After Simon had done a few gigs with The Weeds, he ended up getting spotted by Mark E Smith from The Fall. Also on tour, Mark spotted Simon’s amazing drum work at a gig in Bristol.
So, that night at the gig in Bristol, just after Simon had supported The Fall with a 3-piece band called The Weeds, Mark E Smith asked Simon to join the band.
Believe it or not, Mark E Smith gave Si a contract on the back of a fag packet!
In this episode, we join Si outside the legendary Abbey Road Studios. Simon is there to visit his friend Andy Rourke at Abbey Road Studios, where his new band Blitz Vega are recording.
Simon Wolstencroft reminisces about the band’s sessions that took place here, when he first joined the Fall in the summer of 1986, for the Bend Sinister album.
Abbey Road Studios bring back many great memories for Si and his time in The Fall. Recording at a beautiful time of year, the band would be chauffeur-driven to Abbey Road Studios, from Swiss Cottage.
The Fall recorded several records with world famous producer, John Leckie (Lennon, Pink Floyd, The Stone Roses). Leckie actually began work at Abbey Road Studios on 15 February 1970 as a tape operator. He later graduated to balance engineer and record producer.
With the studio clock ticking and in true rock n roll fashion, Mark E Smith would often turn up hours late for each session! He would rubbish the work John Leckie and the band had made in his absence.
Mark E Smith disliked modern recording techniques, often kicking mics away from drums, preferring the live sound over a U2-sounding rock track! There was always an energetic power about Studio Two and Mark obviously fought well to get his sound just as he wanted it.
The Bend Sinister album was the band’s ninth offering. It was a recording period that Smith would later describe as the band’s glory years. A period in which The Fall’s commercial success was matching the brilliance of their song writing. The music seemed to perfectly echo a certain mood of the time.
Season One of The X Generation brings you key moments in Simon Wolstencroft’s musical career that have influenced some of the greatest Manchester bands of all time.
Credits: Digital Blanket Limited | Video Chain
Producers: James Delargy | John Steven Locke | Simon Wolstencroft
