Strange Fruit

Inevitably, much of my roving reporting took me to record shops and in one of the biggest of these there was an impressive display of Peel session releases on Strange Fruit. I was looking at this when a woman assistant asked me whether I was interested in the records and I had to explain that I sort of was and sort of wasn't. She looked understandably nonplussed, so I explained further, revealing that I was the Peel mentioned on the sleeves. 'You are John Peel?' she gasped. I dimpled modestly and admitted it, whereupon she burst into tears. Whether these were tears of joy or disappointment, I've never been able to make up my mind.(Peel visits Tokyo, Margrave Of The Marshes, pg. 72)
We had a terrific time time; we created one of the world's great collectors' labels.(Clive Selwood, All The Moves (But None Of The Licks), pg. 237)
== Overview ==
The Strange Fruit label, established in 1986 by former Dandelion Records business chief Clive Selwood,Selwood's memoir, All Of The Moves (But None of the Licks) (London, Peter Owen, 2003), has a full chapter on Strange Fruit (pp 224-237). Peel's long-time friend and personal manager, was a primary distributor of BBC recordings, focusing on Peel sessions.Larkin, Colin (ed.) (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave, Virgin Books, ISBN 0 7535 0231 3 The DJ himself had nothing to do with the label's ownership or management, although he did lend support and suggested sessions that he felt deserved release.In fact, it was not unknown for him to mention on air after playing a track from one of the label's "Peel Session" releases that he didn't receive a penny from the records.
The name Strange Fruit came from the song written by Abel Meeropol and famously performed by Billie Holiday. Its title and lyrics reference racially motivated lynchings. Selwood recalls that Peel (as a fan of WC Fields and football) put forward the possible label names "Bank Dick" and "Back o' the Net Records," although these received the thumbs down:
:"The latter seemed like a bit of a mouthful and the former, when written down, can be mistaken for Black Dick, which I figured might limit its appeal somewhat."Selwood p.225
The label had the aim of generating sufficient revenue from recordings of 'big name' artists to allow the release of recordings by lesser-known ones. Among the first batch of six 12" EP releases in September 1986 were New Order's 1982 Peel session and the Damned's second, from 1977. These were followed by sessions from some of the biggest names from the punk and post punk eras. Recordings from as far back as the 1960s by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and the Bonzo Dog Band were also released.
Tracking down artists or their representatives and obtaining the rights to release sessions didn't always prove easy; Frankie Goes To Hollywood were among the earliest to refuse permission.Selwood (p.104) notes that this was despite "Peel's extraordinary influence on their career" and the fact that two of the band's biggest hits were written on the train down to London to record sessions. Others, however, were happy to give the go-ahead on the basis of "anything for John." Selwood (p. 225) cites New Order as an example.
As well as individual sessions, the label also released albums compiling several sessions by the same artist. Strange Fruit was sufficiently successful that it spawned subsidiary labels including Nighttracks (sessions from Radio One's Evening Show), Raw Fruit (concert recordings from the Reading Festival), and Band of Joy (BBC session recordings from the 1960s and 1970s). In 1994, Peel's BBC colleague Andy Kershaw started another subsidiary label, Strange Roots, which released session recordings by world music and Roots music artists from his radio show.
After Strange Fruit pioneered releases of Peel sessions, other companies followed in its footsteps by issuing archive BBC music recordings, including sessions from the Peel show. Clive Selwood sold Strange Fruit to Pinnacle in the mid-1990s and the label was eventually shut down in 2004, when the Zomba group of companies merged with BMG. The last release Strange Fruit put together was an album of complete Peel sessions by New Order.
== Strange Fruit Records Catalogue (Peel Sessions, BBC) ==
;Individual artists original 12-inch vinyl complete, single-session releases, SFPS prefix (unless indicated otherwise); and CD with SFPCD or SFPSCD prefix only those indicated; released quarterly in batches of 6, or later 4, September 1986- September 1994
* SFPS001 New Order SFPSCD001
* SFPS002 The Damned SFPSCD002
* SFPS003 The Screaming Blue Messiahs
* SFPS004 Stiff Little Fingers SFPSCD004
* SFPS005 Sudden Sway
* SFPS006 The Wild Swans
* SFPS007 Madness SFPSCD007
* SFPS008 Gang of Four
* SFPS009 The Wedding Present SFPSCD009
* SFPS010 Twa Toots
* SFPS011 The Ruts
* SFPS012 Siouxsie & The Banshees SFPSCD012
* SFPS013 Joy Division SFPSCD013
* SFPS014 The Primevals
* SFPS015 June Tabor
* SFPS016 The Undertones
* SFPS017 Xmal Deutschland
* SFPS018 The Specials
* SFPS019 Stump
* SFPS020 The Birthday Party SFPSCD020
* SFPS021 The Slits
* SFPS022 Spizz Oil
* SFPS023 The June Brides
* SFPS024 Culture
* SFPS025 The Prefects
* SFPS026 Yeah Yeah Noh
* SFPS027 Billy Bragg SFPSCD027
* SFPS028 The Fall
* SFPS029 Girls at Our Best!
