Is this one of the creepiest videos ever?
Low -‘Santa’s Coming Over.’
Boy am I glad I teach secondary (high school for American and Canadian readers).
Meanwhile, seeing as I am trying to tidy up some lose ends with this post, here is another Christmas Fall song:
The Fall -‘Xmas with Simon.’ mp3
Looking for the remix call ‘Christmastide’ which I do not own, and is not on either emusic or iTunes…
Well, y’know, it’s been at least a week since I posted any Fall stuff here (!), so this is a special Saturday post.
The first track here was first heard on their second John Peel session, broadcast on December 6, 1978 (thirty years ago!!). ‘No Xmas For John Quays’ is a somewhat amusing gag (for goodness sake, say it out aloud), and the track was later recorded for their debut LP, Live At The Witch Trials. I present both versions for you here.
Fast forward, umm sixteen years, and yours truly is glued to John Peel, taping the shows when possible (and often struggling to stay awake until it’s over). The Christmas shows that year were great (why did I not keep them intact?!?!), and the Fall’s eighteenth Peel session, broadcast on December 17, 1994 contained covers of both ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ and ‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing.’
In December 2003 they released a four track EP entitled ‘We Wish You A Protein Christmas.’ I always wanted to buy it, but as it was usually retailing for about a fiver, it seemed a lot for a new single. Now of course, I kick myself. Ah well…
The Fall -‘No Christmas For John Quays (Peel session 1978).’ mp3
The Fall -‘No Christmas For John Quays.’ mp3
The Fall -‘Jingle Bell Rock (Peel session 1994).’ mp3
The Fall -‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing (Peel session 1994).’ mp3
The Fall -‘(We Wish You) A Protein Christmas.’ mp3
Enjoy your weekend!
P.S. There are obviously loads of blogs out there doing Christmas related stuff, two of my favourites are I Correct Myself, I Mean All The Time and I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. The latter is also written by Steve who writes my favourite mp3 blog of all, Teenage Kicks
. The I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday blog has been highlighted in the Guardian. Congratulations, Steve!
Well, it has been a little while, so why not one of my Peel posts?
By the way, before I get stuck into this, can people please go and vote over at Teenage Kicks so Steve can work out everyone’s favourite Peel sessions. My list is likely to include The Cure, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, The Fall, Half Man Half Biscuit and the Breeders. Possibly…
First up, I know very little about this song, but its’ title sums it up quite well, I think:
Robert Lloyd and the New Four Seasons -‘Something Nice.’ mp3 (1988 Festive Fifty no.21)
Madness fell flat on their face trying to cover ‘The ”Sweetest Girl” ‘; they didn’t try this to the best of my knowledge:
Scritti Politti -‘Asylums In Jerusalem.’ mp3 (1982 Festive Fifty no.18)
From the same year, 1982, Aztec Camera’s only other Festive Fifty entry:
Aztec Camera -‘Pillar To Post.’ mp3 ((1982 Festive Fifty no.24)
Peel often felt frustrated that the Festive Fifty didn’t include stuff he’d been championing; I hope this pleased him, a rare Hip-Hop entry:
De La Soul -‘Eye Know.’ mp3 (1989 Festive Fifty no.34)
This was a classic case of a band that Peel had supported some time before finally breaking through, both to the ‘proper’ top 40 and the Festive Fifty:
The Farm -‘Groovy Train.’ mp3 (1990 Festive Fifty no.47)
These four tracks from the Wedding Present’s Watusi album, still unavailable in the UK it appears, all made the Festive Fifty in 1994.
Wedding Present -‘Spangle.’ mp3(1994 Festive Fifty no.39)
Wedding Present -‘So Long, Baby.’ mp3 (1994 Festive Fifty no.37)
Wedding Present -‘Click Click.’ mp3 (1994 Festive Fifty no.30)
Wedding Present -‘Swimming Pools Movie Stars.’ mp3 (1994 Festive Fifty no.15)
Finally, it wouldn’t be the Festive Fifty without an entry from The Fall. I spent ages trying to work out why I couldn’t track this down, then realised that the actual version was in with my LPs and that the CD version seemed to call it Bremen Nacht Alternative. Thank god for the USB turntable.
The Fall -‘Bremen Nacht.’ mp3 (1988 Festive Fifty no.16)
Now…can anyone help me complete the following tracks, please?
From 1982:
Serious Drinking -‘Love On The Terraces.’ (1982 Festive Fifty no.38) [Gratefully received thank you!]
