A series for 2025 in which this blog will dedicate a day to each of the twenty-four of the sessions The Fall recorded for the John Peel Show between 1978 and 2004.
Session #4 was broadcast on this day, 31 March 1981, having been recorded on 24 March 1981.
Another truly great recording, (Mojo listed it as the greatest Fall session in the wake of Peel’s passing); packed full of light and shade, comedy and chat. The recording highlighted only one song from the soon to be released ‘Slates’: the anti-football hooliganism rant ‘Middlemass’, which had now been in the group’s repertoire for five months. The abandonment of Grotesque’s ‘C’n’C’ for the spot-on parody of Coast To Coast’s ‘Do The Hucklebuck’ after Smith’s announcement that comic Arthur Askey had been shot demonstrates the acute sense of humour near the group’s surface. The session is notable for the debut of Smith’s signature tune ‘Hip Priest’, as well as a tentative run through of ‘Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul’.
DARYL EASLEA, 2005
mp3: The Fall – Middlemass (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Hip Priest (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – C’n’C – Hassle Schmuck (Peel Session)
Produced by Dale Griffin, engineered by Martyn Parker
Mark E Smith – vocals; Marc Riley – guitar; Craig Scanlon – guitar; Steve Hanley – bass; Paul Hanley – drums; Dave Tucker – clarinet
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Ah March 1981, possibly the apogee of alternative music on these islands, and arguably in the middle of the finest era for The Fall (80-84). This session is magnificent of course. (Meanwhile a nagging Fall-obsessed voice in my head still wonders why this series isn’t called And This Day) .
Thanks chaval
The answer is……I missed a trick!!!!
Wonderful tracks, and brilliantly highlighted by the new vinyl villain. Thank you for the head’s up, will dig out my copy of this essential box set by one of the greatest bands ever.