Remembering The Fall’s cover of Beatles classic ‘A Day in the Life’
Whisper the words “cantankerous rock icon” into the wind, and chances are the words that eventually come back to your ears will be “Mark E. Smith“. A purveyor of all things pure and puerile, The Fall’s leading man was never one to shy away from braving the brutal cold of his band’s shoulders, nor the scene from which he was carved, celebrated and forever honoured. That’s because, unlike many of his contemporaries and bandmates, Smith rarely praised the musical heroes who came before him.
“Nah, y’alright,” was the kind of response one might expect when asking the late, great Smith for his opinion on a classic record from the past. While his laser focus seemed intent on burning down the future, Smith rarely languished in the past. However, as part of an NME initiative back in 1988, Smith and his band The Fall did just that as they covered a classic Beatles song in the name of charity.
Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father is one of the rare pieces of 1980s charitable memorabilia that doesn’t feature Bono, and, for that reason, it should be regarded as one of the better efforts from the musical world to raise funds for a good cause. Produced by the long-running publication, the compilation saw some of the best alternative artists of the moment taking on The Beatles’ 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, with additions from Sonic Youth, Billy Bragg, The Triffids and The Wedding Present.
A hefty dose of morose indie is there for all to hear as the array of bands deliver unique takes on some of the Fab Four’s most beloved songs. While Sonic Youth took on ‘Within You, Without You’ and The Wedding Present made their own version of ‘Getting Better’, The Fall and Mark E. Smith attempted perhaps the greatest song on the record, and arguably The Beatles’ entire canon, ‘A Day in the Life’.
Speaking to Rolling Stones, John Lennon noted of the song: “‘A Day In The Life’ – that was something. I dug it. It was a good piece of work between Paul and me. I had the ‘I read the news today’ bit, and it turned Paul on. Now and then, we really turn each other on with a bit of song, and he just said ‘yeah’ – bang, bang, like that. It just sort of happened beautifully.”
It’s unusual to hear The Fall cover any song, even rare to hear it be of a celebrated icon of the past. However, perhaps the most shocking thing about this rendition of the song is, minus a few choppy basslines and post-punk aesthetics, the track is comparatively faithful to the original. Smith’s vocal is irrevocably sardonic, but even he tries to add a little light and dark to the differing John Lennon and Paul McCartney sections.
Given room to deliver his sermonic performance, the very nature of Smith comes to the fore. Arguably a crowning moment, Smith’s vocals are, at once, akin to the burping barfly located in your local boozer and the kind of bard with poems written about their every belch — it’s everything we’ve ever loved about the singer.
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