John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004.
Galaxie 500 was an American alternative rock band that formed in 1987 and split up in 1991 after releasing three albums: Today, On Fire and This Is Our Music. The band was made up of guitarist/vocalist Dean Wareham, drummer Damon Krukowski and bassist and vocalist Naomi Yang.
The Delgados are a Scottish indie rock band formed in Glasgow in 1994. The band is composed of Alun Woodward, Emma Pollock, Stewart Henderson, and Paul Savage (drums).
The Cuban Boys are an English electronic group and production team, currently composed of Skreen B and Ricardo Autobahn; the band formerly also included B.L. Underwood ("Blu") and Jenny McLaren. Their music is characterised by fast electronic beats, heavy reliance upon samples and the repetition of the name drop "the Cuban Boys" in the background of many of their tracks. They achieved success after being aired on John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show with sample-heavy dance tracks and cut-ups and were responsible for the UK No. 4 hit single "Cognoscenti vs. Intelligentsia" which was released through EMI.
Even As We Speak is an Australian indie band from Sydney. Formed in the mid-1980s, founding members Matthew Love and Mary Wyer were later joined by Rob Irwin (bass) Anita Rayner, Paul Clarke and Julian Knowles.
Eric Goulden, known as Wreckless Eric, is an English rock and new wave singer-songwriter, best known for his 1977 single "Whole Wide World" on Stiff Records. More than two decades after its release, the song was included in Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all time. It was also acclaimed as one of the "top 40 singles of the alternative era 1975–2000".
Bearsuit are an English art-rock/indie pop band from Norwich, England, active from 2001.
The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's 50 best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show. It was usually dominated by indie and rock songs which did not fully represent the diversity of music played by Peel but rather the majority opinion among his listeners. After Peel's death the tradition of the Festive Fifty was continued, first by other Radio 1 DJs and then by the Internet radio station Dandelion Radio.
Shop Assistants were a Scottish indie pop band from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed in 1984, initially as 'Buba & The Shop Assistants'. After achieving success with independent releases they signed to Chrysalis Records sublabel Blue Guitar, releasing their only album in 1986. After splitting in 1987, with singer Alex Taylor moving on to The Motorcycle Boy, they reformed for two further singles in 1990.
Bogshed were an Indie band formed in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England, in 1985 by Phil Hartley (vocals), Mark McQuaid (guitar), Mike Bryson (bass) and Tristan King (drums). They released two albums, two EPs and two singles before splitting up in 1987.
The Loves were a heavily 1960s influenced pop band, formed in 2000 in Cardiff, Wales. Their debut album Love was released on Track and Field Records in 2004, but attracted generally hostile press coverage, and was commercially unsuccessful. Recorded mostly by Simon Love alone, their second album Technicolour was released in 2007 on Fortuna Pop. The band recorded four Peel sessions between 2001 and 2002: three in Maida Vale and one at Peel Acres.
Murry the Hump were a Welsh indie rock and "urban folk" band. They were active from 1999 until 2001. Since then they have continued to release music under the name The Keys.
BOB were an indie pop band from North London, England, formed in 1986.
Bernthøler was a pop/avant garde band formed in Brussels, Belgium, active between 1981 and 1985.
...And the Native Hipsters was an English experimental group formed in London, England in 1979. Centred on the nucleus of musicians William Wilding and Blatt, they are best known for their 1980 single, "There Goes Concorde Again", which attracted the attention of BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, and reached number five on the UK Independent Charts. The song was listed by New Musical Express in their "NME Writers 100 Best Indie Singles Ever" in 1992.
Kazuko's Karaoke Klub is a Channel 4 chat show, hosted by Japanese performance artist Kazuko Hohki of the Frank Chickens in which she interviewed celebrity guests who then had to sing karaoke versions of hit songs of the time.
Night of a Thousand Candles is the first studio album by the band The Men They Couldn't Hang. It was released in 1985 on vinyl and cassette format, and then on CD format in 1987. The cassette version has two additional tracks, and the CD version has six bonus tracks added. Tracks from the album were performed before its release during the John Peel sessions on July 14, 1984, and January 22, 1985. Their cover version of Eric Bogle's, "The Green Fields of France" reached number 3 on John Peel's festive 50 in 1984 and "Ironmasters", the second single from the album, reached number 11 in 1985. The album also came 10th on Melody Maker's End Of Year Critic Lists 1985.
Paul Rooney is an English artist who works with music and words, primarily through installations and records.
Rooney were a British DIY band that released three albums between 1998 and 2000, including the debut album Time on Their Hands which received much support from John Peel, who booked them for a session in 1999. They reached number 44 in Peel’s Festive Fifty of 1998. The lo-fi music incorporated sometimes humorous — but often unsettling — spoken-sung lyrics describing everyday, mundane activities and observations, an approach which was consistent across all Rooney releases.
Ian Lowery was an English vocalist and poet who fronted several bands, including The Wall, Ski Patrol, Folk Devils, and King Blank, as well as recording as a solo artist.
