Six degrees of separation ...from The Fall

[Bored Of Education]

Six degrees of separation ...from The Fall

Mark Radcliffe rang me up once. He was supposed to be asking me about a record my band had made, but we ended up mostly talking about his spell as a member of Frank Sidebottom's Oh Blimey Big Band. He did play us on his programme that evening, though.

What band was that, Furtho? <waits three years for answer>

[Bored Of Education]

Just found out I that have a Smith number of 4!

Back in the day I was in a student theatre group with Paul Ritter, who was in Their Finest with Bill Nighy, who was in Shaun of the Dead with Simon Pegg, who was in 24-Hour Party People.

That might make a 5. I am friends with Tamsin leaf who is in Friday Night Dinner with Ritter.

[Furtho]

What band was that, Furtho? <waits three years for answer>

They Go Boom - we never played any gigs in this country and put out records on a series of micro-indie labels, so, er, it didn't really mean that much.

[Bored Of Education]

Ah, pretty much the same here.

I don't know why I was pissing around with previous connections - the second Peel session we did, he played 'Mess Of My' by The Fall. Is that two steps or does it have to be a physical meeting?

[MsD]

I dunno what my score is, I've hung out with Brix and I either know or have met most players in the London punk scene and many of the post-punk lot, so know people who've played on the same bill. A close friend was onstage with him so jokingly counts that as being in The Fall, and I'm mates with The Fallen Women. Never met MES though, AFAIK.

[danielmak]

I've got a Smith number of 4, twice, through some vampire movie called Suck, 'featuring' Alex Lifeson and Alice Cooper.

If we're adding ourselves into the mix: Kevin Bacon was in a movie with my cousin, when I was an A&R rep I had a few lunches with Brix. I don't know how many degrees that equals: Mark E > Brix > Me > my cousin > Kevin Bacon.

[Benjm]

I've just remembered that I met Elena Poulou at a Giuda show. She has the track record to recognise a good 'Hey!' when she hears one.

[Sporting]

If anyone is interested in this group, and I know that some of you are, here's the new-look Reformation! website (I'm not responsible for the design but for a lot of the content):

https://thefallliveblog.wordpress.com/

[MsD]

Tim's Listening Party at the moment doing Hex Induction Hour.

[danielmak]

Well, here I am reading from the beginning only to get to the end to see that I posted already, but I was fixated on the Smith <-> Bacon big. Actually, I will expand because why not.

I actually have two connections. I worked for an independent promotion company in the early 90s that was basically the US office for Beggars Banquet. By then the Fall were signed to Polygram but we still had the catalogue.

Then as I said earlier, I had some lunches with Brix. I told her that I was bummed that during the time I worked at Beggars, I was never able to chase down the Adult Net 12" for "Edie," which has a nice retro 60s vibe to it that fit well with some lat 80s LA bands, like Salvation Army/Three O'Clock. Anyway, the next time we met up, she brought me a copy of the 12" and wrote something flirty on it because I think it was obvious that I was like some 16 year old schoolboy when I was around her. A few weeks later the missus, who only recently became the missus, was reorganizing the vinyl and came across the record. I got an earful.

So, those are both some degrees of separation from the Fall.

[Sporting]

Edie:

https://sites.google.com/site/reform...ll-tracks/edie

[delicatemoth]

I used to be in an improvising group with my friend Rebecca, one of whose tutors on her music degree was Dick Witts, who was in The Passage with Tony Friel.

[danielmak]

Edie:

https://sites.google.com/site/reform...ll-tracks/edie

I didn't know about that track. I have the CD so didn't mess with the Omnibus edition. There are still some Fall CDs I need to pick up since my vinyl is in another city. Given those other holes, I'm avoiding duplicates. Will check out Youtube.

[Sporting]

There's a new edition of Imperial Wax Solvent coming out with previously unreleased versions of many of the tracks:

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/...t-3cd-digipak/

It's very interesting.

[danielmak]

Sporting What's your opinion of these reissues from Cherry Red? Is the sound good? I know that Douglas Wolk had a website at one point dedicated to everything Fall. If I remember correctly, some of the earlier CD reissues were re-mastered from vinyl. The Fall 1982 box set is one that I would pick up since I don't have those records on CD (only the Peel sessions since I have that box set).

[Sporting]

Cherry Red is generally a good bet, in my opinion. But the relationship between The Fall and sharp sound...

I've never heard of this Douglas Wolk website.

[treibeis]

Tim's Listening Party at the moment doing Hex Induction Hour.

That actually sounds like something Mark E. Smith would have written.

[danielmak]

Cherry Red is generally a good bet, in my opinion. But the relationship between The Fall and sharp sound...

I've never heard of this Douglas Wolk website.

I can't find it now. The only thing I found with my search was this site, which I'm sure you know, including some of Wolk's reviews:
http://thefall.org/index.html (site > search > wolk)

[delicatemoth]

The 'Bend Sinister' reissue from a year or two ago is ace, and does indeed have sharp sound.

[Benjm]

I've got that and second the appreciation.

Heading towards the Barbican, I just passed a group of teenage girls all carrying posters from the Michael Clark exhibition there.

[danielmak]

1981 live show about to be released. Sucks that it is vinyl only, so I assume I will mostly listen via streams.

https://pitchfork.com/news/the-fall-...e-the-capitol/ (There is a song available to stream in this link)

[Sporting]

1981 live show about to be released. Sucks that it is vinyl only, so I assume I will mostly listen via streams.

https://pitchfork.com/news/the-fall-...e-the-capitol/ (There is a song available to stream in this link)

It's a very good show which I've had for ages and which in fact can be accessed here:

One amusing thing is that MES didn't think much of St Helens itself as we can see from his comments during a gig three days later in Glasgow:

"You didn't think we were going to go without a bit of misery, ha ha. We went to St. Helens - we were in St. Helens on Friday. There, if you go in a vault and you've had a bath, they think you are a poof. They've just discovered '78 in St. Helens and they all interbreed, anyway."

[Sporting]

For anyone who's heard of Marcia Schofield there's a very entertaining interview/chat with her on this podcast. Her route to becoming a doctor is particuarly interesting.

[Benjm]

The Fallen Women's highly enjoyable Fall karaoke night returns to The Lexington on Saturday. Hopefully the England game will finish in normal time to minimise any distraction.

[Benjm]

I've booked a ticket for HOUSE Of ALL, the latest combo of former Fall members to emerge. With Martin Bramah, the Hanley brothers and Simon Wolstencroft on board, it looks promising.