"They came out to see me all dressed like magicians and driving Rolls Royces. They are incredibly nice people and we just drove around for two days." Ladies and Gentlemen, the 1960s.
Such a sad but true review. Procol's sudden succes made many so suspicious that didn't listen to Procol the way Procol should be heard. Amazing band. Quite rightly so is an enormous song. Gary's singing, Keith at the top of his game, BJ on top of the song and Fisher's organ, gorgeous. Muddy sound. Shine on brightly is such an underrated gem. My first Procol Album!
@@heinrichvon Don't think so. A salty dog is like Beatles' white album, gem after gem. But shine on brightly is like Rubber Soul, one big diamond, from Quite rightly so to Grand Finale
@@DiegoCOrtizpianista The song “A Salty Dog” is brilliant, but my favorite Procol Harum entire album is “Grand Hotel”. I’m also very partial to “Exotic Birds and Fruit”.
Amazing that Leonard Cohen was in the Singles charts & Tim Buckley as well ! 😎 - John turned people on to so many great acts ! For me , The Fall were one I definitely attribute to him. Love the sorta Alone Again instrumental at end !
They were in the collection of new releases, but not in the charts. Cohen didn't have a charting single in the UK or the US until Hallelujah in 2007. Tim Buckley never had a charting single, as far as I can tell.
He showed a sharp wit and yet was very accurate in his description of songs, artists, and the music industry. I saw the Beach Boys LP Wild Honey was number 6 on the UK charts. In the States, it didn't even crack the Billboard top 20. It is my favorite Beach Boys album and years later became something of a cult classic and has been well received. Christine McVie was a hottie back in 1968 and she's still good-looking.
I'm an American, and it was not until I started listening to all the Peel sessions on youtube that I realized what a gift to music this man was. Now I hold him in the highest regard. To give you an example of just how good his ear was, he recorded sessions by The Slits, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Generation X, Peter and the Test Tube Babies and The Basement 5 (a unique music) BEFORE they even had a record out. And those are just the bands I'm aware of. (The Slits had a buzz around them in 1977 and the four songs they recorded have a haphazard yet extremely appealing sound--like a band just discovering what they're capable of in a studio. And yet it all coalesced beautifully, yielding a remarkable picture of what was possible in 1977) Billy Bragg told an interesting story. He was listening to John Peel in 1983 and heard him say on the radio "I would give anything for a mushroom biryani now." Billy ran down to an Indian restaurant and got a biryani and took it to the station. The receptionist called up to John and John came down. Billy said here's your biryani and mentioned that he had dropped off his debut LP for John to hear. John said he was going to play it even if Billy had not brought the biryani. So real, easy going and accessible was Peel. BTW I share John's enthusiasm for the poet Leonard Cohen. If you want to hear another wonderful poet who put his poems to music try Linton Kwesi Johnson's first 3 albums, Dread Beat An' Blood, Forces of Victory and Bass Culture. He is GREAT, believe me! It's reggae and Johnson is one of the seminal artists who, for the first time ever, were creating world class reggae music outside of Jamaica in England.
I totally agree. A very important figure in the history of rock and roll. Many of those underground bands and artists he promoted are now legendary. And it's amazing that he did that for so many years. He was already promoting underground music in the mid-60s when he was doing his "Perfurmed Garden" show on pirate radio. I believe he was the first DJ to play the Velvet Underground and Captain Beefheart in the UK.
I remember hearing that first Slits session when it was first broadcast. I thought I died and gone to heaven. They did another pre-"Cut" session in 1978, almost as good (easy to find on Youttube if you haven't heard it)
You should have heard him on shortwave radio in the 90’s. Introduced me to fantastic music from everywhere. Brought out the best in bands that did sessions with him.
John Peel was such a genius. These are not just perceptive comments about the music, but about his complete understanding of the entire scene at all levels of production, audience, listener, promotion, art and formula. Bravo, to him, and to Yesterday's Papers.
I agree. And that complete understanding is also the reason why he saw the value in punk rock and post-punk in the late 70s when most people from his generation probably thought it was crap.
What an insightful treasure John Peel was. He was so much more than a deejay and he was an excellent presenter of music and personalities and… so much more. Excellent video as always. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Note the Roy Harper single in there, "Life Goes By". He would later sing lead vocal on Pink Floyd's "Have A Cigar" on their 1975 album Wish You Were Here, one of the few guest vocals who recorded for that group.
In this instance, I regret that I wasn't born in the UK. Listening to John Peel, I would have learned so much about music at an early age rather than being left to make discoveries over time.
