Originally written as a song called Black Day, this was one of the first 3 songs which were demoed during rehearsals at Kinmel Hall, St George, North Wales, it was part of a loose ideas developed during the Eye of The Hurricane Tour. The song evolved during these sessions and became How The Mighty Fall which was then recorded for the Change record
How The Mighty Fall was first played live at Northgate Arena, Chester, Wales on 18th December 1988
(Picture by Andy Gritton)
When Change was released as a vinyl album on 18th September 1989, How The Mighty Fall did not appear on the main album but was on a 7″ vinyl single included within the album packaging. The cassette and CD version did include the track in the main listings.
19989 Change album Skylight Suite recording
Running length 4:21
Written by Macdonald / Peters
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Dave Sharp – Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals
Eddie Macdonald – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Nigel Twist – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Mark Taylor – Hammond Organ
Tony Visconti – Backing Vocals
Recorded 24th May 1989 at The Skylight Suite, Wapping Dock, London E1W, England
Mixed at Good Earth Studio, London W1D, England in June / July 1989
Produced & Engineered by Tony Visconti
Alternative studio recordings – Demos, Acoustic, Remasters, New Recordings
5th April 1988 – The Alarm – the alarm.change.demos released in 1998
Running length 3.19
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Eddie Macdonald – Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
Acoustic demonstration recording
1988/1989 – The Alarm – the alarm.change.demos released in 1998
Running length 5:16
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals
Dave Sharp – Electric Guitar
Eddie Macdonald – Bass Guitar,Backing Vocals
Nigel Twist – Drums, Drum Programming, Backing Vocals
Electric recording during demo/song development sessions at a Kinmel Hall, St George, North Wales October 1988 to February 1989
1997 – Mike Peters – Acoustic Works 1987-1991
Running length 2:54
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Recorded in 1997 by Gethyn Evans at Mountain & Sea Studios, Dyserth, Wales
Produced by Michael Peters
2000 – The Alarm – The Alarm 2000 Collection Box Set : Change 1989-1990 [Remastered]
Running length 4:23
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Dave Sharp – Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals
Eddie Macdonald – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Nigel Twist – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Mark Taylor – Hammond Organ
Tony Visconti – Backing Vocals
Remastered from the 1989 original recording by Mike Peters
Remastering Engineered by Gary Butler @ RTS Liverpool in 2000
2011 – The Alarm – The Sound And The Fury – 30th Anniversary Edition
Running length 3:16
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar and Harmonica
James Stevenson – Electric, Acoustic Guitars
Craig Adams – Bass Guitar
Mark Taylor – Hammond Organ
Steve “Smiley” Barnard – Drums, Percussion
Recorded at Foel Studio, Llanfair Caereinion, Wales. Additional recording at Pink Gun Studios, London, England and Sonic Hills, Guildford, England
Produced by Mike Peters and Smiley
Recorded and mixed by Chris Fielding
Additional recording by Mark Warden
2019 – Mike Peters presents The Alarm – Stream {Hurricane of Change} – Upstream disc
Running length : tbc plus tbc intro narration and tbc outro narration
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – 1st Voice, Electric, Acoustic Guitars, Narration
Smiley – 2nd Voice, Drums, Percussion, Tambourine
Jules Jones Peters – 3rd Voice
George Williams – 4th Voice, Bass Guitar
Recorded at Sain Studios, Wales 21st-31st March 2019
Recorded and engineered by George Williams
Assistant recording engineer Aled Hughes
Demonstration tape engineer Mark Warden
Album appearances and discography for studio versions
All the following are Worldwide releases except where stated
(All Images right click to open larger in new window)
18th September 1989 : The Alarm – Change
Released in the UK by IRS Records, on cassette IRSAC 1020, CD IRSACD 1020
Original 1989 Album version
Change was also released on vinyl, cassette and CD in USA, Canada, Vinyl and CD in Europe and Australia,
Vinyl and cassette in Italy, Vinyl only in Brazil, Cassette only in Germany, CD only in Japan
1997 : Mike Peters – Acoustic Works 1987-1991
Released on CD by Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number No. 21C005
1997 Mountain & Sea recording.
1998 : The Alarm – the alarm.change.demos
Released on CD by Red Dragon Record, catalogue number LC6448
Kinmel Hall, St George, North Wales October 1988 to February 1989 demo sessions recordings
2000 : The Alarm – Change [1989-1990]
Released on CD by Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C015
Appearing as part of the Alarm 2000 collection box set and then later as an individual disc
Original 1989 album recording remastered
2011 – The Alarm – The Sound And The Fury – 30th Anniversary Edition
Released on CD by Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C056
2011 New recording
2019 – Mike Peters presents The Alarm – Stream {Hurricane of Change} – Upstream disc
