Talk:John Peel

Albums played in their entirety
The page says "On two occasions on his radio show, Peel played albums in their entirety from start to finish..." I'm almost certain he played a Cocteau Twins album from start to finish in the early 80s. Anyone remember that? I don't know the name of the album, not being a fan of that band. Jaybee (talk) 22:31, 1 July 2008 (UTC)
 * Going back over my tapes of the time, the first Cocteau tracks I have from Peel were from Head over Heels (Cocteau Twins album) in 1983, and I can believe Peely would have played that album in toto. Don't have a reliable source beyond my own memory, however. -- Rodhull andemu  22:44, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

My memory too is that he played the Head Over Heels album all the way through. I went and bought it as a result.Vauxhall1964 (talk) 10:36, 30 October 2016 (UTC)

Addition of a link to John Peel 1967 airchecks with brief bio
I have added a link to the Pirate Radio Hall of Fame which has two clickable links of airchecks by John Peel recorded off air in 1967 when he was with Wonderful Radio London. There is also an error entry of the Pirate Radio page which states that John Peel was with Radio Caroline instead of WRL. I will be correcting this error and linking it back to the John Peel page and the Radio London page. MPLX 18:54, 25 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Dutch VPRO Radio3
He had a radio show at least one season on the Dutch Radio3 vpro radio on wednesday afternoon somewhere during the eighties. More recent on Finsk Radio Mafia. Just to mention how 'grant' the man was. LeoBistmans from nl.wikipedia.org

Biography
Has anyone got a reference on the autobiography that was in the works? - David Gerard 22:04, 26 Oct 2004 (UTC)


 * how's this? --rbrwr&plusmn; 22:54, 26 Oct 2004 (UTC)


 * this, too --rbrwr&plusmn; 22:58, 26 Oct 2004 (UTC)

In Memoriam John Peel
I got known to John Peel from his shows "John Peels Music on BFBS" in Germany and I must say that I will really miss him. John Peel made us know Joy Division, New Order and The Cure in Germany and enjoy a lot of bands who had only a couple of hundreds demo records to send it to the radio stations. In the 1980ties, he cycled the way from his home in Ipswich to the studio in London. I will tell my children and my grand-children about him. He was a friendly, humouros, warm-hearted and honest man responding to every letter from his listeners. Once he mentioned his son William who loved a single named "Action man" - at the age of ten. My condolence to his family now. -- Simplicius 06:11, 27 Oct 2004 (UTC), Germany

I wanted to add this because the pages on John Peel in Wikipedia don't really do justice to how important he has been to the British alternative music scene for several generations. His death this week made headline news in the UK on every station and in every paper. I was listening to Radio 5 Live when the news broke that he had died whilst on holiday in Peru. The presenter was Simon Mayo - an ex Radio 1 DJ who knew Peel well - and it was extremely shocking. Normal news was suspended for an hour whilst people recalled their memories. It was amazing how many people have personal stories of John Peel. I wouldn't say that I am massively into the music scene but I had the pleasure of meeting him twice; once at Glastonbury Festival (where he was regularly the voice of the BBC) and at a Fall gig in a cosy venue in Norwich. And this is really the main thing that came across about Peel: Despite his huge importance he was accessible, unpretentious and continuously interested in what was new and fresh in music. Unheard of bands sent him demos and he actually listened to them and if he liked them he played them on national radio - he has launched the careers of many famous names this way but hundreds of wannabies also have him to thank for their three minutes of fame. This was as true when he was 65 as when he was 20. Britain has lost a genuine legend.

First record played twice in a row
Could you provide a reference for that? I found no evidence on google and distinctly remember Peel, having played Twist The Knife by Neko Case twice in a row saying the only other time he'd done that was then Teenage Kicks first came out. I'm pretty sure it wasn't one of my additions to the page as well, so clearly there are others thinking along the same lines. --Joe D (t) 02:32, 9 Nov 2004 (UTC)
 * sadly i cant find the freaking link anymore, i went looking for it. I do remember the article saying he played Laughing Stock by Love twice in a row it also stated him as saying the song was aptly named. When i can find it again i will link it. In the meantime can you provide verification that Teenage Kicks was his first double play? Alkivar 04:09, 9 Nov 2004 (UTC)
 * 'fraid I can't provide any concrete evidence that he didn't play Love first, though I have the Neko Case peel session on CD at my parents' house which might possibly have a mention on it... Joe D (t) 17:02, 11 Nov 2004 (UTC)
 * AFAIK teenage kicks was Peel's first double play single- however I am utterly certain that Teenage Kicks wasn't released in 1968 but in 1978, so have corrected that particular bit of misinformation, but if anyone knows of an earlier back to back double played record by Peel this can be integrated into the text- the double playing of 'Kicks' was still notable. BTW I have a childhood memory of T. Rex' "Solid Gold Easy Action" being played twice back to back by a radio DJ (not Peel), but maybe thats just the past playing tricks??? quercus robur 10:29, 28 Dec 2004 (UTC)

This was cleared up in a note which was left in the main namespace, which I've moved into the talk space:
 * Another conflict is the reference to the Undertones record being played twice in a row in 1968. The band wasn't formed until 1976. In 1968 John Peel played the studio recording of Love Sculpture's Sabre Dance twice in one show, though not back to back.

I've fixed the article. Joe D (t) 11:06, 28 Dec 2004 (UTC)


 * I do recall Peel playing The Jesus & Mary Chain's 'Sidewalking' three times on one show, including twice in a row. This was the first time he'd ever heard it.


 * so do I. Jem 18:07, 4 September 2005 (UTC)

I can confirm John playing Love Sculpture's Sabre Dance twice in one show - because I was listening at the time!. It was a session track which so enthralled him he rearranged the rest of the show so he could finish his program with a second playing of it.

The track was subsequently released as a single and was in the top ten in November 1968. This early date almost certainly makes it the first 'played twice in one show' track from John on Radio 1.

scoop 14:47 18 Oct 2005

I should add 1) The "Love Sculpture" was a session, and because he played it twice, the BBC had to pay double the session fee. 2) He did play "SideWalking" by the Jesus and Mary Chain twice on the same show (but not in a row), because I rang him up and asked him to.

Peel in France
He's missed almost just as much in France. "Un héros de musique rock" I heard him being referenced as last night on the radio

John Peel stage
Just incase anybody else wants to change this, here's the link the save you the bother: the stage was "New Tent" not "New Bands Tent"!. Ta :) Joe D (t) 17:02, 11 Nov 2004 (UTC)

"Wonderful" Radio London
Radio London's name wasn't prefixed by "Wonderful". It was just plain Radio London or at a push lower case w. So I've changed all references to it. Any google "radio london" search verifies this in numerous articles. Hangleton79 12:05, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
 * This information is incorrect. My information comes from the files of Don Pierson, the creator of Wonderful Radio London. The station was not allowed to register as a company in the United Kingdom, and so its main operation was located in the Bahama islands under a total different name have no connection to "Wonderful" "Radio" or "London". All of these links went back to Eastland, Texas and to the Abilene National Bank where the founder of Wonderful Radio London was the president. To enable advertising sales in the UK, a totally separate and independent sales agency (not owned in Texas), was authorized and registered under British law called "Radlon (Sales) Ltd." This contraction was to get the British General Post Office who at that time controlled the phone service to provide a phone service to that company. However, while the name "Radio London" was painted on the side of the ship, all station identification over the air was made as "Wonderful Radio London" or "Wonderful Big L". The car stickers said the same thing. After the station closed in 1967 the BBC started its own "BBC Radio London" and in 1983 the founder of the original offshore station backed a new enterprise called "Wonderful Radio London International, Inc." In 1997 the first in a series of low-power operations was commenced under a RSL licence, again using the same name on the air. All literature and recordings have also used the same name in order to make it clear that the station referenced is the original Texas offshore station and not a BBC station or any number of legally licensed IBA commercial stations that subsequently came on the air after the 1970s, including a recent version called "Easy Radio London" has undergone many format changes. The actual name of that station is "Easy Radio" but the name "London" was also featured and some of its jingles harked back to the same series as the original "Wonderful Radio London" format. Today if anyone reads the name "Wonderful Radio London" instead of "Radio London", they know that it is the offshore station and its legacies that are being discussed and not the BBC or IBA varieties. Don Pierson created a similar structure for his other offshore stations "Swinging Radio England" and "Britain Radio", which were represented in London by another independent sales company called "Peir Vick Ltd." My information comes from original source files. I suggest you redo your search and also search under Yahoo. Also check out the Wonderful Radio London copyrights web site. MPLX/MH 15:33, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)

