Today (August 25) is the birthday of radio broadcasting legend John Peel, a man who a substantial amount of music lovers owe a huge debt to. Yesterday, Steve Lamacq's BBC 6Music show marked what would have been John's 75th birthday with an hour of songs that featured in Peelie's annual 'Festive 50' countdowns, including this one that I have somehow NEVER heard before. Amsterdam formed in 1999, around the time that I began listening to JP's unforgettable Radio 1 late evening show. From 2004, here's the band's beautiful 'Does This Train Stop on Merseyside?'. John Peel was said to have been so moved by this song, that it reduced him to tears on every occasion he played it. It made the Festive 50 at the end of the year, by which time the great man had gone. This song went on to be covered by folk legend Christy Moore in 2009.