From 1983:
Redskins -‘Lean On Me.’ (1983 Festive Fifty no.30) [Gratefull received, thank you!]
Tools You Can Trust -‘Waking and Shopping.’ (1983 Festive Fifty no.34) [Gratefully received thank you!]
S.P.K. -‘Metal Dance.’ (1983 Festive Fifty no.39) [Gratefully received thank you!]
From 1988:
Overlord X -’14 Days In May.’ (1988 Festive Fifty no.28) [Gratefully received, thank you!]
Loop -‘Collision.’ (1988 Festive Fifty no. 41) [Gratefully received, thank you!]
From 1989:
Inspiral Carpets -‘So This Is How It Feels (Peel session version).’ mp3 (1989 Festive Fifty no.35)
Inspiral Carpets -”She Comes In The Fall (Peel session version).’ mp3 (1989 Festive Fifty no.50)
Thanks if anyone can help!
Edx
The Fall/Milophobia, The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, October 14
A mere 21 years after I first saw them on ITV’s long-forgotten The Roxy performing Hit The North (Part 1), I finally got to see The Fall. Would they match my expectations? Would Mark E. Smith be on good form? Would they play Sparta FC?
I would have to wait. Support came from Milophobia, who are due to release their debut EP at the end of this year. Their six song strong set was excellent from start to finish. I heard echoes of The Fall, perhaps a little more of prime US alternative rock, and saw a front man with start written all over him. Watch this space.
John Cooper Clarke had been ill and missed Friday evening’s gig in Aberdeen, so there was a risk that we wouldn’t get him…and alas, we didn’t. Maybe another time. In the unlikely event that you’re reading this John, get well soon.
Sandwiched down the front of the gig for an hour, would it be worth it? It was certainly a diverse crowd. Anyone expecting it to be just middle-aged blokes in their anoraks…wrong. Men and women, punks, folks drinking wine who looked like they’d come from Morningside, Edinburgh’s posh district, some kids who looked like they were barely out of primary school…The Fall have a diverse crowd following them.
In a word, yes. From the minute the band walked on until they walked off, they captivated, utterly. Mark E. Smith walked on, and I think in a good mood. The devotion he inspires has not faded one iota.
The set was made up of a mixture of old and new, including ‘Wings’ from 1983 but also more recent numbers from this year’s Imperial Wax Solvent, like Latch Key Kid’ and ‘Wolf Kidult Man’. And after a while, so blown away was I by the performance of the band and yer man, Mark, that I stopped trying to worry about remembering the song titles and just lost myself in the music.
Partly because Mr. Smith was so close to me that I could see the whites of his eyes. I was that close to the stage. Not trying to hug him, like some other folks, but close enough to touch him. Not that I would dare. He may be smaller than me, but I wouldn’t touch him. He’d be my dream artist to sign, to interview. If it wasn;t for the fact that I’d be so in awe I’d probably balls it up.
With a back catalogue stretching back thirty years, almost that in studio albums and certainly double that in compilations and live albums, there’s no shortage of quality tunes to play, and it never dips. The recent albums have been excellent, and if I wasn’t really into …Missing Winner, there’s a reminder of a reminder of how good as ‘Reformation’ and ‘Sparta FC’ show that they are just as good as stuff from the Step Forward, Rough Trade and Kamera eras. They go off after ‘Sparta’ and come on and do ‘Carrier Bag Man’ from 1988’s The Frenz Experiment. It’s at this point I really understand why there are so many Fall live albums; they are that good live that it’s justified.
I’m reeling as I drive home. When my wife tells me that there’s bugs in the flat, I just get on and sort them. It’s fair to say that The Fall have knocked me for six. I have been to well over a hundred gigs in the last seven years since coming to Scotland, and this is the best of them all.
The Fall -‘Wings.’ mp3
The Fall -‘Sparta F.C.’ mp3
‘Always different, always the same.’
‘I spurn [people who do not like them] with my toe.’
John Peel on his favourite ever band, The Fall.
How excited am I about seeing The Fall tomorrow night?
Oh, you know, it’s only got me through the more difficult classes that I’ve had this week and given me the opportunity to re-read Mark E. Smith’s autobiography, and play Slates this afternoon and re-listen to Live At The Witch Trials as I type. It should be noted that this album was not a live album (though obviously there have been live debut albums before, MC5, Jane’s Addiction and 22-20s spring to mind…)
The autobiography is great, taking no prisoners and making no apologies. It’s not a conventional autobiography but then, this is Mark E. Smith we’re talking about here, what do you expect?!