National service
Does anyone have the time to resolve the issue of John Peel's National Service and the conflicting dates problem? Is it possible that Peel did not complete his National Service but took off for the USA where it would appear that he got married in order to stay in the country? By his own words he describes himself as a victim of wife abuse and his wife seems to have followed him around, even though they were not happy together. It was this situation which caused Peel to leap at the idea of being stranded on the Big L ship so that he could be free from his wife. His early life seems to have been a disaster out of which he made a success. So can anyone resolve the issue of whether he went AWOL or dodged the draft or what? MPLX/MH 18:54, 28 Dec 2004 (UTC)


 * Well, he was born in August 1939, so he was 18 in August 1957 (by which time he must already have left Shrewsbury, as I don't think he even lasted into the sixth form) so he was probably called up soon after that and his two years should have been up by early 1960 at the latest. Is that a reasonable timeline? I don't really know how National Service worked, but a date of 1962 for getting out seems unrealistically late to me. The BBC obit says 1957 to 1959, which seems much more likely. The Grauniad agrees. --rbrwr&plusmn; 20:10, 28 Dec 2004 (UTC)


 * Good show: add a footnote or appendage to Peel's own words. MPLX/MH 20:14, 28 Dec 2004 (UTC)


 * The 1962 date wasn't in either of the Peel quotes, so I just changed it. Peel says he started working on WRR in 1961, so a sensible timeline would be:
 * Autumn 1959, demobbed
 * 1960, went to Texas and worked in the cotton business
 * 1961, started on WRR part-time
 * 1964, Beatlemania, KOMA Oklahoma
 * very early 1966, San Bernadino, for a year and (less than) a half
 * Spring(?) 1967, Wonderful Radio London
 * August 1967, BBC
 * How's that? --rbrwr&plusmn; 20:30, 28 Dec 2004 (UTC)

"Ron Steel"

 * "There is a John Peel tribute DJ, Ron Steel, who works with the John Peel Memorial Music Foundation."

Can anybody confirm the existence of this tribute act? Or any of the details in the Ron Steel article? "Macclesford Owls Home"? "Buford Polytechnic"? ...and according to that article, the "John Peel Memorial Music Foundation" is a mere ambition, but here it is implied to be a real thing. Googling "ron steel" dj doesn't help. Googling "ron steel" "john peel" gets you this article and nothing else. Please, someone show me some references. --rbrwr&plusmn; 21:28, 30 Dec 2004 (UTC)


 * I am 95% certain of one of two possibilities: 1) "Ron Steel" wrote the initial Wiki entry. He can't spell and has made this stuff up with every edit since November. The references are silly. On the 5% end of possibility 2) This guy is playing around in his head with a daydream and Britain is full of such people, but no such person really exists and certainly no such Wikipedia page should exist. However, I have a solution. Delete what is there and turn it into a redirect for a real dj who became famous as "The Real Don Steele" and then if that article does not exist, create one. MPLX/MH 21:41, 30 Dec 2004 (UTC)


 * Well right now Ron Steel is a redirect for a brand new article about The Real Don Steele. MPLX/MH 22:41, 30 Dec 2004 (UTC)

San Bernardino
Was it KMEN or KMEM? See http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/johnpeel/story/0,15271,1336799,00.html -- SGBailey 22:55, 2005 Apr 3 (UTC)


 * Google hit counts prove nothing, but... kmen "san bernardino": 412 hits, some with very supportive context (other DJs from the station, etc). kmem "san bernardino": 75 hits including one interview with JP and the Guardian story you mention. It seems that neither callsign is currently used in San Bernardino, California. --rbrwr&plusmn; 06:31, 4 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Spartak Varna/Raptor Phuckov
I reverted this:


 * [...] it is less well-known that he also fell in love with Bulgarian side Spartak Varna after the club's striker Raptor Phuckov became the lead singer of the Eastern European country's foremost death metal band The Beatles.

Raptor Phuckov has already been deleted as an apparent hoax (see Votes for deletion/Raptor Phuckov). I was unable to confirm any of the details in this addition with a quick Google and I don't remember him mentioning Spartak Varna particularly. If anyone can cast (well-referenced) light on this claim, I'd be interested... --rbrwr&plusmn; 23:05, 15 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * There's been a spate of vandalism involving Spartak Varna and Raptor Phuckov involving such articles as Michael Owen, Malcolm Glazer, Andriy Shevchenko and many more. Take it as read that this was vandalism. There actually is a Spartak Varna club (currently bottom of the Bulgarian Premier League), but I can find no evidence that their players include the etymologically-unlikely Raptor Phuckov... -- Arwel 23:54, 15 Jun 2005 (UTC)


 * Well, I thought that that was the most likely explanation. --rbrwr&plusmn; 06:03, 16 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Raptor pretty famous amongst most football experts. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Wicks (talk • contribs) 4 April 2006

Strange Fruit Records
I removed this from the article:


 * In the 1990's Peel set up the Strange Fruit record label with Clive Selwood to release material recorded by the BBC for Peel Sessions.

Do we have a reference for this? I seem to remember Peel stating he had no involvement with the label, and adding that he wished he did. Flowerparty 17:29, 14 July 2005 (UTC)

In an interview with Interview magazine (Jan 1994) John stated
 * So when did you get the idea to release the material recorded on record?


 * I'd been arguing with the BBC about this ever since it started - I originally suggested the BBC release it through BBC Enterprise, on their own label. I went to Richard Branson at Virgin amongst others, but he wasn't keen, so eventually I went to Clive Selwood again and together we set up Strange Fruit.

The link for the interview is I'll add the reference to the article againAllanHainey 08:32, 15 July 2005 (UTC)

Strange Fruit issued its first recordings sometime towards the end of 1986.

UK Hardcore or Upfront Hardcore, not happy hardcore
The Track titles John Peel is not enough is not Happy Hardcore, the happy stage in Hardcore history was 94-98/99 after that it is Uk/Upfront hardcore, the Happy sound is very differnet to the Upfront sound and so I request you correct this, and no I dont know why i made the effort of letting u all know about such a trivial matter lol, sorry :)
 * The writer Jon Doe (who now uses the pseudonym CLSM) is most definately a "happy hardcore" producer. I can start putting audio samples up if you wish to debate this more.  ALKIVAR &trade;[[Image:Radioactive.svg|18px|]] 00:57, 5 October 2005 (UTC)
 * A third opinion: both of you are right. A DJ&producer from the scene recently answered the question in a discussion forum this way: "what I play is definitely Upfront Happy Hardcore". Yes, this style is very different from Oldschool HHC - nevertheless (unfortunately) HHC is still a very common nomenclature (due to the fact that nearly all the producers are originated from the oldschool HHC scene).
 * Of course i'm right, I've been spinning HHC for more than just a couple years, and listening to it for over 10.  ALKIVAR &trade;[[Image:Radioactive.svg|18px|]] 04:11, 2 November 2005 (UTC)


 * The piece was lacking anyhow. Peel's contribution was far far greater than this. He was playing hardcore (and electronic music) of all forms since they came out. I've read that new hardcore fans thought he just started playing stuff like CLSM, when in reality he was playing all that, and more, since time began. Besides, as the original writer said, the track in question is not regarded as "happy hardcore" in the UK. What "happy hardcore" musically means differs greatly outside the UK and is a term no longer used here. I have simply changed it to "hardcore" to reflect the many types of music he actually played throughout his career. If we took into account the amount of stuff he was playing, there is no need to make prominent this one sub-style... whatever it is called. --Revolt 10:55, 24 August 2007 (UTC)

John Peel Sessions
Is there reason for an own article named John Peel Sessions? It could name bands sorted by year. -- Simplicius 16:54, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

The section on the Sessions is a bit unclear. E.g.:


 * The BBC employed its own house bands and orchestras and it also engaged outside bands to record exclusive tracks for its programs in BBC studios. This was the reason why Peel was able to use "session men" in his own programs. Sessions were usually four tracks recorded and mixed in a single day; as such they often had a rough and ready, demo-like feel, somewhere between a live performance and a finished recording. Many classic Peel Sessions have been released on record, particularly by the Strange Fruit label. Latterly the show also regularly featured live performances, mostly from Maida Vale in London, but occasionally in the Peel Acres living room.

