The Complete Peel Sessions 1978–2004

The Complete Peel Sessions 1978–2004
Box set by The Fall
Released	2005
Recorded	1978–2004
Genre	Post-punk
Length	7:04:24
Label	Castle
Producer	various
The Fall compilation album chronology
50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong (2004) The Complete Peel Sessions 1978–2004 (2005)
The Fall chronology
50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong (2004) The Complete Peel Sessions 1978–2004 (2005) Fall Heads Roll (2005)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Mojo
Pitchfork	9.3/10

The Complete Peel Sessions 1978–2004 is a compilation box set by English post-punk band the Fall. It was released in 2005 by record label Castle.

Content

The Complete Peel Sessions comprises each of the twenty-four sessions the group recorded for John Peel's radio show. Peel was an avid supporter of the group from early in their career, and The Fall recorded more sessions for Peel's programmes than any other artist. The set was in the process of being compiled when Peel died in October 2004. The set charts almost all of the group's musical phases up until 2004.

Reception

It was met with some of the most positive reviews of their career. The set prompted Mojo magazine to present Mark E. Smith, the group's sole constant, with their "Catalogue Release of the Year" award (besting releases from The Clash, Jeff Buckley, The Mamas & the Papas, The Kinks and Jack Nitzsche). The Sunday Times wrote: "There are now more Fall compilations and collections out there than Mark E. Smith himself can keep track of, but if you buy only one, make it this one."

Track listing and personnel

Some tracks appear under different titles to their single/album incarnations. Although most differences are slight, the tracks are listed by the titles they were given at the relevant session.

Disc one

Session 1, 30 May 1978

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Futures and Pasts"
2.	"Mother-Sister!"
3.	"Rebellious Jukebox"
4.	"Industrial Estate"

Session 2, 27 November 1978

No.	Title	Length
5.	"Put Away"
6.	"Mess of My"
7.	"No Xmas for John Quays"
8.	"Like to Blow"

Session 3, 16 September 1980

No.	Title	Length
9.	"Container Drivers"
10.	"Jawbone and the Air-Rifle"
11.	"New Puritan"
12.	"New Face in Hell"

Session 4, 24 March 1981

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Middlemass"
14.	"Lie Dream of a Casino Soul"
15.	"Hip Priest"
16.	"C'n'C – Hassle Schmuck"

Disc two

Session 5, 26 August 1981

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Deer Park"
2.	"Look, Know"
3.	"Winter"
4.	"Who Makes the Nazis?"

Session 6, 21 March 1983

No.	Title	Length
5.	"Smile"
6.	"Garden"
7.	"Hexen Definitive – Strife Knot"
8.	"Eat Y'Self Fitter"

Session 7, 12 December 1983

No.	Title	Length
9.	"Pat Trip Dispenser"
10.	"2 × 4"
11.	"Words of Expectation"
12.	"C.R.E.E.P."

Disc three

Session 8, 14 May 1985

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Cruiser's Creek"
2.	"Couldn't Get Ahead"
3.	"Spoilt Victorian Child"
4.	"Gut of the Quantifier"

Session 9, 29 September 1985

No.	Title	Length
5.	"L.A."
6.	"The Man Whose Head Expanded"
7.	"What You Need"
8.	"Faust Banana"

Session 10, 29 June 1986

No.	Title	Length
9.	"Hot Aftershave Bop"
10.	"R.O.D."
11.	"Gross Chapel – GB Grenadiers"
12.	"US 80's-90's"

Session 11, 28 April 1987

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Athlete Cured"
14.	"Australians in Europe"
15.	"Twister"
16.	"Guest Informant"

Disc four

Session 12, 25 October 1988

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Deadbeat Descendant"
2.	"Cab It Up"
3.	"Squid Lord"
4.	"Kurious Oranj"

Session 13, 17 December 1989

No.	Title	Length
5.	"Chicago Now"
6.	"Black Monk Theme"
7.	"Hilary"
8.	"Whizz Bang" (this track was not broadcast)

Session 14, 5 March 1991

No.	Title	Length
9.	"The War Against Intelligence"
10.	"Idiot Joy Showland"
11.	"A Lot of Wind"
12.	"The Mixer"

