John Peel: Radio Week on the Beeb

BBC 4 Television are running a themed series of programming under the banner of ‘Radio Week’. Here are some of the highlights…

Sunday 30 September 11:40 pm
Arena: Today Carshalton Beeches…Tomorrow Croydon (1981)
This programme looks at John Peel‘s role in the rock world and that of his radio show producer, John Walters.

Sunday 30 September 12:20 am
Arena: Caroline 199 – A Pirate’s Tale
Radio Caroline, founded in 1964 by Ronan O’Rahilly, gave many DJs their first break. Arena traces the origins of this broadcasting phenomenon.

Tuesday 02 October 10:30 pm
Belgrade’s Radio Warriors: Storyville
In 1989, radio station B-92 started in Belgrade and became a symbol of resistance to Serbian Nationalism. In this film, the workers give an account of life in Belgrade throughout the years of war.

Tuesday 02 October 11:40 pm
Arena: Desert Island Discs
This 1982 episode of Arena marks 40 years of the radio institution that is Desert Island Discs.

Also in this weeks Radio Times there is a picture of our John (p142) in reference to the following programme, however I doubt he’ll figure large in this.

Friday 28 September 2007 7:00 pm
BBC Radio 2 – 60s Season – Documentaries
Don’t Start Me Talking 2 – About Radio
This episode of Don’t Start Me Talking… gives a voice to the most important person in the radio equation – the listener. This is the story of the last days of the BBC’s Light Programme & the birth of Radio 2 told entirely in the words of the great British public. If you were there, it’s how you remember it. If you weren’t – this is how it was!

Let me know if you spot something I haven’t listed here.

BBC 4 Schedule
Radio 2 Schedule

The Reggae Show

THE REGGAE SHOW

Mark’s back with The Reggae Show Tonight and every Wednesday for the next ‘x’ weeks on BBC Radio 2 at 10pm.

The only details I have to hand are from the beebs listings, “Mark Lamarr returns with a new series of the Reggae Show, playing classic reggae tracks from the 1970s golden era, plus a few modern classics.”, which doesn’t really add a lot.

The first time I heard the programme was by accident on the way to ASDA some years ago. I’m not proud of the fact but it’s local and I’d run out of milk. I sat in the car park for the rest of the evening listening to some of the best tracks I’ve ever heard and have been addicted to the show ever since.

Lamarr’s a true reggae enthusiast and the evidence is in the records he plays from his own collection. Doubtless there will be more great interviews with some true musical legends and who knows maybe the initial six week run, (if that’s the plan), will be extended to eight again this time – technically seven if you count the one they broadcast twice by mistake!

Don’t miss out. You owe it to your record collection!

The Reggae Show
Playlists

P.S.
If anyone has recordings of the first couple of series, when I think it was called ‘The Beginners Guide To Reggae’, please get in touch. I really want to track down some of those records he played.

Your Chance To Feature In New Peel Book

Quick Intro Then Down To Business:
Lots to get through so I shall be posting at least once a day for the entire week. Well that’s the plan at least, which doesn’t even leave me any time to show off my Fender Classic 60’s Jazz Bass – the envy of all me neighbours. “Turn it up”, they shout. “Gimme more dem righteous riddims white boy”, they yell, banging on the wall. Ah bless ’em. One thing I must stress is don’t miss Mark Lamarr’s Reggae Show back on the radio every Wednesday. This week Mark talks to reggae Musician/Producer/Legend Tapper Zukie. Anyone have recordings of the first series from a few years ago called ‘Beginners Guide to Reggae’? I’d love to hear some of those again.

Your Chance To Feature In New Peel Book:
Now then, a new book regarding John Peel or more specifically the Mix Tapes we all used to make, is in progress and each of us has an oppurtunity to be a part of it. To fill in the background to this project I’ll defer to it’s author Martyn Baldock:

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“I am someone who grew up listening to John Peel. He informed my musical being. Now I have grown up, (and some), I am a photographer and I’m currently making a book about fellow Peel fans. Well, not the actual fans, but their tapes. The tapes that they recorded from Peel shows. Tapes of sessions, shows and festive fifties.