I take it that, as opposed to the BBC's standard practice at the time, Peel's "session men" were actually the artists themselves. Is this true? If so, it ought to be stated explicitly. If not, perhaps someone could mention when the practice was changed—perhaps at some point before the Sessions section veers off into the 7 paragraph non-Sessions-related non sequitur on old 78s, the Festive Fifty, happy hardcore and so forth. 66.73.194.45 01:14, 9 July 2006 (UTC)


 * I've moved the non-Sessions stuff up into the Radio 1 section where it belongs.--duncan 09:23, 9 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Ok, at least there is List of Peel Sessions now. Simplicius (talk) 15:28, 24 February 2008 (UTC)

With regard to the sentence "In May 2020, hundreds of classic Peel Sessions were uploaded to YouTube in an alphabetised catalogue.[34]" This is very misleading! Myself and several others have uploaded these sessions over time, primarily over the past 10 years and more. The blog referred to in the article linked to is merely an alphabetical collation of those available on YouTube and, very impressive though it is, the blogger has not uploaded any of them himself. The sentence is therefore both misleading and disrespectful to those of us who have spent many years creating and uploading the sessions. I would please suggest that this be corrected. Vibracobra23 (talk) 20:51, 14 May 2020 (UTC)

NB - have corrected the above myself and have changed the reference used to the equivalent NME article as that is far more accurate.Vibracobra23 (talk) 08:58, 15 May 2020 (UTC)

His books?
Why is there no information about his books? If you have no earthly clue of what I am talking about here is the Barnes & Noble link to the first book of the series. Now maybe I am horribly mistaken, but this is the only person who use(d)s the name John Peel. -Hoekenheef 22:00, 4 October 2005 (UTC)


 * See John Peel (disambiguation), which is linked from the top of the page, and John Peel (writer). --rbrwr&plusmn; 22:44, 4 October 2005 (UTC)


 * Thanks man. I didn't catch the disambig link. Sorry about that. -Hoekenheef 00:53, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

BBC link
This article is currently linked from the main feature on the front page of BBC online. Piccadilly 13:47, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

List of John Peel's Record Box -- Help needed
from the Times Online article here:

please see John Peel's Record Box <!--

1. Al Casey - Surfin' Hootenanny + Easy Pickin (PIE INTERNATIONAL) 1963

2. Al Ferrier - I'm Not Drinking More + Don't Play Blue Eyes' (MASTER TRAK) 1980

3. Alan Price Set - I Put a Spell on You (DECCA)

4. Andy Capp - Popatop + Reco - The Lion Speaks (TREASURE ISLAND) 1969

5. Anemic Boyfriends - Guys Are Not Proud + Bad Girls in Love (RED SWEATER RECORDS) 1980

6. Ann Peebles - I can't stand the rain + i've been there before (LONDON) 1972

7. Anti-Social - Traffic lights + teacher, teacher (DYNAMITE RECORDS) 1977

8. Arthur K Adams - Wildwood flower + It's a wild, wild, wild, wild wildwood flower (JETSTAR)

9. Big Stick - Drag racing + Hell on earth (RECESS RECORDS) 1985

10. Bill Oddie - Harry krishna + on ilkla moor baht'at (DANDELION) 1970

11. Boards of Canada - Aquarius + Chinook (SKAM)

12. Bobby Lee Trammell - If you ever get it once + Don't you know I love you (ALLEY RECORDS)

13. Cat Power - Headlights + Darling said sir (THE MAKING OF AMERICANS)

14. Charlie Feathers - Deep elm blues + Nobody's darling' (HOLIDAY INN RECORDS)

15. Charlie Feathers - Nobody's women + When you decide (KING) 2x copies

17. Charlie Feathers - Today and tomorrow + Wild wild party' (MEMPHIS RECORDINGS)

18. Charlie Feathers - Tongue-tied Jill + Get with it' (METEOR RECORDS)

19. Charlie Feathers - When you come around + Too much alike' (KING)

20. Cheeze - Dancin With The Dead - Dancin queen + Direwolf 1989 (BOB RECORDS) 1989

21. Clague - The stride + I wonder where (DANDELION) 1969

22. Clefs of Lavender Hill - Stop! - Get a ticket + First tell me why (DATE)

23. Cleveland Crochet - Sugar bee + Drunkards dream (GOLDBAND)

24. Don Covay - It's better to have + Leave him (MERCURY) 1973

25. Don French - Lonely saturday night + Goldilocks (QUALITY) (LANCER) 2x copies

27. Dreamland Express - Groovy + u.f.o (EMI)

28. Easy Teeth - Car noise + Her blade (DENTAL RECORDS) 1980

29. Eddie & Ernie - I believe she will + We try harder (CHESS) 1984

30. Eddie & Ernie - I'm gonna always love you + Outcast (EASTERN)

31. Eddie & Ernie - Time waits for no one + That's the way it is (EASTERN)

32. Electro Hippies - Mega-armageddon death (STRANGE FRUIT) Peel session

33. Elmore James - The sky is crying + Standing at the crossroads (FLASHBACK RECORDS)

34. Firemen - Old smokie + Louie's theme (LE CAM)

35. Freshmen - You never heard anything like it + Bombing run (RELEASE RECORDS) 1979

36. G L Crockett - It's a man down there + Every hour, every day (4 BROTHERS)

37. G L Crockett - Look out Mabel + Did you ever love somebody (CHECKER)

38. Geater Davis - For your precious love + Wrapped up in you (HOUSE OF ORANGE)

39. Gene Dozier & The United Front - Give the women what they want + The best girl I ever had (MERCURY) 1974

40. Golinski Brothers - Bloody + Toy (BADGE RECORDS) 1980 2x copies

42. Green Hornes - Stayed up last night (ITALY RECORDS)

43. Hooten 3 Car - Danny + Numena (RUMBLESTRIP RECORDS)

44. Idle Race - Here we go round the lemon tree + My father's son (LIBERTY) 45. Izzy Royal - Coronation St (WEA) 1983

46. Jane Bond and The Undercover Men - Hot rod Lincoln + Come on up (EAR MOVIES RECORDS) 1982

47. Jerry Byro - Memories of Maria + Invitation (MONUMENT) 1961 2x copies - different labels

48. Jody Reynolds - Endless sleep + Western movies (LIBERTY)

49. Johnnie Taylor - I've been born again + At night time (STAX) 1974

50. Johnny Adams - You're a lady + I wish it would rain (ATLANTIC) 1972

51. Johnny Fortune - Dragster + Soul surfer (SONET) 1964

52. Ken Colyers Jazzmen (TEMPO RECORDS) 1953

53. La Peste - Black + Better off dead (BLACK RECORDS) 1978

54. Larry Bright - Mojo workout + I'll change my ways (TIDE)

55. Laurie Anderson - O Superman + Walk the dog (ONE TEN RECORDS) 1981

56. Lee Perry - Bafflin' smoke signal + Black smoke signal (BLACK ARC) 1978

57. Lightnin Hopkins - Mojo hand + Glory be (FLASHBACK RECORDS)

58. Marc Bolan - Marc Bolan talking to Stevie Dixon, 1973. Jennifer Sharp, Steve Harley & John Peel talking to Stevie Dixon 1977. (CUBE/PYE RECORDS)

