Mark E. Smith was born in the UK 1957 and founded The Fall in 1976 together with Tony Friel and Martin Bramah. Smith remained the only original member of the band to this day. During the 38 years of their existence, the group seemed to be more of a pigeon-loft than a coherent rock band as Smith hired and sacked musicians as if it was a sweet delight, so more than sixty musicians passed through The Fall.

It was already clear for a while now the singer had serious health problems since a number of planned shows were cancelled late 2017. Still, he didn’t seem willing to give up and even performed one of their latest shows in a wheelchair.

One of the hallmarks of The Fall was the unmistakable voice and manner of singing by Mark E. Smith. He rather mumbled his lyrics through the microphone than he was singing and therefore it was not always clear what he was singing.

The Fall was a very productive band, releasing nearly 80 albums in less than 39 years. Probably one of their most influential albums is the Hex Enduction Hour, released in 1982. To date, the band has been cited as a source of inspiration by musicians around the world.

A message on The Fall website was posted on January 24, 2018 …

RIP Chief - "The Only Band in the world"

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Mark E. Smith, zanger van de legendarische post-punk The Fall overleden op 60 jarige leeftijd

Mark E. Smith werd geboren in UK in 1957 en richtte The Fall op in 1976 samen met Tony Friel en Martin Bramah. Smith bleef het enige origineel lid van de band tot op vandaag. Gedurende de 38 jaar van hun bestaan leek de groep ook eerder op een duiventil dan op een coherente rock groep want Smith huurde en ontsloeg muzikanten alsof het een lieve lust was, meer dan zestig muzikanten passeerden zo de revue bij The Fall.

Het ging al een tijdje niet goed met de gezondheid van de zanger en mede daardoor werden een aantal geplande shows in het na jaar van 2017 afgelast. Toch wist hij van geen ophouden en werkte zelf een show af gezeten in een rolstoel.

Eén van de kenmerken van The Fall was het onmiskenbare stemgeluid en manier van zingen van Mark E. Smith. Hij mompelde zijn teksten eerder door de microfoon en daardoor was niet altijd duidelijk wat hij precies zong.

The Fall was een zeer productive groep en bracht bijna 80 albums uit op nog geen 39 jaar tijd. Waarschijnlijk één van hun meest invloedrijke albums is het in 1982 verschenen Hex Enduction Hour. Tot op heden wordt de band aangehaald als inspiratiebron door muzikanten over heel de wereld.

Op de The Fall website werd er op 24 Januari gepost - RIP Chief - “The Only Band in the world”

Industrial Complex is the sixth and latest up to date studio album from British Industrial-electro-EBM band Nitzer Ebb. It was initially intended and released as a limited tour edition (2009) only but was soon after picked up by the German Major Records who released the album in Europe on 22 January 2010, fifteen years after the band's last studio album Big Hit. This is the band's first release after leaving Mute Records following its 2006 retrospective, Body of Work. The Major Records version also came with a bonus CD containing remixes by Terence Fixmer and Depeche Mode's Alan Wilder amongst others.

Martin Gore of Depeche Mode—himself a fellow Essex boy—has contributed backing vocals on both 'Once You Say' and 'Payroll'. While the track 'Never Known' was featured on the soundtrack of Saw IV. The album was produced by the renown English producer Flood.

Although this comeback album could not please all their old school fans it generally received positive critics by the music press. NME gave the album a 4/5 star rating stating Nitzer Ebb "proves to be far from obsolete". Other magazines wrote critics like "Industrial Complex is a real stormer" or "Industrial Complex sounded like nothing I've ever expected, it's sure one great album."

Industrial Complex

Basic/tour edition (Red background cover, single disc, Artists' Addiction Records)

1 "Promises" 3:48
2 "Once You Say" 3:41
3 "Never Known" 3:58
4 "Going Away" 4:10
5 "Hit You Back" 4:19
6 "Payroll" 2:57
7 "Down On Your Knees" 3:52
8 "I Don´t Know You" 3:12
9 "My Door Is Open" 3:15
10 "I Am Undone" 3:51
11 "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" 2:57
12 "Traveling" 3:13 (bonus track)

Belgian edition bonus tracks (White cover background with $ sign, Alfa Matrix)

13. "Once You Say" (Komor Kommando Mix)
14. "Once You Say" (Leæther Strip Mix)
15. "Once You Say" (Essence Of Mind Mix)
16. "Once You Say" (Implant Mix)
17. "Once You Say" (Pouppée Fabrikk Mix)

Limited edition (Double CD - Tracks CD2, Major Records)
1 "I Am Undone" (Alan Wilder Remix) 5:29
2 "I Am Undone" (Christopher Kah Remix) 5:17
3 "My Door Is Open" (Terence Fixmer Remix) 5:48
4 "Once You Say" (Tom Furse Remix) 6:07
5 "Once You Say" (Celluloide Mix) 4:46
6 "Once You Say" (Orphee-Eeproh Remix) 4:29
7 "Once You Say" (People Theatre Remix) 4:24
8 "Once You Say" (Collapsed System Mix) 4:44
9 "Once You Say" (Suessenborn Sinessence Remix) 4:10

