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biography | |||
| GROUP MEMBERS, GUESTS AND PRODUCERS (A-Z) | |||
| Phil Ames |  | late 1980s guitar | Phil Ames, also known as Flames, was Brix's guitar tech during the late 1980s. Stood in on guitar for Brix's guitar parts at the Off Beat Night, Munich gig in January 1989.
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Simon "Ding" Archer |  | Apr 2003-Apr 2004 bass, production | Took over from Jim Watts on bass. Played live on several tours but only appears on a handful of recordings - mostly re-recordings of Country On The Click material and its associated singles. Was loaned out to PJ Harvey for her backing band in 2004. Has been involved in engineering/production duties for much of the material recorded post 2007. Made several guest appearances as second bass player during the March 2008 UK tour as his current band, Bobbie Peru, was support act. |
| Robin Ayling |  | late 1990s-early 2000s production | Head of Voiceprint Records. One of the character voices at the start of Ketamine Sun. |
Una Baines |  | 1976-Mar 1978 keyboards | Born April 1957. Comes from Colyhurst. Worked in offices and was a student psychiatric nurse. Founding member of The Fall but couldn't play the group's first gig because a bank loan hadn't come through in time to buy a keyboard. Left the Fall in 1978 to form the Blue Orchids with Martin Bramah, whom she married. This group was briefly reformed in 1985. Also released an album with The Fates. |
| Rob Barbato |  | May 2006-June 2007 bass | Drafted in by Narnack Records to enable MES to complete the 2006 US tour after Pritchard, Trafford & Birtwistle walked out. In Darker My Love with Tim Presley. |
| Jason Barron |  | 1997-1999 production, programming | One of Pete Waterman's young bright-eyed sound engineers. Cut his teeth on records by Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan & Rick Astley before doing production and engineering duties on Levitate and Marshall Suite. |
| Dian Barton |  | late 1980s production | Live sound engineer and produced several songs, including Bremen Nacht. Also worked for New Order. |
| Mike Bennett |  | late 1994-late 1996 producer & backing vocals | Produced Cerebral Caustic and Light User Syndrome, adding vocals to Cheetham Hill. Also appeared live as backing vocalist. He has also written and produced for Ian Brown, the Muppets and Bananarama. Part of Trance Visionary project with Andy Powell (ex-Wishbone Ash). |
| S. Beswick | | 2002 or 2003 keyboards | Played keyboards on Recovery Kit. Friend of Ben Pritchard who helped him write that song. |
| Charlotte Bill |  | 1990 flute, oboe | Played on Extricate and made some live appearances. |
Spencer Birtwistle |  | Nov 2000-Nov 2001 Jul 2004-May 2006 drums | Founding member of Laugh. Engineer of World of Twist single "The Storm". Laugh changed name to Intastella in 1991, due to arrival of vocalist Stella Grey. Now works with the solo Stella. Replaced Tom Head on the UK tour to promote The Unutterable, due to Tom Head's acting committments coming before The Fall. Produced "Rude (All The Time)" and "I Wake Up In The City". Left after a punch-up with the group's manager in New York. Met up with MES for a drink in late 2003 which led to the recording of "(Birtwistle's) Girl In Shop". Returned to the group at York in 2004. Left after 4 dates of the 2006 US tour along with Ben Pritchard & Steve Trafford. |
Ed Blaney |  | 2000-2004 manager/broker Also: guitar, vocals | Lead singer of Fall support band Trigger Happy. Then became The Fall's manager, bringing fellow Trigger Happy band members Watts & Birtwistle into the group. Resigned in 2002 after 2 booked US tours fell through, but was always around behind the scenes. Called back into active duty on the 2004 US tour. Used to make the odd appearance on guest vocals. Joined the band onstage as guitarist for the 2004 York gigs, making a 3 guitar line-up. Replaced as manager/broker in late 2004. |
| Paul Bonney |  | Mid-late 2016 drums | Second drummer for a handful of gigs in the latter half of 2016. Drums for the Australian Pink Floyd Experience. |
Kenny Brady |  | Jul 1990-Jun 1991 violin & keyboards | Did session work on Extricate then subsequently joined as a band member. Played on Shift-Work and live gigs around that time. |
