The Fall

Among groups that emerged amid the punk upheaval of the seventies, the Fall distinguished themselves through unmatched longevity, sheer volume of releases, and continual reinvention. Lineup turnover proved constant across their run, yet vocalist Mark E. Smith remained the fixed point; the Manchester native forged a singular approach that shunned standard verse-chorus frameworks in favor of free-form prose delivered over abrasive, elemental grooves shaped by garage rock, Krautrock, dub, and additional sources united by mesmeric repetition. Drawing on dystopian and paranormal texts, he spat out enigmatic, acidly cynical words in a nearly indecipherable growl, while album sleeves featured collage-style visuals filled with handwritten scrawls. Smith further pursued unorthodox studio methods, folding in segments taped at home on a dictaphone or cassettes into polished professional mixes. These traits set the Fall apart and secured their enduring impact on successive waves of alternative rock, indie, post-punk, and lo-fi artists, among them acknowledged followers Sonic Youth, Pavement, LCD Soundsystem, and Gorillaz. In the late seventies and early eighties, when they issued Live at the Witch Trials and Hex Enduction Hour, the group operated at peak levels of abrasion and atonality. Smith’s American spouse Brix joined on guitar in 1984, introducing greater pop melodicism that produced two U.K. Top 40 singles plus the well-regarded The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall and This Nation’s Saving Grace. Dance explorations surfaced on nineties releases such as Extricate and Levitate, while 2000s efforts including The Real New Fall LP and Fall Heads Roll leaned toward garage rock. The Fall sustained their eclectic and unpredictable output through New Facts Emerge in 2017; the band concluded with Smith’s death at age 60 in 2018.

Prior to launching the Fall in 1977, Smith had labored on the Manchester docks after failing auditions with several local heavy metal outfits. Metal had never been his focus; instead he gravitated toward the experimental rock of the Velvet Underground and the avant-garde art rock of Can. He eventually assembled like-minded players—guitarist Martin Bramah, bassist Tony Friel, keyboardist Una Baines, and drummer Karl Burns—and named the group after the Albert Camus novel. Their debut EP, Bingo-Master’s Break-Out!, received funding from the Buzzcocks’ New Hormones imprint yet remained unreleased for nearly a year because no label would sign them. The Fall existed outside both polished new wave and rudimentary punk chord thrashing, which hindered their efforts to secure a contract. They gradually attracted supporters, among them Danny Baker of the Adrenaline fanzine, who convinced Miles Copeland to issue the EP on his Step Forward independent label.

Throughout 1978 Smith swapped bassist Friel for Marc Riley (bass, guitar, keyboards) and keyboardist Baines for Yvonne Pawlett, aiming to broaden the Fall’s appeal. The revised lineup cut the band’s first album, Live at the Witch Trials, issued in 1979. Continued touring through pubs and cabaret venues slowly expanded their audience. Radio 1 DJ John Peel became a committed advocate, granting the group multiple sessions that supplied valuable exposure.

Before the second album Smith dismissed Pawlett, Bramah, and Burns, bringing in guitarist Craig Scanlon, bassist Steve Hanley, and drummer Mike Leigh while Riley shifted to lead guitar. Scanlon and Hanley would prove central, remaining for much of the band’s history. Dragnet appeared late in 1979 on the new configuration. The following year the Fall left Step Forward for Rough Trade, releasing the live Totale’s Turns (It’s Now or Never), the studio Grotesque (After the Gramme), and singles such as “Totally Wired” and “How I Wrote Elastic Man.” Paul Hanley joined as second drummer prior to Grotesque. Most 1981 releases were archival except the Slates EP; afterward Karl Burns returned on drums. Hex Enduction Hour surfaced in early 1982 on Kamera Records after Rough Trade difficulties and earned some of the strongest reviews yet; Room to Live followed later that year on the same label. Riley departed after its release.

The decisive shift occurred in 1983 when Smith met Brix Smith (born Laura Elise Salinger) in Chicago on tour; they married within months. Originally a bassist, Brix replaced Riley on second guitar, debuting on 1983’s Perverted by Language. Her melodic sensibility surfaced on 1984’s The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall, the band’s first Beggars Banquet album. After the Call for Escape Route EP the Fall collaborated with choreographer Michael Clark on the ballet I Am Kurious Oranj, for which Smith supplied music and libretto; performances occurred in late 1984 and early 1985, with an album following in 1988. By 1985 the Smiths were co-writing more structured songs such as the singles “No Bulbs” and “Cruiser’s Creek.” Steve Hanley took temporary leave mid-1985; classically trained Simon Rogers filled in on bass, later moving to keyboards upon Hanley’s return. This Nation’s Saving Grace, recorded with Rogers, appeared in fall 1985 to strong acclaim. Rogers contributed to one further album, 1986’s Bend Sinister, before keyboardist Marcia Schofield (ex-Khmer Rouge) took over; drummer Simon Wolstencroft replaced Burns for that record.

