ON THIS DAY : THE FALL’S PEEL SESSIONS #13

A new series for 2025.  It’s an idea that came to me a few months back.  Some of you will hate it…….

The Fall recorded twenty-four sessions for the John Peel Show between 1978 and 2004.  Back in 2005, these were issued as a 6xCD box set by Castle Music, a collection which has long been out of print and has a going rate of upwards of £70 on Discogs, with the price being a little bit more if you want one carefully looked after by any previous owner and can be described as being in ‘near mint’ condition.

The plan for the series is not to feature them in chronological order, as that would be far too sensible.

Instead, I’m going to post them on the actual dates each session was first broadcast, which will almost certainly interfere with the regular stuff which you’ve come to anticipate/expect/dread * on Saturdays and Sundays, and perhaps on Wednesdays if The Robster is willing to extend his guest series beyond his initial commitment of ten parts.  Each post will also include the commentary within the booklet for each of the sessions.

*(delete as appropriate)

The thing is, the series is getting off to something of a stuttering start as a couple of the sessions were broadcast in the very early days of January, and to stick fully to the plan of posting on a particular anniversary would have involved new material while the blog was on its festive break.  We’ll get fully on track in due course.

Session #13 was broadcast on 1 January 1990, having been recorded on 17 December 1989.

Introducing the new sound of the full-on, pop reborn Fall, signed to a major label, welcoming back original guitarist Martin Brammah and heralding the imminent release of February 1990’s ‘Extricate’. We have a tight and humorous ‘Hilary’; a cover of The Monks ‘I Hate You’, re-titled ‘Black Monk Theme’, marking the flailing debut of Kenny Brady’s fiddle. ‘Chicago Now’ gives the recorded version a run for its money. ‘Whizz Bang’, which was to see the light of day as ‘Butterflies 4 Brains’ on the back of ‘Popcorn Double Feature’ was never broadcast, and it makes its debut here.  It’s not the greatest slice of The Fall you’ll ever hear. But it is here.

DARYL EASLEA, 2005

mp3: The Fall – Chicago Now (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Black Monk Theme (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Hilary (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Whizz Bang (Peel Session)

Produced by Dale Griffin, engineered by Mike Engles.

Mark E Smith – vocals; Martin Brammah – guitar; Craig Scanlon – guitar; Steve Hanley – bass; Marcia Schofield – keyboards, vocals; Simon Wolstencroft – drums; Kenny Brady – fiddle

JC