What a loss the death of John Peel has been to sensible comment on current music - I remember him running past me in Soho in the late sixties once. As it happens I was at the Incredible String Band concert in 1968 seated on the edge of the stage too. My first job was in Theobalds Road and there was a flat at the top of the old building - one of my tasks was to collect the morning mail to the building which involved sorting out the company's from that for the strangely named tenant at the top - a Mr Steve Peregrine Took.
To delbertstringbreaker 👉👨☕My you must of lived a very coulorfull life . In my wee childhood i saw mick jagger he of the rolling stones he was sitting down strumming his guitar looking at the ground out side hyde Park in London in case you don't don't know where that is. I must of been ten years old I was with my older brother my brother said to me do you know who that was .Me being only ten years with an average IQ of. I wasn't sure. He then said to.me that was Mick Jagger he of the Rolling Stones . You havnt by any chance seen the incredible string band live I'm into a great tide of folk music my number one dream was being in a folk. group I love folk music more then any other music. To name but a few. most other music fairport convention, strawbs steelye span ,sandy denny, lindisfarne
Don Partridge in The Top Ten 1968 with ‘ Rosie’. Don was a street busker before hitting the big time and had several chart hits. He then seemed to disappear from the scene. About twenty years ago , l was wondering through Chester near to the cathedral, and there was Don back to busking in the street!
Love the Who and Fleetwood Mac footage! I agree with everything he says( a first for me and your site). Right on about Tim Buckley. Some people criticize his first record, not me. Suzanne is not only beautiful, it may be the most beautiful song ever! Another solid 6 minutes YP!!!
He championed the music of Jethro Tull when they first started but when they changed musical directions after their first album he abandoned them and even ignored them in clubs. I thought that was really strange because the best music from Jethro Tull started with stand up
The guy from Rolling Stone and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has a problem w the great Tull as well. I'm assuming Anderson has no use for critics/industry people , and he's not one to mince words and be political, so perhaps he told them where the bear shat in the buckwheat.
Great videos in the background of this one. The songs reviewed for this week were not superhits, but that allowed Mr. Peel to show off his knowledge of the industry and the scene at that time. Bravo!
@@lemming9984 flavor of the month mentality, but couldn't have gotten behind the artist without belief in what they were doing. think Peel felt they played only for him and when mass appeal impressed, knives out
John Peel is amazing. His opinions were mostly spot-on here, especially with Procol Harum. He also had some interesting insights about the bands who toughed it out until they became superstars like the Beatles, versus bands who jumped into the fame game much too quickly and then vanished overnight.
There's something really beautiful about people who live and breathe music. John Peel was definitely one of those people 🎹🎸 It must have been a week of girls' names in the top 30. Delilah, Madonna, Rosie, Jennifer, Cinderella 🤔😂 Nice outro music YP. It's kind of giving me jazz lounge vibes ☺
In later years, JP would sometimes play records at the wrong speed but would immediately own up to it. I loved listening to his shows. He was funny, knowledgeable, unassuming and sincere. One of the very few people I would have liked to have met up with, even if it was just for a kick about. Thanks for sharing.
Leonard Cohen and Tim Buckley in one sitting? Tim should have lived to be an old (successful) singer like Mr. Cohen. Perhaps somewhere on a parallel earth? And thank you John Peel for those Joy Division/New Order/ Smiths Peel Sessions. I hope you're hanging out with your boy Mark E Smith right now.
I did not know john worked in california at one time im from los angeles but then again i was only 14 ha ha what a wonderfull guy i love this on youtube thanks
I've been watching these 'blind dates' for a while and John Peel's attitude towards music is much more positive than the musicians themselves in other reviews. Also, he looks like to be much more aware of the musical scene than the musicians.
I guess he was more positive because he wasn't a musician so he didn't see those bands as competition. Plus, the songs he was asked to review were right up his alley. Those were the kind of bands and songs he played on his radio show.
@@oleplanthafer7034 Indeed! I discovered this song in Northern Soul allnighters... in Spain in the early 2000s! I even bought an original Spanish picture sleeve single of the song in a flea market. They had some local success here, appearing on national TV in "68 ua-cam.com/video/OjGNBSVL9Ds/v-deo.html
I didn't realise John Peel was already a known DJ back in 1968. I knew him from playing alternative music in the late 80s. I knew he was middle ages then but I just didn't realise his impact at such a young age.
Most interesting, I love the Incredible String Band, but you do not hear of them. their album Liquid Acrobats as well as their later albums are great. Hard to find any word of them, even on the internet. while others are getting recognition. As for Gary Brooker he was always a major talent. Seventy years later his music is awing generations.