| Martin Bramah |  | 1976-Apr 1979 & Jul 1989-Jul 1990 guitar & backing vocals | Born March 1957. A former member of Nuclear Angel with Karl Burns. Was founding Fall guitarist, and then rejoined in May 1989 to replace Brix. Left for the first time (announcing his departure at an Iggy Pop gig) to form the Blue Orchids with Una Baines. The band became dormant after he and Baines married but released a single in 1985. He then formed the short-lived Thirst with Karl Burns. When sacked from The Fall in 1990 he re-formed the Blue Orchids with a guest appearance from Marcia Schofield. |
| Christophe Bride |  | 2016/7 studio engineer, guest vocals | Studio engineer on the New Facts Emerge album. He provided the french backing vocal section on the title track, quoting lyrics from the Jacques Brel song Les Bourgeois. Of French decent, perhaps he was the "frog" who inspired Mark's lyrics? |
| John Brierley |  | 1979-1982 producer | Production on Dragnet, Grotesque & Room To Live. |
| Ian Broudie |  | 1988 production | Producer of I Am Kurious Oranj, better known as the mainman of The Lightning Seeds. |
| Jonnie Brown | | Jan 1978 bass | Born Rotherham. Bassist for 3 weeks*. Was an art student. * It may have been more like 5 or 6 weeks, as he joined after Tony Friel had left on 23 December 1977 and was gone by 13 February 1978 when a TV session for What's On was filmed. |
| Karl Burns |  | May 1977-Dec 1978 Oct 1981-Jun 1986 Jan 1993-Dec 1996 May 1997-Apr 1998 drums also: guitar, bass, keyboards | A former member of Nuclear Angel with Martin Bramah. For a short while was with Public Image Ltd - he didn't perform live but he may have played on a single B-side. Also in The Teardrops in 1980 with Steve Garvey of The Buzzcocks. In 1985 he worked with Martin Bramah in Thirst. Sang vocals on "(Stay Away) Old White Train" on The Light User Syndrome. Went on to Ark with Steve Hanley after the 1998 New York bust-up, but left soon after (to be replaced by Paul Hanley). Was quite elusive when Dave Simpson was writing his book The Fallen. |
| Dave Bush |  | Aug 1991-Nov 1995 keyboards & computers | Born 4 June 1959 in Taplow. Sound engineer who worked with the Clash, Echo and the Bunnymen and the Teardrop Explodes. Was roadie for The Fall for about a year before joining the band. Went on to become Elastica's keyboard player until that band's demise. |
| Arthur Cadman |  | 1982 guitar | Also (and probably correctly) spelt Kadmon. Played for about 15 seconds on the Room to Live album. Formerly part of Manufactured Noise, Ludus and The Distractions. |
| Kay Carroll |  | 1977-Apr 1983 management, production, backing vocals | Born 27 December 1948, maiden name Kay Sullivan. Lived in West Gorton, then in Ardwick. Maried early in her 20s, had two kids, but left her family and began studying nursing. She met Una Baines who introduced her to MES. Became the manager of the group and sometimes backing singer. Left in 1983 during an American tour and settled there. Married twice more. Now lives in Portland, Oregon and works as a nurse. |
| Stuart Carswell |  | 27 March 2003 drums | Played drums on the live TV broadcast "Made in the North West" - 2 songs. Filling in for Dave Milner who was unable to make it for personal reasons. From the band Takotsubo Men and previously in Kelso (signed to Probe Plus), an early incarnation of Badly Drawn Boy, and Manbreak. |
| Michael Clapham |  | May 2017-Dec 2017 keyboards | The final keyboard player, drafted in some time after the departure of Elena Poulou. A comedy promoter based in Manchester. |
| Michael Clark |  | various times ballet accompanist | Born Aberdeen 1962. Studied at the Royal Ballet School in London, and then moved to Ballet Rambert in New York. He became a choreographer and dancer at Riverside Studios and then founded Michael Clark & Company. His dancers took part in an Old Grey Whistle Test performance of "Lay of the Lnd" in 1984. In 1988 he collaborated with The Fall on I Am Curious Orange, which was premiered in Amsterdam and then performed at the Edinburgh Festival and at Saddler's Wells in London. In April 1998 he appeared onstage with The Fall dancing with a chair. |
| Coldcut |  | 1989-1990 Producers, DJs | Jonathan More and Matt Black. Produced Telephone Thing and some other tracks for the Extricate album. Appeared on TV with The Fall on turntables. |
| Tommy Crooks |  | Aug 1997-Apr 1998 guitar | Scottish artist, designed the Levitate album sleeve. After quitting The Fall, he joined Ark but left after early rehearsals and returned to painting. Is now in a band called Farmhand, which released "Farmland Quintessence". |
