John Peel Day
Mr Beast wrote:
Well, lots of people including moi are doing that, only on tiny internet stations, and not quite as well.
What made Peel great was his wit and a talent I find hard to define; he was simply a great radio personality. Also, in the days when stations were limited as we had no internet, there was a great unifying experience in listening to his show, just as we all watched TOTP and to a lesser extent, Whistle Test. Now it's all fragmented here, there and everywhere.
I appreciated Mr Peel greatly, but am less fond of his legacy - music fans thinking they deserve a pat on the back simply for liking music, like those bores who post endless YouTube clips on Facebook with a proprietorial air, as though they have made it themselves, and a particular type of anorak who assumes glamorous people (or girls) can never be "real" or "passionate" about music - but I don't want to sound like a sourpuss.
He was great, with a few faults (could have done without his slightly lechy thing for schoolgirls, and occasional bitching at people who didn't deserve it). But we're none of us perfect, eh. He was generally rather wonderful.
Mr Beast wrote:
John Peel was great on TOTP in the mid 80’s. I remember after Robert Palmer’s Addicted to Love video was played he said “Robert Palmer there…nice to see he’s ditched all that sexist nonsense.”
Just what is missing since he died is summed up nicely by Jarvis Cocker:
"Peel's appeal came down to something very simple: he was an enthusiast. The only reason he was doing what he was doing was because he loved it - and he loved it so much that he wanted to share it with people. To have your own radio show and play just what you like! To communicate with the audience just as if you were talking to a friend. What a simple idea! How obvious!
So how come no one else is doing it?"
Just what is missing since he died is summed up nicely by Jarvis Cocker:
"Peel's appeal came down to something very simple: he was an enthusiast. The only reason he was doing what he was doing was because he loved it - and he loved it so much that he wanted to share it with people. To have your own radio show and play just what you like! To communicate with the audience just as if you were talking to a friend. What a simple idea! How obvious!
So how come no one else is doing it?"
What made Peel great was his wit and a talent I find hard to define; he was simply a great radio personality. Also, in the days when stations were limited as we had no internet, there was a great unifying experience in listening to his show, just as we all watched TOTP and to a lesser extent, Whistle Test. Now it's all fragmented here, there and everywhere.
I appreciated Mr Peel greatly, but am less fond of his legacy - music fans thinking they deserve a pat on the back simply for liking music, like those bores who post endless YouTube clips on Facebook with a proprietorial air, as though they have made it themselves, and a particular type of anorak who assumes glamorous people (or girls) can never be "real" or "passionate" about music - but I don't want to sound like a sourpuss.
He was great, with a few faults (could have done without his slightly lechy thing for schoolgirls, and occasional bitching at people who didn't deserve it). But we're none of us perfect, eh. He was generally rather wonderful.
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