he played which escapes me now which also is pure crap. If you're a champion of so  progressive music and new talent why give three or four minutes of prime airtime to complete  rubbish when there are talented unknown bands who would really benefit from it. It's all that self-indulgent nonsense that bugs me. 

Also, while I've mentioned Tony Blackburn, JP always seemed to have a bug up his a*** about him didn't  he? I read an article a couple of years ago where TB went into it - how he'd slag him off in the press and then praise him to his face. 

[Geeselad]

11 hours ago, maslar said:

Just to clarify my comments on JP: I've never met him so I don't really know what he was or wasn't into. My comments were based on those of Dexter who was a top London club  DJ and worked with JP at Middle Earth and did know him.  Also i don't really see how playing the odd record here and there elevates you to "champion" status. The real champion of soul music at Radio 1 was Tony Blackburn. No one else comes close.

My early knowledge of JP came about through my teenage obsession with T.Rex/Bolan. They were great friends until Bolan became really successful. At which point JP openly declared he was refusing to play his (supposedly) mate's records. In particular he wouldn't play Get It On (in my opinion one of the all-time classic Britsh rock/pop records).  I can understand anyone not rating it -taste is a personal thing. But Bolan was supposed to be one of his best friends. It's well known it was this attitude that resulted in Bolan severing ties with him.

At the same time JP would sometimes play a record that he regarded as crap - The Slits comes to mind - under the "they're so bad they good" BS he sometimes espoused. There was another novelty record he played which escapes me now which also is pure crap. If you're a champion of so  progressive music and new talent why give three or four minutes of prime airtime to complete  rubbish when there are talented unknown bands who would really benefit from it. It's all that self-indulgent nonsense that bugs me. 

Also, while I've mentioned Tony Blackburn, JP always seemed to have a bug up his a*** about him didn't  he? I read an article a couple of years ago where TB went into it - how he'd slag him off in the press and then praise him to his face. 

tony Blackburn always seems to get stick and was for a long time the butt of many light entertainment jokes, so peel wasn't alone.

[maslar]

7 hours ago, geeselad said:

tony Blackburn always seems to get stick and was for a long time the butt of many light entertainment jokes, so peel wasn't alone.

Except Peel was a colleague so you'd really expect better. Tony Blackburn was, in my opinion, the best dj Radio 1 ever had. I  used to love the early 70s breakfast show before school. 

Interestingly I've checked out the track-list for Peel's last ever Radio London Perfumed Garden show. It was a mammoth 5 hour affair. Of the 90 odd tracks he played only four are by black artists. That's FOUR out of NINETY: (capitals and bold for dramatic effect).

Elmore James singing Dust My Broom. Howling Wolf singing Dust My Broom (did he know any other blues?), Love (Arthur Lee) and Hendrix.

Not one soul record. In a five hour radio show in which he had free rein!

[Derek Pearson]

Despite going slightly off topic sometimes in this thread I'm really pleased just how many knowledgeable people have got involved in trying to identify this weird and wonderfull track - but nobodys nailed it yet.

With time we'll get there I'm sure.

Dx

[Tomangoes]

Probably a one 'try' wonder.

If it was by a popular artist, it very likely it would have been guessed by now.

Using half a dozen title combinations in YouTube etc would throw the song up, even if by another artist.

My guess is it is an lp track on a compilation, probably some kind of free charity sample sent to John.

The Free Angela LP had contributions from various artists. For the Northern Soul lover, only two or three tracks would have been played more than once.

John Peel did make some play lists that accompanied his shows, but I think they started later than this release.

He had the power to play whatever he wanted.

If I ever tuned into his show, it was usually only for a couple of tracks, because most were completely off the wall.

If I would have found this track as a b side for example, I would have never played it twice. Different strokes for different folks!

However as you say, somebody will reveal the tracks identity sooner or later.

Ed

[Soulfinger]

I also used to tune in to Peel for 15 minutes or so just to see what weird crap he was playing, He would very, very occasionally play something soulful. I remember him playing Don't Think That I am a Violent Guy - Garland Green and Do You Hear Me Baby, Is Your Phone Line Clear - Frankie Vance in close order. Figured Kent had sent him a freebie. Met him at an Eddie Floyd gig in the 80's so he must have had some interest.

No clue on the artist......

[Ted Massey]

He played the Carios Stop overlooking me around the time of the first Shrine album 

[Derek Pearson]

Thanks for the input Ted.

But I fear we are no closer to identifying this mysterious tune now than we were when this thread first surfaced in early May.

I'm sure we'll get there in the end.

Dx

Used to have Oliver Joy on Big Deal years ago but not now (with a nod to Rob's shop).

[Guest son of stan]

On 5/25/2017 at 12:39, maslar said:

 

At the same time JP would sometimes play a record that he regarded as crap - The Slits comes to mind - under the "they're so bad they good" BS he sometimes espoused. There was another novelty record he played which escapes me now which also is pure crap. If you're a champion of so  progressive music and new talent why give three or four minutes of prime airtime to complete  rubbish when there are talented unknown bands who would really benefit from it. It's all that self-indulgent nonsense that bugs me. 

Also, while I've mentioned Tony Blackburn, JP always seemed to have a bug up his a*** about him didn't  he? I read an article a couple of years ago where TB went into it - how he'd slag him off in the press and then praise him to his face. 

