Today marks the 6th anniversary of the passing of indie legend MARK E. SMITH at the age of 60.

That 6 years have passed is scary. It is scary that in some respects time appears to accelerate faster the older one gets.

Anyway MARK was the quintessential indie artist. Through dozens of lineups he was the only constant with the band called THE FALL.

The band made the kind of music they wanted. They cared zilch about public opinion. Their music was caustic and controversial lyrics the norm.

The topics were numerous and focused on the underbelly of life and the view that those in high places were, by definition, existentially corrupt.

They were so prolific as a band that I have more music by this band in my collection than any other.

[Ed Note- rex- at last count there are 964 FALL songs in your collection…]

That gap is closing a bit as they are now defunct and I stopped buying the almost limitless reissues, compilations and live albums.

In 1978, SMITH wrote a play he titled “Hey Luciani: The Life And Codex of John Paul I.”

The play centred on a theory that Albino Luciani, also known as Pope John Paul I was assassinated. He served as Pope for just 33 days in 1978 from August 26, before dying on September 28 just before his 66th birthday.

The conspiracy theories that followed his death abounded. Many of them revolved around the Vatican Bank. [Ed. Note- check out the lyrics in the SPOTIFY version below.]

Smith’s play was performed on stage in London for two weeks in 1986.

One of the songs written by SMITH for this theatre piece was entitled “Hey Luciani”.

SPOTIFY-

https://open.spotify.com/track/5iQQ7rnk8scCM7piFOs78q?si=Sbko36SBTp2FMbNjyY_yEQ

[Ed. Note- The female vocals at songs end were from BRIX SMITH. She was MARC‘S wife and a band member at the time.]

Song 754

Play Loud And You Might Still Perish

1/24/2024