I came up with the idea after re-finding my collection of festive fifty tapes. It is sad but I had stashed them away as redundant (stereo ‘upgrade’ left me without tape deck). It is unlikely I will play the tapes ever again as I have now sourced mp3 versions to fuel my i-pod. However, tapes hold an aesthetic appeal to me and I want to document this form of technology before people start to dispose of it.

Although physical cassettes are all very similar the content and labelling are unique to each tape.

The book will be very simple – images of tapes, maybe some text about the owner and the content of the tape.

I am writing to appeal for tapes. For this project to work I need lots of tapes to photograph. I am hoping that each ‘home taper’ will be prepared to lend me one of their favourite Peel tapes. For it to work I need to photograph each tape in an identical manner. I will need to borrow the physical tape to photograph in controlled conditions in my studio.

I can assure you that I will respect the irreplaceable nature of your tape; I will be very careful. If you are a willing participant then I will send you a stamped addressed, recorded delivery, waterproof envelope, for you to send me the tape. Once I have photographed it I will return it in the same manner, without delay.

As well as taking the form of a book this project will be exhibited in London in July. Any participants will get to see their tape featured in a variety of different mediums. I can also assure you of anonymity if desired.

If you are interested please email me and I will be really chuffed to advise you accordingly.

Best Wishes
Martyn Baldock”

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Sounds like a great idea to me. Would be a good opportunity for all those that know each other to feature side-by-side. Hopefully Martyn will keep me informed of progress and we’ll certainly be coming back to this one. Hmmm, Martyn about those recordings of yours…

Check back for more Peel related news and downloads all this week plus those of you waiting on dvd’s, they’re being mailed out this week – finally.

Oh and a final P.S. I’ve been forced to change over to the New Blogger which means – as usual – some of the code behind these pages may break, so if you see anything really terrible on your platform/browser combo please let me know so I can fix it. Thanks :)

Rock Steady

I love Reggae and all its sub genres. Bottom line is that it just feels right! So I can’t let the beginning of a new series The Reggae Show pass without mention.

Hosted by the excellent Mark Lamarr the programme always contains plenty of passion as well as respect for the music.

John Peel had this to say about him when asked who he liked of the, then current, crop of radio dj’s:
“Mark Lamarr I approve of. His comments are acurate and well-informed and perceptive – and again, you don’t get a lot of that on the radio.”

A good enough reccommendation wouldn’t you say? The Reggae Show starts tonight and continues every Wednesday from 21:00 to 22:00 on BBC Radio 2. Really it is worth tuning in!

» The BBC link to the show

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I’ll be back again shortly with another week long batch of Peel, plus I’m going to be after your input on a couple of questions concerning the future of this site…

John Peel – No One Cyaan Test*

We’re not doing too badly for reggae and dub on the radio just now. There’s the excellent Mark Lamarr on Wednesday’s on BBC Radio 2 and Brinsley Forde’s show every Sunday on BBC 6 Music. Brinsley’s show sounds like it ought to be pretty good. So far I’ve downloaded his shows but not got around to listening and this week should be of particular interest to all Peel fans:

Sunday 7th November 2005
“Give Brinsley an hour and he’ll give you the very finest reggae, dub, dancehall and rock steady – past and present.

This week Brinsley pays tribute to John Peel. You’ll hear tracks by Misty In Roots, Eek A Mouse and Mad Professor.”

Go to Brinsley’s page at BBC 6 Music

Real Audio: rtsp://rmv8.bbc.net.uk/6music/lively.ra
(give them time to upload this weeks show – or catch last week’s while you can!)

Go to Mark Lamarr’s page at BBC Radio 2

*Roughly translated from the Jamaican meaning, “Without equal”.