59. Mary Monday - I gave my punk jacket to Richie + Popgun (MALICIOUS PRODUCTIONS)

60. Max Romeo - Sipple out deh' Lee Perry + Revelation (UPSETTER)

61. MC5 - Looking at you + Borderline (A-SQUARE RECORDS) 2x copies

63. Medicine Head - Coast to coast + All for tomorrow (DANDELION) 1970

64. Medicine Head - His guiding hand + This love of old (DANDELION) 1969 2x copies

66. Mel and Tim - Starting all over again + It hurts to want it so bad (STAX) 1972

67. Meow - Kat nip + One night stand + Anthem + Kill kill kill + Catastrophe + Boy groupies (TWIST LIKE THIS RECORDS)

68. Mickey Lee Lane - Tuitti Fruitti + With your love (MALA)

69. Mike Spencer and the Cannibals - Good guys + Nothing takes the place of you (BIG COCK RECORDS)

70. Nice - The thoughts of Emerlist Davjack (IMMEDIATE)

71. Nilsson - Everybody's talkin' (RCA)

72. Nilsson - Kojak Columbo (RCA)

73. Nilsson - Without you (RCA)

74. O V Wright - That's how strong my love is + There goes my used to be (GOLDWAX)

75. Paul Blake & The Blood Fire Posse - Every posse get flat + Flat out (STUDIO WORK) 1984

76. Paul Revere & The Raiders - Him or me - what's it gonna be? + Legend of Paul Revere (CBS) 1967

77. Pavement - Demolition Plot J-7 (DRAG CITY) 1990

78. Pocket Fishrmen (sic) - Yr story + The leader is burning (NOISEVILLE) 1989

79. Quads - You've gotta jive + There must be thousands (BIG BEAR RECORDS) 1979

80. Ray Martin - Blue tango + Bell of the ball (COLUMBIA) 81. Revelino - Step on high (MUSIDISC)

82. Rod Bernard - This should go on forever

83. Roshell Anderson - The grapevine will lie sometimes + Such a beautiful thing (CONTEMPO) 1974

84. Roy Head - Treat her right + So long, my love (VOCALION) 1965

85. Sam & Dave - I can't stand up for falling down + Soothe me (STAX)

86. Sasha Caro - Grade 3 section 2 + Little maid's song (DECCA) 1967

87. Scrugg - Will the real Geraldine please stand up and be countered + Only George' (PIE) 1969

88. Sheena Easton - 9 to 5 + Moody (EMI) 1980 2x Copies

90. Sipho Bhengu - Tickey dopies + I saluti (INKONKONI) 1971

91. Soledad Brothers - Sugar & spice + Johnny's death letter, with Jack White (ITALY RECORDS)

92. Some Chicken - New religion + Blood on the wall (RAW RECORDS) 1977 2x copies

94. Spit Out - O from I + Tan + Rot'n'roll' (MA FROG RECORDS) 1996

95. Stanley Winston - No more ghettos in America + It's alright (JEWEL)

96. Status Quo - Down down (VERTIGO) 1974

97. Super Sister - No tree will grow + She was naked (DANDELION) 1971

98. The Beatles - Come together + Octopus's garden + Something (foreign pressing, country unknown)

99. The Big Three - You've gotta keep her under hand + If you ever change your mind (DECCA) 1964

100. The Buzzcocks -­ Ever fallen in love (UNITED ARTISTS) 1978

101. The Factory - Path through the forest + Gone (MGM) 1968

102. The Galactic Symposium - Y.M.C.A + Money (VAGUE RECORDS) 1978

103. The Legion of Super-Heroes - The great name dropper part 1 + The great name dropper part 2 (AMY RECORDS)

104. The Mark Four - Hurt me if you will + I'm leaving (DECCA) 1965

105. The Mighty Avengers - So much in love + Something they say (DECCA) 1964

106. The Misunderstood - I can take you to the sun + Who do you love (FONTANA) 1966

107. The Move - I can hear the grass grow + Wave the flag and stop the train (DERAM) 1967

108. The Negatives - Love is not real + Stakeout (LOOK) 1979

109. The Nightcaps - Wine wine wine + Nightcap rock (MUSICOR)

110. The Ramrods - Zig zag + Riders in the sky (LONDON AMERICAN) 1960

111. The Smoke - My friend Jack + We can take it (COLUMBIA) 1966

112. The Squirrels - Oz on 45 + Alone again (POPLLAMA PROD) 1988

113. The Undertones ­- Teenage kicks (GOOD VIBRATIONS RECORDS) 1978 3x copies

116. The Upholsterers - Makers of high grade suites (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY)

117. The Upsetters - Bucky skank + Yucky skank (DOWN TOWN)

118. The Upsetters - Key card + Domino game (DL INTERNATIONAL)

119. The Users - Sick on you + I'm in love with today (RAW RECORDS) 1977 2x copies

121. The Versalites - Cutting rasor + Black belt Jones (DL INTERNATIONAL) 122. The White Stripes - Lafayette blues + Sugar never tasted so good (ITALY Records)

123. The White Stripes - Party of special things to do + China pig + Ashtray heart (SUB POP)

124. The White Stripes ­- Merry Christmas from.... (XL)

125. The White Stripes - It takes two, baby + Fell in love with a girl (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD COMPANY)

126. The White Stripes -­ Dead leaves and the dirty ground (XL) 2001

127. The White Stripes - Hand springs (EXTRA BALL RECORDS)

128. The White Stripes - Hotel Yorba (XL) 2001

129. The White Stripes - Lord, send me an angel (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY) 2x copies

131. The White Stripes - Hello operator + Jolene (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY) 2000

132. The White Stripes - The big three killed my baby (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY) 2x copies

134. The Henchmen featuring Jack White - Some other guy + Psycho daisies (ITALY RECORDS)

135. 2 Star Tabernacle - Ramblin man' (BLOODSHOT RECORDS) 1998 cover photo by Jack White

136. The Wildbunch - Danger - Jack White backing vocals (FLYING BOMB)

137. Surprise Package vol 2 featuring White Stripes, Rocket 455 and the Blowtops (FLYING BOMB)

138. Surprise Package vol 3 featuring The Real Pills, MHz, The Dirtbombs (FLYING BOMB)

139. Travis Wammack - Fire fly + Scratchy (ARA) 140. XL-Capris - My city of Sydney + Dead bugies (AXLE)

141. Yami Bolo - Richer than Cory (JAMAICA INTERNATIONAL)

142. Yardbirds - Happenings ten years time ago + Psycho diaries (COLUMBIA) 1966 -->


 * I've added a reference to this (with two relevant links) in the article. I suspect that there are more than a few performers and/or recordings in this list that deserve articles and lack them: The Squirrels would head my personal list among the missing, I'll start that one. -- Jmabel | Talk 05:10, 30 December 2005 (UTC)


 * I added an article John Peel's Record Box. Now I need some support concerning the description, links, years and so on. Thank you very much! Simplicius (talk) 14:53, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Removal of image
Where did the BBC request we remove the image on the article? Why? AllanHainey 13:17, 3 November 2005 (UTC) I work there so I'd be interested in seeing the request. It does sound unlikely. Are we sure it was actually from the BBC ? Jem 20:30, 15 November 2005 (UTC)


 * From Special:Undelete/Image:John_Peel.jpg it seems that User:Zerbey, the original uploader, contacted them for permission, then tagged it for speedy delete when they said no. He had written a fair use raionale, though fair use is undermined by the fact that there are likely to be free alternatives. So... does anyone have a photograph of John that they have taken themselves? --rbrwr&plusmn; 22:03, 15 November 2005 (UTC)


 * BTW: image still exists at he: --rbrwr

cleanup
I added the cleanup-tag since there are some style issues in the article. Album names should be in italics, song names in "quotation marks" and band names just plain. (See BBC career section for most errors.) Since I am a little short on time and the article is quite long, I hope you can assist me with this task. Thanks.. --Johnnyw 16:10, 17 January 2006 (UTC)
 * I believe this has all been dealt with. I've removed the tags. If you see anything still wrong, feel more than free to fix it. - Jmabel | Talk 04:05, 29 January 2006 (UTC)

Addition of material on early UK career
I've added some stuff on Peel's early UK career - the Radio London/Perfumed Garden era & his early years on Radio One, especially the "Night Ride" show which seems to be almost forgotten. Not only is this the Peel period which means most to me, it's the time he never got round to covering in his autobiography - so there is a lack of info on it at present. I've also added a link to the Radio London website (showing his Perfumed Garden columns from IT) & added Robert Chapman's study of pirate radio, "Selling the Sixties", to the bibliography. Hope people find it interesting.... —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 83.146.30.196 (talk • contribs) 8 April 2006.

