Oysterband

Oysterband (originally The Oyster Band) is a British folk rock and folk punk band formed in Canterbury around 1976.
The band formed in parallel to Fiddler's Dram, and under the name "Oyster Ceilidh Band" played purely as a dance band at first. The name Oyster comes from the group's early association with the coastal town of Whitstable, Kent, known for the quality of its oysters. Their first album, released under the Oyster Ceilidh Band name, was Jack's Alive (1980) on the Dingles record label. Subsequent albums, as "Oyster Band" (sometimes "The Oyster Band") were released on the band's own Pukka Music label: English Rock 'n' Roll: The Early Years 1800–1850 and Lie Back and Think of England, followed by Liberty Hall and 20 Golden Tie-Slackeners.
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==Links to Peel==
Their main connection to Peel is via June Tabor, with whom they recorded a session for the DJ in 1991. Unusually for them, three of the tracks were cover versions of material Peel had played in 1967-68; Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" and two Bob Dylan songs, "Wheels On Fire" (otherwise known as "This Wheel's On Fire") and "All Along The Watchtower", which had become famous in hit versions by Julie Driscoll and Jimi Hendrix respectively.
Their 1990 album with Tabor, Freedom And Rain, became a Peel favourite, with tracks from it appearing in his playlists of the time. The Oyster Band, or Oysterband, also appear on some of Chumbawamba's recordings. and were featured in Andy Kershaw's programmes. Two members of the band were at the same time playing in another local band, Fiddler's Dram, who had a brief spell of fame when their single "Day Trip To Bangor" was a novelty hit in 1979, reaching #3 in the UK singles charts. It got plenty of Radio 1 airplay, although not from Peel, who may have been among those who found the song an annoying earworm. Their singer Cathy Lesurf later joined the Albion Band.
Peel also claimed, perhaps not entirely seriously, that the Oyster Band single "This Is The Voice", which he played on his 23 September 1999 programme, was released to cash in on the popularity of the Peelenium, particularly The Voice. The song's lyrics seem to tell a different story . 
==Sessions==
Recorded with June Tabor: 1990-11-27. First Broadcast: 05 January 1991. Repeated: 03 March 1991
*White Rabbit / Annachie Gordon / Wheels On Fire / All Along The Watchtower
==Other Shows Played==
;thumb|220x220px1986
*29 October 1986 (Andy Kershaw sitting in): Hal-An-Tow (7") Cooking Vinyl
;1989
*21 October 1989 (BFBS): Love Vigilantes (single) Cooking Vinyl
;1990
*18 July 1990 (& June Tabor): Dark Eyed Sailor (album - Freedom And Rain) Cooking Vinyl
*19 July 1990 (& June Tabor): All Tomorrow's Parties (LP - Freedom And Rain) Cooking Vinyl
*26 July 1990 (& June Tabor): Dark Eyed Sailor (album - Freedom And Rain) Cooking Vinyl
*22 December 1990 (& June Tabor): Dark Eyed Sailor (album - Freedom And Rain) Cooking Vinyl
;1999
*23 September 1999: This Is The Voice (single) Running Band
==External Links==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
*Official Website
Category:Artists