One of the things that clearly irritates him is people who think that his former wife Brix Smith was responsible for bringing a poppier element to The Fall when she joined in 1984. He is also clearly irritated by people who haven’t done their research.
This post kind of ties those two ideas in together and focuses on the ‘Lie dream Of A Casino Soul’ with its’ b-side ‘Fantastic Life’. Released a handful of months before their seminal Hex Induction Hour LP in 1982, this 1981 single’s a-side is, surprise surprise, talking about the famous Wigan Casino, the home of Northern Soul. According to the sleevenotes of the re-issued Slates, Smith was getting fed-up of people who only seemed to have just discovered soul. Surprisingly, he did like Dexy’s Midnight Runners. The b-side is gloriously poppy, and this is before he even met Brix…
The Fall -‘Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul.’ mp3
The Fall -‘Fantastic Life.’ mp3
This Fall website is unofficial but seems to be fairly comprehensive
The Fall on wikipedia (I own thirty Fall albums and I feel like I’m still only scratching the surface!)
OK, that’s a bit of a lie. But I am currently reading Mark E. Smith’s Renegade, and it’s an excellent autobiography. He takes no prisoners, makes no apologies and the book’s the better for it.
So why not some Mark E. Smith related music?
One of the things that clearly rankles with him is the accusation that Brix Smith, the Fall’s onetime guitarist and one time Mrs. Smith made The Fall poppier and more accessible. (I notice that the Fall essentials on iTunes still has a picture of Mrs and Mrs M.E. Smith. Wonder what he has to say about that?!) This track is from 1995, when Brix was back in the band again.
The Fall -‘Don’t Call Me Darling.’ mp3
One of my favourite Fall tracks, which is saying something, from 1985’s This Nation’s Saving Grace, probably still my favourite Fall album.
The Fall -‘Spoilt Victorian Child.’ mp3
Of course, he has collaborated with other folks. This was the track that finally saw him on Top Of The Pops in 1994, with the Inspiral Carpets:
Inspiral Carpets -‘I Want You (featuring Mark E.Smith).’ mp3
This track was originally credited to Mouse On Mars featuring Mark E. Smith and called ‘Wipe That Sound’ in 2005 (I know this true, I have the 12″). Then last year, they collaborated for an album together under the name Von Sudenfed on the album Tromatic Reflexxions, which called it ‘That Sound Wiped.’
Von Sudenfed -‘That Sound Wiped.’ mp3
Anyone else read it?
It’s been a wonderful weekend, I’ve had a great time, and feeling quite ‘up’ for a Sunday evening.
Kinda taken aback to suddenly realise that it is now thirty years since these debut tracks were released. My world’s still shaking from the implications of these…
Is there a rule for debut singles? I kinda think they should be like a manifesto. After all, it may be the only shot you ever get, so sing it loud and sing it proud…
The Fall -‘Bingo Master’s Breakout!’ mp3
Steel Pulse -‘Ku Klux Klan.’ mp3
Scritti Politti -‘Skank Bloc Bologna.’ mp3
Gang Of Four -‘Damaged Goods.’ mp3
Adam and the Ants -‘Young Parisians.’ mp3
Magazine -‘Shot By Both Sides.’ mp3
This is a cheat, but it was the b-side and just as good as the a-side…
The Cure -’10:15 Saturday Night.’mp3
I could also have posted Siouxsie and the Banshees, Kate Bush, P.I.L…
the big question is: will we realise who all the good debut singles of 2008 were by at the end of this year, or in thirty years’ time? Answer below please…
Well, finally I have done a 17 Seconds MySpace.
If you want to be my friend on it, the link is right here.
And it also explains a crazy idea I’ve had today, and am developing with my friend Laurent.
Will it get anywhere? Another crazy idea -or something that’s the next natural step?
Only time will tell…
…But you won’t have a clue what I’m on about, unless you investigate, will you?
The Fall -‘Edinburgh Man.’ mp3
Yes, two years to the day since a humble mp3 blog started, named after the club night I ran in Edinburgh once, which was named after The Cure’s second album…it’s still here.
Much of this is due to the love, support and encouragement of readers, including oother bloggers and also my family, but above all, the wonderful Mrs. 17 Seconds. I know I have driven her mad with this on occasion, but she’s a loyal reader and this first track is for her and to celebrate our first wedding anniversary yesterday. Here’s to you babe!
