PRECIOUS RECORDINGS OF LONDON
The Twinsets - Peel Sessions 82-83 The Twinsets
£22.99
/
Tax included.
Fronted by sisters Gaye and Rachel Bell, the Edinburgh-based Twinsets became leading lights of the independent scene in the early 1980s when their Motown-inspired brand of post-punk made them a fixture on the Scottish indie circuit.
But, somehow, they never released a proper record. Until now, that is, when all their sessions for legendary Radio 1 DJ John Peel are compiled as part of the ongoing series lovingly curated by Precious Recordings of London.
With the sisters’ dad, Norman, drafted in alongside mainstay Rory Hall and others, the Twinsets were a mainstay of the Peel show for a couple of years during which they visited the BBC’s famous Maida Vale Studios for three sessions.
They recorded a mixture of their own originals plus some popular cover versions that were staples of their live show, such as Elvis Presley’s ‘Suspicious Minds’ – “like any good Scottish person, we knew Elvis was the king,” says Rachel – and the Shangri Las’ ‘Sophisticated Boom Boom’. The latter also inspired the name of the Twinsets’ Scottish girl-group compadres, similarly beloved of Peel in the early 80s.
A Twinsets cassette single did see the light of day in 1984 – with the Associates’ Alan Rankine on keyboard and production duties. Needless to say, it is impossible to find nowadays – and they split up soon after.
The Twinsets briefly reformed for the John Peel Day Edinburgh event in October 2005, while a handful of songs have surfaced on compilations over the years. More significantly, they were featured in depth in Carla J. Easton’s acclaimed 2024 documentary Since Yesterday, which traces the evolution of trailblazing Scottish girl groups and female-led bands so often overlooked in the past. Easton said the Twinsets seemed like “a really cool band, but you couldn’t find the music anywhere”.
But, somehow, they never released a proper record. Until now, that is, when all their sessions for legendary Radio 1 DJ John Peel are compiled as part of the ongoing series lovingly curated by Precious Recordings of London.
With the sisters’ dad, Norman, drafted in alongside mainstay Rory Hall and others, the Twinsets were a mainstay of the Peel show for a couple of years during which they visited the BBC’s famous Maida Vale Studios for three sessions.
They recorded a mixture of their own originals plus some popular cover versions that were staples of their live show, such as Elvis Presley’s ‘Suspicious Minds’ – “like any good Scottish person, we knew Elvis was the king,” says Rachel – and the Shangri Las’ ‘Sophisticated Boom Boom’. The latter also inspired the name of the Twinsets’ Scottish girl-group compadres, similarly beloved of Peel in the early 80s.
A Twinsets cassette single did see the light of day in 1984 – with the Associates’ Alan Rankine on keyboard and production duties. Needless to say, it is impossible to find nowadays – and they split up soon after.
The Twinsets briefly reformed for the John Peel Day Edinburgh event in October 2005, while a handful of songs have surfaced on compilations over the years. More significantly, they were featured in depth in Carla J. Easton’s acclaimed 2024 documentary Since Yesterday, which traces the evolution of trailblazing Scottish girl groups and female-led bands so often overlooked in the past. Easton said the Twinsets seemed like “a really cool band, but you couldn’t find the music anywhere”.
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