Comments so far

Paul, Brighton
Imperial Wax Solvent is probably the best Fall album yet. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks it's a terrible shame that John isn't around to constantly badger everyone in earshot to this fact. God bless you John - we'll forever turn up the treble on the guitars in honour.

John, Washington D.C
Podcast please... You know you want to...

Kai and Christina, Stuttgart
We all miss you a great deal over here, John. Your work still helps us through the day.

Jacobs Mouse, Cholsey
Superb and compelling to listen to. Not only that but this is the first time I've heard this 'radiomenatry' and he's still influencing me. This mans memory will never die.

Priya, Singapore
He was (and still is) one of my heroes and I still miss him and his lovely, distinct and friendly voice, two years on. Rest in peace, Sir.

MArian Bradley, West Midlands
I have just read the fantastic biography and have surfed for more info and found this site. These interviews have both brought the book to life and given me so much happiness to hear his voice again. Agree totally with Pete Smith - for those of us who grew up with him he will never leave us

Bonnie B, Chicago
Such a genuine and lovely man, much missed. It's nice to hear his voice again. I regret that I hadn't discovered him sooner, being located in the American Midwest and all. Was forever familiar with the various Peel Sessions, but not the man himself until fairly close before he passed away. It would be nice if more of his programs were made available in the archives.

Gav, Notts, UK
The amazing thing about John occupying chunks of our childhoods or teenage years was his whole demeanor and voice. The fact that if offered a 10 cd box set of the best of Peel tracks or degraded mp3s ripped from a tape of a whole show complete with dialogue most would opt for option B.I think the charm of the shows not being like a well oiled machine complete with stuff being played at the wrong speed mirrored a lot of the listeners fumbling about with play and record after the news and trying to turn the tape over to side B as quickly as possible during yet another interesting track.I've since lost alot of my old tapes over the years and their loss has been more substancial than any rare vinyls i may of owned.

Kirsten, Edinburgh
Please please please BBC put all of Johns shows on as podcasts availiable to download, or just some... anything! I miss falling asleep to thrash metal....

Freon, U.S.A.
wonderful indeed... mr. peel did more than just impact the u.k. his influence on the u.s. was BIG, and tho the u.s. is far more sold out and over the top corporate than most nearly any other country anywhere, john peel helped to temper that with homegrown good taste, d.i.y. broadcasting, sticking it to the man VIA the man, and fostering a non-homogenous soundscape and culture that has spread like wildfire across the globe and will never die. this is john peel's legacy. i thank the stars this man lived, found a voice and a home for that voice. may his inspiration burn forever, continuing to spread like an unstoppable wildfire throughout the ages. may no culture go untouched. peace.

Helen, Southport
now 2007 and still miss JP. No other brodcaster has ever come close to the wonderful down to earth yet inspirational way with music, or just chatting. His Saturdy morning Home Truths were so much him as well as all the wonderful music programmes. Please rebrodcast some of the JP shows - he is still missed terribly.

Mike Hyde, Warrington UK
Did the BBC record John's shows? I could see that a digital channel playing solely John Peel shows would work - Pay per listen perhaps. (Old shows are available on P2P guys! Check out eMule! Post your own old recordings there and maybe we can start our own virtual archive!)

Steve, Liverpool
I would be entranced to hear the voice and playlists of the great man again. Please podcast it, broadcast it or televise it. I miss it too much.

PETE SMITH, CARMARTHEN
FANTASTIC LISTENING TO THIS AGAIN. BRINGING JOHN BACK TO LIFE? NAH! HE WILL NEVER LEAVE US. GOD BLESS JOHN.

jim McClelland Cumbria
I am looking for a set LONE STAR did in 75/76 tracks incl bells of berlin, lonely soldier and my fav, from all of us to all of you can anyone help me find this JP session i have an old tape of this session which sadly has worn thin!! help!!

clive gould , new zealand.
just telling my wife about jp. i'm now living in nz and she knows nothing about him! recalled buying a shit load of audio tapes of his radio shows at a derby flea market. wow to have those now!!the comment about his show hours on school nights , i would be in bed listening to them on a transister radio with one ear plug that made you look like a deaf person!! rip jp .

Tim Kennedy, Stockport, Cheshire
Personally John Peel helped me to become the sad music obsessive I am today. To our culture the man was a colossus. The odd thing is I have this feeling he's still on some obscure airwave somewhere broadcasting some horrendous Finnish grindcore 7". Goodnight Johnny.