Aberfeldy -‘Love Is An Arrow.’ mp3
Over the course of the last year, I’ve also started interviewing bands, beginning with Swimmer One, but also including Emma Pollock, BMX Bandits, Malcolm Middleton, Foxface, amongst others, and apologies to Jamie Lidell, Amplifico and the Rosie Taylor project, whose interviews I still need to write up. It’s been crazy. As well as meeting Emma Pollock to interview her twice, it was also great to go round to Riley Briggs of Aberfeldy’s home to interview him and hear the new stuff the band have been working on. Hopefully the third album will be out this year.
Does 17 Seconds have a brief? Not really, it’s a thirty-something teacher based in Scotland writing about the music that excites him. Various ‘series’ have included albums I think should have had more publicity, singles that slipped thrugh the net, a constant harping on about scottish indie bands, cover versions, and stuff that made John Peel’s Festive Fifty. Whilst a fair bit of stuff may not be any more on the radar after my having written about it, it’s also great when bands I’ve featured do go on to do well. Wiley reached the proper top 3 in the UK, Dizzee Rascal is currently no.1, Santogold is making inroads into the UK singles and albums chart…by no means am I claiming credit for all, or indeed, any of this, but I like to think it helps. Plus the fact that I still like jumping around like a mad thing to music, even if I am now over thirty…
Sultans of Ping FC -‘Where’s me jumper?’ mp3
Much thanks also due to people who have answered my pleas for help with tracks, and of course those bands, record companies and PRs who have got in touch with me about posting stuff. I used to dream about it happening, now I have a massive pile of CDs and even more emails that need to be gone through. And I do my best to get through it all, it just takes time.
Other bloggers have given me much encourageemnt, and I’m not going to list them all here, but cheers to everyone who has mentioned me, and linked to me. It’s much appreciated. Great to meet both The Vinyl Villain and Toad, as well as to chat with Steve at Teenage Kicks. Hope to meet many more of you over the forthcoming years.
It’s been an eventful two years, what with getting married, getting cats and finally getting to work t a school I had dreamed of teaching at, and much is due to everyone whose kept me sane. You know who you are. God bless ya.
The Fall – ‘Edinburgh Man.’ mp3 (1991 Festive Fifty no.4, in case you were wondering…)
Tonight’s selection is a variety of Peel-related music:
First up, this was not a Festive Fifty entry, but it was a request earlier in the week, so cheers to Tom at Indie mp3 for this:
Shop Assistants -Ace Of Spades (Peel Session).’ mp3
Another band that seem impossible to track down, so cheers for these…
Mighty Mighty -‘Is There Anybody Out There?’ mp3 (1986 Festive Fifty no.44)
Public Enemy -‘You’re Gonna Get Yours (Terminator X Getaway version).’ mp3 (1987 Festive Fifty no.38)
The Fall -‘Lucifer Over Lancashire.’ mp3 (1986 Festive Fifty no.37) (apparently the ‘Theology mix’ is a joke. I knew that.)
Some lost Smiths classics, including one of my favourite tracks of theirs ever, Sheila Take a Bow:
Smiths -‘Sweet And Tender Hooligan.’ mp3 (1987 Festive Fifty no.23)
Smiths -‘Sheila Take a Bow.’ mp3 (1987 Festive Fifty no.34)
Jesus and Mary Chain did pretty well in the Festive Fifty between 1984 and 1988, though they cropped up again in the nineties, too:
Jesus and Mary Chain -‘Kill Surf City.’ mp3 (1987 Festive Fifty no.39)
Jesus and Mary Chain -‘Nine Million Rainy Days.’ mp3 (1987 Festive Fifty no.41)
Madder Rose did well in ’93 and managed a brace of entries in 1994 too:
Madder Rose -‘Car Song.’ mp3 (1994 Festive Fifty no.19)
Madder Rose -‘Panic On.’ mp3 (1994 Festive Fifty no.35)
Thanks to everyone who has helped me locate tracks. You rock.
You know what I’m going to ask now, don’t you?
*weary groans*
That’s right! I’m on the scrounge for stuff I still cannot find…
From 1994:
That Dog -‘One summer Night.’
Orbital -‘Are We Here.’
Salt Tank -‘Charged Up.’
R.O.C. -‘Girl with A Crooked Eye.’