Not sure what this sentence is meant to mean
"When checking into hotels in the early Peel used a series of names from Channel Nine News section of the BBC television comedy series The Fast Show including Butros Butros Gali and Chris Waddle."

in the early Peel? I thought "years" but the fast show reference implies it was within the last 10 years.

--Andrewcrosby 09:18, 3 June 2006 (UTC)

Given the reference to the Fast Show, I'd say "early 1990s". --duncan 11:40, 23 June 2006 (UTC)

The fast show started in 1994. Peel championed it in his Radio Times column, a fact that Paul Whitehouse expressed gratitude for on JP's This Is Your Life.

Mid-1990s is therefore more like it.

Bike accident in the 80's
Sometime in the 80's, I think, John had an accident riding his bike to work. He had a head injury and when he described the symptoms he was experiencing a doctor who happened to be listening rang in, advising him to go to A&E and have it checked, which he did. Turned out to be being safe rather than sorry but I only vaguely recall this - anyone out there know more? Britmax 12:54, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

Yes, in his autobiography he talks about it (pp85-86). He doesn't give an exact date for when, but in p88 he states that it "occured around the tie of the Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi". Beanrobot (talk) 22:50, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

I remember listening to his show when he spoke about this accident and the advice from the doctor. I recall he then played the Fall's The Man Whose Head Expanded. Quality. 82.42.126.68 (talk) 11:58, 11 October 2012 (UTC)

Beginning of British career
Reverted part of the edit by 70.51.150.223, changing T. Rex back to Tyrannosaurus Rex. They didn't abbreviate their name until 1970; this section talks about Peel's career in 1967, so should refer to them by the name they had at the time. Just like we wouldn't say 'Jefferson Starship' instead of 'Jefferson Airplane', for the same period. --duncan 19:42, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

Odd removal
Some time in the last ten weeks, the following was removed:


 * Later, on his BBC programmes, he was to champion esoteric performers like Ron Geesin and John Fahey, and break new British bands like Family and Fairport Convention, Groundhogs, and Led Zeppelin. His shows influenced the rise of most subsequent styles of rock music. But, even if he became progressively disillusioned with hippy idealism as the 1970s wore on, the personal style he pioneered on the Perfumed Garden remained, winning him the affection of subsequent generations of listeners.


 * Wonderful Radio London closed on August 14, 1967 at 3pm just before the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act became law at midnight. The new law made the offshore broadcasting illegal for British citizens serving as advertisers, suppliers, news-readers and DJs.

There is a POV phrase or two that might be reworded, but basically this strikes me as sound. Is there any reason this was removed from the article? - Jmabel | Talk 19:35, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

Cosmopolitan Readers' Poll
"In that year he was also voted 47th in a Cosmopolitan readers' poll."

47th what? Most bearded Liverpudlian? Best person to live in Suffolk?? -- Dupont Circle 11:50, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

The poll in question was the Top 50 Most Lovable Men in the World, as mentioned in a Julie Burchill article in the Guardian in 1998. I've added this to the article, for what it's worth. MFlet1 21:12, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

The man
"His avant-garde musical tastes brought him into conflict with other more conservative DJs at the BBC such as Tony Blackburn and Simon Bates." - I liked John Peel alot before reading this article, but now I believe he is god! Top marks to whoever contributed to this article - is it featured? If not, it should be - it has gone to my #1 spot just for finding out he annoyed the bejaysus out of Tony Blackburn! Bubba hotep 23:21, 6 October 2006 (UTC)

John Peel remembered on 'The World'
On Friday, October 28, 2006, 'The World' - a coproduction of the BBC and WGBH - was aired on NPR stations in the USA featuring a tribute to Peel by his son. This program with a different link announcer had originated in the UK a few weeks ago and unfortunately it reflects a total distortion of history. Peel is on his way to becoming a Patron Saint of Myth in Media. The Wiki article is also becoming distorted and it also contains unsupported statements about Peel's beginning on Wonderful Radio London - similar to the BBC/NPR program. Several of these issues were cleared up earlier on only to have become confused once again by turning the article into a glowing tribute fan page. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.128.80.124 (talk • contribs) 28 October 2006.


 * So you are writing here to recommend what you consider a bad source? Or what? If there is information in the article that you think is wrong, please be more concrete about what you think is wrong; best of course if you can provide sources, but even if you can't it might provide someone a direction for research. - Jmabel | Talk 03:36, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Tractor pull
Does Tractor's 2002 appearance at Glastonbury really merit mention in an article on Peel? I would think that belonged only in the article on the band. - Jmabel | Talk 07:42, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

Death date
Did he die on 25th or 26th October? His widow Sheila says in Margrave of the Marshes that it was the 26th, and presumably she should know. MFlet1 23:13, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Conspiracy theory?
Somebody added this to the article: The fact that he had died whilst visiting a South American country has fuelled speculation that he knew more about the Kennedy assassination than previously thought.

"Has fuelled speculation" among whom? And what is the source for this? In any case, what would the connection between South America and JFK be? I think I'm going to remove this. Devilgate 14:34, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:John Peel.jpg
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Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 06:47, 5 June 2007 (UTC)

Autobiography
The autobiography link (Margrave of the Marshes) diverts back to this (the John Peel) page. Is this the right way to do this? Shouldn't it be an ISBN link or somesuch? -- ?


 * I read John Peel wrote only 1,500 of 100,000 words.
 * The book was completed by his wife Sheila. Simplicius (talk) 20:12, 19 February 2008 (UTC)


 * They are, IIRC, credited as joint authors. I've removed the Wlink because it looks like what's happened is someone started an article for the book but it was speedied or AfD'd, & that page was redirected here. No problem if the article gets recreated, it just deletes the redirect & it can be relinked. -- Rodhullandemu  (Talk) 20:19, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

God Save The Queen
The article says he played it in December 1976. I think this is wrong, since the single didn't come out until June 1977 and the Pistols never recorded a Peel session. MFlet1 11:48, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

Music is often release on white label vinyl up to 2 years before release for DJ promo use only. I have many singles that took well over a year to make it on to the radio. Or in the case of Duck Sauce Barbara Streisand 9 YEARS!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.79.228.182 (talk) 09:01, 7 November 2010 (UTC)


 * That mention seems to have gone now - I wonder if it was actually talking about "Anarchy in the UK", which was released in November 1976. According to the GStQ article it was recorded in October 76 and March 77. -- Beardo (talk) 10:32, 7 May 2012 (UTC)

Categorizing the Peel Sessions albums
I'm going through Category:Peel Sessions recordings, and trying to put the articles in some semblance of order. If the band is listed in the article title (even as adisambiguation), I'm sorting it by the band name. If it doesn't show on the list, I'm leaving sorted by the actual title. -Freekee (talk) 05:17, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

Citation Request in 'Beginning of British career' section
I've just been thumbing through my copy of Margrave of the Marshes, and found the page on which John discusses the Beckenham Arts Lab. No reference is made in the book's index, and the only reference I can find to 'the Arts Labs generally' is on page 402 of the first [hardback] edition of this [semi] autobiography [ISBN 0593 052528]. It is in the book's Appendix, which is essentially an outline of what the proposed book would contain. The quote in full is as follows:

"'Letters from David Bowie scrounging money for wait for it wait for it... the Beckenham Arts Lab. Reflections on Arts Labs generally, the limitless quantities of bullshit engendered therein and the effect of same - the deadening effect of same - on Eastern European music (incorporating the Silly Hat theory of advanced pop criticism).'"