| Kenny Cummings |  | 2005 vocals | Guest vocalist on the song Trust In Me from Fall Heads Roll. Member of the US band Shelby, who recorded on the Gigantic record label, associated with the studio where FHR was partly recorded. |
| Ruth Daniel |  | Sept 2002 keyboards | Played keyboards on the Blackburn DVD gig and on other dates during the same tour. Is in a band called Earl. |
| Steve Davies |  | Jun 1980 Drums & percussion | Added congas to the first Peel session in May 1978 and then stood in for schoolboy drummer Paul Hanley on the Dutch tour of 1980, having never owned a drum kit (he borrowed one for the tour which he demolished after 11 shows). Was a member of Gong/Can covers group, Mushroom Tango. After the Dutch tour, Steve took up Afro Cuban and Brasilian hand drumming and he now runs a percussion and dance workshop called Baba Yaga Global Percussion & Arts Workshops, as well as doing street theatre and some TV acting. |
| Nick Dewey |  | 27 Aug 1999 drums | Chemical Brothers co-manager, drafted in to play drums minutes before the band took the stage at the Reading festival 1999. MES had sacked Tom Head en route to the festival (he was reinstated the next day). Dewey hadn't played drums for 5 years but apparently acquitted himself reasonably well. MES, extremely drunk and shirt covered in blood from a fight with Neville Wilding(!), didn't come across quite so well. |
| Mike Edwards |  | 1989 guitar | The singer/guitarist from Jesus Jones played guitar on the song Popcorn Double Feature for the Extricate album. |
| Chris Evans |  | 3 Dec 2004 drums | Drummer from support band, drafted in at the last minute when Spencer Birtwhiste failed to arrive at the Bristol Bierkeller for the gig. |
| Steve Evets |  | various times 2000's backing vocals also: bass | Acted with MES in "Diary of a Madman" as a worker obsessed with Elvis Presley. Appears onstage to sing backing vocals in many hometown shows. Filled in on bass for a couple of gigs between Jim Watts & Simon Archer. Has his own band Dr Freaks Padded Cell. Real name is Steven Murphy (Evets is of course Steve backwards). |
| Brian Fanning |  | mid-late 2001 guitar | Second guitarist on Are You Are Missing Winner. Played UK tour dates to support the album, but didn't make it to the USA. |
| Fredrica Federation | | 1986 guitar | Guest guitarist on the single Living Too Late. Rumoured to be Brix Smith. |
| Adrian Flanagan |  | Dec 1996-Feb 1997 guitar | Took part in 5 gigs late 1996/early 1997, replacing Brix and before Tommy Crooks joined. Now records as Kings Have Long Arms. After seeing this page he said "that shirt I was wearing, if I was MES I would of seen that as a sackable offence". Also called Mark a man amongst musicians, and who could argue with that! |
| Gavin Friday |  | 1984 backing vocals | Born 9 October 1959. Guest vocalist on The Wonderful & Frightening World Of The Fall. Ex Virgin Prunes, now solo artist. |
| Tony Friel |  | 1976-Dec 1977 bass | Born 4 May 1958 in Birkenhead. Founding member of The Fall. Left to form the Passage with Dick Witts. Also recorded as Contact with Duncan Prestbury. Spent next 20 years playing in semi-professional R&B bands. Operated Racket label and then became a member of the Woodbank Streetband. |
| Daren Garrett |  | 2004 backing vocals Dec 2013-Oct 2015 drums | Member of Fall support band Pubic Fringe who joined in on backing vox for Touch Sensitive at Stourbridge 2004. Between December 2013 and October 2015 Daren was second drummer/percussionist alondside Keiron Melling. |
| "Cuz'n" Roy Gittens |  | 2003-2004 washboard, vocals | Famous US tour manager who sometimes came on stage during encores to play the washboard and sing (White Lightning a speciality). |
| Al Goldson |  | 2002 guest vocal | The group's roadie who performed Enigrammatic Dream on the Blackburn DVD. |
| Robert Gordon |  | 1991 production | Electronic/techno producer who worked on tracks for Shift-work. |
| Damon Gough |  | 1997 guitar | Played guitar and co-wrote "Calendar" in 1997. Also kept Mark's false teeth in a mouldy old acoustic guitar case (according to Susan Vs Youthclub) after Mark left them in his car, thinking it was a taxi. |
| Granny On Bongos |  | 7 Feb 1998-whenever bongos | Semi-mythical replacement to any Fall group that has been sacked. Originates from NME interview with Smith published 7 February 1998. When discussing band sackings, MES said "if it's me and your granny on bongos, then it's a Fall gig".
