I seem to have got into the habit of doing artist related cover posts of late. Why not, eh? Following on from Sonic Youth and Placebo, how about a mini one on The Fall?

This one was originally recorded for the Sergeant Pepper Knew My Father compilation for Childline organised by NME in 1988. Smith sounds like he’s almost singing, I swear!

The Fall -‘A Day In The Life.’ mp3

I know I’ve posted this before, but this, from 1993’s The Infotainment Scan is a cover of a Sister Sledge song. (The same album also has them covering Lee Peery’s Why Are People Grudgeful? but I cannot put my hand on it at the moment)

The Fall -‘Lost In Music.’ mp3

In the late 1980s, The Fall actually started troubling the national charts, though Mark E. Smith wouldn’t end up appearing on Top Of the Pops until he provided vocals on the Inspiral Carpets’ ‘I Want You’ single, in 1994 (later no.1 that year in John Peel’s Festive Fifty). It may have helped that some of these were covers, but as you would expect, done in the Fall’s own style, and certainly not ‘obvious’ songs:

This song was originally by The Kinks:

The Fall -‘Victoria.’ mp3

This was a soul song, by R. Dean Taylor:

The Fall -‘There’s A Ghost In My House.’ mp3

This was by a band called The Other Half, and was The first single to make the top 75:

The Fall -‘Mr. Pharmacist.’ mp3

Finally, this Gene Vincent cover was a Double a-side with the single of ‘Couldn’t Get Ahead’, taken from This Nation’s Saving Grace, still my favourite Fall album.

The Fall -‘Rollin’ Dany.’ mp3 (there is only one ‘n’ I have checked the sleeve)

I did consider posting their cover of ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!’ but decided to keep that for a Christmas post. Can’t believe it’s already November 10…

Enjoy!