John Peel was one of the most intelligent commentators on rock music ever, and many of his judgments here are very sound and well expressed. But he was also human, and so he could be wrong sometimes. Here he dismisses Lady Madonna as retro rock. But the fact that The Beatles chose to do roots rock is secondary to the admirable skill and precision with which they executed it on that great single, and apparently Peel didn't bother to pay attention to Paul's clever lyrics. And his judgment that Procol Harum might not stand the test of time has been disproved by the immense sadness at Gary Brooker's recent passing... nearly 55 years after Whiter Shade of Pale became a worldwide hit in 1967.
I highly recommend you watch this video (same channel!) for some context for his statement. Lady Madonna was widely considered to be a RnR Revival Single; that’s simply how it was being discussed. And The RnR Revival itself was nearly ushered in by a statement from Pete Townsend, complaining about the “complexity” of “Walrus” and calling for more of the classic simplicity of the good ol days ua-cam.com/video/LKJxFIgEnw8/v-deo.html
3:41 There's that band that included Norman Greenbaum, who later went on to make Spirit in the Sky a world wide hit. Doesn't sound like something I'd want to hear more than once, but somebody bought it.
I picked up a CD in the 90s in Japan which had a selection of incredible John Peel grunge sessions which I still listen to today. The cover was hilarious because it had a photo of two executives in limo with briefcases and the white haired on was instructing the younger, blow dried one with a stern look!
The music scene in 1967-69 must have been amazing, I was a toddler back then and did not notice. There must be a lot of hidden gems, fantastic tracks by obscure bands. It is a shame John Peel is no longer around, he probably knows which ones they are.
peel had great taste and great insight incredible string band was one of those bands who played at woodstock, got put in the wrong place in the lineup and didnt make the film or the album, which seriously hurt their career does all of procol harem's music all sound the same? love how he immediately pimped t-rex...a full 2 years before they would hit it big during the glam rock era
The first 3 or 4 Procol Harum singles sounded kind of similar. Luckily, they stopped trying to recapture the success of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" after that and their first albums are really excellent. I think their best single was "A Salty Dog", amazing song.
I'm a pretty big Roy Harper fan and have never heard that one. You can definitely tell it's from his "Ghengis Smith" period, which is far from his best
I don’t understand what anyone sees in Roy Harper. At least this song has, in spots, a few different notes in the vocal part and an actual key change at one point-unusual for Harper, as far as I can tell-although it’s mostly just hanging on one or two notes and one or two chords. The lyric sounds as if it were improvised at the pub. On the other hand, I don’t think Procol Harum is being treated fairly here. No, “Shine on Brightly” isn’t “A Whiter Shade of Pale”, but few songs are; Pale is a classic. Why does Peel mention Keith Reid (the lyricist) and Robin Trower (the guitarist), neither by name, and neglect to mention the real creative force behind the group, Gary Brooker,-composer, pianist, and singer (later orchestral arranger as well)?
By the way, Harper’s “nothing to do with you and I [sic]” should be “nothing to do with you and ME”. The object of the preposition “with”, takes the object form, “me”, not “I”. It makes no difference whatsoever that in this case the object is compound.
@@YesterdaysPapers *Thanks for responding* searched it on YT Yes I heard this song way back in my youth on the Radio in Austria it was one song often played late at night, there was one hour (23 ~ 24h) of instrumental music now known in the US as elevator music. Your channel brings back some music I heard way back then. All the best for 2023 too.
I remember sitting a few feet away from JP listening to Pink Floyd on the stage at Hyde Park. Did Canned Heat play that gig? God knows, I can't remember. So sad when he died. Way too early.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates the idea of digging up old songs and re-releasing them as singles.Its living in a past you can't return to. How many great contemporary songs did the UK listening audiences overlook because of the nostalgia craze? In 1968 the US was heavily in to psychedelic and blues rock . Cream got themselves a gold record in the States with Sunshine Of Your Love while Brits went to the hop with Little Richard and Buddy Holly
Not really. Pretty much the same bands that were popular in the US were also popular in the UK. None of these RnR Revival singles managed to chart in the UK. The Blind Date section was not about songs that were hits in the UK, it was just about reviewing random singles released that week.
Considering the current climate and the topic about John Peel, I’m surprised that those people came on this channel and talked about his involvement with kids. P.S. If you like his work and impact on British music and music as a whole, be aware that he has done some stuff that might offend you, and I’m not angry if you do still like him, just know that your favorite celebrities always have good and bad sides in their history.
Wow, that was almost as though all John Peel's favourite bands at the time brought out singles in the same week, apart from Harper's Bazaar that is. Usually the guest reviewer has to wade through a load of dross, with varying degrees of politeness.
I was 13 years old when Lady Madonna came out and it was the first Beatles song I didn't like. It sounded corny. Little did I know Honey Pie and Maxwell's Silver Hammer were just around the corner.
Altho' I listened to John a lot. I can't give kudos like everyone else here....(maybe I listened too intently and he rubbed off then...😃) He was incorrect about The Incredible String Band for example. He also deserted many bands he recommended; when they became popular.