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| Pete Greenway |  | Aug 2006-Dec 2017 guitar | Formerly founder member and lead guitarist of Das Fringe (aka Pubic Fringe), which had been a support band for the Fall. Guitarist for the final decade. |
| Dale Griffin |  | various times production | Produced at least half a dozen Peel sessions. Before becoming a BBC in-house producer, he was the drummer in Mott the Hoople. He once tried to throw Simon Rogers out of the BBC studios for playing Mott's "All The Way To Memphis". Died 17 January 2016. |
| Andy Hackett |  | 1997 guitar | Member of the Rockingbirds and several other bands and Edwin Collins' guitarist. Did session guitar work on Levitate. Now runs a guitar shop in Denmark Street, London. |
| Paul Hanley |  | Mar 1980-Mar 1985 drums | Steve Hanley's younger brother. Joined The Fall at 16 years of age, while still at school. For most of his time in the group it was a 2 drummer line-up. Joined brother Steve again in 1998 in Ark, releasing one album. From 2001 was in The Lovers, along with Steve and singer Tom Hingley (ex Inspiral Carpets). Most recently a member of Brix and the Extricated. |
| Steve Hanley |  | Apr 1979-Apr 1998 bass | Born 20 May 1959. Was in The Sirens, which played one gig only. Then in a group with Craig Scanlon called Staff 9. This band supported The Fall 6 or 7 times in early 1979. He also roadied for The Fall before being asked to join, together with Scanlon. The bass player at the time, Marc Riley, switched to guitar to make room for Hanley. Served the longest in the group, aside from MES. Formed Ark after quitting The Fall following the disastrous US tour of 1998. Worked as groundsman/caretaker at a Manchester primary school. Played bass in The Lovers from 2001, now is in Brix and the Extricated. |
| Tom Head = Thomas Patrick Murphy |  | Aug 1998-Nov 2000 drums | Brother of MES's friend Steve Evets (real name Steven Murphy). Worked as an extra on Coronation Street and The League of Gentleman. Acting work came first at the time of the UK tour of 2000, so he was replaced by Spencer Birtwistle. Sadly passed away on 4 October 2015. |
| Adam Helal |  | Dec 1998-Feb 2001 | Born Bromley and originally called this surname by MES. Father thought to be from Lebanon. When he first joined The Fall there was another bassist, Karen Leatham. Refused to play in 2001 due to a dispute over his payment for The Unutterable album, so was replaced by Jim Watts. Helal went on to Galactica, making synthetic soundscapes and organic ambience with ancient ethereal vocals! |
| Shan Hira |  | 1989 production | Produced the studio tracks on Seminal Live. Originally the drummer in the Stockholm Monsters, later the resident engineer at Suite 16 Studios and more recently live sound engineer for the Chemical Brothers. |
| Steve Hitchcock | | 1998-89 production, string arrangements | Worked on The Marshall Suite, adding the cellos to Touch Sensitive amongst other things. Had an office next to John Lenard, boss of Artful Records, and worked for free. |
| Kazuko Hohki |  | 2000 guest vocals | From the Frank Chickens. Sang the chorus on Cyber Insekt with Julia Nagle, who had suggested her to producer Grant Showbiz (Kazuko being Grant's partner). Did not meet MES in the studio. |
| Speth Hughes |  | late 1990s sound fx | Live sound mixer and studio engineer in the late 1990s. Provided sound effects on Peel session 22, November 1998. Lately has done sound engineering for African artist Baaba Maal. |
| Dougie James |  | 2004 guest vocals | Manchester soul singer who has performed guest vocals on a number of occasions. |
| Rob Lally |  | co-wrote Recovery Kit | One of Mark's closest friends. Is part of The Fall entourage. Acted, alongside another close friend, as Mark's best man when he married Elena in 2001. Photo from 2005 shows Rob with his son Cameron. |
| Karen Leatham |  | Aug 1998-Dec 1998 bass | Debuted at Manchester University in August 1998. Was a founding member of Wonky Alice and also played with Mark Burgess's Sons Of God. After her departure from The Fall, she took part in a Wonky Alice reunion. |
| John Leckie |  | mid-late 1980s production | Produced most of the Beggars Banquet albums. |
| Mike Leigh |  | Jan 1979-Mar 1980 drums | Teddy boy drummer. Sometimes liked to play standing up. Came from and returned to cabaret bands. |
| Craig Leon |  | 1989-1992 producer, guitar, keyboards | Played organ and guitar on Shift-Work as well as production duties on several albums and singles. |
