BBC releasing Peel Sessions, live sets from Gang of Four, PiL, Duran Duran, The Specials

The BBC and EMI recently struck a new partnership to digitally release archival recordings — mainly Peel Sessions and In Concert episodes recorded between 1977 and 1981 — from punk, post-punk, New Wave and 2 Tone-era ska acts such as Duran Duran, Public Image Ltd., The Specials and Gang of Four.

The “digital EPs” and full-length concert recordings — many of them previously unreleased — will be issued in near-monthly clusters and sold as downloads through online retailers such as Amazon.com (the first batch doesn’t appear to be available on iTunes).

September saw the release of five Peel Sessions from The Stranglers, ex-Sex Pistol Glen Matlock’s Rich Kids (two different EPs), The Skids and 999, while November’s slate includes another five Peel Sessions, including another set from The Skids, plus PiL, Gang of Four and two from the Angelic Upstarts.

But the real bonanza comes in December, when BBC starts rolling out the In Concert recordings, with shows on tap from Duran Duran, The Specials, Ultravox, The Selecter, The Stranglers and more, plus more Peel Sessions and Kid Jensen Sessions from the likes of Fun Boy Three and Dexy’s Midnight Runners.

See a full list of releases through December after the jump…

AVAILABLE NOW:

The Stranglers, 1st John Peel Session 1st March 1977
1. “Goodbye Toulouse”
2. “Hanging Around”
3. “I Feel Like a Wog”
4. “Something Better Change”

Rich Kids, 1st John Peel Session 31st October 1977
1. “Young Girls”
2. “Rich Kids”
3. “Burning Sounds”
4. “Bullet Proof Lover”

Rich Kids, 2nd John Peel Session 20th March 1978
1. “Ghosts of Princes in Towers”
2. “Lovers and Fools”
3. “Empty Words”
4. “Here Comes the Nice”

The Skids, 1st John Peel Session 16th May 1978
1. “Of One Skin”
2. “Open Sound”
3. “Contusion”
4. “Night and Day”
5. “TV Stars”

999, John Peel Session 25th October 1978
1. “Let’s Face It”
2. “Subterfuge”
3. “Homicide”
4. “Soldier”

NOVEMBER 9:

The Skids, 2nd John Peel Session 29th August 1978
1. “Dossier of Failibility”
2. “Hope and Glory”
3. “Six Times”
4. “The Saints Are Coming”

Gang Of Four, 2nd John Peel Session 2nd July 1979
1. “Natural’s Not In”
2. “Not Great Men”
3. “Ether”
4. “Guns Before Butter”

Public Image Ltd., John Peel Session 10th December 1979
1. “Pop Tones”
2. “Careering”
3. “Chant”

Angelic Upstarts, 2nd John Peel Session 17th September 1980
1. “Guns for the Afghan Rebels”
2. “Last Night Another Soldier”
3. “Kids on the Street”
4. “Sticks’ Diary”

Angelic Upstarts, 3rd John Peel Session 23rd June 1981
1. “Two Million Voices”
2. “You’re Nicked”
3. “I Understand (Pt. 3)”
4. “New Values”

DECEMBER 7:

Duran Duran, BBC In Concert 4th November 1982
1. “Rio”
2. “Hungry Like the Wolf”
3. “Last Chance On The Stairway”
4. “Lonely In Your Nightmare”
5. “Sound Of Thunder”
6. “Night Boat”
7. “New Religion”
8. “Friends Of Mine”
9. “Save A Prayer”
10. “Planet Earth”
11. “Careless Memories”

Ultravox, BBC In Concert 14th January 1981
1. “New Europeans”
2. “Passing Strangers”
3. “Mr X”
4. “All Stood Still”
5. “Sleepwalk”
6. “Vienna”
7. “Astradyne”

The Specials, BBC In Concert 15th December 1979
1. “(Dawning Of A) New Era”
2. “Do The Dog”
3. “Rat Race”
4. “Blank Expression”
5. “Rude Boys Outta Jail”
6. “Concrete Jungle”
7. “Too Much Too Young”
8. “Guns Of Navarone”
9. “Nite Klub”
10. “Gangsters”
11. “Long Shot Kick De Bucket”

The Selecter, BBC In Concert 15th December 1979
1. “Murder”
2. “Out On The Streets Again”
3. “The James Bond Theme”
4. “Carry Go Bring Come”
5. “Street Feeling”
6. “Everyday Things Are Getting Worse”
7. “They Make Me Mad”
8. “Too Much Pressure”

The Stranglers, BBC In Concert 8th February 1982
1. “Down in the Sewer”
2. “Just Like Nothing on Earth”
3. “Second Coming/Non-Stop”
4. “The Man They Love to Hate”
5. “Who Wants the World”
6. “Golden Brown”
7. “How to Find True Love and Happiness in the Present Day”
8. “Duchess”
9. “Let Me Introduce You to the Family”
10. “Tramp”
11. “Raven”
12. “Genetix”

Kajagoogoo, BBC In Concert 30th May 1983
1. “Kajagoogoo”
2. “Interview Rooms”
3. “This Car Is Fast”
4. “Monochromatic”
5. “Hang On Now”
6. “Magician Man”
7. “Take Another View”
8. “Ooh To Be Ah”
9. “White Feathers”
10. “Frayo”
11. “Ergonomics”
12. “Too Shy”

Classix Nouveaux, BBC In Concert 30th January 1982
1. “Is It A Dream”
2. “Inside Outside”
3. “Run Away”
4. “It’s Over”
5. “Because You’re Young”
6. “Never Again (The Days Time Erased)”
7. “1999”
8. “Guilty”

Culture Club, BBC In Concert 3rd November 1982
1. “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya”
2. “Take Control”
3. “Love Twist”
4. “I’m Afraid Of Me”
5. “Time (Clock of the Heart)”
6. “You Know I’m Not Crazy”
7. “White Boys Can’t Control It”
8. “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me”
9. “White Boy”
10. “Church Of The Poisoned Mind”

Dexy’s Midnight Runners, John Peel Session 26th February 1980
1. “Geno”
2. “Tell Me When My Light Turns Green”
3. “The Horse”
4. “Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache”

Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Kid Jensen Session 1980
1. “Geno”
2. “Respect”
3. “Dance Stance”
4. “The Teams That Meet In Caffs”

Fun Boy Three, Kid Jensen Session 16th January 1983
1. “Life After Death”
2. “Tunnel Of Love”
3. “Going Home”
4. “Well Fancy That”

The Selecter, John Peel Session 9th October 1979
1. “They Make Me Mad”
2. “Carry Go Bring Come”
3. “Street Feeling”
4. “Danger”

Rip, Rig And Panic, John Peel Session 14th September 1981
1. “Symphony In Dave’s Flat”
2. “A Grand Gin And A Shaky Smile Please Mr Barman”
3. “Pullover No Sox”

PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS

• John Peel box set to feature unreleased session tracks by The Cure, Elvis Costello
• New releases: Reissues from Duran Duran, Gary Numan, Fun Boy Three and more
• John Lydon reuniting Public Image Ltd. for 30th anniversary of ‘Metal Box’
• The Specials plot ‘final’ dates of 30th anniversary reunion tour of U.K.