John Peel’s favorite 142 singles

Inside John Peel’s record box where the much-loved DJ kept 142 7-inch singles that meant the most to him. Via sg.


The list with links to CDs containing the songs, where available (in progress):

1. Al Casey – Surfin’ Hootenanny + Easy Pickin (PIE) 1963 – Jivin Around

2. Al Ferrier – I’m Not Drinking More + Don’t Play Blue Eyes’ (MASTER TRAK) 1980

3. Alan Price Set – I Put a Spell on You (DECCA) 1966 – Alan Price Set

4. Andy Capp – Popatop + Reco – The Lion Speaks (TREASURE ISLAND) 1969

5. Anemic Boyfriends – Guys Are Not Proud + Bad Girls in Love (RED SWEATER) 1980

6. Ann Peebles – I Can’t Stand The Rain + I’ve Been There Before (LONDON) 1972 – The Complete Ann Peebles on Hi Records Vol. 1 – 1969-1973

7. Anti-Social – Traffic Lights + Teacher, Teacher (DYNAMITE) 1977

8. Arthur K Adams – Wildwood Flower + It’s a Wild, Wild, Wild, Wild Wildwood Flower (JETSTAR)

9. Big Stick – Drag Racing + Hell on Earth (RECESS) 1985 – Crack N Drag

10. Bill Oddie – Harry Krishna + On Ilkla Moor Baht’at (DANDELION) 1970

11. Boards of Canada – Aquarius + Chinook (SKAM) – Music Has The Right To Children

12. Bobby Lee Trammell – If You Ever Get It Once + Don’t You Know I Love You (ALLEY) – Arkansas Twist

13. Cat Power – Headlights + Darling Said Sir (THE MAKING OF AMERICANS) – Dear Sir

14. Charlie Feathers – Deep Elm Blues + Nobody’s Darlin’ (HOLIDAY INN) – Get With It: Essential Recordings (1954-1969)

15. Charlie Feathers – Nobody’s Woman + When You Decide (KING) 2x copies – Get With It: Essential Recordings (1954-1969)

17. Charlie Feathers – Today and Tomorrow + Wild Wild Party (MEMPHIS) 1961 – Rock-A-Billy – Rare & Unissued Recordings 1954-1973

18. Charlie Feathers – Tongue-Tied Jill + Get With It (METEOR) – Get With It: Essential Recordings (1954-1969)

19. Charlie Feathers – When You Come Around + Too Much Alike (KING) – Get With It: Essential Recordings (1954-1969)

20. Cheeze – Dancin With The Dead – Dancin Queen + Direwolf 1989 (BOB) 1989

21. Clague – The Stride + I Wonder Where (DANDELION) 1969

22. Clefs of Lavender Hill – Stop! Get a Ticket + First Tell Me Why (DATE)

23. Cleveland Crochet – Sugar Bee + Drunkards Dream (GOLDBAND) – Cleveland Crochet

24. Don Covay – It’s Better to Have (And Don’t Need) + Leave Him (MERCURY) 1973 – Checkin’ in with Don Covay

25. Don French – Lonely Saturday Night + Goldilocks (QUALITY) (LANCER) 1959 2x copies

27. Dreamland Express – Groovy + U.F.O (EMI) 1980

28. Eazy Teeth – Car Noise + Her Blade (DENTAL) 1980 – Info

29. Eddie & Ernie – I Believe She Will + We Try Harder (CHESS) 1984 – Lost Friends

30. Eddie & Ernie – I’m Gonna Always Love You + Outcast (EASTERN) – Lost Friends

31. Eddie & Ernie – Time Waits for No One + That’s the Way It Is (EASTERN) – Lost Friends

32. Electro Hippies – Mega-Armageddon Death (STRANGE FRUIT) Peel session – The Only Good Punk Is a Dead One

33. Elmore James – The Sky Is Crying + Standing At The Crossroads (FLASHBACK) – The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James