* SFPS030 The Redskins
* SFPS031 T.Rex
* SFPS032 Tubeway Army
* SFPS033 Joy Division SFPSCD033
* SFPS034 The Adverts
* SFPS035 The Mighty Wah
* SFPS036 The Triffids
* SFPS037 Robert Wyatt
* SFPS038 That Petrol Emotion
* SFPS039 New Order SFPSCD039
* SFPS040 The Damned
* SFPS041 Wire
* SFPS042 Electro Hippies
* SFPS043 Syd Barrett SFPSCD043
* SFPS044 Buzzcocks
* SFPS045 Cud
* SFPS046 The Very Things
* SFPS047 Ultravox
* SFPS048 Extreme Noise Terror
* SFPS049 Napalm Death
* SFPS050 The Cure SFPSCD050
* SFPS051 The Bonzo Dog Band
* SFPS052 The Nightingales
* SFPS053 Intense Degree
* SFPS054 Stupids
* SFPS055 The Smiths SFPSCD055
* SFPS056 Bolt Thrower
* SFPS057 Half Man Half Biscuit SFPSCD057
* SFPS058 The Birthday Party
* SFPS059 Lindisfarne SFPSCD059
* SFPS060 Echo & The Bunnymen SFPSCD060
* SFPS061 Family SFPSCD061
* SFPS062 The Room
* SFPS063 Eton Crop
* SFPS064 Nico SFPSCD064
* SFPS065 Jimi Hendrix Experience SFPSCD065
* SFPS066 Siouxsie & the Banshees SFPSCD066
* SFPS067 Amayenge
* SFPS068 Ivor Cutler
* SFPS069 Unseen Terror
* SFPS070 Four Brothers
* SFPS071 A Guy Called Gerald
* SFPS072 Inspiral Carpets (2nd session) SFPSCD072
* SFPS073 Carcass
* SFPS074 Go-Betweens
* SFPS075 Associates
* SFPS076 Colorblind James Experience
* SFPS077 Happy Mondays (2nd session)
* SFPS078 Prong
* SFPS079 Prophecy Of Doom
* SFPS080 Jam
* SFPS081 Teenage Fanclub
* SFPS082 Tim Buckley
* SFPS083 Levellers Five
* SFPS084 Happy Mondays (1st session)
* SFPS085 Inspiral Carpets (last session)
* SFPS086 Headcleaner (10" vinyl)
* SFPS087 The Fall - Kimble (single from '92 session, plus from other Fall Sessions: C'n'C Hassle Schmuk, Words of Expectation, Spoilt Victorian Child)
* SFPS088 Meat Beat Manifesto (CD release with original vinyl catalogue number)
* SFPSCD089 Bratmobile (CD only release?)
* SFPSCD090 Uzeda (CD only?)
* SFPS/PSCD091 Frank Black and Teenage Fanclub (vinyl and CD)
* SFPSCD092 Directional Force (Dave Clarke)
===Double Peel Sessions CD mini-albums===
* SFPDCD049 Napalm Death (12/9/87, 8/3/88)
* SFPMC202 Gary Numan & Tubeway Army (25/5/79)
* SFPMA204 F.S.K. (Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle) (3/8/86, 21/6/87)
===Compilations===
(For plays by Peel of various artists (v/a) compilations, see Strange Fruit Compilations.)
