Una Baines
Encyclopedia
Una Baines was best known as the keyboard player in the first line-up of British post-punk/new wave
band The Fall. Her strong feminist ideals shaped the band's early political stance and she remains one of the very few Fall members, other than frontman Mark E. Smith
, to have contributed lyrics
to Fall songs.
Baines grew up in the Collyhurst
district of Manchester. Her mother was Irish, her father Mancunian. She met Smith at college, but both left after finding studying financially difficult. After a stint working as an office clerk, Baines began training as a psychiatric nurse. She rented a flat in Prestwich
, which became a meeting place for the four friends (Baines, Smith, Martin Bramah
and Tony Friel
) who would go on to form the band, inspired by seeing The Sex Pistols
play in Manchester.
Baines was originally going to be the drummer
in the group, but realised that she would be unlikely to be able to afford a drum kit
. Instead, she started saving up for a keyboard. Baines did not play at the band's first gig, as she had applied for a bank loan to enable her to buy a keyboard, and it had not arrived in time. She made her debut at The Fall's second gig, on 3 June 1977, in Manchester. Apparently, she played the National Anthem on her keyboard (a cheap model called the "Snoopy") at one point during the set, although no recordings of the gig exist.
Two songs from the band's 2 October 1977 appearance at Manchester's Electric Circus venue were recorded, and released on the 10-inch LP Short Circuit: Live at the Electric Circus. Baines also played on the band's first recording session, on 9 November 1977 at Indigo Studios in Manchester. Three of the songs were later released as the band's first single, "Bingo-Master's Break-Out!" in August 1978 - after Baines had left the band.
Baines left The Fall in March 1978, having played a little over 20 gigs with the group. She went on to form Blue Orchids with Martin Bramah, when he quit The Fall in 1979. Blue Orchids released their first single in 1980 and their first album, The Greatest Hit (Money Mountain), in 1982. After a brief stint as Nico
's backing band on a European tour, they split in 1982, briefly reforming in 1985. Baines then formed a predominantly female band called The Fates, who released the album Furia on Baines' own Taboo label in late 1985.
In 2002, an article revealed that Baines was working at a community centre in Whalley Range, South Manchester, where she was in the process of setting up a female musicians' collective. More recently, she was interviewed on the 2005 BBC TV documentary,The Fall: The Wonderful and Frightening World of Mark E Smith.
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band The Fall. Her strong feminist ideals shaped the band's early political stance and she remains one of the very few Fall members, other than frontman Mark E. Smith
Mark E. Smith
Mark Edward Smith is the lead singer, lyricist, frontman, and only constant member of the English post-punk band The Fall.-Early life:...
, to have contributed lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
to Fall songs.
Baines grew up in the Collyhurst
Collyhurst
Collyhurst is a locality in Manchester. It is 1½ miles northeast of Manchester city centre, on Rochdale Road and Oldham Road. The River Irk passes through the area...
district of Manchester. Her mother was Irish, her father Mancunian. She met Smith at college, but both left after finding studying financially difficult. After a stint working as an office clerk, Baines began training as a psychiatric nurse. She rented a flat in Prestwich
Prestwich
Prestwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies close to the River Irwell, north of Manchester city centre, north of Salford and south of Bury....
, which became a meeting place for the four friends (Baines, Smith, Martin Bramah
Martin Bramah
Martin Bramah is a British musician best known as a founder member of both The Fall, Blue Orchids and Factory Star....
and Tony Friel
Tony Friel
Tony Friel is a bass guitarist known for his role in different New Wave bands.He attended Heys Boys Secondary School, where met Martin Bramah and got, along him, Art O Level. He and Bramah shared many interests. In mid-1970s, they were introduced, by their friend Barbara Smith, to her brother Mark E...
) who would go on to form the band, inspired by seeing The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
play in Manchester.
Baines was originally going to be the drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
in the group, but realised that she would be unlikely to be able to afford a drum kit
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. Instead, she started saving up for a keyboard. Baines did not play at the band's first gig, as she had applied for a bank loan to enable her to buy a keyboard, and it had not arrived in time. She made her debut at The Fall's second gig, on 3 June 1977, in Manchester. Apparently, she played the National Anthem on her keyboard (a cheap model called the "Snoopy") at one point during the set, although no recordings of the gig exist.
Two songs from the band's 2 October 1977 appearance at Manchester's Electric Circus venue were recorded, and released on the 10-inch LP Short Circuit: Live at the Electric Circus. Baines also played on the band's first recording session, on 9 November 1977 at Indigo Studios in Manchester. Three of the songs were later released as the band's first single, "Bingo-Master's Break-Out!" in August 1978 - after Baines had left the band.
Baines left The Fall in March 1978, having played a little over 20 gigs with the group. She went on to form Blue Orchids with Martin Bramah, when he quit The Fall in 1979. Blue Orchids released their first single in 1980 and their first album, The Greatest Hit (Money Mountain), in 1982. After a brief stint as Nico
Nico
Nico was a German singer, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress, who initially rose to fame as a Warhol Superstar in the 1960s...
's backing band on a European tour, they split in 1982, briefly reforming in 1985. Baines then formed a predominantly female band called The Fates, who released the album Furia on Baines' own Taboo label in late 1985.
In 2002, an article revealed that Baines was working at a community centre in Whalley Range, South Manchester, where she was in the process of setting up a female musicians' collective. More recently, she was interviewed on the 2005 BBC TV documentary,The Fall: The Wonderful and Frightening World of Mark E Smith.