A Collection of Fanzines, Underground Press Publications and Letters Owned by DJ John Peel 1968 to 1989 Brown, James, Mark Ticher, Roger Hill, Richard Neville et al

Brown, James, Mark Ticher, Roger Hill, Richard Neville et al A Collection of Fanzines, Underground Press Publications and Letters Owned by DJ John Peel 1968 1989 - £4500 Seventy-six 'zines of various kinds, the majority music fanzines from 1979 1989, and forty letters from their creators, which were sent to the DJ John Peel AKA John Ravenscroft OBE (1939-2004). Peel occupied an unusual position in British culture, managing, due to his middle-class upbringing and public school education, to hold various positions at major national institution The BBC. While his counter-culture lifestyle, work on pirate radio stations and links with the underground press during the 1960s and early 1970s, combined with his approachability and laid-back style, meant that he was trusted by many anti-establishment figures and those with working class backgrounds. Making him uniquely placed to serve as a highly effective bridge between the underground and mainstream in the country during the latter decades of the twentieth century. The collection is substantially dominated by fanzines of the punk and post-punk era, 60 of the 76 were produced in 1979 or after, and it includes near complete runs of several notable titles: Liverpool's Merseysound, Leeds based Whippings and Apologies and Attack of Bzag!, the latter produced by James Brown who would go on to launch Loaded magazine in the mid-1990s. Also present are more obscure, decidedly rare and often one-off productions, and first or early issues of fanzines which would go on to attain relatively high circulation and longevity, aiming to get off the ground with the help of mentions on Peel's show. Peel was happy to promote fanzines, and to acknowledge his symbiotic relationship with them, as they represented an excellent way to gather information regarding important emerging bands and scenes in various parts of the country and abroad (one of the 'zines present is from Cork in Ireland). This, in turn, assisted in the launch of some bands and artists careers. Many of the 'zines also had an explicit left-wing political agenda, as did the bands that they helped promote, often advocating direct action in resistance to the policies of the Thatcher-lead conservative government. The condition of the 'zines is generally very good, some have minor staining and foxing, there are a few dog-eared page corners, and, depending upon the quality of production and materials used, varying degrees of toning and fading. (Details of the individual publications are below.) Drabble, John, Julia Stone, Roger McGough, Adrian Mitchell, B. S. Johnson, Brian Eno et al Clare Market Review Vol 64 No. 2 London School of Economics, 1968. 60 pages, roughly 21 by 27.5cm, staple-bound. A single issue of the long-running LSE Students' Union publication, with some notable contributors and a cover designed by Julia Stone ARCA. Loosely inserted is a handwritten letter to John Peel from Social Secretary, Don Strickland on LSE headed paper, presenting the issue, hoping for a plug on the radio, discussing the next issue and plans for a live event with readings from contributors, including McGough and Mitchell. Street Press Nos. 3 & 4 Birmingham, 1971 2 issues, 15 & 19 pages respectively, approximately 21 by 28.5cm. Staple-bound. A well-produced radical underground magazine, serving the interests of those in the Birmingham freak scene, containing articles on: drugs, sex, festivals, political activism, police brutality etc. Also present is an unused cover for issue no. 2. Maher, Terence, Richard Neville, Laurel Olszewski, Jean Buckley, Allen Ginsberg et al The Living Daylights Vol 1, Nos. 1, 2 & 4. Melbourne, 1973. 24, 28 and 28 pages respectively, roughly 29 by 40.5cm. An ambitious Australian counter-culture paper, following on from Neville's Oz career, and also featuring artwork by Martin Sharp. Shaw, Greg, Ken Barnes (editors) Suzy Barnes, Jay Kinney et al Who Put The Bomp, Fall 1973 & Summer 1974, Hollywood, Cal