Favourite John Peel quotes

From the Guardian 'G2' (Pop quiz: did John Peel really say "At number 18, it's Jennifer Rush, scoring more often than Ian Rush ...", and if he didn't, should he have done?). - sorely missed.

― Pinko_Palinko, Wednesday, 1 December 2004 11:22 (8 years ago) Permalink

i've been listening to old minidisks and one of my favourite quotes is at the start of a "do make say think" track peelie mutters over the intro

"it starts off quietly, throbbing, as you may be doing yourselves...
i certainly hope so"

classic! i've got some more good'uns on the same disk...

there's one where he's talking about seeing a band in europe (spain i think)it goes along the lines of...

"and you can see them in spain on the 12th, if you can afford it. and which of us in Blair's Britain cannot!!!"

the way he sed it is ace! i really miss him still...
h

― cheeseinspace.co.uk, Monday, 31 January 2005 16:55 (8 years ago) Permalink

i realise this is an old thread now but i don't care :)
i never heard it but my mate told me that he almost shat himself in the car one nite and heard:
end of song....
"ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
another song...
"sorry about that. touch of cramp in the leg"

amazing! :) And I never got tired or failed to laugh at hearing " Sorry, seemed to have played that at the wrong speed". I miss John, i always thought of him as my grandad :)

RIP Grandad!
you're greatly missed

― m0th, Wednesday, 9 March 2005 16:47 (8 years ago) Permalink

Talking about the majority of his listeners: "I'm old enough to be their father, and in the cases of some of the uglier ones very possibly am."

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 14 April 2005 14:31 (8 years ago) Permalink

Sometime in the early eighties, John Peel did a show with a sore throat and freaked out my young and innocent self by commenting "what I need is some young lady to come and stick her tongue down my throat". Some things never leave you and that is one of mine.
From 1978 to 1984 I listened to J Peel "religiously". I wish i'd kept the tapes of the nights I recorded when i was gonna be out.
An audio compilation online of quotes would be a great idea.
jon 6/5/05

― Jon Active, Saturday, 7 May 2005 01:05 (8 years ago) Permalink

"I know a lot of people say, 'I'm not interested in politics', but to them I reply, 'Possibly not, but politics is very interested in _you_'"

Also many cases where he would read out some disgruntled letter or email, and finish with "There's only one 's' in disgraceful, by the way" or something akin to that.

― David Jennings, Monday, 20 June 2005 19:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

Does anyone else remember the show where he was talking about the surprise (50th, I think) birthday party and he was saying how Sheila had arranged for a band - I think it might have been the Four Brothers - to play, and he got almost tearful, then played 'Sheila Take a Bow' by The Smiths?

― kerri tyler, Wednesday, 31 August 2005 11:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

During his Radio 1 1993 daytime stint, I remember he was forced to play some playlist records, one of which was by Go West. He said something like "that was by 'Go West'. [pause]. I wish they would".

― Andy Smith, Saturday, 8 October 2005 12:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

I had been listening to John Peel since circa 1974, and cannot recall the amusing observations that he made, because there were so many lf them; although the following items do come to mind.
He once metioned going to his car in a car park, and being heckled a group of young men who had recognised him and kept calling out his name. He then reminisced "...it's at times like these that you just want to open up the boot of your car, and pull out the Uzi 9mm...dont you?"
Peely had played a number of tracks, over a period of time, by a band called 'The Ukranians'. They were a band made up of David Gedge and, I believe other members of 'The Wedding Present' – the sound they produced was similar to the theme music of Radio 4's 'Home Truths' (if that helps you). On reading out, from the LP, the list of the band's members names, he proceded to produce, in a slightly sarcastic tones a list of rather unbelieveable people. I cannot remember all of them, but 'conversation' went something like this: "...and on lead guitar is 'Roman Remains' ..." slight pause "...I think we should possibly take these 'names' with a pinch of salt...".

― Trevor Bendell, Sunday, 9 October 2005 15:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

His remark regarding Crispy Ambulance's choice of a band name:

"They sound a bit like...a sortof folk band, you'd imagine a folk band would be called Crispy Ambulance because they're always called things like '2,000 Megaton Turnip' and things like that."

