Saturday 8 November 2014

Saturday Scratch #41 - The Mark E. Smith Connection

Did someone put together a compilation of tunes from the Amalgamated label for Mark E Smith in the early 1990s? If so it would help to explain The Fall's brief foray into the fine art of the reggae cover version. Best known is 'Why Are People Grudgeful' issued as a single in 1993 and based on a fantastic 1968 Joe Gibbs 7", released on Amalgamated, which was itself a reply in song to Lee Perry's scathing, 'People Funny Boy'.


Less familiar is 'Kimble', originally issued on Amalgamated by Perry (under the pseudonym, The Creators) as the b-side to Stranger Cole & Gladdy's, 'Seeing is Knowing', also in 1968. The Fall recorded their version of this obscurity in 1992 for a John Peel session - and it's a corker.


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bloody hell! These are great. As a fan of both early reggae and The Fall, I have a confession to make - I had no idea. Another thing - I'm relieved to learn that Mark isn't one of those Mancunians who 'all reggae is vile'. Also - played the original 'Kimble' and The Fall's version at the same time by accident and it sounds amazing. Talk about dub!

Anonymous said...

Oops.
'...who THINK all reggae is vile'. Sorry, Moz.

The Swede said...

I'd forgotten about 'Kimble' myself until I heard it on the radio a couple of weeks ago. I must try that mash-up!

Erik Bartlam said...

I have copies of both of these songs somewhere and of course I love them...Kimble especially but, there is something that separates them in my mind from THE FALL...which invariably is early 80's. I just can't shake it and I think there's a good reason for that...and I'm trying to work it out find a way to best articulate it on the blog...every since the Fall posts started making the rounds. It's not just because those were untouchable records...it's specifically about the sound, the type of music...cuts very close.

The Swede said...

Erik. I find something to embrace about most periods of The Fall, last year's 'Remainderer' was fantastic for example. I know what you mean though. I saw your comment on another blog regarding favourite Fall albums, something I struggled to pin down at the time, but on further reflection if I had to pick one period, it would be the Beggars Banquet years.

Old Pa's Corner said...

Corker is the word. Brilliant stuff!

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