Unexpected chart success arrived in 1986 when their cover of the Other Half’s “Mr. Pharmacist” became a minor hit. Further lower-chart entries followed, culminating in Top 40 singles with 1987’s “Hit the North” and 1988’s cover of the Kinks’ “Victoria,” reflecting Brix’s broadening influence. After the Simon Rogers-produced The Frenz Experiment, Brix divorced Smith and exited in 1989; original guitarist Martin Bramah returned. The post-Brix sound reverted to earlier darkness and chaos on 1990’s Extricate. Smith then dismissed Schofield and Bramah during an Australian tour. Keyboardist Dave Bush joined for 1991’s Shift-Work and 1992’s Code: Selfish.

The Fall signed with Matador Records in 1993 for their first U.S. label deal in years. The Infotainment Scam, recorded with returning drummer Karl Burns, and 1994’s Middle Class Revolt received favorable notices yet sold modestly in America, leaving the band without a U.S. outlet by 1995. Both albums performed better at home. Brix rejoined during the Middle Class Revolt tour and appeared on 1995’s Cerebral Caustic. Keyboardist Julia Nagle joined for early 1996’s The Light User Syndrome, which included liner notes from longtime supporter John Peel. A twentieth BBC session for Peel occurred in June; Brix left in October and Karl Burns in December.

Compilations and live sets, largely on Receiver and often without band input, proliferated from this period onward. Seven such releases plus reissues of Live at the Witch Trials and Fall in a Hole appeared in 1997 alongside Karl Burns’s May return for the Levitate album, issued in September. New guitarist Tommy Crooks came aboard for a March 1998 U.S. tour. During an April New York show at Brownie’s, Smith performed much of the set offstage; an altercation with Burns led to the drummer attacking the singer, while Crooks and Smith clashed throughout, resulting in Burns, Crooks, and Steve Hanley departing and Smith facing assault charges. Further live and outtake discs continued to surface; Smith issued his first spoken-word album, The Post Nearly Man, in September.

The single “Touch Sensitive” arrived in February 1999 and later soundtracked a car commercial, boosting U.K. visibility ahead of April’s The Marshall Suite. Nagle took greater songwriting responsibility alongside guitarist Neville Wilding, bassist Adam Halal, and drummer Tom Head. Additional reissues followed, as did the successful “F-oldin’ Money” single and more U.K. dates. Smith guested on Elastica’s The Menace in April 2000; November brought The Unutterable. Spencer Birtwistle replaced Tom Head that month, with Ben Pritchard and Jim Watts succeeding Wilding and Halal in February 2001.

Julia Nagle departed next; the leaner lineup issued the limited “Rude (All the Time)” single in August 2001 and Are You Are Missing Winner in November. Worldwide touring supported the poorly received album and was documented on the mixed 2G+2, released June 2002. Sanctuary’s Totally Wired: The Rough Trade Anthology and Cog Sinister’s Listening In: Lost Singles Tracks 1990-92 offered stronger compilations. Smith’s second spoken-word set, Pander! Panda! Panzer!, appeared in September 2002, coinciding with new wife Eleni Poulou joining on keyboards.

The December 2002 single “The Fall vs. 2003” introduced a new phase, with Poulou supplying melodic grounding akin to Nagle and Brix. Jim Watts learned of his dismissal when Smith bought drinks for everyone except him at a March 2003 band meeting; bassist Simon “Ding” Archer substituted for a June-July U.S. tour. An early album version leaked online, prompting Smith to re-record and revise tracks; the resulting The Real New Fall LP (Formerly Country on the Click) emerged in October. A Christmas single, “(We Wish You) A Protein Christmas,” followed in December.

Sanctuary reissued Live at the Witch Trials and Dragnet in January 2004 with improved sound and bonus tracks on the latter. An American tour was planned, yet Smith broke his leg slipping on ice in Newcastle, then fractured his hip in a second fall; he performed seated despite a metal rod from knee to hip. Beggars Banquet released the career-spanning 50,000 Fall Fans Can’t Be Wrong in June. Archer loaned himself to PJ Harvey and was replaced by Steven Trafford. Interim appeared in November 2004 in the U.K. and January 2005 in America. Jim Watts departed in the new year; a John Peel sessions box set arrived alongside Fall Heads Roll. After several U.S. dates supporting the album, Smith dismissed all members except wife and keyboardist Eleni Poulou; players from the Cairo Gang and Darker My Love completed the tour.

Reformation Post T.L.C. in 2007 featured a hybrid U.S.-U.K. lineup. That year Smith collaborated with Mouse on Mars’ Andi Toma and Jan St. Werner on the Von Südenfed project. He published his autobiography in 2008. The Domino label released Your Future Our Clutter in 2010. Ersatz G.B. appeared on Cherry Red in fall 2011. Re-Mit followed in 2013 with the same lineup as the prior three albums. Sub-Lingual Tablet arrived in 2015, marking the fourth consecutive stable configuration and including a cover of the Stooges’ “Cock in My Pocket” retitled “Stout Man.” The Wise Ol’ Man EP came in 2016, mixing new tracks with Sub-Lingual Tablet remixes. Smith announced Poulou’s resignation that year. New Facts Emerge surfaced in summer 2017, co-produced by Smith and Kieron Melling. The Fall’s decades-long history ended with Smith’s death in January 2018 at age 60.