| Paul Long |  | 1993 production | Produced a radio session for Mark Goodier's show in 1993. A Past Gone Mad from that session was released on the Peel Sessions album. |
| Orpheo McCord |  | May 2006-June 2007 drums | Drafted in by Narnack Records to enable MES to complete the 2006 US tour after Pritchard, Trafford & Birtwistle walked out. Most jazzy Fall drummer ever. |
| Eric McGann aka Rick Goldstraw |  | Feb-May 1978 bass | Originally in a bank called The Ferrets, hence the nickname "Eric the Ferret" as he is sometimes referenced. Was in John Cooper Clarke's backing band, Curious Yellow. Also played in The Blue Orchids (sometimes known as Nico's backing band). Quit The Fall on 30 May 1978, the day the first Peel session was recorded, in disgust at the van driver (Steve Davies) turning up in a Hawaiian shirt with his congas. |
| Bernard MacMahon |  | 1998-1989 producer, programming | Production and programming on The Marshall Suite. |
| Richard Mazda |  | 1981-1982 producer, saxophone | Production and saxophone on Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul and Hex Enduction Hour. Started as a punk singer and guitarist in Tours and The Cosmetics, then moved into production for IRS Records. Later switched allegiances from punk to R&B... and more recently has been involved in the theatre. |
| Keiron Melling |  | Oct 2006-Dec 2017 drums | Started as stand-in drummer for Orpheo McCord for the Dublin show on 7 October and second drummer in addition to Orpheo at Manchester on 12 November 2006. Sole drummer since 1 June 2007. Like Dave Spurr, from the group MotherJohn. |
| Mick Middles |  | 19 Feb 2003 backing vocals | According to his book, he contributed backing vocals to Peel session 23 on Theme From Sparta F.C. (which MES could have claimed as pre-cog of the 2004 European champs win by Greece). |
| Tamsin Middleton |  | 2013 backing vocals | Provided backing vocals on the song Touchy Pad from The Remainderer EP. Was in the band As Able As Kane along with Ding, who produced the EP. |
| Dave Milner |  | Nov 2001-June 2004 drums, backing vocals | Was in Trigger Happy with Ed Blaney and replaced Spencer Birtwistle at short notice (with 45 minutes rehearsal). |
| Basil Nagle |  | 1998 backing vocal | Julia's son. Did the talking section on the single mix of Masquerade. [Thanks to Julia for the pic of her young lad, around the time Masquerade was recorded.] |
| Julia Nagle |  | Nov 1995-Aug 2001 keyboards & guitar | Canadian. Was a member of the St. Winifred's School Choir, though not at the time of the "Grandma" single. Worked on Bend Sinister as sound engineer and till then had thought The Fall were a dreary band. Previously, studied art and graphic design and played with a punk band, Blackout, following which she moved on to Illustration. She became a tape op. and sound engineer. She married Chris Nagle and they had a son called Basil in 1987. She formed What? Noise. The couple separated in 1993 and she joined The Thrush Puppies. At one point Julia had visions of an all female Fall backing group for MES, recruiting Kate Themen on drums and Karen Leatham on bass. Sadly, this never quite came off as Themen decided not to continue after her first 3 gigs. |
| Adrian Niman | | 1982 saxophone | Played saxophone on Room To Live album, on the title track. Apparently he was paid 26 quid for the session. |
| Jon Ormrod aka Jon The Postman |  | 1977 guest vocals | Legendary figure on the Manchester punk scene, and a former postman, Jon was very fond of the song Louie Louie and sang it whenever he got the chance. Captured on The Fall's Live 1977 singing that song with MES. Later recorded some songs on Mark's Cog Sinister label. |
| Steve Ormrod |  | 1976 drums | Sometimes referred to as "Dave". The group's first drummer. Thought to be an insurance salesman. Apparently he wrote a song called Landslide Victory about Margaret Thatcher (possibly explaining his rapid departure from the group). Little was known about him until Dave Simpson, author of The Fallen book, received an email from a friend of Ormrod's in late 2010. Sadly, the drummer, a schizophrenic, committed suicide in 1994. |
| Ross Orton |  | 2009 production | Producer and engineer on Your Future Our Clutter. Previously drummer in electronic groups Add N to (X) and Fat Truckers. May not have had such a pleasant studio experience with Mark E Smith... |