I have no idea what this 'deadening effect on Eastern European music' might have consisted of, nor what the Silly Hat theory was or is... However, this one reference does in fact seem to verify the original author's assertion that Peely was indeed 'very critical' of the movement. If a citation is to be added, how would one go about it? I've only ever added anything to the Wiki once, and that contribution was repeatedly removed [a personal obituary of Lord Jago Eliot, a very close friend who had died the day before, and the experience of this has left me somewhat squeamish about contributing anything further...] Also given the references are numbered, would an insertion entail renumbering all the others, and indeed their numbers in the body text itself? help...? Adexxx (talk) 17:06, 23 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Process first: adding in a new reference will automatically fix the numbering, so that's not a problem. Certainly, if they are Peel's words "limitless quantities of bullshit" can certainly be cited as criticism. Best way of referencing it so use the template in the construct. I've left a copy of the template below as a temporary measure so you can fill it in & paste it into the article. -- Rodhullandemu  (Talk) 17:15, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

List of shows
Please help. It is just a start. Thank you very much! - Simplicius, Feb 2008

split early Radio 1 into Top Gear (sole presenter form 1968) & eponymous show 1975 onwards. -- Rodhullandemu  (Talk) 16:32, 24 February 2008 (UTC)

Didn't play industrial?
There is a line in this page that says John 'rarely, if ever, gave airtime to industrial music'. However, one only has to go and look at the list of peel sessions on wikipedia, to find 'Atari Teenage Riot', 'Caberet Voltaire', 'Front 242', 'Laibach', 'Leather Nun' and 'Ministry'. These bands were not merely played on his show, but actually came in to do a peel session, presumably other industrial bands were played too.

I strongly suspect that John played more industrial than any other Radio 1 DJ at the time he was broadcasting, so this comment seems misleading to me?

Colum

Metacosm (talk) 15:18, 10 January 2009 (UTC)


 * Yes, and Einstürzende Neubauten were also one of his favourites if I remember rightly. I think I will remove that sentence.  MFlet1 (talk) 23:08, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Work towards GA
This article looks good and I think it should be nominated for GA. Currently it lacks citations however; I've started adding them from one source but it will be best if others could add even just one from time to time using other sources. As an aside, I notice in the talk page header for WikiProject BBC, it reads "??? 	This article has not yet received a rating on the project's importance scale" which I find surprising as I expected it to be pretty important. Maybe someone familiar with the wikiproject can check this out? PL290 (talk) 14:04, 1 July 2009 (UTC)

I was thinking of including the refimprove template as there it is still lacking too many citations. Atamata (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 14:54, 18 March 2010 (UTC).

Peel in the USSR
Can anyone help me with any information or references concerning the subject in question? The same request in ru_wiki posted 9 months ago still hangs there unanswered. I remember his fascinating report aired in a 3-part series by the BBC World Service (was it included in his domestic programme, I wonder?) but cannot find a single mention of the event in the Internet. -- Evermore2 (talk) 10:02, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
 * I don't recall reading about it in Margrave of the Marshes, but it's been a while since I read it. What year would it have been? – B.hotep •talk• 10:17, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure, but judging by the music he played, probably, 1987. For Peel it was a harrowing experience: he was hunting for some kind of hidden treasures and felt vexed with the obvious lack of any. Later I sent him a postcard with - well, all of the right thanks and praizes, but still a bit critical. I remember using the phraze 'You've met all of the wrong people over here' - which was only half true: a) he wasn't choosing the people he was meeting, b) there was not much of the 'right people' either. Later I felt sorry for this bit of - salt for the wound, as it were. But still I think he knew what I meant and was grateful for - at least, some reaction. For he replied (on the air) in the most jovial manner: "That's what my job is about, Vladimir: meeting all of them wrong people!" Which was a perfect one-liner of a reply, of course. Still, this Moscow/Leningrad visit was a frustrating experience for him and that was probably the reason why he failed to mention it in the book. -- Evermore2 (talk) 10:53, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
 * In "the olivetti chronicles" (p. 59 and p. 318 f.) John mentions attending a concert in Moscow, feat. Zvuki Mu, in 1988. --Arno Matthias (talk) 08:32, 2 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Thanks, at least the year is fixed. Looks like his visit sadly preceded the two genuine underground gems, N.O.M. and Kolibri's rise to prominence. - Evermore2 (talk) 15:23, 3 August 2009 (UTC)

Legacy
Can we add the things John has influenced AFTER his death?

In Ldn people are saying 'Keep your ears John Peeled' as a way to communicate the need to 'listen for something new' the legacy of JP lives on in the hearts and minds of millions. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.79.228.182 (talk) 08:57, 7 November 2010 (UTC)

Peel's "seismographic" handwriting style
I wonder why is this in the Favourite Music section? Or, for that matter, why is it in the article at all? 93.145.140.164 (talk) 20:16, 17 August 2011 (UTC)
 * Removed. Uniplex (talk) 13:09, 26 August 2011 (UTC)

Mopsie Beans ?
This edit - http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Peel&diff=prev&oldid=435423574 - introduced a comment about Mopsie Beans with a strange reference. It looks doubtful to me. -- Beardo (talk) 21:41, 6 May 2012 (UTC)

How old was his first wife Shirley Anne Milburn when they married?
The article states- ''While in Dallas, in 1965, he married his first wife, Shirley Anne Milburn, then aged 15, in what Peel later described as a "mutual defence pact". The marriage was never happy and although she accompanied Peel back to Britain in 1967, they were soon separated. The divorce became final in 1973. Shirley Anne Milburn later took her own life.''

the reference only seems to state that she was fifteen when they met Peel, John; Sheila Ravenscroft (2005). Margrave of the Marshes. London: Bantam Press. pp. 183–4, 211–12, 178, 228–9, passim. ISBN 0-593-05252-8.

where as another ref I've got states she was sixteen on the marriage date 26 Sept, 1965 Healey, Micheal; John Peel - A life in Music (2004). pp. 32-33 ISBN 1-84317-151-1

Can anyone confirm this. Also it would be interesting to know if the marriage was after or before both her parents died. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jonpatterns (talk • contribs) 21:01, 7 October 2012 (UTC)
 * There is a detailed article on Milburn in the Mail on Sunday, 31 October 2004. It gives her date of birth as 16 February 1949 and marriage to Peel as 26 September 1965 at Durant in Oklahoma: So she is over 16 when she marries. This marriage date also means she marries after her parent's deaths: Jesse Levi Milburn died in a car accident on 6 February 1965, and her mother, Yvonne Francis, Dewey, died a few months later from a heart attack, on 16 June 1965. The article also states she died in 1987 after choking on a chicken bone i.e. not suicide (although there was one previous suicide attempt - it is fairly tragic life story). The author of the article, Sharon Churcher, speaks to family members so it appears well-sourced. I would happily update the factual elements of that section (Personal life), however, I am hesitant to do so given the Mail on Sunday source (I am fairly new to Wikipedia so wanted to ask here first). Would you consider this article (in the Mail on Sunday) a reliable source? The reference is here: (I could only find the article in ProQuest and not on the Web) Gricharduk (talk) 07:11, 11 January 2021 (UTC)
 * The reliability of the Mail on Sunday has been discussed recently here, and the conclusion was :"...there is a clear and substantial consensus that the source is generally unreliable, and a slightly narrower consensus that the source should be deprecated. To the extent that the source is in use in articles for the support of assertions, editors should make reasonable efforts to find an alternate source for that assertion when removing this source." Sources that "appear to be" well-sourced are, in the case of the Mail and its associates, often not.  So, I would not use it as a source - but, personally, I would have no problem with a wording that said something like: "An article in the Mail on Sunday claimed that......,  but this has not been verified".  Others would object to that approach, I'm sure.   Ghmyrtle (talk) 09:15, 11 January 2021 (UTC)
 * Just to note that both The Guardian and The Independent claim that Milburn was 15 when they married, as do The Herald and the Daily Mail. The marriage (and the death of Milburn's parents soon after), is covered on pages 211-212 of Margrave of the Marshes: book preview link here. It says she was 15 when they met, but does not give a date or age for the marriage. Martinevans123 (talk) 09:58, 11 January 2021 (UTC)
 * Okay noted and I am glad I asked here first. Thank you for the book link and thank you both very much for your very clear and quick answers - it is appreciated. Gricharduk (talk) 10:11, 11 January 2021 (UTC)
 * The Texas Birth Index (available online via Ancestry.com) confirms her birth date as 16 Feb 1949. Her marriage to Ravenscroft/Peel does not seem to be on that site, but if it was after Feb 1965 it seems that she was 16.  The allegation that she was 15 when she married comes from Julie Burchill... who is probably not best known for her commitment to the truth.   Ghmyrtle (talk) 10:16, 11 January 2021 (UTC)