As a UK music fan who used to listen to his show occasionally - you didn't miss much. He championed lots of new talent, but criticised them when they found success.
@@YesterdaysPapers much is made of Cohen's canon of work (brilliant lyricist) but Buckley is a name you don't often hear mentioned more on par with Nick Drake, Richard Thompson and Bert Jansch. Forgotten troubadours.
Strange guy I could never work out he didn’t like get it on by t.Rex he said was too commercial which ended his friendship with bolan yet years later loved and pushed teenage kicks by the undertones go figure.
"They came out to see me all dressed like magicians and driving Rolls Royces. They are incredibly nice people and we just drove around for two days." Ladies and Gentlemen, the 1960s.
This has been the most articulate critique on this channel. We all miss John.
Procol's debut,Shine On Brightly and A Salty Dog albums all have some gorgeous moments.👍
A great, great band!
Such a sad but true review. Procol's sudden succes made many so suspicious that didn't listen to Procol the way Procol should be heard. Amazing band. Quite rightly so is an enormous song. Gary's singing, Keith at the top of his game, BJ on top of the song and Fisher's organ, gorgeous. Muddy sound. Shine on brightly is such an underrated gem. My first Procol Album!
@@DiegoCOrtizpianista A Salty Dog is even better!
@@heinrichvon Don't think so. A salty dog is like Beatles' white album, gem after gem. But shine on brightly is like Rubber Soul, one big diamond, from Quite rightly so to Grand Finale
@@DiegoCOrtizpianista The song “A Salty Dog” is brilliant, but my favorite Procol Harum entire album is “Grand Hotel”. I’m also very partial to “Exotic Birds and Fruit”.
Amazing that Leonard Cohen was in the
Singles charts & Tim Buckley as well ! 😎 - John turned people on to so many great acts ! For me , The Fall were one I definitely attribute to him. Love the sorta Alone Again instrumental at end !
They were in the collection of new releases, but not in the charts. Cohen didn't have a charting single in the UK or the US until Hallelujah in 2007. Tim Buckley never had a charting single, as far as I can tell.
The Fall was his favorite band
@@martins.7060 Mark E Smith RIP
I was just gonna say the same that made my heart stop
You're right about that instrumental. Definite shades of Love.
His opinions are so spot-on and very much stand the test of time--incredible.
He showed a sharp wit and yet was very accurate in his description of songs, artists, and the music industry. I saw the Beach Boys LP Wild Honey was number 6 on the UK charts. In the States, it didn't even crack the Billboard top 20. It is my favorite Beach Boys album and years later became something of a cult classic and has been well received. Christine McVie was a hottie back in 1968 and she's still good-looking.
I love "Wild Honey", too. Very underrated record.
I'm an American, and it was not until I started listening to all the Peel sessions on youtube that I realized what a gift to music this man was. Now I hold him in the highest regard. To give you an example of just how good his ear was, he recorded sessions by The Slits, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Generation X, Peter and the Test Tube Babies and The Basement 5 (a unique music) BEFORE they even had a record out. And those are just the bands I'm aware of. (The Slits had a buzz around them in 1977 and the four songs they recorded have a haphazard yet extremely appealing sound--like a band just discovering what they're capable of in a studio. And yet it all coalesced beautifully, yielding a remarkable picture of what was possible in 1977)
Billy Bragg told an interesting story. He was listening to John Peel in 1983 and heard him say on the radio "I would give anything for a mushroom biryani now." Billy ran down to an Indian restaurant and got a biryani and took it to the station. The receptionist called up to John and John came down. Billy said here's your biryani and mentioned that he had dropped off his debut LP for John to hear. John said he was going to play it even if Billy had not brought the biryani. So real, easy going and accessible was Peel.
BTW I share John's enthusiasm for the poet Leonard Cohen. If you want to hear another wonderful poet who put his poems to music try Linton Kwesi Johnson's first 3 albums, Dread Beat An' Blood, Forces of Victory and Bass Culture. He is GREAT, believe me! It's reggae and Johnson is one of the seminal artists who, for the first time ever, were creating world class reggae music outside of Jamaica in England.
I totally agree. A very important figure in the history of rock and roll. Many of those underground bands and artists he promoted are now legendary. And it's amazing that he did that for so many years. He was already promoting underground music in the mid-60s when he was doing his "Perfurmed Garden" show on pirate radio. I believe he was the first DJ to play the Velvet Underground and Captain Beefheart in the UK.
I remember hearing that first Slits session when it was first broadcast. I thought I died and gone to heaven. They did another pre-"Cut" session in 1978, almost as good (easy to find on Youttube if you haven't heard it)
@@shinywarm6906 Lol. I like your reaction to that first Slits' recording session.