Taymur Streng, Berlin Germany
My first radioshow "John Peels Music on BFBS", which I´ve listen, was in autumn(Nov?) ´79, Peel played The Jam, Killing Joke, Cabaret Voltaire, 4Be2 etc. He(John Peel) was my "music-elexier"(I lived in East-Berlin)... for help: I´m looking for the "playlists" of "John Peels Music on BFBS", if they are availlable, from 1978-1981. Please send answers to xaez2000@yahoo.de . Thanks for solution and help.

drago,split
please podcast from every show just one song...in the memory of JP

will hereford
im to young to have listen to peel as mush as i would like so please pod cast old shows please please please

Mike Terry, Bournemouth
Love the show but my tape of the whole programme is considerably better quality audio. I often listen to it, truly historic radio.The overdubbed tracks were good to hear "up to date" as it were. More "Perfumed Garden" from earlier shows please.

Paul Byrne (Chester)
I first heard John in 1977, I never stopped listening. He is deeply missed. He was and always will be "The Emporer John Peel".

John F, Slough
i think John F has a slight problem! Fabulous listening pleasure, more, please!

Nik H - Blackburn
Just a note to John F. Golding - F*** OFF preferably yesterday

Rich, Sheffield
without the great man Peel so much of my life would not have been, 10-12 every school night in the 80s with the radio under the bed covers with the fall, half-man half-biscuit, husker du, sonic youth, dinosaur jr, sly & robbie, african headcharge, einsturzende neubauten, nick cave, ivor cutler (the first time hearing "i'm walking to a farm" and feeling kinda surreal) and so on through dub, hip hop, techno, and anything and everything, you all know how the man was. many thanks to the forces which created and sustained him, and thank you John.

Chris Page Newton le willows
Just Great! Is the BBC going to produce a database of his shows or even better find a DJ with ears of a similar quality.

John Exell - Folkestone
John Peel, what can you say aprt from "Top Bloke!"

Andy Thursfield Whitby
Listening to John's voice brings a lump to my throat. We owe him so much. Because of him I continue to seek out stuff I've never heard before. I like to think John would enjoy tracks like Gore-Tex Weather Report by Shining and be pleased that a 53 year old like myself seeks them out - I thank him for the encouragement to disregard trends and find new things, he's why my kids in their twenties still check out what I'm listening to. Thanks John, thanks BBC.

Paul,Somerset
This stuff is fantastic.....I used to lie in bed at night listening to John Peel & most of the music in my collection is/was down to him.........please make this as a podcast........

ian martin ,york
put his shows on. i have some and they are great. i listen on the way to work to avoid wogan (the one who got away) and whoever the hell is on radio 1. its not sad, the man was a broadcasting genius and if the bbc would have had the guts he would have taken the country by storm and saved us from pop idol and maybe even more. so bbc who are the people now who will be loved in 40 years ? look after them and dump the dross. even now its not too late!

Wheelz..Wimborne Dorset,
Only guy out there playing half decent music late 70s,tape on pause,after 10,Play record,with the Festive 50,at Christmas,shaped and opened yer mind,to a mass of sounds to be heard,forever in debt,Wheelz.

Stephen, Manchester
John Peel changed my life forever. I first came across his show in 1977 whilst on holiday in Torquay. I listened to his shows for most of my teenage years, but less so as I got older. He taught me to appreciate all sorts of music and introduced me to so many great bands. I will always love him, even if he was a red! God gave us John Peel and Half Man Half Biscuit.

Lou in London
Please upload his entire sessions in full so we can all play them all again! Peely rocked, rocks, and still does it for me! xx

Carl, Notts
Great to hear this all again. Any chance of '6' repeating some classic shows in the future?

John F Golding London
this tribute website to John Peel is a typical BBC fat lazy method of moving people to other BBC websites. it is not junk but crooked. rather than any 'search' going to John Peel some new BBc junk website is presented. the sooner the BBC is disbanded the better. the old BBc was less motivated by personal financial interests (ie of BBC personnel) and in other areas less politically biassed.

M J Burt London
Simply the greatest. He didn't just play music for me, he inserted it into my consciousness. If JP hadn't existed we would've had to invent him.

andy b northern ireland
so so so miss peely so good to hear his drole tones again. keep these up forever and i'll never complain about the license fee again auntie...

Misko, Belgade
I heard John Peel'voice for the first time in 1988 during my summer holiday. Since then each time spent in England I recorded his shows on Radio 1 on cassettes and brought it to Belgrade. I can still cry while I listen these tapes.

Ian, Northampton England
Please pod cast these recordings,and repeat some of his shows, its wonderful to hear his voice again

Tara , Norwich
Its 21 June 2006 and I still miss John terribly. I was looking a 1000+ cd collection earlier so much it is there becasue of Johns influence.Please make sure thatthese archives arent lost. Please can we have more images in the photo gallery

Martin/Blackpool
a great tribute to an icon of british music. Breaking different music genres,and ignoring racial undertones .Bringing world music and culture to all ages.In this cynical world

Litsa-Greece
amazing work! fantastic quality....a big big Thanks for the session of the Cranberries!

