John Peel

I must confess that I was not an avid John Peel listener. When his show was on between 11 p.m. and midnight I’d probably be listening to The Late Show or Round Midnight. But as I flicked around the dial I did hear the show and although the music may not always have been to my taste I recognised and appreciated John’s absolute passion for music, his humour, his warmth, his broadcasting style described by a journalist after his death as a “self deprecating mumble” and, of course, his love of Liverpool FC.

The details of John’s career are a well-worn path so I won’t revisit them here. Consume all you want on the John Peel Wiki site and this excellent blog.

John was more concerned with the music of here and now but as part of Radio 1’s 21^st birthday celebrations he looked back at the music scene of 1967.

This short programme was broadcast at 6.45 p.m. on Friday 30 September 1988 and was produced by John Walters. The announcer is that of long-time Radio 1 producer Stuart Grundy. Radio 1’s birthday song was specially produced by JAM Creative Productions. 

By 1993 John was on Radio 1 twice a week – Friday and Saturday nights between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. In that autumn’s schedule changes the Friday night show moved to a 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. slot whilst the Saturday show moved to what the Radio Times called a “new user friendly slot” of 4.30 to 7 p.m. Here’s part of that first Saturday afternoon show complete with a very amusing false start.  

 

The appendix to John’s autobiography, Margrave of the Marshes, outlines his plans for the volume. He says “there will be yarns about being on Quote Unquote, something called The Law Game…”  

So here from 1982 is an edition of the Radio 2 panel game The Law Game presented by Shaw “Keep ‘Em Peeled” Taylor. On the panel with John are Rob Buckman (doctor turned comedian) and Paddy O’Byrne (Radio 2 announcer/newsreader).

Radio Times 29 September 1975 as
John Peel starts his daily show