| Steve Parker |  | 1983 production | Producer of Perverted By Language. Did engineering and production work for many indie labels including Rough Trade, 4AD and Beggars Banquet. Went on to engineer for the likes of The Rolling Stones, Tears for Fears and Aretha Franklin as well as doing film and TV sound. Steve still does some production work, but his time is now mostly spent as a lecturer of music technology at Leeds Metropolitan University. |
| Billy Pavone |  | 2005 vocals, guitar | Guest vocalist on the song Trust In Me from Fall Heads Roll. He also played guitar on US vinyl version of Blindness. |
| Yvonne Pawlett |  | May 1978-July 1979 keyboards | Born 23 May 1959. Left the group to look after her dog. Was later in a group called The Shy Tots, around 1982. They released a 3 track cassette by mail order, or you could send a blank tape and a self-addressed envelope for a copy. |
| John Peel |  | 1994 guest vocal | Famous BBC DJ and supporter of The Fall, appeared on the track Symbol Of Mordgan on Middle Class Revolt talking with Craig Scanlon about a Manchester City football match. |
| Alan/Alana Pellay |  | 1982 backing vocals | Contributed backing vocals, including Hip Priests and Kamerads live version of And This Day (Hammersmith Palais, London 25 March 1982). |
| "The Plouty" |  | keyboards | Played organ on the track Protein Protection. True identity is Elena Poulou! |
| John Porter |  | 1983 production | Produced Peel session #6. Possibly best known for producing The Smiths. |
| Elena Poulou | | Sep 2002-Apr 2016 keyboards, backing vocals | The mysteriously named Elena/Elini/Elenor Poulou of Greek origin via German schooling has recorded with Zen Faschisten and Shizuo. Married MES early 2001, separated late 2015(?). |
| Tim Presley |  | May 2006-June 2007 guitar | Drafted in by Narnack Records to enable MES to complete the 2006 US tour after Pritchard, Trafford & Birtwistle walked out. In Darker My Love with Rob Barbato. |
| Ben Pritchard |  | Feb 2001-May 2006 guitar | Brought in to replace Neville Wilding, who refused to play a gig due to a dispute over royalties. Had played on Dr Bucks letter on The Unutterable. Mark had known him since he was a lad. Got sacked after the aborted US tour of 2004. Then came back. Then resigned due to "irreconcilable differences with Mark". Then came back. Finally walked out after 4 dates of the 2006 US tour along with Steve Trafford & Spencer Birtwistle, as they felt they couldn't continue working with MES any longer. |
| Mark Radcliffe |  | 1985 production | Produced Peel session #8. Born in Bolton in 1958. Attended Manchester University where he studied English, American Studies and Classical Civilisation. Was a cabaret dancer for a while before starting in Picadilly Radio in Manchester. Became a producer at Radio One, moved back to Picadilly Radio, then to the BBC again where he had a radio show with Marc Riley. |
| Kevin Riddles |  | 1990 keyboards | A member of the 1990 touring road crew who stood in on keyboards during several gigs after Marcia Schofield was sent home from Australia. Plays bass and sings in the metal band, Tytan. |
| Marc Riley |  | Jun 1978-Oct 1982 bass then switched to guitar Apr 1979 also: keyboards | Was in The Sirens, who played one gig only. Became roadie for The Fall at the age of 16. Played bass to start with, then switched to guitar and keyboards to allow Steve Hanley to join the group as bassist. Left the group after the Australia/NZ tour of 1982, after coming to blows with MES in an Australian nightclub. Formed The Creepers, which continued until 1988 with a change of personnel, until renamed The Lost Soul Crusaders in 1988. Then became a disc jockey on BBC radio. |
| Lucy Rimmer |  | Dec 1995-Oct 1996 vocals | Backing vocals on The Light User Syndrome and lead vocals on Birthday and The City Never Sleeps. Organised The Fall fan club and was MES's girlfriend. A close friend of Mark's sister Caroline. |
| Mike Robinson | | various times production | BBC in-house producer. Produced a number of John Peel sessions. |
| Simon Rogers |  | Mar 1985-Oct 1986 bass, keyboards, guitar, production | Originally recruited to Brix's band, The Adult Net. Performs on Ministry of Sound collections and has worked with Peter Murphy and Boy George. Has had chart success as part of panpipe band Incantation. Also worked with Kurious Oranj producer Ian Broudie with The Lightning Seeds and recorded alone under the name Nation 12, notable for the single Brutal Deluxe, later used as title music for the computer game "Speedball 2". |
