All the wrong people are dying.

[zotz]

A couple of years ago Peel was playing stuff off a record with that title. ISTR it was, unsurprisingly, rather good stuff. This was around the time I first heard Ballboy's Olympic Cyclist on one of his shows. I don't think I ever listened to one all the way through without hearing something surprising and excellent - the one with Ballboy also had Schneider TM's The Light 3000, and Max Raabe was one of his finds too, around then.

I've no idea how he managed to find the energy to keep trawling for new music for so long, but I'm incredibly glad he did. The world is lessened.

Best wishes to his family, of course. An even bigger loss for them.

Two things, though - Mark E Smith(-uhh) must say something curmudgeonly (it's traditional). And his record collection should probably be in the British Museum.

Comments

[reddragdiva]

The British Library started as George III's personal collection. I'm sure they'd be slavering for the Peel collection. How many rooms of his house does it take up again?

[twicezero.livejournal.com]

John’s own record collection, which has been built up gradually over the years as a DJ, now numbers 26,000 LPs (methodically catalogued), and somewhere in the region of 30-40,000 7" singles. Initially he has no idea how many CDs, but reckons it’s also in the 30-40,000 area. These are kept in sheds in the garden. All with special made shelves, but isn’t a complete fanatic with the storage; "I’m happy if the music’s accessible, but I don’t board up the windows to keep the sunlight out."

from http://www.getreadytorock.com/bstage_heroes/john_peel.htm

[devilgate.livejournal.com]

Did you see Smith-E on Newsnight? He may have just been curmudgeonly (as andypop suggests), or he may just be a terrible interviewee, but I found it sad and embarassing, rather like seeing Shane McGowan nowadays (or like Shaun Ryder on that Hall of Fame thing the other night).

A mind (or at least the speech centre of a brain) seemingly addled by years of speed and whisky.

[zotz]

No, I didn't, I'm afraid. I was out seeing the Magnetic Fields last night.

Ah well. Maybe the clip will turn up on a tribute program (I'm sure there'll be one) sometime.

A shame. Not that it's stopping him getting records out.

[surje.livejournal.com]

i hope that there will be a system that institutionalises his role as a central place that all demos get sent to. clearly it's hard to replicate his taste and choice, and it would be a shame if it were run by committee, but i think that the collection should be maintained and added to following the tradition he started, and there should be a dedicated air slot that is not governed by industry playlists. i'm glad he wrote that article in the guardian recently, it has turned out to be a timely epitaph!