John Peel's record collection goes online

[Tooj 17]

http://www.guardian....e?newsfeed=true

 

John Peel's record collection is about to go online. Starting on Tuesday, the John Peel Centre for Creative Arts will begin uploading details of the late DJ's cherished vinyl, unveiling 2,600 albums over the next six months.

 

Every week, the Centre will expand the scope of its virtual museum, adding another 100 records, covering everything from Appalachian mountain music to zouk. "It's a very personal look at John's collection," producer Charlie Gauvain said. According to Sheila Ravenscroft, Peel's widow, curators will highlight one artist from each batch, picking through more than 65,000 items in his archive. Peel kept meticulous files about his records: each sleeve was given a typed filing card, with all sorts of information.

"There'll be information about the record sleeve, front and back, all the information about the record itself, as well as whether John rated the album or not," Ravenscroft explained. Although copyright prevents the centre from streaming the records, links will be included, when available, to purchase or stream the music on Spotify and iTunes. "I think people are going to be very interested as to what's in the collection," Ravenscroft said. "They will be amused and intrigued by it."

Besides the details of Peel's records, the virtual museum will also include videos, and incorporate Peel's own home movies. Producers discovered 30 hours of footage at his home in Suffolk, with everything from clips of bands to footage from Liverpool's Anfield stadium. The website will apparently launch with John Peel's Suffolk Comforts, a 1989 film "that's never been broadcast before", Gauvain said. "It's a real gem … [with] some really personal things in it."

Peel died in 2004, after almost 40 years as a BBC radio DJ. He was 65.

As previously reported, Peel's virtual museum is part of the Space, a digital arts service funded by the British Arts Council and the BBC.

Canny.