Lots of bands used John Peel sessions to record cover versions. Many of these would later appear on b-sides under license from the BBC but in recent years there’s been a trend towards some of the bands most frequently invited into the studio to release all such material on CD album or within boxsets – The Fall, The Wedding Present, PJ Harvey and Magazine all spring to mind. As do this lot:-
mp3 : The Delgados – Mr Blue Sky
mp3 : The Delgados – California Uber Alles
mp3 : The Delgados – Matthew and Son
mp3 : The Delgados – Last Rose of Summer
Stewart Henderson used the sleeve notes of the CD release to explain:-
The next session was scheduled to coincide with the release of ‘Hate’ and was recorded on 15 September 2002. This on was going to be a departure from previous sessions because we had decided to do four cover versions – we would choose three and John would be allowed to pick the fourth. John’s choice was ‘Last Rose of Summer’ by a Jamaican vocal group called The Symbols (also known as The Masters). This was a really enjoyable session to do although we all had individual problems with the songs that were chosen – Alun hated’Mr Blue Sky’ from the beginning and it took us forever to work out the outro; Paul had a nightmare doing the drums on ‘California Uber Alles’ and ‘Matthew and Son’ was a pain in the arse for me to play but overall the versions came out really well (for Alun’s sins we ended all our ‘Hate’ shows with ‘Mr Blue Sky’)
Oh and I’m with Alun Woodward on this. I really hate the song Mr Blue Sky…..ok, I hate the original ELP version…The Delgados make it more than listenable. And it’s a really good take on the Dead Kennedys classis as well.
Enjoy.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
This will come as quite a shock to ELP. Especially as “Mr. Blue Sky” was by ELO. (And we can hear the (new) vinyl villain going, “SHOT!” ;D ) Oh well… typos happen.
Mrs CC is a big fan of ELO and in particular Mr Blue Sky -she can’t stand ELP though!
Oh bollocks!!!
Whose idea was it to put the P next to the 0 on the keyboard so that fat fingers can make an arse of an author????
Typo will be sorted.
I hate ELP as much as I detest ELO….
I bought ELP’s Pictures at an Exhibition, for a pound. I was told that it was one of the worst records ever made. On playing, I had to agree.