Craig Scanlon
The Fall's steadfast guitarist for 16 years, whose jagged, inventive riffs formed the chaotic backbone of the band's most prolific and celebrated era.
Born 1960 (age 66)·Musical artist·Birthday: December 7·Baby Boomers
Biography
Craig Scanlon didn't just join The Fall; he became part of its nervous system. Recruited in 1979 as the Manchester post-punk institution was finding its ferocious voice, Scanlon provided the wiry, repetitive guitar lines that were less about solos and more about hypnotic, driving texture. Alongside the relentless rhythm section of Steve and Paul Hanley, he created a taut grid over which Mark E. Smith could rant and roam. Scanlon's tenure, which lasted through 17 albums and countless singles, represents the band's classic and most stable period. He was a quiet, consistent force, co-writing over 120 songs—a contribution only surpassed by Smith and Steve Hanley. His departure in 1995 marked the end of an era for The Fall, closing the chapter on a specific, potent sound that defined British independent music.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Craig was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Craig Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Craig's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played guitar on 17 studio albums by The Fall, including seminal works like 'Hex Enduction Hour' and 'This Nation's Saving Grace.'
- Co-wrote over 120 songs for the band during his 16-year tenure.
- His guitar work was central to defining The Fall's signature sound throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.
Did You Know?
Before joining The Fall, he was a draftsman for a textile company.
He initially played bass for a brief period in the band before switching to guitar.
Scanlon is known for being intensely private and has given very few interviews since leaving the music industry.
“The guitar part isn't a riff; it's a repeating figure that locks the whole machine in.”
