The Sisterhood
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The Sisterhood was a short-lived English musical project, consisting of Andrew Eldritch (writer and producer), drum machine Doktor Avalanche and the "Chorus of Vengeance" of Lucas Fox (drums), Patricia Morrison (bass and vocals), James Ray (guitar and vocals) and Alan Vega (synthesizer and vocals). Eldritch does not sing lead vocals on the record.
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[edit] History
The band was formed by Eldritch after the 1985 breakup of his band The Sisters of Mercy. There had supposedly been an agreement among Eldritch and the ones leaving the band that Eldritch would retain the rights to the songs and the names, while the ex-Sisters would play their old songs under the name of Sisterhood[citation needed]. Eldritch would not accept this close a name, especially with them breaking the agreement by playing songs they weren't allowed to.
Quickly, he formed The Sisterhood to force the old band members out of the game. Enlisting the helping hand of Patricia Morrison, formerly of The Gun Club and soon-to-be member of the reformed Sisters, and Alan Vega of the New York outfit Suicide.
Their first release was a single, featuring two versions of the one song, Giving Ground.
[edit] Gift
The Sisterhood released one LP, Gift, in 1986 on Eldritch's own Merciful Release label, which includes "Giving Ground" and four other songs. Not named after the English word but rather the German word for poison, Gift is quite simple with its long, droning rhythms and ill sentiment ("what you have lost can never be found" and "trust lies broken, and the truth is drowned") towards the former Sisters members, especially Wayne Hussey.
Morrison, on the starter track "Jihad", recites the numbers 2-5-0-0-0 several times.
The second track, Colours, was later heard in official Sisters catalogue with Eldritch singing lead.
On "Finland Red, