Four years since we lost him…

» Saw the article below via the Beeb (who didn’t do anything for John Peel Day) and it rang a bell….

Memorial sees Peel try new tracks
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7679157.stm

“The late DJ John Peel is to have a train in Merseyside named after him.

Merseytravel, which co-ordinates passenger transport in Peel’s home region, said it was a tribute to “a true broadcasting legend”.

Peel’s widow Sheila Ravenscroft will attend the naming ceremony and be aboard the train’s first journey into Liverpool on Thursday.

Mrs Ravenscroft said: “We are just really delighted that John is being honoured with this train. He would have loved it.”

Peel was Radio 1′s longest-serving DJ at the time of his death, having championed new music for nearly 40 years on his late-night Radio 1 show.

Mark Dowd, chairman of Merseytravel, said: “We are very proud of the man John was and of his connection with Merseyside.

“Naming this train in his honour is our tribute to a true broadcasting legend.”…

Why is it…? I’ve seen this… I’m sure… Didn’t they…?

A quick google confirmed it. This has been done before. There’s already been a train named after him.

In 2005, they dedicated a train and named that the John Peel too:

- Listen to the clip about the naming ceremony on Home Truths. John’s wife was there for that one too and pretty much said the same thing.

But I’ll admit this is different because the 2005 one was for an InterCity train that goes around the country and the latest one is for MerseyRail and will be in and out of Liverpool.

UPDATE: BBC Northwest Tonight video report on the event

(and before any anorak trainspotters comment that the first one was a locomotive and this new one is a passenger carriage… they are both fcuking trains. Period.)

Anyw… the reason and pisspoor excuse for the posting today is because of the footie connections of course (J Peel and Liverpool), but also because of another footie link mentioned later on in that same story:

Favourite song

Ian Prowse, from the group Amsterdam, will perform at the ceremony what was one of Peel’s favourite songs, Does This Train Stop on Merseyside?

Mrs Ravenscroft previously spoke of her husband’s love of the song as part of a Radio 1 tribute evening.

She said: “John just loved the song. He always became emotional when he played it.

“He wasn’t capable of playing it without crying. If he played it on the radio he’d have to put something on straight afterwards because he wouldn’t be able to speak.

On this one Amsterdam sing about the history of Liverpool, about some of the places in the city, some people, past events and the last line…

Download audio file (Amsterdam%20-%20Does%20this%20train%20stop.mp3) » Amsterdam – Does This Train Stop On Merseyside -> Click to view the lyrics McKenzie’s soul lies above the ground in that pyramid near Maryland (Street) Easyjet is hanging in the air takin’ everyone to everywhere See the slave ships sailing into port the blood of Africa is on every wall Now there’s a ley line runs down Mathew Street it’s giving energy to all it meets Hey does this train stop does this train stop on Merseyside? Alan Williams in the Marlboro’ Arms giving his story out to everyone Famine boats are anchored in the bay bringing in the poor and desperate Hey does this train stop does this train stop on Merseyside? Boston babies bouncing on the ground The Riggers beamin’ out to every town Can’t conceive what those children done guess there’s a meanness in the soul of man Yorkshire policemen chat with folded arms while people try and save their fellow fans Why don’t you remember?

Additional »

- Found this vid via MySpace Video in which Ian Prowse, the band’s lead singer, and bass player Paul Hagan take us around Liverpool and show us some of the places which they mention in the song:

Excellent insight there. Nice to discover the meanings and reasons for the lyrics in a song.

Haven’t watched it ? Ah g’wan.

Usually around this time (October 10th-13th) there’s the annual John Peel Day.
But for some reason Radio 1 are not doing anything this year.
They dare to dismiss a man who gave credibility to a station that also had Ed “Stewpot” Stewart, Alan “Fluff” Freeman and the “Hairy Cornflake” ?”

But there are still many events taking place around the world to commemorate Peel Day.

I’m celebrating JP Day here with a footie and music contribution from the man himself.