34. Firemen – Old Smokie + Louie’s Theme (LE CAM)

35. Freshmen – You Never Heard Anything Like It + Bombing Run (RELEASE) 1979 – Info

36. G. L. Crockett – It’s a Man Down There + Every Hour, Every Day (4 BROTHERS) 1965

37. G. L. Crockett – Look Out Mabel + Did You Ever Love Somebody (CHECKER) 1965

38. Geater Davis – For Your Precious Love + Wrapped Up in You (HOUSE OF ORANGE)

39. Gene Dozier & The United Front – Give The Women What They Want + The Best Girl I Ever Had (MERCURY) 1974

40. Golinski Brothers – Bloody + Toy (BADGE) 1980 2x copies – Info

42. Greenhornes – Stayed Up Last Night (ITALY)

43. Hooton 3 Car – Danny + Numena (RUMBLESTRIP) – Info

44. Idle Race – Here We Go Round the Lemon Tree + My Father’s Son (LIBERTY) 1967 – Info

45. Izzy Royal – Coronation St (WEA) 1983

46. Jane Bond and The Undercover Men – Hot Rod Lincoln + Come On Up (EAR MOVIES) 1982 – Info

47. Jerry Byrd – Memories of Maria + Invitation (MONUMENT) 1961 2x copies – different labels – Info

48. Jody Reynolds – Endless Sleep + Western Movies (LIBERTY) – Endless…Info

49. Johnnie Taylor – I’ve Been Born Again + At Night Time (STAX) 1974 – Johnnie Taylor Chronicle: The 20 Greatest HitsInfo

50. Johnny Adams – You’re a lady + I wish it would rain (ATLANTIC) 1972

51. Johnny Fortune – Dragster + Soul surfer (SONET) 1964 – Hot Rods & Custom Classics

52. Ken Colyer’s Jazzmen (TEMPO) 1953

53. La Peste – Black + Better off dead (BLACK RECORDS) 1978

54. Larry Bright – Mojo workout + I’ll change my ways (TIDE)

55. Laurie Anderson – O Superman + Walk the dog (ONE TEN RECORDS) 1981

56. Lee Perry – Bafflin’ smoke signal + Black smoke signal (BLACK ARC) 1978

57. Lightnin Hopkins – Mojo hand + Glory be (FLASHBACK RECORDS)

58. Marc Bolan – Marc Bolan talking to Stevie Dixon, 1973. Jennifer Sharp, Steve Harley & John Peel talking to Stevie Dixon 1977. (CUBE/PYE RECORDS)

