Merciful Release

Last updated

Merciful Release is a record label started by Andrew Eldritch, frontman with Leeds band the Sisters of Mercy. As Eldritch stated in an early interview, he wanted to hear himself on the radio. He and Gary Marx (Mark Pairman) played and recorded on the Sisters of Mercy's initial single "Damage Done" and pressed one thousand copies. This record was something of a collector's item.

Throughout the early 1980s, the band released several singles on Merciful Release, controlling the format and image of the records, typically in a black sleeve with artwork centrally mounted and a head and star logo on the rear of sleeves. A notable example of this being Henri Matisse's Blue Nude in gold on black for the single Alice.

By 1984, the band had signed a distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records (Elektra in the US) whilst still maintaining control of Merciful Release.

In the 1990s, a number of CDs were released on the Merciful Release label for the MK Ultra: their Beluga Pop and This Is This albums, and German band Scoda Blush.

List of releases

Date:Group:Title:Type:Comments:
 ??/80 The Sisters Of Mercy The Damage Done 7-inch EP1000x only, deleted
04/82 The Sisters Of Mercy Body Electric 7-inch singledeleted
08/82 The March Violets Religious As Hell7-inch single
11/82 The Sisters Of Mercy Alice 7-inch single
01/83 The March Violets Grooving In Green7-inch single
03/83 The Sisters Of Mercy Anaconda 7-inch single
03/83 The Sisters Of Mercy Alice re-release 12-inch single
05/83 The Sisters Of Mercy The Reptile House EP 12-inch EP
07/83SalvationGirlsoul7-inch single
07/83SalvationGirlsoul12-inch single
10/83 The Sisters Of Mercy Temple Of Love 7-inch single
10/83 The Sisters Of Mercy Temple Of Love 12-inch single
06/84 The Sisters Of Mercy Body And Soul 7-inch single
06/84 The Sisters Of Mercy Body And Soul 12-inch single
UnreleasedSalvationClash Of Dreams12-inch LPIssued on CD in 2015 in expanded edition
10/84 The Sisters Of Mercy Walk Away 7-inch single
10/84 The Sisters Of Mercy Walk Away 12-inch singlecontains limited edition flexible 7-inch single
02/85 The Sisters Of Mercy No Time To Cry 7-inch single
02/85 The Sisters Of Mercy No Time To Cry 12-inch single
03/85 The Sisters Of Mercy First And Last And Always 12-inch LP
03/85 The Sisters Of Mercy First And Last And Always Cassette
01/86 The Sisterhood Giving Ground 7-inch single
06/86 The Sisterhood Gift12-inch LP
07/86 James Ray And The Performance Mexico Sundown Blues12-inch LP
07/86 James Ray And The Performance Mexico Sundown Blues7-inch radio promo
06/87 James Ray And The Performance Texas7-inch single
06/87 James Ray And The Performance Texas12-inch single
09/87 The Sisters Of Mercy This Corrosion 7-inch single
09/87 The Sisters Of Mercy This Corrosion 12-inch single
09/87 The Sisters Of Mercy This Corrosion cassette
09/87 The Sisters Of Mercy This Corrosion CD-single
09/87 The Sisters Of Mercy This Corrosion 7-inch boxed set
11/87 The Sisters Of Mercy Floodland 12-inch LP
11/87 The Sisters Of Mercy Floodland Cassette
11/87 The Sisters Of Mercy Floodland CD
02/88 The Sisters Of Mercy Dominion 7-inch single
02/88 The Sisters Of Mercy Dominion 12-inch single
02/88 The Sisters Of Mercy Dominion CD-single
02/88 The Sisters Of Mercy Dominion Cassette box set
02/88 The Sisters Of Mercy Dominion 12-inch box set
06/88 The Sisters Of Mercy Lucretia My Reflection 7-inch single
06/88 The Sisters Of Mercy Lucretia My Reflection 12-inch single
06/88 The Sisters Of Mercy Lucretia My Reflection CD-single
 ??/88 The Sisters Of Mercy First And Last And Always CD Album
10/89 James Ray And The Performance Dust Boat7-inch single
 ??/89 James Ray And The Performance A New Kind Of AssassinCD Album
 ??/90 James Ray's Gangwar Another Million Dollars12-inch single
 ??/90 James Ray's Gangwar Without Conscience7-inch single
 ??/90 James Ray's Gangwar Without Conscience12-inch single
 ??/90 James Ray's Gangwar Without ConscienceCD-single
10/90 The Sisters Of Mercy More 7-inch single
10/90 The Sisters Of Mercy More 12-inch single
10/90 The Sisters Of Mercy More CD-single
10/90 The Sisters Of Mercy More CD-single12-inch gatefold cover 5000x
10/90 The Sisters Of Mercy Vision Thing 12-inch LP
10/90 The Sisters Of Mercy Vision Thing Cassette
10/90 The Sisters Of Mercy Vision Thing CD Album
10/90 The Sisters Of Mercy Vision Thing CD Albumlim. ed. 10000x
12/90 The Sisters Of Mercy Doctor Jeep 7-inch single
12/90 The Sisters Of Mercy Doctor Jeep 12-inch single
12/90 The Sisters Of Mercy Doctor Jeep CD-single
12/90 The Sisters Of Mercy Doctor Jeep 12-inch singlelim. ed. 5000x
02/91 The Sisters Of Mercy When You Don't See Me 7-inch single
02/91 The Sisters Of Mercy When You Don't See Me 12-inch single
02/91 The Sisters Of Mercy When You Don't See Me CD-single
02/91 The Sisters Of Mercy When You Don't See Me 12-inch singlelim. ed. 5000x
04/92 The Sisters Of Mercy Temple Of Love (1992) 7-inch single
04/92 The Sisters Of Mercy Temple Of Love (1992) 12-inch single
04/92 The Sisters Of Mercy Temple Of Love (1992) 12-inch singlelimited edition
04/92 The Sisters Of Mercy Temple Of Love (1992) CD-single
04/92 The Sisters Of Mercy Temple Of Love (1992) CD-singlelimited edition
04/92 The Sisters Of Mercy Some Girls Wander By Mistake 12-inch LP
04/92 The Sisters Of Mercy Some Girls Wander By Mistake Cassette
04/92 The Sisters Of Mercy Some Girls Wander By Mistake CD Album
04/92 The Sisters Of Mercy Some Girls Wander By Mistake CD Albumnumbered lim. ed. of 500
/92 The Sisters Of Mercy First And Last And Always CDdigitally remastered
 ??/92 James Ray's Gangwar Dios Esta De Nuestro LadoCD Album(tr: God Is On Our Side)
 ??/93 The Sisters Of Mercy Under The Gun 7-inch single
 ??/93 The Sisters Of Mercy Under The Gun 12-inch single
 ??/93 The Sisters Of Mercy Under The Gun CD-single
 ??/93 The Sisters Of Mercy Under The Gun CD-single lim. ed.
 ??/93 The Sisters Of Mercy A Slight Case Of Overbombing 12-inch double-LP
 ??/93 The Sisters Of Mercy A Slight Case Of Overbombing Cassette
 ??/93 The Sisters Of Mercy A Slight Case Of Overbombing CD Album
16/05/94La Costa RasaAutopilotCD
 ??/94 The MK Ultra This Is ThisCDThe MK Ultra is another James Ray incarnation
 ??/95 The MK Ultra Beluga PopCD
01/98 Scoda Blush Little Late CD

