I received an email yesterday asking if I could repost the Special AKA’s version of Free Nelson Mandela, so I hope I picked the right one…

anyway, it gives me an opportunity to do one of my Peel posts.

First up, these were Pell sessions tracks that made the Festive Fifty in 1989, and went on to become chart hits the following year:

Inspiral Carpets -‘This Is How It Feels (session).’ mp3 (1989 Festive Fifty no.35)

Inspiral Carpets -‘She Comes In The Fall (session).’ mp3 (1989 Festive Fifty no.50)

This was a track that became remixed the follwoing year under the name ‘Move Any Mountain’ and gave the Shamen several years as a Smash Hits and Top Of the Pops freindly act.

Shamen -‘Pro-Gen .’ mp3(1990 Festive Fifty no.34)

I know little about the Flaming Stars, but they sound great still. The BBC site erroneously credits these tracks as being done by the Flaming Lips, who John Peel also championed, rightly, IMHO, but are a completely different band.

Flaming Stars -‘Face On the Bar Room Floor.’ mp3 (1996 Festive Fifty no.48)

Flaming Stars -‘Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.’ mp3 (1995 Festive Fifty no.29)

This track took ages to find, not available on either eMusic or iTunes

Drop Nineteens -‘Winona.’ mp3 (1992 Festive Fifty no.28)

Another band I know little about…but they too sound great:

The Decoration -‘Joy Adamson.’ mp3 (2004 Festive Fifty no.39)

The Decoration -‘I Tried It, I Liked It, I Loved It.’ mp3 (2004 festive Fifty no.24)

As requested…from the last year that much ‘pop’ stuff entered the Festive Fifty:

Special AKA -‘Free Nelson Mandela.’ mp3 (1984 Festive Fifty no.41)

Finally, another track (this one supplied by JC over at The Vinyl Villain that seemed very hard to get hold of, but I repost here for your delight:

Robert Wyatt -‘The Wind Of Change.’ mp3 (1985 Festive Fifty no.47)

This track credits Wyatt with the SWAPO singers.

As always, PLEASE SUPPORT THE ARTISTS. EVEN IF THEY HAVE MADE IT BLOODY HARD TO GET HOLD OF THEIR MUSIC.

If you want to find more about John Peel, start here.

Absolutely essential Peel-related blogs include Sexy Loser, Teenage Kicks and Fades In Slowly.