― Bimble The Nimble, Jumped Over A Thimble! (Bimble...), Sunday, 9 October 2005 19:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

Just before playing Killing Joke's Psyche...
"Hark I hear the cry of the meadow pipit..."

― jiji, Sunday, 9 October 2005 23:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

During Festive 50 just after James Sit Down.

"Bob Harris is preparing himself for later frenzied acitivity
on Radio One FM after the 10:30 news
and I'm sure he's probably listening to the show
at this VERY MOMENNT."

― jiji, Sunday, 9 October 2005 23:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

The time that he referred to some foreign dignitary on Home Truths. The start of the dignitary's name was countless hundreds of 'Sri's' Peel read them out and speeded up the tape till his voice was a galloping mutant cartoon squeak "srisrisrisrisri...." ad infinitum. One of the funniest, weirdest radio moments I've experienced. bless him.

― rae robinson, Tuesday, 11 October 2005 05:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

From an mp3 http://www.fistoffun.net/downloads.htm
I think its from hit the north, with Peel standing in for Mark Radcliffe in oct 96:

'That was Hank Williams though, with 'when god comes and gathers his jewels' and I suspect that in popular newspaper parlance that probably these days means testicles but I don't think thats what hank williams had in mind when he wrote the song'

Priceless

I think the thing about John as a presenter was that he wasn't 'a radio presenter'. He was still himself on the radio, not some kind of watered down, anodyne version.
Death to profesionalism.

― Willow, Tuesday, 11 October 2005 06:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

On the prog rock top 20 (or something like that)that was shown on Channel 4. "ELP, a waste of talent and electricity"

― trevor smith, Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Wonderful, witty stuff here, including his dissing of musicians I happen to enjoy. (Or more precisely, people whose MUSIC I happen to enjoy.) Too bad I never got to hear the man's programme in real time. No doubt many of we North Americans feel the same.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

Can't believe I've only found this today!

Best one I remember was, during a Festive 50 in the early 90s, John announced that our local transmitter was going to be out of action for a few minutes. The signal duly went dead and crackled to life again halfway through the next record. After it had finished, John remarked "The transmitter should be back on again so, if you still can't hear us, there's something wrong with your radio!!"

― Pete McCosh, Tuesday, 11 October 2005 23:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

my 2 favourite peel quotes are 1) his reference to 'gangster capitalists' on home truths, and 2)after playing the cocteau twins head over heels side 2 in full in 1983:'well, if you didnt like that i think the chances must be pretty high that you are dead.'

― ivan todd, Wednesday, 12 October 2005 05:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

I requested The Fall's "Rebellious Jukebox" for the show to be aired on the day he died. I had been deeply upset and tearful (at work, in my office!) all day.

When they opened the show with it I sobbed uncontrollably. I haven't been the same since.

I honestly still think about him every day.

― Paul Gowers, Wednesday, 12 October 2005 11:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

I made a thread which may be handy in the future

Thread to contain the John Peel quotes from the Observer so that we can still look at it when they take the article away in 2027

― hmmm (hmmm), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 11:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Half Man Half Biscuit, every song title a potential t-shirt" (said after a session track)

― Dr_Mango, Wednesday, 12 October 2005 12:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

I remember after Liverpool won the european cup in 1984 against Roma in what was a very tedious game, and they had recieved a lot of flak from the press. John came on at the start of his programme and said something like 'I don't know what's wrong with people - they seem to think that if the score isn't 8-7 after extra time, and if the winning goal isn't scored by a 4 year old orhpan in a pink dress, and if there isn't a giant scoreboard that lights up with fudge recipes at half time, they seem to think it's a boring game!"

― Kenchie, Wednesday, 12 October 2005 19:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

Doing my 80's ballot reminded me of this one:
"That was Big Black, from the album 'Songs about Knitting'"

and there was the John Walters quote "If Peel ever reaches puberty, the show's in trouble"

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 21:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Haha, for a dude who I disagree with hugely aesthetics/band-fan-wise, the man is good for a laff or fifty.

― disco violence (disco violence), Thursday, 13 October 2005 00:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Thursday 13th October 2005 is being marked as John Peel Day, a year to the day since his last Radio 1 show was broadcast. I for one will celebrate by listening to a few of his (and my) faves.
Gone but not forgotten. Also, I'm about to get my new ipod engraved with "I'm sorry I think I may have played that at the wrong speed" in tribute.

