Psychedelic Furs – in session for John Peel – July 25, 1979 – BBC Radio 1 –
Psychedelic Furs to start the week. The Psychedelic Furs are an English rock band founded in London in February 1977.[1] Led by singer Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs were one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk scene. Their music went through several phases, from an initially austere art rock sound, to later touching on new wave and hard rock.
The band scored several hits in their early career. In 1986, film director John Hughes used their song “Pretty in Pink” for his movie of the same name. The band went on hiatus after they finished touring in 1992, but later regrouped in 2000 and continue to perform around the world.
The band initially consisted of Richard Butler (vocals), Tim Butler (bass guitar), Duncan Kilburn (saxophone), Paul Wilson (drums) and Roger Morris (guitars). By 1979, this line-up had expanded to a sextet with Vince Ely replacing Wilson on drums and John Ashton joining on guitar. The Psychedelic Furs’ debut, a self-titled album released in March 1980, was produced by Steve Lillywhite. The album quickly established the band on radio in Europe and was a No. 18 hit in the UK Albums Chart. The album also found success in Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Australia. The US version of the album was re-sequenced, but failed to have a strong commercial impact.
By the mid-1980s, the band had become a staple on both US college radio and modern rock radio stations. Simultaneously, they were experiencing consistent mainstream success, placing several singles in the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Still, according to biographer Dave Thompson, they would “have more impact on future musicians than they ever did in the marketplace.”
So in case you missed them the first time around, here is their first session for John Peel.
Crank it up.
