An A-Z of The Fall - S (part 2)

 

S is also for...

The Sirens

Marc Riley, Steve Hanley and Craig Scanlon's first band only ever played one gig, at Pips, a venue on Fennell Street near Manchester Cathedral. Joy Division, then known as Warsaw, also made their debut there. 

You can read Sirens member Steve Murray's recollections here.

Frank Skinner

Skinner – as he explained on his 2010 Desert Island Discs appearance (from 32:53) - was a late convert to the group but soon became somewhat obsessed. He was tempted to just choose eight Fall tracks for his fictional exile, but plumped for ‘Rowche Rumble’ in the end.

He used 'Jawbone and the Air-Rifle' as the them tune to his chat show in the 90s, but inevitably attracted a disparaging remark from MES: 'I mean what does he do now? Adverts for f*cking HP Sauce or something?'

When MES died, he tweeted a rather touching statement: '‘I loved him. He was quite simply better than all the rest. I thought he’d live forever. He seemed too belligerent to die. But he has and oh the difference to me.’ 

Spangles

A brand of sweets manufactured by Mars from the 50s to the 80s that at some point became a staple of nostalgia shows about the 70s. Used throughout The Infotainment Scan as a metaphor for what MES considered look-back-bore-ism.

• 'Along with Spangles and soccer books' ('A Past Gone Mad')
• 'Balti and Vimto and Spangles were always crap, regardless of the look-back bores' ('It's A Curse')
• 'Nostalgia, Spangles' ('Paranoia Man in Cheap Sh*t Room')

Spinal Tap

This Is Spinal Tap, Rob Reiner’s 1984 mockumentary, was one of only two films that Smith permitted on the tour bus in the late 80s (the other being Zulu). 

Of all The Fall's 'borrows', 'Athlete Cured' was perhaps the most blatant, being lifted wholesale from Spinal Tap's 'Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight'.

Lisa Stansfield

Stansfield was the vocalist on Coldcut's 1989 single ‘My Telephone’, which The Fall would adapt for 'Telephone Thing'. She also, according to Simon Wolstencroft, snogged MES at Barry White’s fiftieth birthday party in a New York.

Parts of The Real New Fall LP,  Fall Heads Roll, Reformation Post TLC and Imperial Wax Solvent were recorded in her Gracielands Studio in Rochdale.

Star

When Brix briefly returned to the Fall line-up in the mid 90s, she added her own twist to Glam Racket with a section called 'Star'. Clearly aimed at MES, it's not clear whether he never noticed or simply didn't care.

‘You say that you're a star but I don't give a f*ck

I watch your head expanding as you're running out of luck.’

This appeared on the 1994 Peel session version as well as several live versions from the period; the fact that MES frequently vanished from the stage, leaving Brix to shoulder the vocal responsibilities led to this passage often being delivered quite vehemently.

Staysure Insurance

This advertisement for Staysure was probably the inspiration behind the title for 'Venice With The Girls' ('Me? I'm off to Venice with the girls'). 

Terry Stoate

Fall fan Terry Stoate's moment of fame came on 23 October 1985 at Bournemouth Town Hall when he leapt on stage and stole the group's backdrop - an incident that inspired 'Bournemouth Runner'. 

Bournemouth Runner!

Backdrop dissipated!

The Stooges

Arguably the group that The Fall dipped into for inspiration the most often: 'Elves', 'Sing! Harpy' and 'Stout Man' are the most obvious, but ‘Rowche Rumble’ is also not a million miles away from 'Shake Appeal'.

MES also delved into Iggy Pop's solo career from time to time, e.g. 'African Man' ('Ibis-Afro Man') and 'Girls' ('Touch Sensitive'). The riff on 'Open The Boxoctosis #2' was also pretty similar to 'The Passenger'.

Other Stooges/Iggy connections include:

• Smith's potential Fall setlist that he drafted in December 1976 included 'Not Right'
• MES described 'Industrial Estate' as ‘Stooges without the third chord’
• Martin Bramah quit The Fall at an Iggy Pop gig at the Factory in Hulme on 20 April 1979

Supercar

60s TV show created by Gerry Anderson of Thunderbirds fame, the theme tune of which bears a passing resemblance to 'Assume'.  Appeared recently on the Fall in Fives Radio Show.

Surrogate Mirage

Performed only once, at Leicester Poly on 24 March 1982. An intriguing song, as it sounds remarkably fully-formed for a song that only got one outing. ‘Why it was so unceremoniously ditched,’ Paul Hanley pondered, ‘is anyone’s guess.’ 

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