Hella, Bremen, Germany
My life would have completely different without Mother BBC and Father Peelie. Thank you so much for remembering him - and keep it Peel forever!

DJbenz@mail.com Kings Lynn
Enjoying the story, also just read 'Margrave of the marshes', it made me laugh and cry. I DJ myself playing reggae and I remember in the early 80's that John Peel was the only one playing it, since then specialist reggae programmes have arrived and I must admit to neglecting John Peel. I wish I hadnt, because I really miss him now.

Stephen Birrell, Dunfermline
Just read the John Peel/ Sheila Ravenscroft biography. Why oh why didnt I listen to him more often... Looking forward to listening to the full series of peeling back the years now. Sad I didnt spend more time listening to him whilst my life moved on and my record collection got predicatable and crap! Respect to everyone thats made all this archive material available.

MARTIN. CAMBS
loved hearing the mans voice again could you please leave this web link on line or make it a downloadable link the man is a legend if it wasnt for john peel i wouldnt have the tast or wisdom for so much mashed nights listning to some of the most banging TUNES i have ever herd RESPECT .

lawrence-bristol
thanx 6music for this chance to listen and hear again distant echoes of the man who put the theme music to alot of my life.please keep this link online along time so i can pass it on

Jonny Hitchen Co. Durham
Why carn't I download these. Great Stuff. Can the beeb not make his radio show's downloadable, they seem happy to repeat their TV programs.

Pete Mooney Oldham
Fantastic to be able to hear the great man again. Have just read Margrave of the marshes, and this programme is a lovely way to hear the things that he wrote about brought to life.

gav, london
I was too young to hear these shows when they were originally broadcast so it is wonderful to listen to them now as though they are new shows from Peely and he is still around. Also I totally agree with previous comments saying that this stuff should be podcasted.

Marc, Kidderminster
Good grief I miss JP's evening show. Please do not take these recordings off the web site for a few weeks yet, everytime I listen I pick up on something different, or something else catches my ear. Thanks for keeping the great man on the air.

Gamma Kentish Town
the first time i heard WERE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY was @ John's place in Parsons Green with my pal DAVE after that in the late 60's we listened to the PERFUMED GARDEN & read the column in Friends wow those Dandelion daves

Sheila. St. Austell
Still miss the great man, the Beeb's radio and telly tributes over the past couple of weeks have been superb. Listening to Peeling Back The Years brought a lump to my throat yet again. John was a brilliant communicator and the man who fashioned my love of great music. We love and miss you, Peely.

Helen, Newcastle upon Tyne
Well done BBC 6 and Radio 1 - you have done a great job of remembering Peelie and I have loved listening to Peeling back the years this week. Thank you.

Matt in Sheffield
It was fantastic to hear John's voice on the radio again. How about playing some classic Festive 50's over Christmas?

JD, Lewisham, London
Wonderful stuff. We miss Peel still. Can't the BBC broadcast more Peel shows from the archives?

Simon Wilson. Virginia, USA.
Excellent stuff! podcast pleeeease?

Matt, Maidenhead
I honestly can't think of anyone who has, with such modest dignity, managed to enrich and influence the lives of as many people as John Peel. His affinity with people of different cultures, successive generations, famous people and ordinary folk seemed to me, literally, limitless. Despite his many broadcasts, I'd not heard him talk very much about himself, and these programmes have certainly given an insight into his musical and personal life. Many thanks...

Alan
John Peel is an absolute legend,this stuff should be podcasted!

Steve from New Jersey in the USA
There are several DJ's here in America who, even today, try their best to do a show like John Peel's, and they do a halfway decent job, but they don't quite make the grade. John Peel had no place in hip radio; he WAS hip radio. THe first show from October 1967 is why. :-)

GEEBEATS AKA GAVIN MORGAN BRISTOL
I frist herd John Peel in the 80's when I used to up at night when he was on the radio the reason I used to this is becuse he would play two Hip Hop Imports a night and would record them He was the frist dj I herd play underground Hip hop on the radio live brings back such mermorys and I brought some of those records on vanyl and still have them to this day such as classics like Dose Martrial-outlaw Jhon Peel to me was never scared of playing new music and I all was have respectied for that and he all so helped Hip Hop in this country by playing those tunes in the 80s and all other types of music cheers Geebeats