Interesting to read your comments about Peel. Chimes in what I've always thought about him. There's a very interesting anecdote in this interview with Tony Blackburn:

“One day, he was sitting in the studio listening to this very odd music, and he said to me: ‘This is a load of shit but I could make something out of it.’ And he made this programme called The Perfumed Garden with it, which was very successful on Radio London. Eventually, he got to love the music but originally his reaction was: ‘God, this is odd.’ Then when he went to the BBC, he realised he could make a name for himself as an alternative DJ. He wasn’t stupid, he knew what he was doing. ”

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/aug/10/-sp-tony-blackburn-john-peel-looked-upon-me-as-the-devil-for-some-reason

Always found him a bit contrived. The sudden adoption of a gruffer, more 'street' accent and persona around the time of punk, for example...

Anyway sorry to take your thread even further off topic, Derek...No idea who the record is. I do know John Peel used to get sent tons of demos, etc from young hopefuls all around the world so maybe not even a proper release?

 

 

 

 

[Daz]

Wow - That's got to be one of the worst records i've heard for a long time. I'm not surprised its unknown.  Toba, Joba, October, one thing is sure i'm glad it's over Toba, Joba, October......

[Pete S]

On 2017-5-18 at 22:00, maslar said:

My comments were aimed at the 60s scene he was involved in. To be honest I never really rated him. And those people who view him as a sort of ultimate arbiter of taste ( " well John Peel said this blah blah blah") I've got no time for really. As for his interest in reggae.....  things changed from the 60 to the 70s when he supposedly became a champion of Jamaican music. For one thing the  British reggae scene was taking off. Bob Marley was living in London and groups like Aswad were difficult to ignore. Peel may refused to play ska or rock steady in the late 60s but his credibility would have taken a hard knock  if he'd rubbished or ignore groups like Aswad or Steel Pulse. Also he took it upon himself to be a champion of new wave from 1976. And the new wave/reggae link was very strong.

And let's  not forget the fact  that it doesn't really matter what soul or reggae or blues or jazz record you put out there - he always thought  "Teenage Kicks by the Undertones was better . His obsession with this mediocre faux punk singalong always made me laugh. Apparently upon first hearing it he burst into tears, overcome by emotion. I've always like to think that this is an urban myth because the alternative - that he actually really did burst into tears - is just too   ridiculous to contemplate - he was almost 30 at that time.

Very unfair Mas.  There was no need for Peel to be playing soul in the early 70's as the BBC had that covered.  And his championing of 'the new music' in 1976 really did kickstart possibly the best era in British music ever.  I have hundreds of his shows recorded and there's a huge amount of reggae, ska, rocksteady, soul, blues and so on.  It is actually as good as I remember it being.  Teenage Kicks is like Do I Love You - we've all heard it too many times for it to have any impact anymore.  I still miss John Peel, very much indeed.

[maslar]

18 hours ago, Pete S said:

Very unfair Mas.  There was no need for Peel to be playing soul in the early 70's as the BBC had that covered.  And his championing of 'the new music' in 1976 really did kickstart possibly the best era in British music ever.  I have hundreds of his shows recorded and there's a huge amount of reggae, ska, rocksteady, soul, blues and so on.  It is actually as good as I remember it being.  Teenage Kicks is like Do I Love You - we've all heard it too many times for it to have any impact anymore.  I still miss John Peel, very much indeed.

Maybe so . I just re-read my comments and it sounds like I'm ranting when in reality I'm more laid back  and super-relaxed about it all .  I'm not really anti-Peel just more ambivalent. I was never really a regular listener to his shows and as I got older that became more so. From what I did hear it seemed to me that he liked to appear as a champion of "underground music" in general. 

As i said I don't really know what he was into. I know when he was mates with Bolan they used to go record hunting for old blues LPs. But he played hardly any blues on his Perfumed Garden show. Tony Blackburn says he (Peel)  didn't really rate the "hippy music" or progressive he played. Even though he was a driving force behind the success of Tyrannosaurus Rex (which I give him credit for). (I think he really did rate Tyrannosaurus Rex who had a distinct sound at that time).

Don't you find it a little strange that in his last mammoth 5 hour Perfumed Garden show in 1967 he didn't play one contemporary soul record? My comments were really aimed at this period really.  When many of the tracks that later came under the Northern Soul umbrella were new releases. 

[Jerry Hipkiss]

On 2017-6-24 at 11:25, maslar said:

 

Don't you find it a little strange that in his last mammoth 5 hour Perfumed Garden show in 1967 he didn't play one contemporary soul record? My comments were really aimed at this period really.  When many of the tracks that later came under the Northern Soul umbrella were new releases. 

Not really, the whole thing about the "underground" scene was supposed to be rebelling against the mainstream - by the summer of '67 those involved considered soul naff, commercial and - to use a phrase coined a little later - "teenybopper" music. Those of us who stuck with it got ribbing and sneers from mates, believe me! Peel just ditched the Fab 40 playlist to see if he could get away with it and the Perfumed Garden grew from there. Incidentally, it's fun looking at their charts and seeing future Rare Soul favourites getting plays, like in this one which has Bobby Sheen in the Top Ten!

https://radiolondon.co.uk/rl/scrap60/fabforty/aug66/aug661/fab070866.html