21 Songs for John: 7 - Grandmaster Gareth

Grandmaster Gareth – Garethcetamol

Gareth's quirky 'One Minute Melodies' were a much loved fixture in the later years of the John Peel show.  He recorded a  session in September 2003 and also snuck into the festive fifty of that year, the final chart to be revealed by John Peel, with the engaging 'Dr Dre Buys a Pint of Milk'.  Peel's naming of Gareth as 'the new God' may have been tongue in cheek, but it still revealed the high level of appeal Gareth's musical adventures held for him.  He'd go on to make the festive fifty twice more with his band Misty's Big Adventure.  His most recent solo album Magical Sound Shower came out on Dandelion Radio DJ Gareth Main's GM Sounds label and did much to further enhance his reputation for oddball yet intelligent tunes.  'Garethcetamol' is a new tune exclusive to this album.

http://grandmastergareth.bandcamp.com

www.gmsounds.com

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21 Songs for John: 6. The Cravats

The Cravats – Triplex Zone

One of my most treasured early John Peel memories was catching this band's session in 1979 and wondering how my life had ever seemed complete without them.  It was the first of four the band recorded for the show and mainman The Shend would go on to record two more with the Very Things.  A version of this track appeared in The Cravats' second in 1980 and this version was originally released on the Small Wonder LP The Cravats in Toytown that year.  It's currently available on the double CD of that album, released by Overground Records in 2012, which also contains all the Small Wonder A and B sides and a bonus CD featuring the LP tracks re-imagined by Penny Rimbaud using the original 8 track master. 

www.thecravats.com

Get your copy of this free compilation here.

21 Songs for John: 5. Jack Hayter

Jack Hayter – Horsemeat for Dogs

In the years either side of the turn of the millennium, Hefner might justifiably lay claim to the title of ultimate Peel band.  In a little over three years, between 1998 and 2001, they appeared in session nine times, with four appearances in 2000 alone, including a live set broadcast from what became a regular January John Peel show beamed from Groningen.   Jack Hayter was their multi-instrumentalist, joining them from their second session, the memorable 'gospel covers' session, onwards and, in future outings, making a range of musical contributions, including violin, mellotron, lap steel and moog synthesiser.  Recently, Hayter has made a memorable series of solo recordings for the excellent Audio Antihero label, to whom thanks for helping secure his contribution to this album.  'Horsemeat For Dogs' is a new song recorded exclusively for this compilation.

www.jackhayter.com

www.audioantihero.com



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21 Songs for John: 4 - Calvin Party

Calvin Party – Lies, Lies & Government

It was when hearing JD Meatyard perform this song at one of Jeff Grainger's Dandelion nights in Oldham this year that I had the idea for this compilation..  One of the finest politically inspired songs of any age from a band that emerged from the ashes of the much-loved Levellers 5 to cement their place among the giants of the Peel show.   As Calvin Party, the band recorded four sessions, the final one in August 2004, just weeks before John Peel's death.  'Lies, Lies & Government' appeared in 1996 and gave the band a festive fifty entry for the first time: here, we feature it in all its full two-part glory.

www.elirecords.co.uk/calvinparty.html

21 Songs for John can be downloaded for free here.

21 Songs for John: 3 - Solex

Solex – Solex vs Bolland & Bolland

Elisabeth Esselink, aka Solex, was a regular visitor to the Peel show during the years 1998-2002, recording six sessions during that period.  She also contributed a track to Dandelion's 'Peel Legends' month in 2009, which commemorated the fifth anniversary of John Peel's loss.  She continues to record prolifically and her most recent album Solex Ahoy! was a sonic document of journeys around the twelve provinces of the Netherlands.  This track was made available as an mp3 on the Matador website in 1999 but has never had an official release.

http://solex-solex.tumblr.com

Remember you can download 21 Songs for John for free here. 

21 Songs for John: 2. Cinerama

Cinerama – I Wake Up Screaming

The second of David Gedge's mighty musical vehicles began life in 1998; with The Wedding Present (more of whom later) suspended at that time, Cinerama continued where its mighty predecessor left off, generating thirteen festive fifty entries and recording ten Peel sessions.  Midway through the first decade of this century, The Wedding Present returned and Cinerama were discontinued, though they returned in late 2013 with this single, a limited edition 7" that has long since sold out.

http://www.scopitones.co.uk

Download 21 Songs for John here. 

21 Songs for John: 1 - Cuban Boys

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the death of the great John Peel.  21 of his favourite bands and artists have contributed tracks to a free Unwashed Territories compilation to celebrate his legacy.

Cuban Boys – The Nation Needs You (2014 Version)

Cuban Boys burst into the consciousness of Peel listeners in 1998 with the audacious 'Oh God They Killed Kenny' and into that of the rest of the universe in 1999, when 'Cognoscenti Vs Intelligentsia' threatened world domination, leading to this most idiosyncratic of bands engaging the temporary interest of EMI and generating a saga that illustrated the yawning gap between the conservative standards of the mainstream record industry and the true guardians of innovation and creativity.

Recorded entirely in the Cuban Boys' luxury bunker, this chart-bound sound has been expanded from its original form to provide a heartfelt tribute to John Peel.  As tradition dictates, the Cuban Boys have made it as anti-commercial as possible with the aim of providing a personal reflection on the friendship and amusement the band shared with John.  As the band suggest, 'It is like listening to a broadcast of a John Peel Roadshow in Clitheroe where the only act the BBC had the budget to hire were That Petrol Emotion but they broke down on the motorway and the Cuban Boys had to step in to pacify all the Mabels.'

www.thecubanboys.co.uk

Get your copy of 21 Songs for John for free from here.