You should have heard him on shortwave radio in the 90’s. Introduced me to fantastic music from everywhere. Brought out the best in bands that did sessions with him.
You’ve completely backed up what I said !
John Peel was such a genius. These are not just perceptive comments about the music, but about his complete understanding of the entire scene at all levels of production, audience, listener, promotion, art and formula. Bravo, to him, and to Yesterday's Papers.
I agree. And that complete understanding is also the reason why he saw the value in punk rock and post-punk in the late 70s when most people from his generation probably thought it was crap.
@@YesterdaysPapers yes!
It's cool that these big artists did all of these reviews it gives you a good idea what people were thinking about and I don't mean just the music.
Are you taking the piss ? He was just a weirdo
@@YesterdaysPapers it was
What an insightful treasure John Peel was. He was so much more than a deejay and he was an excellent presenter of music and personalities and… so much more. Excellent video as always. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Note the Roy Harper single in there, "Life Goes By". He would later sing lead vocal on Pink Floyd's "Have A Cigar" on their 1975 album Wish You Were Here, one of the few guest vocals who recorded for that group.
In this instance, I regret that I wasn't born in the UK. Listening to John Peel, I would have learned so much about music at an early age rather than being left to make discoveries over time.
This is brilliant, John Peel, RIP you legend.
Probably one of the only opinions that really mattered. Good thing he was on point nearly all the time.
What a loss the death of John Peel has been to sensible comment on current music - I remember him running past me in Soho in the late sixties once.
As it happens I was at the Incredible String Band concert in 1968 seated on the edge of the stage too.
My first job was in Theobalds Road and there was a flat at the top of the old building - one of my tasks was to collect the morning mail to the building which involved sorting out the company's from that for the strangely named tenant at the top - a Mr Steve Peregrine Took.
To delbertstringbreaker 👉👨☕My you must of lived a very coulorfull life . In my wee childhood i saw mick jagger he of the rolling stones he was sitting down strumming his guitar looking at the ground out side hyde Park in London in case you don't don't know where that is. I must of been ten years old I was with my older brother my brother said to me do you know who that was .Me being only ten years with an average IQ of. I wasn't sure. He then said to.me that was Mick Jagger he of the Rolling Stones . You havnt by any chance seen the incredible string band live I'm into a great tide of folk music my number one dream was being in a folk. group I love folk music more then any other music. To name but a few. most other music fairport convention, strawbs steelye span ,sandy denny, lindisfarne
Thank you for this wonderful channel!!
Great video. Astute comments. It was a joy to listen to this one. Very intelligent.
Don Partridge in The Top Ten 1968 with ‘ Rosie’. Don was a street busker before hitting the big time and had several chart hits. He then seemed to disappear from the scene. About twenty years ago , l was wondering through Chester near to the cathedral, and there was Don back to busking in the street!
After watching, I’d say 20 of these, this is my favorite review so far…
As expected, John Peel nailed it.
My favorite channel by far. Thank you!
Love these videos!
Love the Who and Fleetwood Mac footage! I agree with everything he says( a first for me and your site). Right on about Tim Buckley. Some people criticize his first record, not me. Suzanne is not only beautiful, it may be the most beautiful song ever! Another solid 6 minutes YP!!!
I see a UA-cam channel named after one of my favorite songs on Between the Buttons, I quickly hit the subscribe button.
He championed the music of Jethro Tull when they first started but when they changed musical directions after their first album he abandoned them and even ignored them in clubs. I thought that was really strange because the best music from Jethro Tull started with stand up
The guy from Rolling Stone and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has a problem w the great Tull as well. I'm assuming Anderson has no use for critics/industry people , and he's not one to mince words and be political, so perhaps he told them where the bear shat in the buckwheat.
@@terryenglish7132 Do you mean Dave Marsh? He seems to love Bruce Springsteen and Elvis but not much else lol.
@@SandraDeefan No . Did Marsh write for Creem as well ? Edit Jann Wenner ? or maybe it wasJon Landau ?
@@SandraDeefan BTW John refused to play Bruce Springsteen.
I like “This Was” fine, but you’re right: “Stand Up” to “Passion Play” is great.
Great videos in the background of this one. The songs reviewed for this week were not superhits, but that allowed Mr. Peel to show off his knowledge of the industry and the scene at that time. Bravo!
if you had this man's stamp of approval you most likely were on your way
Makes me think of Marc Bolan, only they went their separate ways when T Rex blew up in the U.S.
Until you get success, then he drops you. I used to listen to him occasionally, but often felt he was very much "up himself"!
