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Draft:Skin the Peeler

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  • Comment: Fails WP:NBAND - Discogs is not a reliable or acceptable secondary source.
    The LondonBeat and XTC reference doesn't mention the band.
    The Cropredy 1992 and fRoots reference are just name-checking (inclusion on a list) - there is no significant coverage.
    In the section Use of Historical and Literary sources, neither the websites for Biddy Early, Turlough O'Carolan, or William Blake makes any mention of the band - so this entire section is essential original research.
    . Dan arndt (talk) 07:57, 20 November 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: more citations needed; many sections have no footnotes Snowman304|talk 04:29, 22 October 2024 (UTC)

Skin The Peeler are a multi-instrumental Celtic roots fusion band originally from Bristol. Formed in 1976 by mandolin player Terry Barter and saxophonist Rod Salter who began writing and playing original instrumental compositions inspired by their love of traditional Irish music and folk lore, later incorporating folk roots and world music. Named after an Irish Slip Jig, Skin The Peeler released 4 Studio Albums, a Vinyl Single and an EP on the Skindependent record label They disbanded in 1994  reuniting for a reunion Gig in 1996. Since that time the Skin the Peeler Small Quartet Project formed by Terry Barter and cellist Rose Hull and later involving Mandolin player Mike Pryor have released a further 2 studio albums and several online releases.[1]

SKIN THE PEELER
Friends and Lovers Lineup 1994 Jason Gaines, Gerald Davis, Terry Barter, Rod Salter, Neil Russell, Rose Hull.
Friends and Lovers Lineup 1994 Jason Gaines, Gerald Davis, Terry Barter, Rod Salter, Neil Russell, Rose Hull.
Background information
OriginBristol, England
GenresCeltic World Folk Fusion
Years active1976 til Present
Past membersMike Pryor,Martin Palfrey,Liam Henshaw, Tony Hayes, Martin Cleverly, Richard Ireland, Myke Vince.
Websitehttps://www.skinthepeeler.com

History

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Formation and First Album

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The roots of Skin the Peeler go back to when Mandocello player Terry Barter was introduced to Whistle player Rod Salter. Finding they both shared a love of Irish Traditional music they began playing together. They were joined by accordion and concertina player Martin Palfrey, bassist Pat Hunter and Mike Edwards (guitar and vocals). The Album ‘Skin the Peeler’ was recorded at Right Track Studios Bristol. Tony Hayes played drums along with Alan Eden, the touring drummer for Leo Sayer.[2] It was produced by Willy M, aka William Henshaw who later went on to produce other bands including King and Terraplane for CBS and Epic. Willy M was also a founder member of the band Londonbeat.[3] He was originally hired to engineer and produce Skin the Peeler, but was so inspired by the music that he joined the band playing bass and lead guitar on several of the album tracks and performed at many gigs.[4]

While working on new material, recorded at Christchurch Studios Bristol and released as the Christchurch Tapes, the band were featured on BBC TV’s Pebble Mill at One on Dec 12th 1984. Martin Cleverley became the band's drummer debuting after the Album's launch gig in May 1984.The Album's finale was the ten minute four part work 'Finvarra', featuring an improvised solo by the Korgies violin player Stuart Gordon.[5]

The Festival Circuit and Friends and Lovers (1987– 1995)

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In 1987 Barter and Salter were joined by classically trained cellist Rose Hull rehearsing and writing new compositions and later by percussionist Jason Gaines. By 1989 they had enough original material to release the 8 track album ‘Facing The Sun’, recorded at Horizon West Studio in Weston Super Mare, which introduced them to a more folk/roots oriented audience. This highly successful line up, later incorporating guitarist Gerald Davis ,drummer Neil Russell and bassist Richard Ireland, performed at Fairport Convention’s Cropredy Convention Festival in 1992 playing to a crowd of 25,000.[6] The same year Rose Hull worked with Fairport’s Drummer Dave Mattacks as the cello player on XTC’s Album ‘Nonsuch’ playing on tracks ‘The Disappointed’, ‘Rook’ and ‘Wrapped in Grey’ along with Stuart Gordon on violin.[7]  [8]   

A further gig as support to Fairport Convention in Bristol in Spring 1993 kicked off a year of festivals including the Acoustic Stage at Glastonbury,[9] Sidmouth Folk Festival, and the Heineken Big Top Music Festivals in Portsmouth, Swansea and Nottingham. This highly productive year also included the recording of the 8 track album ‘Friends and Lovers’ at Antenna studios with Richard Grassby-Lewis founder member of Bristol Band ‘The Startled Insects’ engineering and playing keyboards on two of the tracks.[10]

Band members then moved on to solo work with Barter and Hull forming the the Skin The Peeler Small Quartet Project playing acoustic versions of the existing music plus new compositions.[11]

Use of Historical and Literary sources

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Historical References

Much of the early work of the band was inspired by Terry Barter’s study of Celtic Folklore.

