Fades in Slowly

By 1984, JP had become a legendary figure on TOTP, appearing on an almost monthly basis and generally putting his cat among the pop pigeons. This was the seventh program hosted John Peel that year, notably being the first occasion he teamed up with his second long-term sidekick, Janice Long.

Among appearances by Bucks Fizz, Spandau Ballet, Sister Sledge, Level 42, Stevie Wonder and Elton John was this performance of a true ’80s classic from Alphaville with their legendary Big In Japan.

If you have any more info about this show, please add it to the wiki here.

Little did we know it back then, but this was the last time the world would see the celebrated Peel / Jensen TOTP partnership. What better way to go out than by introducing this synth-pop classic.

I remember watching this one as well; Jones was a big favourite on the playground that summer. Also featured were Spandau Ballet, Evelyn Thomas, Bananarama, Bronski Beat and Wham! For more info on this show, or to add anything more that you know about it, click here.

Hi all, sorry for the extended absence, I’ve been fairly busy putting in a shift at the John Peel wiki (about time, I know). I’ve been concentrating on the curious cases of Peel’s appearances on Top of the Pops. I’m almost done now, just a few shows from his halcyon years of the early eighties left to fill in. For a full picture of those magical TV appearances, click here.

The main reason it’s taken me so long is that every time I trawl through the youtube archives, I stop and watch all the clips I find. So, I’ve decided to share some of the highlights with you. Today you’ll be enjoying The Cure performing ‘The Walk’ in July, 1983, in a show that also featured the talents of Iron Maiden, ELO, Eurythmics, Rod Stewart and Mike Oldfield, as well as JP and Kid Jensen in ‘ska’ outfits.

I remember watching this one as it was the first time I’d ever heard Iron Maiden. For more info on this show, click here.

Second in notoriety only to the ‘shake and vac‘ lady are those poor souls who, for better or worse, volunteered their dancing services to Top of the Pops. Remember young ‘uns to look out for your mum or dad in these clips. I apologize profusely for the appearance of Spender at the beginning.

Peel and faithful sidekick Kid Jensen make an appearance at about 8:45 into this televisual delight. I never watched this but I’m guessing mid ’90s, based on the fact that Danny Baker is considerably less fat and unkempt than he is now.

Download and cherish forever?

Here we are then, with the decade about to end. It’s frightening to think that there will be soon be parts of the 1970s that will be forty years ago.

Here be the penultimate part of the festive countdown…

20 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Stay Alive (Adam – Fades in Slowly)
19 Bats For Lashes – Two Planets (Adam – Fades in Slowly)
18 The Silence – Hi Fi Woman (1979 Peel session version) (Stewy – Mr. obscure)
17 The Wannadies – Might Be Stars (Adam – Pretending life is like a song)
16 Big Boss Man – Beat Breakfast (Dave – Planet Mondo)
15 Richard Hawley – For Your Lover Give Some Time (Davy – Ghost of Electricity)
14 St. Vincent – Actor Out Of Work (Ed – 17 seconds)
13 Cats on fire – Horoscope (Jim – Vinyl villain)
12 Carl Orff – Carmina Burana Ecce Gratum (Steve – Teenage Kicks)
11 Gardeners Question Time – I Saw God (Short Version) (Kris – Burning World)

Listen ye now…

Just in case you’ve had better things to do, you might have missed 50 to 41, 40 to 31 and 30 to 21.

Back in 1984, Martina Extra Dry cost you £2.28 a bottle.

Hope those of you who celebrate Christmas had a good one. I’m a Chivas Regal and a Glenfiddich to the good, so all’s well at my end. Here then, my dear friends, is part three of the stupendous blogger’s choice Festive 50 of 2009.

30 We Were Promised Jetpacks – Moving Clocks Run Slow (Adam – Fades in Slowly)
29 The Jam – Ghosts (Adam – Pretending life is like a song)
28 The Wolfmen – Cat Green Eyes (Dave – Planet Mondo)
27 Smoke Fairies – Sunshine (Davy – Ghost of Electricity)
26 Horace Andy and Ashley Beedle – Babylon You Lose (Ed – 17 seconds)
25 The Twilight Sad – I Became a Prostitute (Jim – Vinyl villain)
24 Shlohmo – Socks (Kris – Burning World)
23 Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev – Classical Symphony 1st mvt (Steve – Teenage Kicks)
22 Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev - Romeo & Juliet (Balcony Scene) (Steve – Teenage Kicks)
21 Johnny Curious – The Road To Cheltenham (Stewy – Mr. Obscure)

Listen now…

If you’ve had better things to do, you might have missed 50 to 41 and 40 to 31.

