This Mortal Coil
Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox musical artist
This Mortal Coil were a British music collective led by Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the British record label 4AD.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although Watts-Russell and John Fryer were the only two official members, the band's recorded output featured a large rotating cast of supporting artists, many of whom were otherwise associated with 4AD, including members of Cocteau Twins, Cindytalk, Dead Can Dance, Breathless, The Breeders and Belly.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="cp">"Review: This Mortal Coil – It’ll End In Tears/Filigree & Shadow/Blood". Classic Pop, 6 December 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2025</ref>Template:Sfn
The project is known for its gothic, dream pop and ethereal wave sound. Throughout their run, they released one extended play (EP), Sixteen Days / Gathering Dust, and three studio albums: It'll End in Tears (1984), Filigree & Shadow (1986) and Blood (1991).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The former produced their modestly successful cover of Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren", which peaked at number 66 on the UK Singles Chart. After the group broke up in 1991, former member Watts-Russell formed the similar group The Hope Blister.
History
Watts-Russell had founded 4AD in 1980, and the label established itself as one of the key labels in the British post-punk movement.Template:Citation needed Following several releases, Watts-Russell developed the idea of collaborating under the name This Mortal Coil.<ref name="Larkin80"/> The name is taken from a line in the song Dream Within a Dream by Spirit ("...Stepping off this mortal coil will be my pleasure..."),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which in turn alludes to Shakespeare's Hamlet ("... what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil...").
The 4AD website said:
One of the label's earliest signings was Modern English. In 1983, Watts-Russell suggested that the band re-record two of its earliest songs, "Sixteen Days" and "Gathering Dust", as a medley. At the time, the band was closing its set with this medley, and Watts-Russell felt it was strong enough to warrant a re-recording. When the band rebuffed the idea, Watts-Russell decided to assemble a group of musicians to record the medley: Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins; Gordon Sharp of Cindytalk (later known as Cindy Sharp or Cinder); and a few members of Modern English.<ref name="Larkin80">Template:Cite book</ref> An EP, Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust, resulted from these sessions. A cover of Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren", performed by Fraser and Guthrie alone, was recorded as a B-side for the EP. Pleased with the results, Watts-Russell decided to make this the A-side of the 7" single version of the EP, and the song quickly became an underground hit, leading Watts-Russell to pursue the recording of a full album under the This Mortal Coil moniker, 1984's It'll End in Tears.<ref name="Larkin80"/>
In June 1998, Watts-Russell began releasing albums in a similar vein to his TMC projects, under the name The Hope Blister.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">Template:Cite book</ref>
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK <ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> |
UK Indie <ref name=":32">Template:Cite book</ref> |
NL <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
NZ <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| It'll End in Tears | 38 | 1 | — | 42 | |
| Filigree & Shadow |
|
53 | 2 | — | — |
| Blood |
|
28 | — | 58 | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Dust & Guitars |
|
Box sets
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1983–1991 |
|
| This Mortal Coil |
|
EPs
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK <ref name=":0" /> | ||
| Sixteen Days / Gathering Dust |
|
100 |
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK <ref name=":0" /> |
UK Indie <ref name=":32" /> |
BE (FL) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
NL <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
NZ <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |||
| "Song to the Siren" | 1983 | 66 | 3 | — | 39 | 8 | It'll End in Tears |
| "Kangaroo" | 1984 | 92 | 2 | — | — | — | |
| "Come Here My Love"/"Drugs" (limited release) | 1986 | 90 | 2 | — | — | — | Filigree & Shadow |
| "You and Your Sister" (Benelux and France-only release) | 1991 | — | — | 42 | 13 | — | Blood |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||
Contributions
- "Acid, Bitter and Sad" on Lonely Is an Eyesore (1987)
References
Sources
External links
- This Mortal Coil on 4AD website
- [[[:Template:Allmusic]] This Mortal Coil at allmusic.com]
- This Mortal Coil at trouserpress.com
- Template:IMDb name