GEEBEATS AKA GAVIN MORGAN BRISTOL
I frist herd John Peel in the 80's when I used to up at night when he was on the radio the reason I used to this is becuse he would play two Hip Hop Imports a night and would record them He was the frist dj I herd play underground Hip hop on the radio live brings back such mermorys and I brought some of those records on vanyl and still have them to this day such as classics like Dose Martrial-outlaw Jhon Peel to me was never scared of playing new music and I all was have respectied for that and he all so helped Hip Hop in this country by playing those tunes in the 80s and all other types of music cheers Geebeats

Mark Stanfield (Porth, Rhondda, S. Wales)
I still can't believe he's gone - he'd be slightly embarrassed about all the fuss and accolades but also quite touched I'd say. There's a big void in British broadcasting now, but the BBC have done a terrific job in paying homage to the guy, and the website and archive material is fantastic - its the only plus point of his passing really. I co-present a local radio show on GTFM106.9 (which is Wales' only 'Community Radio Station') called 'Showcase Wales' and we used the John Peel show as a template for ours. In honour of Peely we've nicked his old theme tune (Grinderswitch - "Pickin' the Blues") and play it at the end of each show - he wouldn't mind I'm sure!

Mike Jessop
Hopefully, his considerable support for the British folk scene will never be downplayed. The music he played by The High Level Ranters,Martin Carthy, Fairport Convection/Fotheringay, Pentangle and Eclection was of lasting importance. When placed alongside his deep appreciation of the blues, it could well be that it is in these areas that his loss may be felt most acutely in the years to come.

sean/jenkintown
I could not help but notice how the banter was spartan and the record playing was rapid fire -refreshing!

John, Northwood
It is amazing to hear the first ever Top Gear. Pete Drummond rather liked the sound of his own voice too didn't he. John Peel was ...well, simply John being himself. As always genuinely a fan of the music, gentle, eccentric..and all in 1967 - just great!

Madeleine Hague, Toronto, Canada
I dont have the right downloads for this, but just read Peels biography, which is probably not here in Canada yet. I was stuck at Gatwick, and found it in a bookstore. I really loved Peel.

Brian Dunn, Skelton in Cleveland.
As an 18yr old in 1967 I had a reel to reel tape m/c and recorded Top Gear from an old wireless set. Almost every week I tuned in at 3pm and loved acts like The Idle Race, The Nice , Capt Beefheart, Leonard Cohen and early T-Rex. I'm looking forward to going back almost 40 years to my youth when I listen to these broadcasts again. Thanks.

chalky white eastwood nottingham
top man forever from the roadcrew

Ed Duffy, Birmingham, UK
Thanks for giving us the chance to hear Peelie's first ever Radio One broadcast: a great bit of history! However, I thought the Top Gear shows were usually two-hour affairs. Has it been cut?

Duncan, In Japan
I was pleased that it was decided to publish some of Johns more private events. I always felt John was a kindred spirit, despite having never met the man. I too was a victim of male rape and to hear that one of my all time heroes had suffered the same gave me strength. The fact that he went through that and still made something of his life has given me courage. Sadly missed, never forgotten.....

Gary Walsh, Gosport, Hampshire
As appreciative as I am for the many Peel recordings flying around the internet, (official & otherwise), and for John's many friends and colleagues at the BBC helping to secure his rightful place in history, it's still so very, very hard to come to terms with the fact that his voice and these archives are now finite. Thankfully the reach of his influence is not and it's this genuine accord that echoes in every tribute. I will never be able to write enough to express how I feel. He touched so many lives on a truly global scale as to be incalculable. Not bad for a old scouser bloke who secretly harboured a desire to be named Helen Llewellyn Product 19.

Steve, Kent
Did I hear a trailer for this on last night? I THOUGHT I heard a trailer for 'the John Peel Show' as in re-runs of old Peel shows. I guess if this is what I heard a trailer for, it'll have to do. Why did he have to die?

eric judlin glasgow
in the times of modern technology and internet radio choices, why doesn't the beeb broadcast every show in chrononological order or as much as they can. It will still be one of the best shows in town

Rae, Wgtn, NZ
Fantastic- can't wait;)

Chris Pearce-webb, Chepstow, Monmouthshire.
I first came accross John peel as a curious 16 year old while fishing a late evening tide and scanning my radio after getting fed up with the drivel on radio Luxembourg. He played 'Road runner' by Jonathon Richmond and the Modern Lovers and I was hooked for life(excuse the pun).

David West Coventry.
The present British music scene owes it's varied & unique rainbow of talent to a man who stood by his beliefs in the face of adversity so that we could also. We became the present & the future of a music scene the wide world admires, respects & enjoys.God bless John Peel & the good work he continued with, with a passion till death deprived us of his being among us.