BBC Radio 1 – Top Gear with John Peel – May 18, 1969.
Maybe not sounding like it came straight off an FM radio, but most likely the equivalent of an AM radio, it still captures the spirit of some truly eclectic and memorable music from one of the most listened-to and widely respected Disc Jockeys in Europe from 1969.
It’s a shame we didn’t have the internet back then (some 57 years ago) – streaming this would have had a huge impact on what we were listening to, here in the U.S. at the time – of course, we had what was known as Underground FM which got going about two years earlier, and which became very popular and did its best to change the playing field for popular music. So much so, that the major radio outlets were switching formats to play this eclectic mix of music. But as is the case when a major entity gets involved and the commercial influence wanders in – the wide-ranging musical tastes of the disc jockeys were “toned down” to accommodate broader tastes of the perceived pubic, leading many to turn a jaundiced ear to the goings on and declare Underground FM was dying and becoming Top-40 FM. The sad reality became all too apparent only a few years later when “playlists”emerged, followed by “Audience focus groups” – the spirit of blazing musical trails and turning people on to things they might not know about was rapidly becoming a thing of nostalgia. For the most part.
But the BBC weren’t in it to sell commercials, and for the most part trust was placed in John Peel to do the right thing and do what he did best; no slick presentation – no motormouth – no sped-up turntables to cram more singles in an hour – no contests. Just music – and in John Peel’s case, a platform for new bands to perform live in what became known as The Peel Sessions. These sessions became cornerstones in the evolution of Rock, certainly in the UK. And John Peel continued blazing this particular trail all the way up until his death in October of 2004 – the concept of live sessions from up-and-comers continues to this day and has been a critical platform, particularly now where the club scene is shrinking and concert tickets sales are going through the roof.
Listening to this broadcast, it becomes abundantly clear that John Peel loved music and wanted to turn people on to what was turning him on. Not sure if he’s the one who said it, but he is attributed to saying “I only play music I like” – which, if true spoke volumes about his love of music and his knowledge of it – and what has been something of a 60s credo; “to leave the world in a little better place than how you found it”.
No question John Peel did just that – as is evidenced by the fact that, some 21 years after his death, his popularity has only increased and his example has been emulated by just about every college radio station in the U.S.
So – if you’ve never heard of John Peel, or heard about him but haven’t heard any of this programs, here is an early one to get yourself familiar with. The sound quality isn’t the best – it was no doubt recorded by somebody on their home tape recorder, going at the slowest speed possible to get all almost two hours in.
But it’s two hours that come loaded with surprises.
Crank it up and enjoy. And don’t forget to go exploring.