59. Mary Monday – I gave my punk jacket to Richie + Popgun (MALICIOUS PRODUCTIONS)

60. Max Romeo – Sipple out deh’ Lee Perry + Revelation (UPSETTER)

61. MC5 – Looking at you + Borderline (A-SQUARE RECORDS) 2x copies

63. Medicine Head – Coast to coast + All for tomorrow (DANDELION) 1970

64. Medicine Head – His guiding hand + This love of old (DANDELION) 1969 2x copies

66. Mel and Tim – Starting all over again + It hurts to want it so bad (STAX) 1972

67. Meow – Kat nip + One night stand + Anthem + Kill kill kill + Catastrophe + Boy groupies (TWIST LIKE THIS RECORDS)

68. Mickey Lee Lane – Tuitti Fruitti + With your love (MALA)

69. Mike Spencer and the Cannibals – Good guys + Nothing takes the place of you (BIG COCK RECORDS)

70. Nice – The thoughts of Emerlist Davjack (IMMEDIATE)

71. Nilsson – Everybody’s talkin’ (RCA)

72. Nilsson – Kojak Columbo (RCA)

73. Nilsson – Without you (RCA)

74. O V Wright – That’s how strong my love is + There goes my used to be (GOLDWAX)

75. Paul Blake & The Blood Fire Posse – Every posse get flat + Flat out (STUDIO WORK) 1984

76. Paul Revere & The Raiders – Him or me – what’s it gonna be? + Legend of Paul Revere (CBS) 1967

77. Pavement – Demolition Plot J-7 (DRAG CITY) 1990

78. Pocket Fishrmen (sic) – Yr story + The leader is burning (NOISEVILLE) 1989

79. Quads – You’ve gotta jive + There must be thousands (BIG BEAR RECORDS) 1979

80. Ray Martin – Blue tango + Bell of the ball (COLUMBIA)

81. Revelino – Step on high (MUSIDISC)

82. Rod Bernard – This should go on forever

83. Roshell Anderson – The grapevine will lie sometimes + Such a beautiful thing (CONTEMPO) 1974

84. Roy Head – Treat her right + So long, my love (VOCALION) 1965

85. Sam & Dave – I can’t stand up for falling down + Soothe me (STAX)

86. Sasha Caro – Grade 3 section 2 + Little maid’s song (DECCA) 1967

87. Scrugg – Will the real Geraldine please stand up and be countered + Only George’ (PIE) 1969

88. Sheena Easton – 9 to 5 + Moody (EMI) 1980 2x Copies

90. Sipho Bhengu – Tickey dopies + I saluti (INKONKONI) 1971

91. Soledad Brothers – Sugar & spice + Johnny’s death letter, with Jack White (ITALY RECORDS)

92. Some Chicken – New religion + Blood on the wall (RAW RECORDS) 1977 2x copies

94. Spit Out – O from I + Tan + Rot’n’roll’ (MA FROG RECORDS) 1996

95. Stanley Winston – No more ghettos in America + It’s alright (JEWEL)

96. Status Quo – Down down (VERTIGO) 1974

97. Super Sister – No tree will grow + She was naked (DANDELION) 1971

98. The Beatles – Come together + Octopus’s garden + Something (foreign pressing, country unknown)

99. The Big Three – You’ve gotta keep her under hand + If you ever change your mind (DECCA) 1964

100. The Buzzcocks -­ Ever fallen in love (UNITED ARTISTS) 1978

101. The Factory – Path through the forest + Gone (MGM) 1968

102. The Galactic Symposium – Y.M.C.A + Money (VAGUE RECORDS) 1978

103. The Legion of Super-Heroes – The great name dropper part 1 + The great name dropper part 2 (AMY RECORDS)

104. The Mark Four – Hurt me if you will + I’m leaving (DECCA) 1965

105. The Mighty Avengers – So much in love + Something they say (DECCA) 1964

106. The Misunderstood – I can take you to the sun + Who do you love (FONTANA) 1966

107. The Move – I can hear the grass grow + Wave the flag and stop the train (DERAM) 1967

108. The Negatives – Love is not real + Stakeout (LOOK) 1979

109. The Nightcaps – Wine wine wine + Nightcap rock (MUSICOR)

110. The Ramrods – Zig zag + Riders in the sky (LONDON AMERICAN) 1960

111. The Smoke – My friend Jack + We can take it (COLUMBIA) 1966

112. The Squirrels – Oz on 45 + Alone again (POPLLAMA PROD) 1988

113. The Undertones ­- Teenage kicks (GOOD VIBRATIONS RECORDS) 1978 3x copies

116. The Upholsterers – Makers of high grade suites (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY)

117. The Upsetters – Bucky skank + Yucky skank (DOWN TOWN)

118. The Upsetters – Key card + Domino game (DL INTERNATIONAL)

119. The Users – Sick on you + I’m in love with today (RAW RECORDS) 1977 2x copies

121. The Versalites – Cutting rasor + Black belt Jones (DL INTERNATIONAL)

122. The White Stripes – Lafayette blues + Sugar never tasted so good (ITALY Records)

123. The White Stripes – Party of special things to do + China pig + Ashtray heart (SUB POP)

124. The White Stripes ­- Merry Christmas from…. (XL)

125. The White Stripes – It takes two, baby + Fell in love with a girl (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD COMPANY)

126. The White Stripes -­ Dead leaves and the dirty ground (XL) 2001

127. The White Stripes – Hand springs (EXTRA BALL RECORDS)

128. The White Stripes – Hotel Yorba (XL) 2001

129. The White Stripes – Lord, send me an angel (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY) 2x copies

131. The White Stripes – Hello operator + Jolene (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY) 2000

132. The White Stripes – The big three killed my baby (SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY) 2x copies

134. The Henchmen featuring Jack White – Some other guy + Psycho daisies (ITALY RECORDS)

135. 2 Star Tabernacle – Ramblin man’ (BLOODSHOT RECORDS) 1998 cover photo by Jack White

136. The Wildbunch – Danger – Jack White backing vocals (FLYING BOMB)

137. Surprise Package vol 2 featuring White Stripes, Rocket 455 and the Blowtops (FLYING BOMB)

138. Surprise Package vol 3 featuring The Real Pills, MHz, The Dirtbombs (FLYING BOMB)

139. Travis Wammack – Fire fly + Scratchy (ARA)

140. XL-Capris – My city of Sydney + Dead bugies (AXLE)

141. Yami Bolo – Richer than Cory (JAMAICA INTERNATIONAL)

142. Yardbirds – Happenings ten years time ago + Psycho diaries (COLUMBIA) 1966

7 thoughts on “John Peel’s favorite 142 singles”

  1. Cool. This looks like the very list they teased me with in the last John Peel story. Talk about customer satisfaction.

    That is a crazy list. Half of that crap (probably more) I don’t even recognize. It gives me hope that there’s more good music out there than I can possibly hear.

    Whoever typed up the list must have tripped so hard on #88 (Sheena Easton!) that they forgot to put down #89.

  2. electro-hippies…

    thats what was great about peel…he had a huge thing for obscure(or would be obscure if not for him) grindcore death metal and crusty punk stuff (he recorded napalm death quite a few times) as well as regular rock and stuff…VIVA LA JOHN PEEL!

  3. This list would appear to give the lie to both Julie Burchill;’s “Peel never played black music” and Brian Eno’s claim that he was a snob who only liked “edgy” stuff. They can both go piss up a rope. Official!

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