City Walls 2

About the book

In 1980 Southampton had a burgeoning independent music scene with a variety of bands spanning the spectrum from post-punk through to experimental via the post-industrial ‘Factory’ style of output. Following the release of an independent LP emerging down the M27 in Portsmouth a small group of students decided that they could do it just as well for Southampton. What transpired was an attempt to put out an album that swerved from avoiding one car crash to another, with the simple, but seemingly impossible goal of getting the music played by John Peel on Radio 1. This is the story of White Elephant Records, and their album, ‘City Walls’.

Video from the book launch

Recordings from the actual Curry with John Peel

‘The Holy Grail’ of the book. The actual recording of the curry house meal on 31st January 1981 with John Peel himself! I thought it’d been lost forever, but it’s safely digitised now. I hadn’t heard it for 38 years and whilst some of it is a bit naff (the bits with me speaking) and is only on one channel (mono recording days I’m afraid guys!) it’s perhaps the first new material of the man’s voice in 15 or so years. It was never played on the radio and only a few snippets of it were published in an arts magazine at the time. The recording lasts a whole side of a C90 cassette (45 minutes) and contains some fascinating insights into John Peel ‘behind the scenes’ / ‘off air’. I think it’s well worth a listen!

John talks about being vegetarian

John talks about the assassination of John Lennon

John talks about the records he gets sent and how he will be remembered

How to get hold of the book (if you really want to that is!).

Like the City Walls album, the book is classic DIY/Indie offering and has no publisher or distribution network. And just like the album, there’s only 1000 copies of it that have been printed. It can be purchased for £7.99 plus P&P (£3.50 in the UK, £8.50 to Europe and either £9.50 to the Rest of the World – 56 days potential delivery time or £14.50 if you want it within 7 working days – it’s a chunky tome at 800g after all!).

You can also get an ebook version at £2.99 inc VAT from Amazon for Kindle.

If you wish to buy either version then just email me at: richard.richalis@yahoo.co.uk

And I’ll sort it out (including any comments /signature that you may wish to add to the inside front page).