- This is the broadcast from the night of the 30th of May 1984. It was the night many Liverpool fans will recognise instantly with just seeing that date.

It was the The European Cup final in Rome, against AS Roma. The match was still drawn after extra time so there was a penalty shoot-out and Alan Kennedy had to go up to take the final pen which…

Non Lidipool supporters will remember that night better because of this.

Listening to the commentary (Emlyn Hughes was the pundit for the match that night, can hardly look when Kennedy steps up) in the studio with Peelie was his friend David “Kid” Jensen. After the match is over John celebrates and starts the show with a familiar Liverpool tune.

Because of the size of the file (20mb/44 mins long) I've uploaded it to a shared hosting:

<< AUDIO OFFLINE >>

Oh come on you know the Sultans.

All right I’ll give you one line and I bet you’ll be singing – or be reminded of the song straight away:

“Where’s Me Jumper ?”

See. Told you.

The Irish band were footie mad and recorded a few related songs. Below are some mp3′s courtesy of http://ping.fishtank.org.uk of the Sultans (as they renamed themselves later, but without success, they disbanded soon after) live in concert and studio sessions for John Peel and for Dublin’s 2FM:

» Sultans of Ping FC – Give Him A Ball (And A Yard Of Grass) – Peel Session     (Before the song John Peel says: "There are no Scots in the Sultans Of Ping" ?!)

Sample lyrics: “Give him a ball & a yard of grass/He’ll give you a move with perfect pass/Give him a ball & a yard of space/He’ll give you a move with godly grace”

» Sultans Of Ping – Kick Me With Your Leather Boots (Live At The Savoy Cork)

Sample lyrics: “Socrates and Selnopenhaur are really very nice./ Told you ’bout Ardiles and you said you’d read him twice. /Your stunning social conscience has me running round the bend./Kick me with your leather boots, /Kick me hard again.”

…and the one you’ve been waiting for:

» Sultans Of Ping FC – Where’s Me Jumper ? (2FM Studio)

Sample lyrics: “Dancing in the disco, bumper to bumper/ Wait a minute, where’s me jumper, where’s me jumper, where’s me jumper, where’s me jumper, where’s me jumper ?”

Ah they don’t write them like that any more…

You can download more of the Sultans live and session recordings (with titles such as: Wake Up And Scratch Me, Red Cadillac and Black Moustache, Riot at the Sheepdog Trials) via: http://ping.fishtank.org.uk/mp3s/

This post is to commemorate a man who was as passionate about his football as he was about his music.

Peely was a hardcore Liverpool fan but in his later years and because of where he lived, John wandered down to Portman Road and watched them play too. (Don’t know why, must have been punishing himself for something).

There will be the Third Annual John Peel Memorial Football Tournament and Concert taking place at the Liverpool Football Club Academy and later on at the new Picket.

List of links that you should go and explore even more:

» Radio 1 – John Peel Day

» Right Time, Right Place, Wrong Speed. The life of John Robert Parker Ravenscroft

»John Peel Everyday (an excellent blog with loads of related items and links to other John Peel blogs, some of them which post entire Peel Sessions)

My contribution to the Peel Sessions is by a band that came from Liverpool that were football mad. In 1986 whilst on tour in the USA they all watched England play in the World Cup in a hotel room on a Spanish language channel. Apparently the room was packed and the American road crew were puzzled at these guys going mental watching some weird foreign language sport on the TV.

Two of the band were actually born in Yorkshire and the lead singer still follows dirtyLeeds. The drummer (his brother), even though he was from Beverley and then lived in Liverpool, for some reason which still escapes me to this day, supports Spurs.
The lead guitarist was a born and bred Evertonian. The bass player weirdly for a Scouser, didn’t like football. But this was probably done on purpose to irritate the others because they did.

Peel Session recorded on 6th of May 1981, broadcast on the 12th:

» Messages From The Rings Of Saturn

» Talking (It’s Not Me Talking)

» I Ran

» Committed