Fall: Sessions

Following a variety of earlier incomplete releases, the 24 sessions that The Fall recorded for the John Peel show are all available in pristine audio beauty on the six-CD box set The Fall: The Complete Peel Sessions 1978-2004 (Sanctuary, 2005). This includes ‘Whizz Bang’ (recorded for session #13 but not broadcast) and ‘Job Search’ (recorded at the same time as #24 and broadcast on 31 August 2004 as one side of a special acetate presented to Peel to mark his 65th birthday).
The following list follows the recording and first broadcast dates given in The Peel Sessions by Ken Garner. These have been checked against a variety of sources, including the box set booklet, the online Fall discography and the BBC Peel minisite. Discrepancies are noted below. (Please correct any mistakes you find or add further information.)
== The classic 24 sessions ==
In 2022, "New Puritan" from the third session placed #12 in a Guardian list of the 100 Greatest BBC Music Performances, marking the centenary of the BBC.
1. Recorded: 1978-05-30. First Broadcast: 15 June 1978. Repeated: 04 August 1978, 23 October 1978, 04 February 1981, 14 October 1986, 15 March 1996
*Futures And Pasts / Mother-Sister / Rebellious Jukebox / Industrial Estate
2. Recorded: 1978-11-27. First Broadcast: 06 December 1978. Repeated: 04 January 1979, 31 March 1981
*Put Away / Mess Of My / No Xmas For John Quays / Like To Blow
3. Recorded: 1980-09-16. First Broadcast: 24 September 1980. Repeated: 23 October 1980, 19 November 1980, 15 December 1980, 04 March 1986, 06 August 1990
*Container Drivers / Jawbone And The Air-Rifle / New Puritan / New Face In Hell
4. Recorded: 1981-03-24. First Broadcast: 31 March 1981. Repeated: 22 April 1981, 07 August 1990
*Middlemass / Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul / Hip Priest / C 'n' C-Hassle Schmuck
5. Recorded: 1981-08-19.* First Broadcast: 26 August 1981* Repeated: 15 September 1981, 12 October 1981, 25 November 1981, 08 August 1990
*Deer Park / Look, Know / Winter / Who Makes The Nazis?
6. Recorded: 1983-03-21. First Broadcast: 23 March 1983. Repeated: 14 April 1983, 05 June 1984, 09 August 1990
*Smile / Garden / Hexen Definitive - Strife Knot / Eat Y'self Fitter
7. Recorded: 1983-12-12. First Broadcast: 03 January 1984. Repeated: 19 January 1984, 15 February 1984, 13 August 1990
*Pat Trip Dispenser / 2 x 4 / Words Of Expectation / C.R.E.E.P.
8. Recorded: 1985-05-14. First Broadcast: 03 June 1985. Repeated: 15 July 1985, 13 August 1985, 25 December 1985, 14 August 1990
*Cruiser's Creek / Couldn't Get Ahead / Spoilt Victorian Child / Gut Of The Quantifier
9. Recorded: 1985-09-29. First Broadcast: 07 October 1985. Repeated: 21 October 1985, 06 November 1985, 15 August 1990
*L.A. / The Man Whose Head Expanded / What You Need / Faust Banana
10. Recorded: 1986-06-29. First Broadcast: 09 July 1986. Repeated: 18 August 1986, 16 August 1990
*Hot Aftershave Bop / R.O.D. / Gross Chapel-GB Grenadiers / U.S. 80's-90's
11. Recorded: 1987-04-28. First Broadcast: 11 May 1987.** Repeated: 27 May 1987, 23 June 1987, 13 July 1987, 03 August 1987
*Athlete Cured / Australians In Europe / Twister / Guest Informant
12. Recorded: 1988-10-25. First Broadcast: 31 October 1988. Repeated: 07 December 1988
*Deadbeat Descendant / Cab It Up / Squid Lord / Kurious Oranj
13. Recorded: 1989-12-17. First Broadcast: 01 January 1990. Repeated: 01 February 1990, 20 March 1990
*Chicago Now / Black Monk Theme / Hilary / (Whizz Bang - not broadcast)
