Strangelove again this week – this time it’s their second and last session for John Peel, recorded on January 5, 1993 and broadcast on February 19th. By the time of this second session, fortunes had changed for the band. Their second ep, Hysteria Unknown came out in February and they got the opening slot for Radiohead and their Pop Is Dead tour.
The Radiohead tour was a pivotal changing point for the band. Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brian was quoted as saying they were inspirational. All this, and Strangelove’s critical as well as audience acclaim grew substantially. In 1993 they were also signed to their first major label deal, with EMI subsidiary Food Records which further aided their breakthrough and the next big step.
But this is still their second session – and much of what happened, happened later on in the year. At the time of this session, they were still chipping away and finding their audience.
So it’s still relatively early-on in their legacy. The wretched excess, the doubts and the emotional trials and tribulations weren’t to come for a while. Right now, in February of 1993 it’s still new and uncharted territory.
This may be the last of their sessions for John Peel, but there were other sessions, including one for French Radio in 1994. I hope to post that one this weekend or early next week. They were a special and unique band with a highly charged and emotional presence. It caught many people by surprise – and reports of their live gigs have all said they were some of the most intense and engaging performances they’d ever seen.
If you haven’t played the earlier session from 1992, which I ran a few days ago, check that one out first, and come back to this one. If you’re already familiar and a fan, this is more icing on the cake. And there’s more to come, so stay tuned.
Enjoy and play loud