― Nick Judd, Thursday, 13 October 2005 00:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

Sorry to do it this way but would be grateful if you could do this:

Dear All

I would be grateful if you would do two things for me to mark one John Peel’s passing:

1)As in the spirit of the original Festive Fifty, please send me your top three tracks (singles or LP tracks) in order 1 2 3. Please ensure you send both name of track as well as artist/group.

2)Send this email to a bunch of people, asking them to send their top 3 to me at festivefifty@hotmail.co.uk by midnight 17th December.

I will collate the answers and put out a definitive Festive Fifty at www.festivefifty.net on 24th December this year.

I know this sounds a little…….but my love of music was fuelled by Peelie and having read the Mick Wall book, it brought it home how much he gave us and I would like to give a little back myself. If you think this is bollocks, then please do not reply but do me a favour, send it on as there are plenty of people who will not feel that way.

Cheers

― Festive Fifty, Thursday, 13 October 2005 10:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Not a quote as such, but a reflection on John's humour.
At a John Peel roadshow in Guildord many years ago, I sidled up with my autograph book and then I was face to face with John - a great moment for me.
He signed my book and chatted for a couple of minutes - which was great, but when I read the dedication I cracked up.

I'd told him my name was "Steven with a v", so, of course, that is what he'd written

― Steve Warner, Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Not a quote as such, but a reflection on John's humour.
At a John Peel roadshow in Guildord many years ago, I sidled up with my autograph book and then I was face to face with John - a great moment for me.
He signed my book and chatted for a couple of minutes - which was great, but when I read the dedication I cracked up.

I'd told him my name was "Steven with a v", so, of course, that is what he'd written!

― Steve Warner, Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

John Peel at the Reading Festival in the 70's whilst playing tunes to an indifferent crowd in between bands - "Come on you lot, this is about as much fun as a Young Conservatives disco!"

― Kenchie, Thursday, 13 October 2005 16:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

1. David Courtenay - Rancid
2. Down payment Blues - AC/DC
3. Gallows Pole - Led Zeppelin

― David Frater, Thursday, 13 October 2005 16:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

This was back in the early 1980s when John Peel played a Theatre of Hate song, and then said:

Well, if that doesn't get to number 1, I'm going to shave off DLT's head

― Aboodi Shabi, Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

A great set of quotes - made me laugh and cry and every comment about the multi-talented Peely...

― Rob Scott, Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

I think a certain Captain Beefheart track and Ten Commandments by Prince Fari were two songs that caused Peelie to stop his car at the side of the road to listen. Any others ?

― David Earlam, Thursday, 13 October 2005 21:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

While at Reading Festival in 89, on the Sunday I went for breakfast in a rubbish cafe and while sitting drinking my coffee was joined at my table by the man himself, who lent me his Observer to read the football results from the day before whilst observing that Liverpool's result was "the usual crap against crap teams" (or words to that effect) and we ended up having a long conversation about the merits of (what would eventually be called) grunge. What a lovely bloke.

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Thursday, 13 October 2005 22:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

> OK, not a Peel quote as such, but I do remember the opening of one
> particular show where - god help us - the first record up was Kylie's
> 'I Should Be So Lucky'. It played for a while and then gradually -
> very very gradually - it was crossfaded into some gutwrenching
> hideous noise by Extreme Noise Terror or some such bunch. Wonderful.

I still have this on tape - one of my most cherished recorded moments. To be precise, it was Kylie's "Put Your Hand On Your Heart" which was pummelled out of the way by a track by Japanese thrash band SOB.

Oaf

― Oaf, Friday, 14 October 2005 06:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

(Peel liked Kylie though, maybe as a person more than musically, yes. she was very kind to his kids several times. see also: courtney love)

(btw, peel's last show was 14th October last year, not the 13th - it was the thursday but this year the 14th is a friday so they've moved it forward a day - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/alt/tracklistings/peel_archive.shtml?20041014

the bbc don't seem to link to the tracklisting archive anymore. they are still there, just not linked to from anywhere that i can see. a pity)

― koogs (koogs), Friday, 14 October 2005 10:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

Went to see the inaugural John Peel Memorial 5-a side competition in Liverpool on 13th Oct - loads of teams made up of Liverpool bands, and one made up of John's family and friends, with Sheila presenting the medals. Anyone got any memories of him from those celebrity 5-a side competitions at festivals e.g. Phoenix? I know he used to enjoy seeing hip 'indie demi-gods' making fools of themselves in shorts!