@@lemming9984 flavor of the month mentality, but couldn't have gotten behind the artist without belief in what they were doing. think Peel felt they played only for him and when mass appeal impressed, knives out
John Peel is amazing. His opinions were mostly spot-on here, especially with Procol Harum. He also had some interesting insights about the bands who toughed it out until they became superstars like the Beatles, versus bands who jumped into the fame game much too quickly and then vanished overnight.
He also said the Undertones were geniuses ! The man was a bloody nutcase !
@@SpookyFox1000 Their last two albums A positive Touch and the motown/psych of their last effort The Sin Of Pride are works of genius 😀😀
What a month for singles! We miss John Peel so much
Love your Love "Alone Again Or" homage, YP. I think you got the "strings" just right.
Thanks!
AWESOME GROUPS, changed music FOREVER. 🎸⚡🎸🎶🎸⚡🎸🎶🎶⚡🎸🎸🎸✌
I was a John Peel devotee from '71 until late '75.
Sir John, what a guy. I always thought Homburg was a better song than Whiter Shade Of Pale, which I adore!
Great to hear early Roy Harper too!
There's something really beautiful about people who live and breathe music. John Peel was definitely one of those people 🎹🎸
It must have been a week of girls' names in the top 30. Delilah, Madonna, Rosie, Jennifer, Cinderella 🤔😂
Nice outro music YP. It's kind of giving me jazz lounge vibes ☺
Thank you, Sophie. Very true, John Peel definitely lived and breathed music.
@@YesterdaysPapers 🤘💜
@@YesterdaysPapers And Liverpool FC too. A big fan.
I have to say his way of writing and humorous descriptions made me laugh a few times! Thanks for sharing them!
The one and only. What a fucking legend.
John Peel is an irreplaceable treasure. Articulate and passionate.
In later years, JP would sometimes play records at the wrong speed but would immediately own up to it. I loved listening to his shows. He was funny, knowledgeable, unassuming and sincere. One of the very few people I would have liked to have met up with, even if it was just for a kick about. Thanks for sharing.
Leonard Cohen and Tim Buckley in one sitting? Tim should have lived to be an old (successful) singer like Mr. Cohen. Perhaps somewhere on a parallel earth? And thank you John Peel for those Joy Division/New Order/ Smiths Peel Sessions. I hope you're hanging out with your boy Mark E Smith right now.
I did not know john worked in california at one time im from los angeles but then again i was only 14 ha ha what a wonderfull guy i love this on youtube thanks
Interesting video, quite different from the other reviews
He isn't in competition w who he's hearing, like all the Pop stars.
Yeah, you’re right! That’s what makes it different
Dr. West’s medicine show included a young Norman Greenbaum who two years later would have a huge hit single, Spirit in the sky
Eric picking up his Melody Maker award……very nice! Thanks again! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
I miss John Peel. He was awesome and open minded.
I’m surprised that he sounds so rational because I’ve only heard of him from interviews with ELP whom he really had it in for…
I've been watching these 'blind dates' for a while and John Peel's attitude towards music is much more positive than the musicians themselves in other reviews. Also, he looks like to be much more aware of the musical scene than the musicians.
I guess he was more positive because he wasn't a musician so he didn't see those bands as competition. Plus, the songs he was asked to review were right up his alley. Those were the kind of bands and songs he played on his radio show.
The Showstoppers at #20! A one person house party going on here now! 🕺
That's the one that stood out for me, too! Them lads "oop norf" would have pushed it up the charts, no doubt?
And lo this many years I only knew that song by J Geils.
@@oleplanthafer7034 Indeed! I discovered this song in Northern Soul allnighters... in Spain in the early 2000s! I even bought an original Spanish picture sleeve single of the song in a flea market. They had some local success here, appearing on national TV in "68
ua-cam.com/video/OjGNBSVL9Ds/v-deo.html
Very astute comments particularly regarding radio.
I didn't realise John Peel was already a known DJ back in 1968. I knew him from playing alternative music in the late 80s. I knew he was middle ages then but I just didn't realise his impact at such a young age.
Love's "Alone Again Or" instrumental cover at the end?
Most interesting, I love the Incredible String Band, but you do not hear of them. their album Liquid Acrobats as well as their later albums are great. Hard to find any word of them, even on the internet. while others are getting recognition. As for Gary Brooker he was always a major talent. Seventy years later his music is awing generations.
Looking at the chart, can't believe how many great classic tunes out at the same time!
John Peel was one of the most intelligent commentators on rock music ever, and many of his judgments here are very sound and well expressed. But he was also human, and so he could be wrong sometimes. Here he dismisses Lady Madonna as retro rock. But the fact that The Beatles chose to do roots rock is secondary to the admirable skill and precision with which they executed it on that great single, and apparently Peel didn't bother to pay attention to Paul's clever lyrics. And his judgment that Procol Harum might not stand the test of time has been disproved by the immense sadness at Gary Brooker's recent passing... nearly 55 years after Whiter Shade of Pale became a worldwide hit in 1967.
