31 October 1970

== Show ==
; Name
*Top Gear
; Station
*BBC Radio One
; YYYY-MM-DD
*1970-10-31
; Comments
*Tracklisting below is from Volume 1 of the Decktician Logs. Many thanks to Decktician, Ken Garner for copying and additional information, and Rocker for acting as central HQ.
*A session by visiting US blues singer-guitarist Homesick James (1910-2006), backed by the little-known band Grizelda (formed by Wes McGhee and Paul Witherspoon). He claimed to be a cousin of Elmore James and was a member of Elmore's band, playing on many of EJ's records as well as recording under his own name. Three of the session tracks come from Elmore James's repertoire and the fourth is Robert Johnson's "Crossroads".
*Wommet were a short-lived band led by Peel favourite Mick Abrahams, formerly of Jethro Tull and Blodwyn Pig. Apart from their BBC session, of which three tracks were included on a BBC transcription disc, they never recorded.
*The Strawbs' line-up for this, their final Peel session, includes Rick Wakeman on keyboards. His playing with the band attracted plenty of praise from critics; he soon became famous as a member of Yes and then as a solo artist.
*Plays for three future hit singles; T.Rex's "Ride A White Swan", Atomic Rooster's "Tomorrow Night" and Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Nothing Rhymed".
== Sessions ==
*Strawbs #3 First broadcast. Recorded 1970-10-05. "Canon Dale" and "Song Of A Sad Little Girl" available on Live At The BBC Vol One In Session CD, 2010 (Universal 532 050-7)
*Wommet #1 First broadcast of only session. Recorded 1970-10-20. No known commercial release (though see above note)
*Homesick James & Grizelda #1 First broadcast of only session. Recorded 1970-10-19. No known commercial release.
(Please add details of any commercial release of these sessions)
== Tracklisting ==
*A special arrangement of the sig tune
*Wommet: The Way You Look (session)
*Byrds: Truck Stop Girl (album - Untitled) CBS 66253
*JP mentions “a very interesting interview with Roger McGuinn (of the Byrds) in the current issue of Rolling Stone”.
*Homesick James & Grizelda: Got To Move (session) (JP: “brought to you courtesy of the National Blues Federation” who had also organised UK visits by Son House and other blues artists)
*Family: Part Of The Load (album - Anyway) Reprise RSX 9005
*Strawbs: Canon Dale (session)
*Love: The Everlasting First (album - False Start) Blue Thumb BTS 8822
*John scored a goal for the Radio One All Stars last Sunday and twisted his torso
*Brett Marvin & The Thunderbolts: Thoughts On You (7") Sonet SON 2015
*3.30pm news with Colin Nicol. Main stories; Foreign Secretary Alec Douglas-Home speaks to Tory audience on British policy on Israel; council workers on strike for fifth week; football fans at a Chesterfield home game asked to help to solve case of murdered woman
*T Rex: Ride A White Swan (7") Fly BUG 1 (JP now calls them T.Rex; the record is in the BBC Top 40, he says, but none of his colleagues are playing it)
*Incredible String Band: The Puppet Song (album – U) Elektra 2665 001 (Robin Williamson solo song from the double LP of the ISB’s “song and dance thing" as Peel calls it. He says it has “one of the great first lines of all time”)
*Wommet: How Can You Love Me So (session)
*Homesick James & Grizelda: Skies Are Crying (session)
*Kevin Ayers And The Whole World: Butterfly Dance (7") Harvest HAR 5027
*Disinterred 33 and 1/3 (not a 33 1/3 this time, but a rock'n'roll record won by JP in an auction)
*Sonny Burgess: Sadie’s Back In Town (7") London HLS 9064
*tape flip
*Strawbs: The Reaper / We Must Cross The River / Antiques And Curios / Hey It’s Been A Long Time (session) (JP calls this "their Antique Suite")
*Atomic Rooster: Tomorrow Night (7") B&C CB-131 A slightly different mix to that played on 10 October 1970 according to John
*Homesick James & Grizelda: Crossroads (session)
*Mr Fox: The Gay Goshawk (album - Mr Fox) Transatlantic TRA 226
*Wommet: City Of Gold (session)
*Gilbert O’Sullivan: Nothing Rhymed (7") MAM MAM 3 (JP points out that Gilbert, who had done sessions for Top Gear in 1968, has just “re-emerged” as Gilbert O’Sullivan)
*File pauses near end of above track
*Jean Luc Ponty: King Kong (album - King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa) Liberty LBS 83375
*File resumes at outro of above track
*News (edited out)
*Stone The Crows: Sad Mary (album - Ode To John Law) Polydor 2425 042
*Homesick James & Grizelda: Dust My Broom (session)  (JP: “a slightly untidy, but doubtless sincere version…”)
*Strawbs: Song Of A Sad Little Girl (session)
*Hawk: In The Mood (7") Phillips International 3559 (Another record auction win by JP;  the Glenn Miller hit done by Jerry Lee Lewis under a pseudonym)
*Thunderclap Newman: Wild Country (album - Hollywood Dream) Track 2406 003
*Wommet: Greyhound Bus (session)
*tape cuts out
== File ==
;Name
*J P Top Gear 31 Oct 1970.mp3
;Length
*1:50:12
;Other
*Many thanks to the original taper, and to Tim for purchasing from eBay and digitisation
;Available
* Mooo
Category:1970
Category:Peel shows
Category:Top Gear
Category:Tim's Tapes
Category:Available online