14. Recorded: 1991-03-05. First Broadcast: 23 March 1991. Repeated: 26 May 1991, 22 December 1991
*The War Against Intelligence / Idiot Joy Showland / A Lot Of Wind / The Mixer
15. Recorded: 1992-01-19. First Broadcast: 15 February 1992. Repeated: 01 May 1992
*Free Range / Kimble / Immortality / Return
16. Recorded: 1993-02-28. First Broadcast: 13 March 1993. Repeated: 12 June 1993
*Ladybird (Green Grass) / Strychnine / Service / Paranoia Man In Cheap Sh*t Room
17. Recorded: 1993-12-02.**** First Broadcast: 05 February 1994. Repeated: none.
*M5 / Behind The Counter / Reckoning / Hey! Student
18. Recorded: 1994-11-20. First Broadcast: 17 December 1994. Repeated: 24 December 1994 (BBC World Service)
*Glam Racket - Star / Jingle Bell Rock / Hark The Herald Angels Sing / Numb At The Lodge
19. Recorded: 1995-12-17. First Broadcast: 22 December 1995. Repeated: none.
*He Pep! / Oleano / Chilinist / The City Never Sleeps
20. Recorded: 1996-06-30. First Broadcast: 18 August 1996. Repeated: none.
*D.I.Y. Meat / Spinetrak / Spencer / Beatle Bones 'N' Smokin' Stones
21. Recorded: 1998-02-03. First Broadcast: 03 March 1998. Repeated: none.
*Calendar / Touch Sensitive / Masquerade / Jungle Rock
22. Recorded: 1998-10-18. First Broadcast: 04 November 1998. Repeated: 20 May 1999
*Bound Soul One / Antidotes / Shake-Off / This Perfect Day
23. Recorded: 2003-02-19. First Broadcast: 13 March 2003. Repeated: 22 May 2003
*Theme from Sparta F.C. / Contraflow / Groovin’ With Mr Bloe - Green-Eyed Loco Man / Mere Pseud Mag Ed.
24. Recorded: 2004-08-04. First Broadcast: 12 August 2004. Repeated: 07 October 2004.
*Clasp Hands / Blindness / What About Us? / Wrong Place, Right Time - I Can Hear The Grass Grow
(Recorded at same session: Job Search - 65th birthday present to Peel, first broadcast 31 August 2004.)
(*) The BBC minisite and CD Box Set) give a recording date of 26th August 1981 and 1st TX date 15 September 1981, which is listed as a repeat in Ken's book.
(**) Other sources give 19th May 1987.
(****) CD box set booklet gives 1993-12-08.
== Other ==
;Mark Goodier show session
Garner also lists the Peel show broadcast of the following session, recorded originally for the Mark Goodier show.
Recorded: 1993-05-01. First broadcast (Mark Goodier show): 1993-05-17. Repeated (John Peel show): 11 September 1993. Available on The Infotainment Scan - Expanded Edition (Castle Music).
*Glam Racket / War / 15 Ways / A Past Gone Mad
;Live
(The BBC Peel minisite includes the following live performances in its Fall session listings.)
Recorded: 1989-08-29 (Subterania, London). Broadcast: 30 August 1989 (50th birthday show)
*Mere Pseud / I'm Frank / Arms Control Poseur / Fiery Duck / Race With The Devil / British People In Hot Weather
Recorded: 1993-12-08 (Roundhouse, Manchester). Broadcast: 29 April 1994
*M5 / Behind The Counter / Ladybird (Green Grass) / The League Of Baldheaded Men / War / A Past Gone Mad / I'm Frank / Glam Racket / Wrong Place / Mixer / Lost In Music / Cab Driver / Paranoia Man In Cheap Sh*t Room / Free Range
Recorded: 1995-07-14 (Phoenix Festival). Broadcast: 14 July 1995. (Released on Live At The Phoenix Festival 95-96 (Strange Fruit)
*Pearl City / Behind The Counter / Free Range / Don't Call Me Darling / Hillinist / Numb At The Lodge / Idiot Joy
(from Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive)
Recorded 1996-07-21 (Live at Phoenix Festival). Broadcast 21 July 1996. (Released on Live At The Phoenix Festival 95-96 (Strange Fruit) except 'Pearl City' and 'Behind The Counter')
*Hey Pep / US 80s 90s / Chisellers / 15 Ways / Pearl City / Powderkeg / Behind The Counter
== Links ==
* BBC online interview with Mark E Smith on official release of the CD box set
Category: Artists
Category: Fall