― Roy Goulbourn, Friday, 14 October 2005 13:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

You may well hate it, but the Cuban Boys Peel-sampling tribute "Your Nation Needs You" is downloadable at their website.

http://www.cubanboys.co.uk/

― everything, Saturday, 15 October 2005 16:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

hmmmmm just posted this but it's gone. well again: i'd love to listen to some old john peel stuff again as i used to love listening to him at night when i was living in england (i am from germany). couldn't find any useful links online though :( so maybe someone is interested in helping me? please contact me.
thanks!
marie

― mariemarie, Sunday, 16 October 2005 19:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm probably paraphrasing, but I remember a great line from the late 90's, just after an LTJ Bukem track...

"...I believe thats referred to as intelligent drum and bass, which obviously means there's a genre of stupid drum n bass out there...."

Genius. What a guy...

― Dave Justice, Sunday, 16 October 2005 22:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

I've just posted this on another thread but darnit it show's how different he was from other DJs. After playing The Fall "New Puritan" which contains the line "Bands sent tapes to famous apes/Male slags, male slates, famous apes" he said "Am I one of the famous apes? I rather fear that I might be...".

― Ned T.Rifle, Monday, 17 October 2005 07:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

Does anyone remember the recordings John and John Walters used to do for the Alan Freeman show in the 70's? A friend used to have few tapes of these - I'll borrow them and MP3 them if he still has them.

― Rob Clarke, Monday, 17 October 2005 08:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'll never forget Peelie's euphemism for sitting in the lavatory: "crouched in the necessarium".

― Paul Slade, Tuesday, 18 October 2005 07:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

Las time i saw John i had the hangover from hell.. he just busied himself making tea and toast for us..Smashing thing to to as we had broken one of the windows to his dining room about two in the morning ..
Among all of the other great things he done in life, my overriding memory is that he was one of my pals grumpy dad....
Just a normal guy with some great music in his box i suppose...

btw... never have i seen so many records and cd's....!!

― fuztownsend, Friday, 21 October 2005 19:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

In 1983, just after the invasion of Greneda which overthrew its left-leaning government, John played a single called He's Read' after which he commented dryly: "Red Lorry Yellow Lorry's 'He's Read.' And that's Read, spelled "R-E-A-D", so you can call off the Marines..."

― Richard Price, Saturday, 22 October 2005 08:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

(That should of course be 'Grenada'` not Greneda....

― Richard Price, Saturday, 22 October 2005 08:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Always remember hearing some astonishing stuff one evening about 12 years where he played an Ali Rakkhar and Ravi Shankar track, which was a spell bindingly live performance recorded way back at the Monterey festival. As the track concludes with thunderously lighting quick tablas & vocal ragas with blistering tempo he goes:

(with a sense of awe in his voice)"...... welll I liked to see you do that electronically chaps!" to the audience.

Beautiful man were Peel.
Since his passing, I trully haven't listened to Radio 1 since. There trully is no one that can hold a light to him.
FACT!

― Phil Vickery, Saturday, 22 October 2005 22:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hi,
I don't have any quotes (sorry) just wanted to say hi.
John Peel can't be replaced, unlike any other DJ, and well done to whoever set this page up (i found it thru a link)
This place really cheered me up, and made me laff out loud many times.
Life's not quite the same..is it?

If anyone has anymore links to mp3's etc, t'would be massively appreciated.

:o>

― Davy G, Tuesday, 25 October 2005 15:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

When it was the last item on the radio one news during John Peel's show that Robbie fowler had been fined £1000 for revealing a t shirt in support of the sacked liverpool dockers, a familiar voice was heard to intone, I'll pay your fine Robbie.

― ally may, Tuesday, 25 October 2005 15:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

c.2002 John read out a request from a fan and it went something like this: "I have a postcard hear from William and he would like to hear a track from Bowie. Well no problem William, and we do really read all correspondence that we receive. And the date on that post card...1976....well better late than never eh..."

― Vince G, Wednesday, 26 October 2005 22:52 (7 years ago) Permalink