.............See what l mean......?
His artistic bias for innovation as a priority unbalanced his aesthetic judgement, Lady Madonna was and remains an enduring superlative achievement.
All their albums of their first era was SUPERB. Only their debut has much better songs than AWSOP.
I highly recommend you watch this video (same channel!) for some context for his statement. Lady Madonna was widely considered to be a RnR Revival Single; that’s simply how it was being discussed. And The RnR Revival itself was nearly ushered in by a statement from Pete Townsend, complaining about the “complexity” of “Walrus” and calling for more of the classic simplicity of the good ol days ua-cam.com/video/LKJxFIgEnw8/v-deo.html
@@AliceYobby I lived through those hypercritical times and music critics, including musicians, misjudged many songs worth and durability.
3:41 There's that band that included Norman Greenbaum, who later went on to make Spirit in the Sky a world wide hit. Doesn't sound like something I'd want to hear more than once, but somebody bought it.
I picked up a CD in the 90s in Japan which had a selection of incredible John Peel grunge sessions which I still listen to today. The cover was hilarious because it had a photo of two executives in limo with briefcases and the white haired on was instructing the younger, blow dried one with a stern look!
Very insightful and articulate guy.
The music scene in 1967-69 must have been amazing, I was a toddler back then and did not notice. There must be a lot of hidden gems, fantastic tracks by obscure bands. It is a shame John Peel is no longer around, he probably knows which ones they are.
People, do yourself a favor and listen to all of their first albums of Procol Harum. The fact that they are only remembered by AWSOP is ridiculous.
I agree 100%.
The Peel Sessions with CAN is phantasmagorical
peel had great taste and great insight
incredible string band was one of those bands who played at woodstock, got put in the wrong place in the lineup and didnt make the film or the album, which seriously hurt their career
does all of procol harem's music all sound the same?
love how he immediately pimped t-rex...a full 2 years before they would hit it big during the glam rock era
The first 3 or 4 Procol Harum singles sounded kind of similar. Luckily, they stopped trying to recapture the success of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" after that and their first albums are really excellent. I think their best single was "A Salty Dog", amazing song.
@@YesterdaysPapers Home and Broken Barricades are my favorites...
@@thegreenbird795 Great albums. "A Salty Dog" is my favourite Procol Harum album.
@@YesterdaysPapers this version gets me every time
ua-cam.com/video/3Gi7Z3-T_qQ/v-deo.html
@@thewkovacs316 That's an Incredible live version of the song. Very moving.
You had me at The Move, Regal Zonophone…🇬🇧🇬🇧
Shout out to #16. Love is blue by Paul mariout. Great song. Great era. Yeah hate this time in the world. Teleport me!
Poor John. He just couldn't accept the impending doom on the top of his noggin'.
I'm a pretty big Roy Harper fan and have never heard that one. You can definitely tell it's from his "Ghengis Smith" period, which is far from his best
I don’t understand what anyone sees in Roy Harper. At least this song has, in spots, a few different notes in the vocal part and an actual key change at one point-unusual for Harper, as far as I can tell-although it’s mostly just hanging on one or two notes and one or two chords. The lyric sounds as if it were improvised at the pub. On the other hand, I don’t think Procol Harum is being treated fairly here. No, “Shine on Brightly” isn’t “A Whiter Shade of Pale”, but few songs are; Pale is a classic. Why does Peel mention Keith Reid (the lyricist) and Robin Trower (the guitarist), neither by name, and neglect to mention the real creative force behind the group, Gary Brooker,-composer, pianist, and singer (later orchestral arranger as well)?
By the way, Harper’s “nothing to do with you and I [sic]” should be “nothing to do with you and ME”. The object of the preposition “with”, takes the object form, “me”, not “I”. It makes no difference whatsoever that in this case the object is compound.
That made me a little mad too. Especially considering both Shine on Brightly and the debut and later albums contain BETTER songs than AWSOP
Love is blue is an absolute banger
*Love is Blue* twice in chart here by two different groups, how often did this happen? Don't even know the song but might give it a listen...
It actually happened pretty often. It's a very popular song, you'll recognize the melody.
@@YesterdaysPapers *Thanks for responding* searched it on YT Yes I heard this song way back in my youth on the Radio in Austria it was one song often played late at night, there was one hour (23 ~ 24h) of instrumental music now known in the US as elevator music. Your channel brings back some music I heard way back then.
All the best for 2023 too.
@@isallah1kafir196 Thank you. Cheers!
I've just discovered and subscribed to your excellent channel and am really enjoying catching up on what I've missed. Thank you.
