Mark Whitby on 20 Years of Dandelion Radio and John Peel's Legacy | The J-Card Podcast

Mark Whitby is a DJ on Dandelion Radio and FSK Hamburg, and honestly, the guy is a walking music encyclopedia. Dandelion Radio started right after John Peel died (they literally named it after Peel’s own record label from the 70s), and Mark’s been behind the mic there for almost 20 years now.He also wrote a book on Peel’s Festive 50 chart, which turns 50 this year, and he actually mailed a copy to Peel himself just weeks before Peel passed away. Wild timing.We get into all of it: how Dandelion Radio got started, what it’s like carrying on the Festive 50 tradition, his punk awakening as a kid, a deep dive into blues, reggae, and the Madchester scene, and his other whole life as a football obsessive. He even wrote a book on women’s football and uses the proceeds to sponsor amateur players in the North West of England.It’s a long one, but a good one, with someone who’s spent his whole life chasing new music and just giving it away for free. Enjoy my conversation with Mark.Mark on BlueSky:@markw01.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/markw01.bsky.socialMark’s Blog: https://rabidunderdog.blogspot.comSubscribe on YouTubeThe J-Card is presented by Rue Defense Tape Club, a quarterly, mail-order cassette compilation and DIY audio project. Each episode is part music discovery, part oral history, part hangout show. We ask artists, musicians, filmmakers, and other music-minded folks to build us their own personal mixtape and talk about the moments and memories that inspired it.New episodes drop here and wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for watching, and if you liked this one, share it with a friend who also might.Created by Alexei ShishkinAssociate Producer: Alivia StonierBooking: Jamie Halliday📬 Subscribe:Subscribe now📲 Follow us:IG: https://www.instagram.com/ruedefenseBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tapeclub.substack.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ruedefenseX: https://x.com/ruedefenseBandcamp: https://ruedefense.bandcamp.comTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tapeclubLinktree: https://linktr.ee/ruedefense🤝 Support / Sponsorship: https://forms.gle/8L4o4yLvX5fQnpAXA🎶 Submit Music: https://forms.gle/Mc7En6K8Tb2BbgxJA📩 Contact: [email protected]⏱️ Chapters:00:00 - Intro to Mark Whitby00:52 - Founding of Dandelion Radio04:10 - How Mark Got Involved08:39 - 20 Years Of Change14:10 - The Festive 50 Explained21:24 - Football, Fandom & Passion31:02 - The Mixtape32:56 - “In A Rut” by The Ruts42:21 - “Death Letter Blues” by Son House52:14 - “Eine Symphonie Des Grauens” by The Monochrome Set58:27 - “The Spangle Maker” by Cocteau Twins1:04:53 - “Mother Nature and Father Man-Made” by The Venopian Solitude1:12:35 - “Strength” by Fikir Amlak & King Alpha1:18:20 - Honorable Mentions1:21:03 - Game: Call and Response1:29:31 - Plugs & Outro This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tapeclub.substack.com/subscribe