I’m hoping that you’ll recall, from the posting just two weeks ago, mention being made of The Wedding Present playing their first ever Peel Session, recorded on 11 February 1986 and broadcast on 26 February.
Such was its popularity of the session that it was given a vinyl release before the year was out, via the Strange Fruit label that had recently been established to issue some of the best and most in-demand of the Peel show recordings.
This was among the first ten releases in the series, coming out alongside sessions by New Order (1982), The Damned (1977), Screaming Blue Messiahs (1984), Stiff Little Fingers (1978), Sudden Sway (1983), Wild Swans (1982), Madness (1979), Gang Of Four (1979), and Twa Toots (1983).
As can be seen, TWP’s session was, by two years, the most recent.
mp3: The Wedding Present – Felicity (Peel Session)
mp3: The Wedding Present – What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted (Peel Session)
mp3: The Wedding Present – You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends (Peel Session)
mp3: The Wedding Present – This Boy Can Wait (Peel Session)
As you might expect, I’m a sucker for the Orange Juice cover. The Gedge sense of humour comes to the fore with the intro explanation of it being a William Shatner number.
For those who aren’t aware, Felicity was written by James Kirk (albeit Edwyn Collins sang lead vocal).
Oh, and What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted would undergo a name change not too long after, and eventually be recorded in the studio, as It’s What You Want That Matters.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
I do declare that this release perhaps kick-started the session versions, name changes and anthologising that continues to this day. It’s challenging, but fun, to keep on top of it all. This is a fine record from Strange Fruit.
Strangeways
Two of my all time favorite things together in one place. Great record!
40 years ago I started an alphabetical mix tape with cover versions of great songs with girls’ names. The last letter I’m missing is F. Now I’m wondering if I can use “Felicity”. I’m very unsure whether the song is about a girl (although it’s always about girls in some way).
[silly kisser]
To silly kisser…..
Felicity was very much written about a girl……
The first time I saw the Wedding Present, autumn 88 I think, someone kept shouting for Felicity. Eventually Gedge said they wouldn’t be playing it because it was too difficult to play live, they always messed it up.
This was one of the first Wedding Present items I bought, although I think I was late to the party – early 1988? The first songs I heard, the song that made my ears prick, was Why Are You Being So Reasonable Now?
I liked the simplicity of this series. However, despite the relatively low price I felt overwhelmed by the number of releases – consequently owning very few.
This particular release will always be a favourite – holding as it does so many fond memories.
Flimflamfan
This session shows how great WP was. This was one of their early peaks and made me a fan of them.