I remember sitting a few feet away from JP listening to Pink Floyd on the stage at Hyde Park. Did Canned Heat play that gig? God knows, I can't remember.
So sad when he died. Way too early.
He knew nearly of the discs. Goes to show how on the ball he was
The music over the charts reminds me of Love's Forever Changes.
Yes, it sounds to me like an instrumental version of "Alone Again Or" (the opening track on that album).
Love it!
Wow.. he admits "Rigging the charts"
Wow Raparata and the Delrons had a top 30 hit in the U.K.
They did squat in America
I think that was their only hit. It reached number 13 a few weeks later.
Kenny Young wrote Captain Of Your Ship and he was later to have success writing for Clodagh Rodgers.
Love from Recife
He called ELP a waste of talent and electricity. How wrong can one man be?
Thanks for that comment I was going to include it in my remarks but I seen that you had done it already
This is the same guy who thought no one would hear Procol Harum in later years 😂
I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates the idea of digging up old songs and re-releasing them as singles.Its living in a past you can't return to.
How many great contemporary songs did the UK listening audiences overlook because of the nostalgia craze?
In 1968 the US was heavily in to psychedelic and blues rock . Cream got themselves a gold record in the States with Sunshine Of Your Love while Brits went to the hop with Little Richard and Buddy Holly
Not really. Pretty much the same bands that were popular in the US were also popular in the UK. None of these RnR Revival singles managed to chart in the UK. The Blind Date section was not about songs that were hits in the UK, it was just about reviewing random singles released that week.
Please do one on the redlands bust!
John Peel played the happening music. Gilles Peterson on Radio 6 is about the best comparison.
whats the closing music, sounde very familiar
It's an instrumental adaptation of "Alone Again Or" by Love that I recorded.
Looks like a young features Van Lear
He has great insight into all the artists and records, while having something positive to say about nearly all of them.
Considering the current climate and the topic about John Peel, I’m surprised that those people came on this channel and talked about his involvement with kids.
P.S. If you like his work and impact on British music and music as a whole, be aware that he has done some stuff that might offend you, and I’m not angry if you do still like him, just know that your favorite celebrities always have good and bad sides in their history.
Wow, that was almost as though all John Peel's favourite bands at the time brought out singles in the same week, apart from Harper's Bazaar that is. Usually the guest reviewer has to wade through a load of dross, with varying degrees of politeness.
Ernest Hemingway said "write drunk and edit sober" A young John Peel was like, write drunk and edit drunker.
I was 13 years old when Lady Madonna came out and it was the first Beatles song I didn't like. It sounded corny. Little did I know Honey Pie and Maxwell's Silver Hammer were just around the corner.
me parece que erró un poquito con Procol
Dude looks like michael anthony. Mighty VH
Peel died when good music died.
JOHN FUCKING PEEL!
Who is John Peel?
All the artists interviewed were so articulate❣
Altho' I listened to John a lot. I can't give kudos like everyone else here....(maybe I listened too intently and he rubbed off then...😃) He was incorrect about The Incredible String Band for example. He also deserted many bands he recommended; when they became popular.
What did he say about ISB?
Does anyone know what the instramental track is being played at the end of the video whilst the charts are being shown?
it's a song I recorded to go along with that part of the video, based on "Alone Again Or" by Love.
@@YesterdaysPapers So, a new recording then. Stunning!
Love the love muzac..who is it?
I recorded it myself to go along with that part of the video. Glad you liked it.
Its close to being fuckin brilliant mate..can you post it on its own si we can turn it up..please
I had to look up who John Peel was.
really? you should check out the peel tapes
the man was unique in the field of dj
As a UK music fan who used to listen to his show occasionally - you didn't miss much. He championed lots of new talent, but criticised them when they found success.
John Peel says Procul Harum's guitarist is good...little did he know...
Unfortunately Mr.Trower was underused in the band and had to bolt.
Alone Again Or ? , ?
Black Magic Woman easily the best tune
It's a great song but I also like many of the songs he reviewed here. Procol Harum, Incredible String Band, Tim Buckley, Leonard Cohen,...
@@YesterdaysPapers much is made of Cohen's canon of work (brilliant lyricist) but Buckley is a name you don't often hear mentioned more on par with Nick Drake, Richard Thompson and Bert Jansch. Forgotten troubadours.
@@YesterdaysPapers Leonard Cohen who?
and I bet most here in America think it's a Santana original since their version reached #4 on the US charts.
C.Synch...not one of those guys is forgotten with me!
I like the Incredible String Band but they were never going to be a commercial band.
Strange guy I could never work out he didn’t like get it on by t.Rex he said was too commercial which ended his friendship with bolan yet years later loved and pushed teenage kicks by the undertones go figure.