Fades in Slowly

‘What were you doing in December, 1978‘ is a question I’m rarely asked these days. Watching ‘The wizard of Oz‘, ‘Jeux sans frontieres‘, ‘The generation game‘ and ‘Blankety blank‘ is probably about as accurate an answer as I can give right now. I think this was the year that I got a Kermit the frog for christmas, although that could well have been 1979. I’ve absolutley no doubt that I wasn’t tuning in to John Peel’s 1978 Festive 50. As a five year old, I just didn’t see the appeal at the time. My tastes have changed somewhat, which is why I’m so glad that I am now able to listen to this feast of music.

While my new toys were occupying me – perhaps this was the year that I got my six million dollar man doll – JP was busy broadcasting what was quickly becoming an international institution. The Festive 50 for that year was broadcast between 26th December, 1978 and 1st January, 1979. For those of you interested in listening, you can do so by clicking here, here, here and here. This is how the UK sounded before Thatcher got her hands on it.

Thanks to Dr. Mango for bringing this one into the 21st centruy for us. You can get more information by clicking here.

Tracklisting:

-XTC: Red (LP – Go 2) Virgin
-Sham 69: Red London (single b-side – I Don’t Wanna) Step Forward
-Joe King Carrasco and El Molino: Jalapeno con Big Red (LP – Joe King Carrasco & El Molino) Lisa Records
-The Mekons: Trevira Trousers (Peel session)
-Gary Moore: Back on the Streets (single) MCA Records
-Spizz Oil: 6000 Crazy (single) Rough Trade
-Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: When I See Mommy I Feel Like A Mummy (LP – Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller))
-Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: Owed t’Alex (LP – Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller))
-Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: Candle Mambo (LP – Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller))
-The Mekons: Rosanne (Peel session)
-Buzzcocks: Promises (single) United Artists
-John Cooper Clarke: Readers Wives (LP – Disguise in Love) CBS
-Status Quo: Accident Prone (LP – If You Can’t Stand the Heat) Vertigo
-Peter and Paul Lewis: Ethiopian Land (single)
-Red Crayola: War Sucks (LP – The Parable of Arable Land)
-Ted Nugent: Smokescreen (LP – Weekend Warriors)
-Jimmy McCracklin: The Walk
-The Mekons: Like Spoons No More (Peel session)
-Bethnal: Nothing New (single) Vertigo
-Xdreamysts: The Right Way Home (single) Good Vibrations

There seem to be shows coming left right and center these days, which is only a good thing, of course. It’s getting hard even trying to find the time to download them all, never mind liten to them. Here’s a selection of the latest 1978 offerings from the fabled 400 box:

1978-07-31 (Patrik Fitzgerald, Magazine)

1978-08-04 (Adam & The Ants, The Fall sessions)

1978-08-08 (All records show, Robin Tower album)

1978-08-15 (Tyla Gang session)

Thanks as ever to those doing the ripping.

I’m glad to say that the John Peel Wiki that I started (and then proceeded to neglect) is now becoming a valuable resource for documenting Peel’s radio shows. This is perhaps the best way to document the the so-called ‘400 Box‘ of approximately that number of cassettes featuring material from the John Peel show between 1978 and 1982, purchased jointly on eBay by the John Peel newsgroup in July 2008. The first show from this formidible collection is now available in digitised fromat for your listening consumption. Details of the wonderful 7th July, 1978 show are available here.