BBC, Jimmy Saville, Gary Glitter & John Peel
Can someone add in a section on the recent controversy over Jimmy Saville, John Peel and Gary Glitter. A well written section, that is fair and balanced would be helpful. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.167.121.131 (talk) 21:23, 10 October 2012 (UTC)
 * What sources do you have that refer to Peel? Ghmyrtle (talk) 21:30, 10 October 2012 (UTC)

How about http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2216453/John-Peel-got-pregnant-I-15-Woman-claims-month-affair-DJ.html?ito=feeds-newsxml--Dingowasher (talk) 21:47, 11 October 2012 (UTC)

It's "Savile" not "Saville" and what RECENT controversy over Gary Glitter? Neither are mentioned in that source in any case. Kmitch87 (talk) 12:13, 12 October 2012 (UTC)

This suggestion seems a bit premature. Besides which, Glitter was a pop star, not part of the DJ set at the BBC. Peel has had one allegation made against him (of an "affair" with a 15-year-old http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19933274), Saville a string of allegations of abuse and molestation. It's a little too soon to be linking them. David (talk) 19:29, 12 October 2012 (UTC)


 * It seems to be more than a single allegation (highlighted as far back as 1999, and quoting an interview Peel himself gave ten years before that): http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/1999/jan/23/weekend.julieburchill, and they are being linked, at least as part of the culture of the time: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/12/evil-jimmy-savile-not-alone Ghughesarch (talk) 20:51, 12 October 2012 (UTC)

Any mention of Savile or Paul Raven in context with a 'one-off' (although illegal) relationship that Peel had is entirely inappropriate - this isn't scholarly; it is non-contextual and smacks of prurience. Savile and Raven were/are recidivist sexual predators of minors. Even if Peel took advantage, knowingly, of a girl by using his celebrity status, there is not, as yet, any accusation that he did so against her will or as an unexpected molestation or that he did so again, with others, on a habitual basis. The author is using the page irresponsibly - the comment is redolent of 'witch-hunting', self-righteousness and self-promotion. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Gr1bble8s (talk • contribs) 08:38, 13 October 2012 (UTC)

peel is hardly comparible to savile or glitter bbc were trying to throw peel under the bus to divert from their huge establishment scandal 86.148.206.156 (talk) 06:54, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

Note from Jimmy Savile allegations
I was asked to notify here with this from Talk:Jimmy Savile child sexual abuse allegations.

There are now media reports alleging that John Peel had an affair with a 15-year-old girl, reports that seems to involve a terminated pregnancy, unprotected sex shortly after boasting on-air of suffering from a venereal disease and a postcard from the late 1990s which does nothing at all to clear his name. Source The BBC has now been forced into a major rethink on its decision to name a new wing of Broadcasting House after Peel. Source How does Wikipedia deal with this latest development? --86.40.110.74 (talk) 05:08, 13 October 2012 (UTC)
 * Both these points - the alleged relationship, and the naming of the BBC building - have now been incorporated into the article, with a link to the Jimmy Savile child sexual abuse allegations. Ghmyrtle (talk) 07:38, 13 October 2012 (UTC)
 * PS: So far as I can see, she does not claim that the pregnancy was the result of sex with Peel - we don't know what other partners she had.  The headline says that she was pregnant because of Peel, but her words in the article do not necessarily say that.   I won't revert again, but the story is not as clear-cut as it first appears, and I think the headline writer has over-interpreted the material.  Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:51, 13 October 2012 (UTC)


 * Can anyone give a legitimate reason for mentioning the Savile allegations at all in this article? AndyTheGrump (talk) 15:35, 13 October 2012 (UTC)


 * There has been an attempt at moral equivalence between Peel, Glitter and Savile. However, the woman who had an alleged relationship with Peel admits that it was consensual and lasted three months, that she asked him to appear at the opening of her new bar, and she approached the newspapers over it, so attempts at moral outrage should be somewhat muted. There is some indirect relevance because the BBC is now in crisis management mode.-- ♦Ian Ma c M♦  (talk to me) 15:55, 13 October 2012 (UTC)

ianmacm implies that the relationship Peel had was consensual. That was the case but the relationship was illegal. Interestingly Bill Wyman had a relationship with Mandy Smith which was consensual and resulted in marriage. Mandy Smith was 13 when the relationship began. No criminal proceedings appear to be in progress against Mr Wyman. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.115.11.5 (talk) 14:54, 2 November 2012 (UTC)


 * The possible renaming of the BBC Peel Wing is worth stating, and the explanation for that is, as IanMacm says, because the BBC is panicking over Savile and the wider implications. But I don't mind greatly if the link to the Savile article is removed.  Ghmyrtle (talk) 16:21, 13 October 2012 (UTC)

I don't dismiss all allegations against Peel, but some stories may be rather growing in the telling. Peel did mention on-air once that he had been treated for VD in the past, but I don't think he "boasted" about it, some people respected his courage. I remember this was covered in a magazine article, where he said that afterwards he had kids writing to him asking about the symptoms. However I assume that his affair was after he was cured, and unprotected sex was fairly normal until AIDS came along in the 1980s. PatGallacher (talk) 15:14, 19 October 2012 (UTC)


 * A woman, who told a tabloid newspaper she had a relationship with a BBC DJ when she was 15, says she now bitterly regrets going public was in the news. She denies that it was abuse, and the rest of the report paints a somewhat disturbing picture of 1960s groupie culture.-- ♦Ian Ma c M♦  (talk to me) 12:44, 17 December 2012 (UTC)


 * There have been no further updates re the renaming of the Peel Wing since last October, and in fact the BBC's website still refers to the building as the Peel Wing. Also the BBC sponsored the 2012 John Peel lecture only a few weeks after the story surfaced.  Consequently I would say he seems to be in the clear and we should remove the sentence that refers to the renaming, or at the very least acknowledge that no decision appears to have been taken.  MFlet1 (talk) 11:06, 11 July 2013 (UTC)

Atheist?
Of course he will not be remebered as an ardent believer, but are there any reference supporting his classification as "atheist"?

The article states that, among others, "Peel said he would like to be remembered with a gospel song. He stated that the final record he would play would be the Rev C. L. Franklin's sermon "Dry Bones in The Valley".

This really does not sound like Dawkins&Co. Or are there any other explicit quotes? — Preceding unsigned comment added by GinoBartali (talk • contribs) 10:24, 26 March 2015 (UTC)


 * In this interview, he was asked the question "Would you describe yourself as agnostic or atheist?" with "I don't know really... My own creed, such as it is, is the very obvious one of 'Do as you would be done by.'". He also says he enjoys visiting churches because "although I don't believe in the things that the people who built them believe in, I'm impressed by the intensity of their beliefs".   On that basis, personally, I'd describe him as a humanist rather than either atheist or agnostic.  Obviously, there's absolutely no reason why someone who appreciates gospel music (or the intensity of a sermon) needs to have any belief that the words are actually true.  Ghmyrtle (talk) 10:40, 26 March 2015 (UTC)
 * That last is true of any song, really. And Peel, who was an unparalleled appreciator of music, would be a good judge of that. 2.28.151.246 (talk) 23:01, 21 May 2021 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 2 one external links on John Peel. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20080216184646/http://www.djhistory.com:80/djhistory/archiveInterviewDisplay.php?interview_id=43 to http://www.djhistory.com/djhistory/archiveInterviewDisplay.php?interview_id=43
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20120301071307/http://www.listentomanchester.co.uk/gig/a4091942-87b4-4318-bae5-d862e767e637 to http://www.listentomanchester.co.uk/gig/a4091942-87b4-4318-bae5-d862e767e637

