This Corrosion

Last updated
"This Corrosion"
The Sisters of Mercy - This Corrosion cover.jpg
Single by The Sisters of Mercy
from the album Floodland
B-side
  • "Torch"
  • "Colours"
ReleasedSeptember 1987
Recorded1987
Studio Power Station, New York City
Genre
Length
  • 11:21 (CD)
  • 9:31 (LP)
  • 8:37 (12" single)
  • 4:27 (7" single)
  • 5:16 (cassette)
  • 3:59 (cassette)
Label Merciful Release
Songwriter(s) Andrew Eldritch
Producer(s) Jim Steinman
The Sisters of Mercy singles chronology
"No Time to Cry"
(1985)
"This Corrosion"
(1987)
"Dominion"
(1988)

"This Corrosion" is a song by English rock band The Sisters of Mercy, released as the lead single from their second studio album, Floodland (1987), in September 1987. The song peaked at number 6 in Ireland, number 7 in the UK, and number 17 in Germany.

Contents

Composition

"This Corrosion" was written by Andrew Eldritch and produced by Jim Steinman, and is one of the band's most well-known songs. It uses a 40-piece choir, and the LP version of the song lasts for nearly 11 minutes (with the myriad of single versions all substantially shorter.)

Eldritch's lyrics concern his previous band members leaving the Sisters of Mercy to form the Mission. The latter's lead singer, Wayne Hussey, was once a guitarist for the Sisters of Mercy. The lyrics of "This Corrosion" are a parody of Hussey's style. [2]

Legacy

The track was featured in the 2013 science-fiction comedy film, The World's End , with star Simon Pegg playing a 40-something who had been a "goth"/alternative rock fan in the 1980s as a youth who still styled himself on Eldritch. The song is heard twice in the film and in the film's closing credits. The 7" version/single edit (4:27) appears on the soundtrack to the film.

Track listing

All songs written by Andrew Eldritch.

7": Merciful Release / MR39
No.TitleLength
1."This Corrosion"4:27
2."Torch"3:50
12": Merciful Release / MR39T
No.TitleLength
1."This Corrosion"8:37
2."Torch"3:50
3."Colours"7:13
CD: Merciful Release / MR39CD
No.TitleLength
1."This Corrosion"11:21
2."Torch"3:55
3."Colours"4:16
Cassette: Merciful Release / MR39C
No.TitleLength
1."This Corrosion"3:59
2."Colours"4:16
3."This Corrosion"5:16
4."Torch"3:50

While none of the mixes have names, the 7", 12", CD and cassette versions of "This Corrosion" are all different. "Colours" is an edited version on the CD and cassette singles.

Charts

Chart (1987)Peak
position
Germany (Official German Charts) [3] 17
Ireland (IRMA) [4] 6
UK Singles (OCC) [5] 7
US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [6] 38

Cover versions

The song has been covered by several artists, including:

Since 2012, some Sisters Of Mercy shows feature a guest appearance by Irish singer Lisa Cuthbert who performs her cover version of "This Corrosion" on piano. [9] [10]

Sampling

The Hari Mata Hari's 1997 song "Ja nemam snage da te ne volim" and the Luna's 1998 song "Ne ostavljaj me" use the same intro, verse, chorus and bridge melody as the song "This Corrosion", but the pre-chorus melody in both songs is eliminated. The 2001 Most Precious Blood song "Shark Ethic" samples the song's introductory choir section in its opening and final breakdown.

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 Leeds in 1980. 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 records 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 lead vocalist 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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Adams (musician)</span> Musician

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"Dominion" is a song by English rock band the Sisters of Mercy. It was released as the second single from their second studio album, Floodland, in February 1988. The version on Floodland features "Dominion" as well as a coda piece titled "Mother Russia". It was written by band frontman Andrew Eldritch and produced by Larry Alexander, Eldritch, and Jim Steinman.

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

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References

  1. "Release The Bats – It's The 20 Greatest Goth Tracks – NME". NME. 5 March 2009.
  2. Ruff, Spex, January 1988
  3. "The Sisters of Mercy – This Corrosion" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  4. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – This Corrosion". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  5. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  6. "The Sisters of Mercy Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 "Cover versions of This Corrosion by The Sisters of Mercy - SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com.
  8. "Maryslim - Official website". Archived from the original on 15 June 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
  9. "Lisa Cuthbert on Breaking Tunes". www.breakingtunes.com. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  10. "A Walk On The Dark Side | Music | Interview | Hot Press". Hot Press - Music News, Reviews, Interviews plus Pop Culture and Politics. Retrieved 2018-02-10.