This Heat ‎– "Made Available: John Peel Sessions" (These records - These 10) 1996/1977

Incredibly, the group got to do two Peel sessions in 1977,when all peel played was wall to wall Punk Rock and reggae. They stalked the BBC Radio One DJ and insisted he played their demo tape,”Reference”(which will appear soon on this blog kids!). ¨Peel kind of admired their persistence,and relented. Upon hearing this uncategorisable music (file under 'Other'),he was suitably impressed enough to give them a session. It must have gone down well with the punters, because he gave them a second session later in the year,but his time featuring more improvised ambient pieces,that I doubt were appreciated by Peels rock orientated audience at that time,who just wanted to hear more Ramones tracks. Therefore no more sessions were booked for This Heat at the Beeb.

What we get on this historic document is the only proper recording of early Heat classic “Rimp Romp Ramp”, which was inexplicably dropped from their repertoire before the first album. It is easily the equal of “Horizontal Hold”,and would have improved the nearly flawless début even more. Maybe they felt it was too similar and didn't want to be predictable,which is a noble reason by most musicians standards. The other end of the spectrum are people like Van Morrison, who made a career by repeating the same song endlessly; sort of an avant garde experiment in its own right,albeit an accidental one.

Great versions of “Makeshift Swahili”,”Horizontal Hold” and other standards,are mixed in with some improvised experimental numbers,that only appear here!

Recorded for the John Peel Show at BBC Maida Vale Studios, London.
Tracks 1-3 recorded: 28 March 1977. First transmission date: 22 April 1977.
Tracks 4-8 recorded: 26 October 1977. First transmission date: 24 November 1977. 

Tracklist: 

1 Horizontal Hold 8:26
2 Not Waving 8:11
3 The Fall Of Saigon 6:04
4 Rimp Romp Ramp 6:42
5 Makeshift Swahili 6:18
6 Sitting 2:22
7 Basement Boy 2:13
8 Slither 2:14

DOWNLOAD these available sessions at the beeb HERE!