Fall Monday Playlist #19 - Cover Versions part 2
And so, another Monday rolls around...
The Fall's cover versions are a bit of a mixed bag, but there are certainly plenty of them, so it felt like one set wasn't enough.
Kimble
A loose cover of a Lee Perry tune, released in 1968 under the name The Creators. The Fall's version first appeared as part of their 1992 Peel session, but it wasn't played live until 1997, when it got two rather undistinguished runouts.
War
A cover version of a Henry Cow / Slapp Happy song that was constructed from Smith’s memory because the nobody could find the original at the time. As a result, it bears little resemblance to the original. Distinctly reminiscent of Martha and the Muffins’ 'Echo Beach' in places.
The Legend of Xanadu
This cover of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich’s 1968 number one was The Fall’s contribution to the 1992 NME 40th anniversary charity album, Ruby Trax. The group found themselves nestled between the unlikely pairing of Cud’s version of Status Quo’s ‘Down Down’ and Sinéad O’Connor’s take on Doris Day’s ‘Secret Love’.
Mr Pharmacist
By some distance the group’s most often played song (around 400 performances between 1986 and 2017), it’s a cover of Californian garage-rock band The Other Half's 1966 single which featured on one of the Nuggets compilations. The dozens of bootleg recordings see performances range from the thrillingly energetic to the tired and sloppy.
Pinball Machine
A cover of a 1960 country song by Lonnie Irving, it appeared on the 'studio side' of 1989's interesting but patchy contractual obligation LP, Seminal Live. Smith was fond of country truckin’ songs, and here he gives full vent to his enthusiasm for the genre. He makes a seemingly genuine attempt to sing it in a proper, unironic country style, and despite his melodic limitations just about pulls it off. The group deliver a spirited, if ragged backing, with Steve Hanley adding some rather lovely just-about-in-tune banjo. It was only ever played live twice.
Walk Like A Man
The Fall played their cover of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons' 1963 hit 23 times in 2003-04 before adding a new lyric (by Bec Walker, a 17 year old aspiring singer who was doing work experience at Gracieland Studios whilst Fall Heads Roll was being recorded) and calling it 'Breaking The Rules'. The new version was only played once, in Wrexham in 2005. This version comes from Live at the Knitting Factory - New York - 9 April 2004, released in 2007.
Rollin' Dany
One half of a double A-side single (remember them?) released in 1985. The group's cover of this 1957 Gene Vincent track contains some blistering guitar work from Craig Scanlon. It's not clear why they dropped an 'n' from Danny's name.
Strangetown
On Imperial Wax Solvent, the group dipped into The Groundhogs' back catalogue for the second time, having covered 'Junkman' on Middle Class Revolt. ‘Strange Town’ originally appeared on The Groundhogs' 1970 album Thank Christ For The Bomb; the slower sections of the Fall’s cover are adapted from ‘Garden’, from the same album, giving ‘Strangetown’ the unique status of being a borrow within a cover. There's also an oddly pleasing symmetry about the fact that The Fall made 'Junkman' into 'Junk Man' and 'Strange Town' into 'Strangetown'.
The video below (and the one on the YouTube playlist) is the Grant Showbiz-recorded 'Britannia Row' version which appeared on the recent reissue of Imperial Wax Solvent. (This isn't on Spotify, so that playlist contains the original IWS take.)
Strychnine
The Fall recorded The Sonics' 'Strychnine' in 1993 for their 16th Peel session. It never received another studio recording, although it was performed live an impressive 138 times. This version, which appears on Live Various Years, sees MES berate the group for their sluggish intro by calling them ‘f*cking pot heads’.
White Lightning
Released as a single in 1990 (the 12" and CD versions were entitled The Dredger EP), 'White Lightning' was a rockabilly number first recorded by The Big Bopper in 1958 and also recorded by George Jones in 1959. A promo 7″ of the single came with a miniature bottle of White Lightning tequila. It was one of the group’s most frequently played songs, clocking up 275 performances, often as an encore. This version is from King George's Hall, Blackburn, September 2002, and appears on the A Touch Sensitive DVD and the Creative Distortion LP.
Thanks for reading. Next week, we're going to hit the North...
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