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sisters of Mercy</span> English rock band

The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band, formed in 1980 in Leeds. After achieving early underground fame there, the band had their commercial breakthrough in the mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, when they stopped releasing new recorded output in protest against their record company WEA. Currently, the band are a touring outfit only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Eldritch</span> English musician and frontman of The Sisters of Mercy

Andrew Eldritch is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is the frontman and only remaining original member of the Sisters of Mercy, a band that emerged from the British post-punk scene, transformed into a gothic rock band, and, in later years, flirted with hard rock.

<i>Floodland</i> (album) 1987 studio album by the Sisters of Mercy

Floodland is the second studio album by English gothic rock band the Sisters of Mercy. It was released on 16 November 1987, through Merciful Release internationally and distributed by WEA, with Elektra Records handling the United States release. After the release of the band's debut studio album, First and Last and Always (1985), members Craig Adams and Wayne Hussey left to form the Mission, causing the dissolution of the Sisters of Mercy. As a result, band frontman Andrew Eldritch formed a side project known as the Sisterhood, recording new material with them. After the project's first album was received negatively overall, he went back to recording as part of the Sisters of Mercy and hired the Sisterhood member Patricia Morrison for the recording of a new album.

<i>First and Last and Always</i> 1985 studio album by the Sisters of Mercy

First and Last and Always is the debut studio album by English gothic rock band the Sisters of Mercy. It was released on 11 March 1985 through the band's self-financed Merciful Release label.

<i>Vision Thing</i> (album) 1990 studio album by the Sisters of Mercy

Vision Thing is the third studio album by English gothic rock band the Sisters of Mercy. It was released on 22 October 1990 through Merciful Release and East West Records, with Elektra Records handling the US release.

<i>Some Girls Wander by Mistake</i> 1992 compilation album by the Sisters of Mercy

Some Girls Wander by Mistake is a compilation album by English band the Sisters of Mercy, released on 27 April 1992 on their own label Merciful Release, distributed by East West/Warner Music UK.

<i>A Slight Case of Overbombing</i> 1993 greatest hits album by The Sisters of Mercy

A Slight Case of Overbombing is a greatest hits album by English gothic rock band the Sisters of Mercy. It was released on 23 August 1993 on the band's own label, Merciful Release, under distribution contract with East West Records. All the tracks featured on this compilation album are in reverse chronological order of release. A Slight Case of Overbombing contains mostly remixes and edited versions of songs that the Sisters of Mercy had released by 1993, as well as two never-before released tracks: a re-recorded version of "Temple of Love" from 1992, and one new track, "Under the Gun", which was released as a single to promote this compilation album and is also the band's most recent single as of 2023.