* SFRLP100 The Sampler SFRCD100
* SFMCD214 Hut Recordings: The Peel Sessions (Smashing Pumpkins, Revolver, Verve, Moose)
* SFRLP101 Hardcore Holocaust
* SFRCD119 Too Pure (Th' Faith Healers, Stereolab, PJ Harvey)
* SFRCD129 Peel Your Head: The Planet Dog Peel Sessions (Banco De Gaia, Timeshard, Eat Static)
* SFRCD201 The Soft Machine: The Peel Sessions
* SFRCD203 Before The Fall - The Peel Sessions 67-77 (20 track compilation, released 1991)
* SFRCD204 Winter of Discontent - The Peel Sessions 77-83 (compilation, 1991)
* SFRCD205 New Season - The Peel Sessions 83-91 (21 track compilation, 1991)
* SFRLP200 21 Years Of Alternative Radio 1
* SFRCD? The John Peel Sub Pop Sessions (tracks by Mudhoney, Billy Childish, Seaweed, Jonathan Richman, Velocity Girl, Codeine) (released 1994)
* SFRLP111 Joy Division
=== ===
=== Strange Fruit albums (also as CD SFRCD) ===
* SFRLP101 Hardcore Holocaust (vinyl number), 3 sessions from 79, 80, 82 (released 1989)
* SFRLP102 The Only Ones (vinyl number), 3 sessions from 79, 80, 82 (released 1989)
* SFRLP103 The Undertones (vinyl number), 3 sessions from 79, 80, 82 (released 1989)
* SFRLP104 Buzzcok's (vinyl number), 3 sessions from 79, 80, 82 (released 1989)
* SFRLP105 Microdisney (vinyl number), 3 sessions from 79, 80, 82 (released 1989)
* SFRLP106 Stiff Little Fimgers (vinyl number), 3 sessions from 79, 80, 82 (released 1989)
* SFRLP107 Gang Of Four (vinyl number), 3 sessions from 79, 80, 82 (released 1989)
* SFRLP108 Wire (vinyl number), 3 sessions from 79, 80, 82 (released 1989)
* SFRLP109 The Ruts (vinyl number), 3 sessions from 79, 80, 82 (released 1989)
* SFRLP122 The Wedding Present (vinyl number), Sessions 1987-1990 (released 1993)
=== Other albums ===
* SFRLP201 - Soft Machine (double vinyl album, released 1990)
* SFRSCD002 - Aswad: The BBC Sessions (2 Peel, 3 others)
* SFRSCD016 or SFRSCD079 - Tom Paxton Live In Concert (recorded in London, England in 1971 and 1972, released 1998)
* SFRSCD035 - Melanie: On Air [taken from November 75 concert, with added sessions from 1969 & 1989)
* SFRSCD039 - Argent
* SFRSCD050 - Albion Band (last 3 sessions)
* SFRSCD082 - Inspiral Carpets: Radio 1 Sessions (1999)
* SFRSCD094 - Joy Division: The Complete BBC Recordings (2000)
* SFRSCD097 - Amon Duul II
* SFRSCD099 - Adam & The Ants (1st 3 sessions)
* SFRSCD100 - Dreadzone: The Radio One Sessions (2001)
* SFRSCD102 - Clan Of Xymox: The John Peel Sessions (2001)
* SFRSCD104 - Laibach: The John Peel Sessions (2002)
* ‎SFRSCD108 - Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band: The Complete BBC Recordings (2002)
* SFRSCD110 - Stiff Little Fingers: The Complete John Peel Sessions (2002)
* ‎SFRSCD111 - Stereolab: ABC Music - Radio 1 Sessions (2002)
* SFRSCD115 - Associates: The Radio One Sessions Vol 1 1981-83 (2003)
* SFRSCD116 - Stiff Little Fingers: BBC Live In Concert (2003)
* SFRSCD117 - Jesus And Mary Chain: Live In Concert (2003)
* SFRSCD118 - Associates: The Radio One Sessions Vol 2 1984-85 (2003)
* SFRSCD119 - Sham 69: At The BBC (2003)
* SFRSCD120 - Fall: Live At The Phoenix Festival (2003)
* SFRSCD121 - Marc Almond: In Session Vol 1 (includes other BBC sessions as well as sole Peel session)
* SFRSCD122 - J Mascis: The John Peel Sessions (2003)
* SFRSCD128 - New Order: (all 3 sessions, final release in the catalogue)
* SFNT015 - Icicle Works: "Radio 1 Sessions - The Evening Show" - Four track 12" EP, recorded 1982, released 1988.
See also below "External Links"
In 1989 a Dealer Sheet was included in some releases that trailed a list of 60 sessions that had been cleared and were awaiting release. Although Strange Fruit continued to release sessions for several more years, very few of the sessions listed appeared.
== See also ==
*Dandelion Records
*Indie Charts
== External links ==
* Strange Fruit Peel Sessions Discography focused on 12" EP releases
* Discogs More complete discography
*NME JP / Clive Selwood interview on Strange Fruit (David Quantick), 1987-12-05
== Footnotes ==
Category:Record Labels