| John Rolleson |  | 1998 backing vocals | Tour Manager 1998. Did backing vocals on Peel session 21, broadcast February 1998. |
| Bob Sargeant |  | 1978 production | Producer of second Peel session and Live At The Witch Trials. Later worked with The Beat and Haircut One Hundred. |
| Rex Sargeant |  | 1993-1995 production | Production on Infotainment Scan, Middle Class Revolt & 27 Points and live sound mixer. Died at the age of 45, late 2010. |
| Craig Scanlon |  | Apr 1979-Dec 1995 guitar | Born 7 December 1960. Was in The Sirens, which playd one gig only. Then in Staff 9 with Steve Hanley. This band supported The Fall in early 1979. Dismissed from The Fall for "failure to maintain amps and slovenly appearance". Now thought to be working in a Social Welfare office in Manchester. |
| Marcia Schofield |  | Oct 1986-Jul 1990 keyboards | Born 1962 in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Went to university but dropped out and met future husband Philip Schofield, member of the Workers' Revolutionary Party and ex sex-shop worker. (Phil later changed his name to Phil Shoenfelt and had a 12 inch single, "Charlotte's Room", released by MES on Cog Sinister). They formed Khmer Rouge. Moved to London in 1984 and met Brix Smith. Started with The Fall in a rehearsal gig in Ipswich in 1986. Sacked from the band in 1990 at the end of an Australasian tour. Has worked since with the Blue Orchids. Studied medicine, specialising as an anaesthetist. |
| Phil Schuster |  | 2005 vocals | Guest vocalist on the song Trust In Me from Fall Heads Roll. Member of the US band Shelby, who recorded on the Gigantic record label, associated with the studio where FHR was partly recorded. |
| Sol Seaberg | | 1983 co-composer | Co-composer of The Man Whose Head Expanded. He was the Fall's van driver and the vocalist with a band called FC Domestos. According to Brix, he was the "Jew on a motorbike" in the song Garden. |
| Adrian Sherwood |  | 1981 production | Production on some tracks for the Slates 10" and Extricate. |
| Grant Showbiz = Grant Cunliffe |  | Various times production | Born 1956. Production duties on Dragnet, Grotesque, Slates, The Unutterable, Country On The Click, Imperial Wax Solvent. Also live sound mixer in the early 1980s and various times since. |
| Brix Smith |  | Sep 1983-Jul 1989 Aug 1994-Oct 1996 guitar, backing vocals | Born Laura Elisse Salenger on 12 November 1962 in Los Angeles. Parents divorced when she was a year old. Studied theatre and literature at Bennington in Vermont. Formed a band called Banda Dratsing. Brix played bass and was the singer. Met MES in Chicago (Fall US tour) in 1983 and they married that year on 19 July at the registry office in Bury. She played guitar in the group until announcing her departure from The Fall publicly in July 1989. Had a side project group, The Adult Net. After her first departure from The Fall she toured with the Bangles, then auditioned for Hole. In August 1994 she rejoined The Fall and stayed until October 1996, leaving mid-tour. Moved into the fashion business with her second husband, Philip Start. Recently returned to music with her group Brix and the Extricated, featuring ex-Fall members. |
Mark E Smith |   | 1976-Jan 2018 vocals also: tapes, violin, keyboards | Born 5 March 1957 in Crumpsall Hospital, North Manchester. Grew up in Prestwich, part of metropolitan district of Bury. First worked in a meat factory and then in an import-export company in Manchester docks. Formed The Fall in 1976 and has been the leader and lead vocalist ever since. Has also made two solo albums, which used some Fall music. Has also done some writing, for example in the NME, and acting, including a role in "Diary of a Madman". Married Brix Smith on 19 July 1983 and she joined the Fall soon thereafter. After their divorce he married Safron Pryor, a secretary at the Cog Sinister Fan Club, on 27 November 1991. They divorced in February 1995. In December 2000 he met Eleni Poulou in Berlin while with Michael Clark and they subsequently married. She joined the group on keyboards in 2002. They split in 2015. Lost his long and private battle to cancer in January 2018. |
| John Sparrow | | 1980 production | Produced 3rd Peel session. |