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Affair
This seems to be missing. Agreed he's no Savile but I don't think we can just ignore it given the sources: Philafrenzy (talk) 13:54, 10 March 2016 (UTC)
 * http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9603959/John-Peel-got-15-year-old-pregnant-after-meeting-at-Black-Sabbath-concert-claims-woman.html
 * http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/bbc-to-erect-john-peel-plaque-at-hq-9796624.html
 * http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/oct/12/jimmy-savile-john-peel
 * http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/10/12/john-peel-jimmy-savile-bbc_n_1960523.html
 * http://metro.co.uk/2012/10/13/bbc-could-rename-peel-wing-after-claims-of-affair-with-15-year-old-girl-599752/
 * These were unverified claims made in 2012. I don't see a good reason to include them.   Ghmyrtle (talk) 15:20, 10 March 2016 (UTC)
 * The basic facts don't seem to be in dispute but it is hard to prove anything over such a length of time.-- ♦Ian Ma c  M♦  (talk to me) 16:13, 10 March 2016 (UTC)
 * The man is dead so I think we can state the matter fairly briefly as an unproven matter but one that has been widely reported in reliable sources? Philafrenzy (talk) 16:22, 10 March 2016 (UTC)
 * It's interesting that the woman involved (who I won't name even though it is easily available) says that nothing happened that she did not want to do at the time. Considering the huge media coverage of Adam Johnson (footballer), this has to be given some consideration. As the BBC news video points out, plenty of girls under 16 were sexually active in the 1960s. The BBC's position is that it would "reconsider" the name of the John Peel Wing if the allegations were proven, but as of March 2016, it looks as though the BBC has not done this. The sourcing is a bit vague.-- ♦Ian Ma c M♦  (talk to me) 16:34, 10 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Quite agree. Except that I'm pretty sure it wasn't just the 1960s. Martinevans123 (talk) 16:38, 10 March 2016 (UTC)

Assessment comment
Substituted at 20:19, 29 April 2016 (UTC)

List of shows
John Peel brought me into a better mood than my psychotherapist could. It is a pity that the list of shows is not completed yet. -- SXXXB (talk) 12:01, 17 May 2021 (UTC)

'The Pig'
I remember Andy Kershaw saying on air once that John referred to Sheila as 'The Pig' not in a derogatory way but because when she laughed she tended to snort like a pig. Can anyone find a citable source for this? TristramBrelstaff (talk) 19:02, 4 June 2022 (UTC)


 * Sure. Page 188 of Margrave of the Marshes, Sheila says: "Beautiful Peter didn't appear to mind that John referred to the house they shared as 'Peel Acres' any more than I minded John christening me 'the Pig' right from the beginning of our relationship, on account of my snorting laugh. From our earlier days together, John referred to me as Pig, and his readers and listeners got to know me as that too." Martinevans123 (talk) 19:35, 4 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Might be a good idea to add something. Martinevans123 (talk) 08:22, 5 July 2022 (UTC)

Sexual abuse accusations
I read the article. I didn't read a single "accusation of sexual abuse". So why is that section in this article? Surely in order for someone to be "accused" of sexual abuse, there needs to be... an accusation. There have been none. Section should be deleted/mothballed until such accusations are actually made. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.184.110.130 (talk) 19:49, 22 August 2022 (UTC)
 * He was accused by one woman posthumously in 2012, the other information in that section are his own actions and admissions of abusive conduct which were scrutinised in the media afterwards. Abbyjjjj96 (talk) — Preceding undated comment added 04:33, 23 August 2022 (UTC)

The accusation that Peel ran a "Schoolgirl of the year competition" should be removed as there is no proof to substantiate Burchill's original allegation. Peel once dressed as a schoolgirl for a calendar for Sounds, the music paper. The picture caption was "Schoolgirl of the Year." This is how the rumour got started. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Deselby70 (talk • contribs) 09:14, 12 September 2022 (UTC)
 * It's not only mentioned in the Burchill Guardian article but one of The Independent references too. Abbyjjjj96 (talk) 21:18, 12 September 2022 (UTC)
 * The Independent article comes after the Burchill article, which was the original source of the allegation. It is likely the source of the Independent allegation, as there is no evidence before the Burchill piece to support the allegation, and certainly no contemporary evidence from the 1970's. Deselby70 (talk) 15:17, 13 September 2022 (UTC)
 * Not to reduce any behaviour that is accused/attributed to Peel, but Burchills 'Rakes Progress' has been regularly denounced as an unreliable hit-piece. Burchill also attacked Peel for supposedly only playing 'white music' (and the inplication of being 'a bit racist', yet Peel championed Jamaican reggae/roots back in the 70s, and World Music, through to dancehall and jungle in the 90s. Burchill is not a reliable source for such things as we've seen many times since Journeytounconsciousness (talk) 17:43, 3 March 2023 (UTC)
 * I find it hard to believe that Burchill would invent quotes where Peel admitted to sexually abusing girls, and I don't see any source accusing her of that. Abbyjjjj96 (talk) 19:45, 18 April 2023 (UTC)
 * I've clarified the source for Peel's comments and expanded the quote from Burchill's article to give more context. If this was a BLP, the article would need more contemporary RS to support the allegations BLP:CRIME, WP:BLPSOURCE. The comments Birchall says that Peel made in 1975 seem to have been part of an interview. Without the full original source we don't have the context they were made in. Peel's use of sarcasm is well known. The article currently doesn't include any RS that Peel admitted to allegations of sexual abuse that were put to him. WP:CONTENTIOUS, WP:NPOV. IndigoBeach (talk) 11:57, 19 April 2023 (UTC)

I've edited the article to remove "serial sexual abuser" in wikivoice from the lead section because this language isn't verified in the cited RS. I've also updated the sexual abuse allegation section for the same reason, and because the RS for Peel's "admission" failed verification WP:RGW; WP:EXCEPTIONAL. IndigoBeach (talk) 15:49, 17 April 2023 (UTC)

Age of Shirley Anne Milburn
"While residing in Dallas, Texas, in 1965, he married his first wife, Shirley Anne Milburn, then aged 16"

"His first marriage to Shirley Anne Milburn in 1965 has been cited as an example of misconduct as she was 15 years old when they wed"

Which is it? 84.92.43.164 (talk) 00:14, 11 February 2023 (UTC)


 * This is discussed further up this page. As I wrote then: The Texas Birth Index (available online via Ancestry.com) confirms her birth date as 16 Feb 1949. Her marriage to Ravenscroft/Peel does not seem to be on that site, but if it was after Feb 1965 it seems that she was 16.  The allegation that she was 15 when she married comes from Julie Burchill... who is probably not best known for her commitment to the truth.   .... and indeed says in her piece, "I've always loathed John Peel...".   Ghmyrtle (talk) 08:50, 11 February 2023 (UTC)


 * The article currently cites an interview from The Herald, in which Peel says the following: "Both her parents died within a month of each other and so we got married more as a mutual defence pact than anything else, really. I don't really like talking about it, to be honest, but it was an incredibly sad time. She had a shit time. I'm sure I wasn't blameless. She was just as f-ed-up as any 15- year-old who'd just lost her parents would be, and married some geezer from another planet." AndyTheGrump (talk) 15:25, 5 March 2023 (UTC)

circular reference removed: Far Out Magazine via change.org petition
I've replaced this Far Out Magazine reference [] because it's a circular reference via the change.org petition (dated 30 June 2022, unable to include link to it here because the site is blacklisted), which had copied the allegations from this article (version 27 June 2022 []), one of which fails verification (now tagged) WP:CIRCULAR, WP:UGC. Adding a comment here to include the diff and links. IndigoBeach (talk) 10:03, 18 April 2023 (UTC)

Who's Biryani?
There are reliable sources on both sides suggesting that Biryani that launched Billy B's career was brought to the studios by billy himself or the publishers without Billy.

Billy himself has stated it was him with publisher Jeff in some places, in other places that it was him on his own, and yet the source used to say it was only the publishers is his official biography. this needs looking into. DParkinson1 (talk) 21:20, 10 February 2024 (UTC)