The Sisterhood was a musical project led by Andrew Eldritch. With guest musicians, the Sisterhood recorded songs he had originally intended for a second album by the Sisters of Mercy.

The March Violets are an English post-punk/gothic rock band formed in 1981 in Leeds, incorporating singers of both sexes, drum machine rhythms and echo-laden electric guitar, much in the style of fellow Leeds band the Sisters of Mercy. Seven March Violets singles reached the UK Indie Chart; the Natural History collection also was an indie hit.

SSV-NSMABAAOTWMODAACOTIATW was a short-lived musical project formed by the Sisters of Mercy singer Andrew Eldritch in 1997. The band consisted of Andrew Eldritch and the Hamburg-based techno producers Peter Bellendir and T. Schroeder.

<i>Bitter Suites to Succubi</i> 2001 EP by Cradle of Filth

Bitter Suites to Succubi is an EP by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. It was released on 22 May 2001, through the band's own Abracadaver label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghost Dance (band)</span> British gothic rock and post-punk band

Ghost Dance were a British gothic rock and post-punk band formed in 1985 by Gary Marx and Anne-Marie Hurst as both were leaving their respective bands. The band were originally signed to Nick Jones' record label, Karbon Records, then were later signed to the major label Chrysalis Records, before splitting up in 1989. In 2019, the band reformed with Anne-Marie Hurst being joined by new members, Tim Walker - guitar, Stephen Derrig - guitar, Phil Noble - bass, Dave Wood - drums and began work on new material. Reunion shows followed in the UK and the band signed to Voltage Records for a new album release in 2022

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucretia My Reflection</span> 1988 single by The Sisters of Mercy

"Lucretia My Reflection" is a song by English rock band the Sisters of Mercy. Released as the third and final single from their second studio album, Floodland, in June 1988, it peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Ray (rock musician)</span> Rock singer and musician

James Ray is a rock singer and band-leader, best known as a member of Andrew Eldritch's side-project The Sisterhood and for his own band James Ray's Gangwar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Under the Gun (The Sisters of Mercy song)</span> 1993 single by the Sisters of Mercy

"Under the Gun" is a song by the English rock band the Sisters of Mercy released as the single from their album A Slight Case of Overbombing: Greatest Hits Vol. 1. It is a duet featuring Terri Nunn on vocals, and was accompanied by a music video with Andrew Eldritch and Nunn. It is the only new song on a greatest hits compilation released in 1993 by Merciful Release on EastWest Records, a UK Warner Music Group label. This is the band's most recent single as of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sisters of Mercy discography</span>

The discography of the English rock band the Sisters of Mercy consists of three studio albums, two compilation albums, two extended plays (EPs), and sixteen singles. The Sisters of Mercy were formed in Leeds in 1980 by Andrew Eldritch and Gary Marx (guitar) and released their debut single, "The Damage Done", the same year on their own independent record label, Merciful Release. In early 1981, Craig Adams (bass) joined the band and they started to use a drum machine, which was christened Doktor Avalanche. Ben Gunn joined the band as a second guitarist by the end of 1981 and this line-up recorded four more singles and two EPs during 1982 and 1983. Guitarist Wayne Hussey replaced Gunn in early 1984 and, after building up their live reputation, The Sisters signed with WEA, who distribute the band's releases on Merciful Release in the United Kingdom and on Elektra Records in the United States. The band's next single, 1984's "Body and Soul", became their first charting effort in the UK when it reached number 46. Three more singles were released before the band reached number 14 on the UK Albums Chart with their debut album, First and Last and Always, which was released in March 1985. Following the album's release, Marx left the band, before the rest of the group disbanded in mid-1985.

<i>The Reptile House E.P.</i> 1983 EP by The Sisters of Mercy

The Reptile House E.P. is the second independent EP by the Sisters of Mercy, released on 12" vinyl in May 1983 on the band's own label, Merciful Release. The EP was never released as a stand-alone CD, but was included on the Some Girls Wander by Mistake collection.

<i>Alice</i> (The Sisters of Mercy song) 1982 single by The Sisters of Mercy

"Alice" is a song by the British rock band the Sisters of Mercy, written by vocalist Andrew Eldritch. The song was released as a non-album single by the band's own label by Merciful Release, on 21 November 1982. It was re-released in March 1983 as a 12" EP.

<i>Body and Soul</i> (EP) 1984 EP by The Sisters of Mercy

Body and Soul is the third EP by the Sisters of Mercy, recorded in March 1984. It was the first release under a distribution contract with WEA, issued on 12" vinyl on 4 June 1984 by Merciful Release, the band's label. The EP was never released on CD, but the title track was included on the A Slight Case of Overbombing collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple of Love (The Sisters of Mercy song)</span> 1983 and 1992 single

"Temple of Love" is a song by English rock band The Sisters of Mercy, released as a non-album single in 1983.