Here’s what was on offer from BBC1 on Xmas Day 1984: it begins with the end of the Blankety Blank Xmas Special with Les Dawson, followed by a trailer for the Two Ronnies, and a BBC2 slide and the BBC1 Xmas ident linking into the Hi-De-Hi Xmas Special.

You’ve gorged yourself on food, now sit back, relax and have a glass of your favourite tipple while listening to this documentary which celebrates the life and work of John Peel. Presented by Jarvis Cocker, it was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 1 shortly after John’s death in 2004. It features contributions from artists such as Led Zeppelin, Billy Bragg, Pink Floyd, Ash, Orbital, the Cure and Captain Beefheart.

Learn more here.

Happy Hols, I’ll return soon with the rest of the 2009 Festive 50.

This is the Christmas Day edition of Top Of The Pops from 1981, presented by Andy Peebles, Paul Burnett, Paul Gambaccini, Dave Lee Travis, Adrian Juste, Simon Bates, David Kid Jensen,Tony Blackburn, Steve Wright, Peter Powell, Jimmy Saville, Richard Skinner, Mike Read and John Peel making his first appearance since 1968. Happy Christmas everyone!

Lamentably, the audio to parts 1, 6 and 7 has been disabled by internet bastards.

Here we are then, with part two (part one here) of what is becoming a smashing festive chart. More of the same, with a mix of old and new from any genre you can imagine.

Just to let you know, I’ve already started on the mulled wine, so part three might not appear until next Monday depending on my level of merriment. I’ve got a couple of things lined up for Christmas to help tide you over. Have a good one, whatever it is you celebrate.

The Fades in Slowly 2009 Festive 50 part 2

40 Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses (Adam – Fades in Slowly)
39 The Soup Greens – Like a Rolling Stone (Dave – Planet Mondo)
38 Lines – Nerve Pylon (Stewy – Mr. Obscure)
37 Brakes – Why Tell The Truth (When It’s Easier To Lie) (Adam – Fades in Slowly)
36 Electrojuice – Panpan (Kris – Burning World)
35 Paul Haig – Round And Round (Jim – Vinyl villain)
34 Hello Saferide – Arjeplog (Davy – Ghost of Electricity)
33 Peter Parker – Swallow the Rockets (Ed – 17 seconds)
32 Malcolm Arnold – English Dance Set 2 No 1 (Steve – Teenage Kicks)
31 Stevie Wonder – For Once In My Life (Adam – Pretending life is like a song)

Listen now…

In 1987, the BBC was using very weird fonts and we celebrated Christmas night with the two Ronnies.

After last year’s exhausting effort to cobble together a 1976 chart, as enjoyable as it was, I’ve this year asked some of my fellow bloggers to do the hard work and make their choices of tracks they’d like to hear in a festive chart. Here then, is part one, featuring the rundown from that all important number 50 to 41.

I hope you enjoy this chart: it’s reminiscent of the late ’70s 50s, with a mixture of a few old gems and lots of contemporary classics. Rather than do the segways myself, I’ve got in the professionals this time round, although I have to admit, there are one or two discrepancies between the track introduced and the one played.

The Fades in Slowly 2009 Festive 50 part 1

50 Lo Cut a Sleifar – Aduniad (Adam – Fades in Slowly)
49 Richard Hawley – Open up your door (Davy – Ghost of Electricity)
48 Vaughan Williams – Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis (Steve – Teenage Kicks)
47 Readymades – Terry Is My Space Cadet (Stewy – Mr. Obscure)
46 The Keith Mansfield Orchestra – Soul Thing (Dave – Planet Mondo)
45 The Big Pink – Velvet (Ed – 17 seconds)
44 Aidan Moffat & the Best-ofs – Big Blonde (Jim – Vinyl villain)
43 The Magnetic Fields – Nothing matters when we’re dancing (Adam – Pretending life is like a song)
42 Four Tet – Love Cry (Kris – Burning World)
41 Richard Addinsell – Southern Rhapsody (Steve – Teenage Kicks)

Thank you to the wonderful bloggers who are making the chart possible.

Listen now!

Remember when TV closed down for the night?