Session 15, 19 January 1992

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Free Range"
14.	"Kimble" (Lee "Scratch" Perry cover)
15.	"Immortality"
16.	"Return"

Disc five

Session 16, 28 February 1993

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Ladybird (Green Grass)"
2.	"Strychnine" (The Sonics cover)
3.	"Service"
4.	"Paranoia Man in Cheap Sh*t Room"

Session 17, 2 December 1993

No.	Title	Length
5.	"M5"
6.	"Behind the Counter"
7.	"Reckoning"
8.	"Hey! Student"

Session 18, 20 November 1994

No.	Title	Length
9.	"Glam Racket – Star"
10.	"Jingle Bell Rock" (with substantially different lyrics to the original 1957 song)
11.	"Hark the Herald Angels Sing"
12.	"Numb at the Lodge"

Session 19, 7 December 1995

No.	Title	Length
13.	"He Pep!"
14.	"Oleano"
15.	"Chilinist"
16.	"The City Never Sleeps"

Session 20, 30 June 1996

No.	Title	Length
17.	"D.I.Y. Meat"
18.	"Spinetrak"
19.	"Spencer"
20.	"Beatle Bones 'N' Smokin' Stones" (Captain Beefheart cover)

Disc six

Session 21, 3 February 1998

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Calendar"
2.	"Touch Sensitive"
3.	"Masquerade"
4.	"Jungle Rock"

Session 22, 18 October 1998

No.	Title	Length
5.	"Bound Soul One"
6.	"Antidotes"
7.	"Shake-Off"
8.	"This Perfect Day"

Session 23, 19 February 2003

No.	Title	Length
9.	"Theme From Sparta F.C."
10.	"Contraflow"
11.	"Groovin' With Mr. Bloe – Green-Eyed Loco Man"
12.	"Mere Pseud Mag. Ed."

Session 24, 4 August 2004

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Clasp Hands"
14.	"Blindness"
15.	"What About Us?"
16.	"Wrong Place, Right Time"/"I Can Hear the Grass Grow"
17.	"Job Search" (bonus track; recorded during Session 24 but not broadcast. It was pressed onto an acetate (coupled with a similarly exclusive track by Half Man Half Biscuit) and given to John Peel for his 65th Birthday on 31 August 2004. Peel played the track on air that night, making it the final track by the group to debut on his show)

Personnel

Session 1, 30 May 1978

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Martin Bramah – guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals
• Yvonne Pawlett – keyboards
• Karl Burns – drums
• Steve Davies – congas
• Tony Wilson – production

Session 2, 27 November 1978

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Martin Brahah – guitar, backing vocals
• Yvonne Pawlett – keyboards
• Karl Burns – drums
• Marc Riley – bass guitar
• Bob Sargeant – production

Session 3, 16 September 1980

• Mark E. Smith – vocals, keyboards, kazoo, guitar
• Marc Riley – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
• Craig Scanlon – guitar, backing vocals
• Steve Hanley – bass guitar
• Paul Hanley – drums
• John Sparrow – production

Session 4, 24 March 1981

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Marc Riley – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals
• Craig Scanlon – guitar, backing vocals
• Steve Hanley – bass
• Paul Hanley – drums
• Dave Tucker – clarinet
• Dale Griffin – production

Session 5, 26 August 1981

• Mark E. Smith – vocals, tapes
• Marc Riley – guitar, keyboards
• Craig Scanlon – guitar
• Steve Hanley – bass, toy guitar, voice
• Paul Hanley – drums
• Dale Griffin – production

Session 6, 21 March 1983

• Mark E. Smith – vocals, keyboards
• Craig Scanlon – guitar, backing vocals
• Steve Hanley – bass, backing vocals
• Paul Hanley – drums, backing vocals
• Karl Burns – drums, bass, backing vocals
• John Porter – production

Session 7, 12 December 1983

• Mark E. Smith – vocals, tapes
• Craig Scanlon – guitar
• Steve Hanley – bass
• Paul Hanley – drums, keyboards
• Karl Burns – drums, bass
• Brix Smith – guitar, vocals
• Tony Wilson – production

