This Mortal Coil

This Mortal Coil
Company type	Musical ensemble
Industry	Music
Founded	1983
Founder	Ivo Watts-Russell
Defunct	1991
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom
Key people	Ivo Watts-Russell, John Fryer
Products	Music albums, EPs, singles
Parent	4AD

This Mortal Coil was a British musical ensemble directed by Ivo Watts-Russell, the founder of the UK record label 4AD. While Watts-Russell and John Fryer were the sole official participants, the project featured a revolving lineup of artists linked to 4AD, including contributors from Cocteau Twins, Cindytalk, Dead Can Dance, Breathless, The Breeders, and Belly.

Characterized by its gothic, dream pop, and ethereal wave influences, This Mortal Coil produced one EP titled Sixteen Days / Gathering Dust along with three full-length albums: It'll End in Tears (1984), Filigree & Shadow (1986), and Blood (1991). Their first album featured a moderately popular rendition of Tim Buckley’s "Song to the Siren," which peaked at number 66 on the UK Singles Chart. Following the group's dissolution in 1991, Watts-Russell went on to establish a similar ensemble known as The Hope Blister.

History

In 1980, Watts-Russell established 4AD, positioning it as a pivotal label in the British post-punk scene. Subsequently, he initiated the collaborative venture This Mortal Coil.^[1] The collective's name is inspired by a phrase from Spirit's "Dream Within a Dream" ("...Stepping off this mortal coil will be my pleasure..."),^[2]

According to 4AD:

One of the label’s early signings, Modern English, was invited by Watts-Russell in 1983 to re-record a medley combining "Sixteen Days" and "Gathering Dust." After the band declined, Watts-Russell gathered musicians such as Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie from Cocteau Twins, Gordon Sharp of Cindytalk, alongside Modern English members to produce the medley. This collaboration resulted in the EP Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust. The EP’s lead track was a cover of Tim Buckley’s "Song to the Siren" performed by Fraser and Guthrie, which became an underground success and encouraged Watts-Russell to release a full-length album under This Mortal Coil: 1984’s It'll End in Tears.^[1]

In June 1998, Watts-Russell introduced The Hope Blister, continuing his work in a comparable collaborative format.^[3]

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
Title	Album details	UK	UK Indie	NL	NZ
It'll End in Tears	Released: 8 October 1984 Label: 4AD Formats: LP, MC	38	1	—	42
Filigree & Shadow	Released: 22 September 1986 Label: 4AD Formats: CD, 2xLP, 2xMC	53	2	—	—
Blood	Released: 22 April 1991 Label: 4AD Formats: CD, 2xLP, MC	28	—	58	—
"—" indicates releases that did not chart or were unavailable in that region.

Compilation albums

Title	Album information
Dust & Guitars	Release date: 6 August 2012 Record label: 4AD Available formats: HDCD, digital download

Box sets

Title	Album information
1983–1991	Release date: 30 March 1993 Record label: 4AD Formats: 4xCD collection
This Mortal Coil	Release date: 7 November 2011 Record label: 4AD Formats: 4xHDCD set

EPs

Title	Album information	Peak chart rankings
Title	Album information	UK
Sixteen Days / Gathering Dust	Release date: 2 September 1983 Record label: 4AD Format: 12"	100

Singles

Title	Year	Peak chart rankings					Associated album
Title	Year	UK	UK Indie	BE (FL)	NL	NZ	Associated album
"Song to the Siren"	1983	66	3	—	39	8	It'll End in Tears
"Kangaroo"	1984	92	2	—	—	—	It'll End in Tears
"Come Here My Love"/"Drugs" (limited edition)	1986	90	2	—	—	—	Filigree & Shadow
"You and Your Sister" (released only in Benelux and France)	1991	—	—	42	13	—	Blood
"—" indicates releases that did not chart or were not distributed in that region.

Contributions

"Acid, Bitter and Sad" featured on Lonely Is an Eyesore (1987)

Sources

Aston, Martin. Facing the Other Way: The Story of 4AD. London: The Friday Project, 2013. ISBN 978-0-00-748961-9.
Oliver, Vaughan, and Rick Poynor. Vaughan Oliver: Visceral Pleasures. London: Booth-Clibborn Editions, 2000. ISBN 1-86154-072-8.
Raymonde, Simon. In One Ear: Cocteau Twins, Ivor Raymonde and Me. London: Nine Eight Books, 2024. ISBN 978-1-78870-938-5.
Ulrich, Peter. Drumming with Dead Can Dance: and Parallel Adventures. Pasadena (CA): Red Hen Press, 2022. ISBN 978-1-6362-8073-8.

External links

This Mortal Coil at the official 4AD site
[ This Mortal Coil profile at allmusic.com]
This Mortal Coil entry on trouserpress.com

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