  • Biddy Early. Clairvoyant, Herbalist and Wise Woman (1798 – 1874).[12] Written after visiting the remains of her cottage in Feakle, a remote village in County Clare. From the Album Skin the Peeler.
  • The Bells of Shee Chora. (The Goddess Chora who lives in the faery mound) Inspired by Turlough O’Carolan the blind Irish harpist (1676 – 1738). O’Carolan’s melody Si Bheag Si Mhor was the catalyst for this work. From the Album Skin the Peeler.[13]
  • Giant’s Dance. The megaliths of Stonehenge in Wiltshire are referred to in folklore as the Giant’s Dance. From the Album Skin the Peeler.

Literary sources

  • Finvarra. A ten-minute piece in four parts, inspired by the Irish king of the faeries. From the Album Skin the Peeler.
  • Angel. A lifelong admirer of William Blake,[14] Barter was inspired by the poem ‘The Angel’ from The Songs of Experience. (1789) From the Album Friends and Lovers.

Musical style

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Skin the Peeler 1984 Rod Salter, Mike Pryor, Terry Barter

Skin the Peeler evolved into a unique fusion band with influences from Roots and World music. By the time of the 'Friends and Lovers ' line up the rhythm section had 2 drummers, Neil Russell (African 'zebra skin' drums, octobans, acoustic drums, Electronic Symonds kit ) and Jason Gaines (Congas and an array of percussion) as well as Rose Hull on Cello and Gerald Davis on guitar. The original band played live throughout the 70's and 80's at Art Centres and clubs, one highlight being the Glastonbury Festival 1983.[9] The Peeler's first headlining gig was at Yesterdays in Bristol in 1984 which was the debut of their first album 'Skin the Peeler' . The Friends and Lovers lineup 's gigs included The Heineken Free Festivals in Nottingham, Portsmouth and Swansea, folk festivals including Cheddar , Trowbridge, Ashton Court, Sidmouth, Glastonbury Festival 1993 on the Avalon Stage, and the Cropredy Convention Festival.[6] During the following decade they and the Peeler Small Quartet were the subject of many magazine features and reviews in the media including First Hearing in the UK , Dirty Linen[15] and Sing Out in the USA. The band were regularly featured in Folk Roots (later renamed Froots).[16]

Personnel

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Band Members

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Terry Barter (mando-cello, mandolin, chrango, ronroco)

Rod Salter (flutes, saxophone, whistles)

Rose Hull (cello, whistles)

Neil Russell (drums)

Jason Gaines (percussion)

Gerald Davis (guitars)

Mike Pryor (mandolin, bass guitar)

Martin Palfrey (keyboards)

Patrick Hunter (bass guitar)

William Henshaw (bass guitar)

Tony Hayes (drums)

Session Musicians on Albums

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Stuart Gordon (violin)

Alan Eden (drums)

Richard Lewis (piano/ keyboards)

Discography

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Studio Albums

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Skin the Peeler First Album (1984, Vinyl Album, Right Track Records)

The Christchurch Tapes (1990, Cassette Album, Skindependent)

Facing the Sun (1989, Cassette Album, Skindependent)

Friends And Lovers (1994, CD Album, Skindependent)

Singles and EP's

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Biddy Early (Skin the Peeler, 1984, 7" Vinyl Single, Right Track Records)

World Dance EP (Skin the Peeler, 1991 Vinyl and CD 3 Track EP, Skindependent)

Pureland (Peeler Small Quartet Project, 2024 On-line single release, Skindependent)

Compilation Albums

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Sometimes Wise (Skin the Peeler, 1992, Cassette Album, Skindependent)

Video Releases

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Angel - Skin The Peeler from the 'Friends and Lovers' Album

World Dance - Skin The Peeler.

L'Amour de la Vie - Skin The Peeler from the 'Friends and Lovers' Album

Skin The Peeler - Dueling Drummers

References

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  1. ^ Larkin, Colin. "The Encyclopaedia of Popular Music". www.oxfordreference.com. Retrieved 2024-11-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "Skin The Peeler". discogs.com. Retrieved 2024-11-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "LONDONBEAT | In The Blood |1990". Londonbeat. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  4. ^ "Liam Henshall". discogs.com. Retrieved 2024-11-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "Stuart Gordon". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2024-11-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b "Cropredy 1992 | FC List". fclist.org. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  7. ^ "XTC – Nonsuch". discogs.com/. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "Chalkhills: XTC: Nonsuch". chalkhills.org. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  9. ^ a b "Skin the Peeler". www.vam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  10. ^ "Richard Grassby-Lewis". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2024-11-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ Jones, Simon (December 1996). "Unpeeled Simon Jones meets the half quartet that thinks its whole". Folk Roots (162). Southern Rag Ltd.
  12. ^ "Women's Museum of Ireland". Women’s Museum of Ireland. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  13. ^ "The Old Music Project". www.oldmusicproject.com. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  14. ^ "The William Blake Archive". www.blakearchive.org. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  15. ^ LBI (June 1997). "Room Full of Wings". Dirty Linen (70). Baltimore USA: Visionation Inc: 92, 93.
  16. ^ Jones, Simon (January 1992). "SKIN SHOWS Simon Jones investigates Bristol's Skin the Peeler". Folk Roots (Froots) (103/104). Southern Rag Ltd.
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