ON THIS DAY : THE FALL’S PEEL SESSIONS #8

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 #8 was broadcast on this day, 3 June 1985, having been recorded on 14 May 1985.

Apart from the seventh session broadcast on the third of January that year, 1984 was, remarkably, a Peel session-free year for the group. A lot had happened; the band was on the verge of becoming obscure-art darlings, with their Beggars Banquet singles tickling the chart’s bum-end and ‘The Wonderful and Frightening World’ sounding all dressed up and ready to play.  Hence they performed sessions for the more pop-friendly Janice Long and David ‘Kid’ Jensen programmes on BBB Radio One.  Expectations were running high for this next session in May 1985. Produced by Marc Radcliffe, it has tremendous vim, and features the next two singles ‘Couldn’t Get Ahead’ and ‘Cruiser’s Creek’, as well as scintillating run-throughs of the two standouts from their forthcoming album, ‘This Nation’s Saving Grace’: ‘Gut Of The Quantifier’ and ‘Spoilt Victorian Child.’

DARYL EASLEA, 2005

mp3: The Fall – Cruiser’s Creek (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Couldn’t Get Ahead (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Spoilt Victorian Child (Peel Session)
mp3: The Fall – Gut Of The Quantifier (Peel Session)

Produced by Mark Radcliffe, engineered by Mike Walters

Mark E Smith – vocals; Brix Smith – guitar; Craig Scanlon – guitar; Steve Hanley – bass; Simon Rogers – guitar, keyboards; Karl Burns – drums;

JC