| Simon Spencer | | early 1997 keyboards, production | A member of D.O.S.E. Collaborated with MES on Plug Yourself In. Started production on the Levitate album but didn't last long before leaving, following a dispute with MES over artistic direction. Took Mark's lyrics and built the song Inch around them, with Kier Stewart. Wrote the song which ended up being called Spencer Must Die. He did just that (died) at the Glastonbury festival 2003. |
| Dave "The Eagle" Spurr |  | Aug 2006-Dec 2017 bass | Originally appeared as stand-in bass player for Rob Barbato, but subsequently continued as second bassist from the September 2006 shows. Sole bass player since 1 June 2007. Previously in the groups En-tito from Bury and MotherJohn. Final bass player for the last decade of the group's existence. |
| Keir Stewart |  | early 1997 guitar | Involved with D.O.S.E. and Inch. Played live early 1997. |
| Kate Themen |  | April-May 1998 drums | From the group Polythene and currently Icons Of Poundland. Was stand-in drummer for 3 gigs in 1998 immediately after the disastrous US tour (1998 version), when most of the band walked out. Her surname has often been dyslexically reported as Methen or Methan. |
| Mayo Thompson |  | 1980-1981 production | Mainman of The Red Krayola. Co-produced Grotesque. |
| Steven Trafford |  | Apr 2004-May 2006 bass | Drafted in to replace Simon "Ding" Archer when he was loaned out to PJ Harvey, just prior to The Fall's 2004 aborted US tour. Survived it.... However, the 2006 US tour didn't go quite as well - Steve walked out after 4 dates along with Ben Pritchard & Spencer Birtwistle. |
| Geoff Travis |  | 1979-1981 production | Head of Rough Trade Records. Co-produced Grotesque and Slates. Also provided backing vocals on How I Wrote Elastic Man. |
| Dave Tucker |  | 1980-1981 clarinet | Played clarinet on some live dates and on the Slates 10". More recently known as an improv guitarist and has a band called The School Of Velocity. |
| Ellen van Schuylenburch |  | late 1988-early 1989 ballet dancer | One of Michael Clark's company in the I Am Curious Orange production. Solo ballet dancer at several live gigs late 1988 and early 1989. Liked dancing in sheepskin boots. |
| Pamela Vander |  | 2015-Jan 2018 manager, production, cheerleader | Mark E's final partner who assisted by managing the group, as well as being involved in the production of New Facts Emerge, photography and onstage support and crowd participation encouragement. |
| Bec Walker | | 2005 co-composer | Penned the lyrics to the song Breaking The Rules from Fall Heads Roll. A 17 year old aspiring singer who had been on work experience at Gracieland Studios at the time the album was recorded. |
| Jim Watts |  | Feb 2001-Mar 2003 Jul 2004-Dec 2004 bass/guitar Also: computers, keyboards | James Vincent Jarvis Watts. Born 14 February 1975 in Salford. Worked in criminal courts and in IT. Was in Trigger Happy and Alfie, playing bass, and then did some gigs with Stella. He was in a covers band (playing Bonzo Dog songs) which never had a name, and is now in his own band UglyRadio on guitar. Also does some roadying for New Order. Returned to The Fall at York in 2004 on guitar instead of bass (his preference). Departed again Dec 2004 due to dissatisfaction with credits & royalty arrangements and lack of creative control. |
| Cassell Webb |  | 1989-1992 backing vocals | Wife of Craig Leon, producer of albums from Extricate through Code: Selfish. She added backing vocals. |
| Neville Wilding |  | Nov 1998-Feb 2001 guitar | Born Prestatyn, Wales. Was in Rockin Gomez, Rhyl's finest psychobilly act. Replaced in 2001 after refusing to play due to a dispute over royalties for The Unutterable. |
| Tony Wilson |  | various times production | BBC staff producer during the 1970s & '80s (NOT the Factory Records Tony Wilson). Produced 2 Peel sessions. |
| Simon Wolstencroft |  | Jun 1986-Aug 1997 drums also: keyboards | Member of The Patrol which became The Stone Roses. Also in The Colourfield for a short while and was the drummer in a band called the Weeds (which included Andrew Berry on vocals). Considered joining an early version of The Smiths but wasn't impressed by Morrissey. After leaving The Fall, played with Ian Brown on the Golden Greats album. |
| Tony Worthington | | 1994 production | Produced Peel session #17. |
| Thanks to the many contributors from the Fall online forum, Dave Simpson, and various group members who have come forward with info. | |||
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