Released on CD by Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C112
2019 Stream recording.
Single appearances and discography
(All Images right click to open larger in new window)
UK Release :
18th September 1989 : The Alarm – Change Limited Edition
Released in the UK by IRS Records, as a free 7″ single included in the Change album
1989 Change album Skylight Suite recording
Change with 7″ single was also released on vinyl by IRS Records, catalogue number of the single was EIRSF128
USA Releases :
1989 : 12″ vinyl single – Side of Sold Me Down The River
Track listing : Sold Me Down The River, Black Sun, How The Mighty Fall
Released by IRS Records, catalogue number IRS-74002
Original 1989 full recording
1989 : Cassette Single – Sold Me Down The River
Track listing : Sold Me Down The River, Black Sun, How The Mighty Fall
Released by IRS Records, catalogue number IRSC-73002
Original 1989 full recording
Officially released live recordings – Audio
All are Worldwide Releases on Twenty First Century Recording Company
(Except where stated)
23rd August 2003. Recorded at William Aston Hall, NEWI, Wrexham, Wales
Running Length 3:14
Performed by Mike Peters acoustic
Released on CD in 2003 Alarmstock vol 3 – Walking With The Demons And The Devils
20th August 2005. Recorded at Capitol Records Studio A, Los Angeles, USA
Running Length 4:19
Performed by Mike Peters acoustic
Released on CD Released in 2005 on Alarmstock III vol 3 – Los Angeles
27th January 2012. Recorded at The Gathering 20, Pontins Prestatyn Sands, Holiday Park, Prestatyn, Wales
Running length : 3.06
Performed by The Alarm : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Craig Adams, Steve “Smiley” Barnard, Mark Taylor, Steve Norman.
Released on CD/DVD in 2012 – The Alarm – The Music Must And Shall Be Preserved (audio disc) Catalogue Number 21CDVD016
Officially released live recordings – DVD
All are Worldwide Releases on Twenty First Century Recording Company
(Except where stated)
12th January 2001. Recorded at The Gathering 9, The North Wales Conference Centre, Llandudno, Wales
Performed by Mike Peters acoustic in the round
Released on DVD in 2005 – The Alarm – The Gathering History Catalogue Number 21CDVD003
9th June 2001. Recorded at The Town Hall, Rhyl, Wales
Running length 3.20 including introduction
Performed by Mike Peters acoustic
Released in 2001 on DVD The Story Of The Alarm (20th Anniversary) Catalogue Number 21CDVD002
27th January 2012. Recorded at The Gathering 20, Pontins Prestatyn Sands, Holiday Park, Prestatyn, Wales
Running length : 3.06
Performed by The Alarm : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Craig Adams, Steve “Smiley” Barnard, Mark Taylor, Steve Norman.
Released on CD/DVD in 2012 – The Alarm – The Music Must And Shall Be Preserved (audio disc) Catalogue Number 21CDVD016
Lyrics – Change album
Once you held your finger on the trigger
Now the gun is pointing at your head
Once you reigned supreme
Over all that you could see
Now you walk on the other side of the street
Oh how the mighty fall
Yeah oh I’ve seen it all before
From the highest heights
To the lowest of the lows
Oh how the mighty fall
Once your words were the first and last on the subject
Now they hang like a noose around your neck
Once you held the light
That could be seen from near and far
Now you fall and stumble in the dark
Oh how the mighty fall
Yeah oh I’ve seen it all before
From the highest heights
To the lowest of the lows
Oh how the mighty fall
Once you held the secrets of the world within your hands
Now you’re just another grain of sand
Once you were the first
Revered to the last
Now they talk about your fall from grace
Oh how the mighty fall
Yeah oh I’ve seen it all before
From the highest heights
To the lowest of the lows
Oh how the mighty fall
Oh How the mighty fall
How the mighty fall
Oh How the mighty fall
How the mighty fall
Oh How the mighty fall
The harder, the harder, the harder they fall
Oh How the mighty fall
The harder, the harder, the harder they fall
Oh How the mighty fall
How the mighty fall
Oh How the mighty fall
Oh How the mighty fall
Alternative Lyrics
to follow
Audio & Visual Sources
Audio Link – 5th April 1988 Change acoustic demonstration recording as uploaded to Youtube
Audio Link – 1989 Change electric demonstration recording as uploaded to Youtube
Audio Link – 1989 Change recording from the Official The Alarm Youtube channel
Video Link – 9th June 2001 The Story of the Alarm, Rhyl Town Hall as uploaded to Youtube
Audio Link – 2011 Sound and The Fury Recording from the Official The Alarm Youtube channel
(Page updated 02/02/2022)