Session 8, 14 May 1985

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Brix Smith – guitar, vocals
• Craig Scanlon – guitar, backing vocals
• Steve Hanley – bass, backing vocals
• Karl Burns – drums
• Simon Rogers – guitar, keyboards
• Mark Radcliffe – production

Session 9, 29 September 1985

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Brix Smith – guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Craig Scanlon – guitar
• Steve Hanley – bass, xylophone
• Karl Burns – drums
• Simon Rogers – guitar, keyboards
• Dale Griffin – production

Session 10, 29 June 1986

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Brix Smith – guitar
• Craig Scanlon – guitar, backing vocals
• Steve Hanley – bass, backing vocals
• Simon Rogers – guitar, keyboards
• Simon Wolstencroft – drums
• Dale Griffin – production

Session 11, 28 April 1987

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Brix Smith – guitar, vocals
• Craig Scanlon – guitar
• Steve Hanley – bass, backing vocals
• Simon Rogers – keyboards, guitar
• Simon Wolstencroft – drums

Session 12, 25 October 1988

• Mark E. Smith – vocals, tapes
• Brix Smith – guitar
• Craig Scanlon – guitar
• Steve Hanley – bass
• Simon Wolstencroft – drums
• Marcia Schofield – keyboards, backing vocals
• Mike Robinson – production

Session 13, 17 December 1989

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Craig Scanlon – guitar
• Steve Hanley – bass
• Simon Wolstencroft – drums
• Marcia Schofield – keyboards
• Martin Bramah – guitar
• Kenny Brady – fiddle
• Dale Griffin – production

Session 14, 5 March 1991

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Craig Scanlon – guitar
• Steve Hanley – bass
• Simon Wolstencroft – drums
• Kenny Brady – fiddle
• Mike Robinson – production

Session 15, 19 January 1992

• Mark E. Smith – vocals, tapes
• Craig Scanlon – guitar
• Steve Hanley – bass
• Simon Wolstencroft – drums
• Dave Bush – keyboards
• Dale Griffin – production

Session 16, 28 February 1993

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Craig Scanlon – guitar
• Steve Hanley – bass
• Simon Wolstencroft – drums
• Dave Bush – keyboards

Session 17, 2 December 1993

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Craig Scanlon – guitar
• Steve Hanley – bass
• Simon Wolstencroft – drums
• Dave Bush – keyboards
• Karl Burns – drums, guitar
• Nick Gomm – production

Session 18, 20 November 1994

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Brix Smith – guitar, vocals
• Craig Scanlon – guitar
• Steve Hanley – bass
• Simon Wolstencroft – drums
• Dave Bush – keyboards
• Lucy Rimmer – vocals
• James Birtwistle – production

Session 19, 7 December 1995

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Brix Smith – guitar, vocals
• Steve Hanley – bass
• Simon Wolstencroft – drums
• Julia Nagle – keyboards, guitar
• Lucy Rimmer – vocals
• Nick Gomm – production

Session 20, 30 June 1996

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Brix Smith – guitar, vocals
• Steve Hanley – bass
• Simon Wolstencroft – drums
• Julia Nagle – keyboards, guitar
• Ted de Bono – production

Session 21, 3 February 1998

• Mark E. Smith – vocals, guitar
• Julia Nagle – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
• Steve Hanley – bass
• Karl Burns – drums, backing vocals
• John Rolleson - backing vocals
• Mike Robinson – production

Session 22, 18 October 1998

• Mark E. Smith – vocals, keyboards, bass
• Julia Nagle – guitar, keyboards
• Tom Head – drums
• Elspeth Hughes – special effects
• Mike Engels – production

Session 23, 19 February 2003

• Mark E. Smith – vocals
• Ben Pritchard – guitar, backing vocals
• Jim Watts – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Dave Milner – drums, backing vocals
• Elena Poulou – keyboards, backing vocals
• Mick Middles – backing vocals
• Louise Kattenhorn – production

Session 24, 4 August 2004

• Mark E. Smith – vocals, percussion
• Ben Pritchard – guitar, backing vocals
• Elena Poulou – keyboards, backing vocals
• Jim Watts – guitar, bass guitar
• Steve Trafford – bass guitar, guitar
• Spencer Birtwistle – drums
• Ed Blaney – guitar
• Jerry Smith – production