USA edition tracks (White cover background with $ sign, single disc, Artists' Addiction Records, AAR 001)
Same as Basic/tour edition, then additional tracks:
13 "On The Road"
14 "I Am Undone" (Alan Wilder Remix) 5:29
15 "I Am Undone" (Christopher Kah Remix) 5:17
16 "My Door Is Open" (Terence Fixmer Remix) 5:48
17 "Once You Say" (Tom Furse Remix) 6:07

DISCOGS

On January 21st, 1993 American Industrial/Metal band Ministry released its third single Just One Fix, taken from the album Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs (1992)

The song features samples from the movies Sid and Nancy, "Never trust a junkie" and The Man with the Golden Arm with Frank Sinatra reciting the words "Just One Fix” and “Gimme the thorazine. You don't need the thorazine” from the movie The Trip staring Peter Fonda and Bruce Dern.

The accompanying video was directed by Peter Christopherson (Coil) and features video footage and audio samples of author William S. Burroughs saying “Bring it all down”. Burroughs, who is known to be one of Al Jourgensen’s inspirations, also provided the single's cover art.

It was released as 3-track jewel case CD-Single, Digipack and 12” vinyl by Sire/Warner Bros. Records

Just One Fix (12" tracklist)

A1. Just One Fix (12 Inch edit) 8'13"
B1. Just One Fix (Video edit) 4'24"
B2. Quick Fix 4'11"

Just One Fix (Lyrics)

Never trust a junkie

Blood keeps drifting your way
Certain of its destination
Driving through New Orleans at night
Gotta find a destination

Just one fix
Just one fix
Just one fix
Just one fix

Life keeps slipping away
Fighting in a war with damnation
Poised, keep cutting away
I'm looking in through to salvation

Just one fix
Just one fix
Just one fix
Just one fix

Just one fix
Just one fix
Just one fix
Just one fix
Just one fix
Just one fix
Just one fix
Just one fix

Like if I boarded a train
Trying to take in another station
Join us and the choice will be made
Unless we kill the lie as a nation

Just one fix (just one fix)
Just one fix (just one fix)
Just one fix (just one fix)
Just one fix (just one fix)

Just one fix (one fix, one fix)
Just one fix (one fix, one fix)
Just one fix (one fix, one fix)
Just one fix (one fix, one fix)
Just one fix (one fix, one fix)
Just one fix (one fix, one fix)
Just one fix (one fix, one fix)

Songwriters: Barker Paul / Jourgenson Allen / Michael Bruce Balch / Rieflin William

On this day, 30 years ago (19 January 1991), The Cure performed at The Great British Music Awards in London Wembley arena (UK) with a.o. Ride, The La's, Jesus Jones, New Model Army and The Wedding Present.

For this special occasion The Cure played a very rare selection of songs and lots of fans agree some of the performed versions are considered to be pre-eminent.

The entire show was broadcast by British tv & radio

Setlist

Pictures Of You, Fascination Street, Just Like Heaven, Lullaby, The Walk, Let's Go To Bed, Why Can't I Be You?, In Between Days, A Forest, Never Enough

Encores:
Three Imaginary Boys, Boys Don't Cry, Disintegration

Line-up

Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Porl Thompson, Boris Williams, Perry Bamonte

On this day, 41 ago, John Foxx released his first solo project album Metamatic (Virgin, 18 January 1980), after leaving Ultravox the previous year. Opposite to Utravox' mix of rock and synth-pop, Metamatic became a pure electronic album. Although John Foxx performed ’Touch & Go’ and ’He’s a Liquid’ already with his former band Ultravox, the band was not credited on the Metametic album. Not surprisingly the remaining and continueing members of Ultravox didn’t credit Foxx when they adapted parts of ‘Touch and Go’ for their song ‘Mr.X’ (What’s in a name?) on their next album Vienna.

Foxx used a.o. a Minimoog, an ARP Odyssey synth, an Elka Rhapsody 610 “string machine” and a Roland CR-78 drum machine to produce the album. It was recorded on 8-track and engineered by Gareth Jones.

The album features one of John Foxx' greatest hits ‘Underpass’, which was previously released as the album’s announcing single.

'Metamatic' was named after a mechanical artwork (a painting machine) by Swiss sculptor and artist Jean Tinguely and became a must have album for (electronic) music lovers.

It spent seven weeks in the UK charts, peaking at #18. The album was generally well received by critics and is still cited as his most influential solo release.

The album was re-released on CD several times, amongst them some with bonus tracks (+ 6 in 1993 & + 7 in 2001) and even with a complete bonus CD featuring 15 extra tracks (2007).

In 2014 the original album finally got a vinyl re-released on Record Store Day with a gatefold sleeve featuring some new and rare artwork.

Metamatic (1980 - Original 12" tracklist)

1. Plaza 3:52
2. He's a Liquid 2:59
3. Underpass 3:53
4. Metal Beat 2:59
5. No-One Driving 3:45
6. A New Kind of Man 3:38
7. Blurred Girl 4:16
8. 030 3:15
9. Tidal Wave 4:14
10. Touch and Go 5:33

DISCOGS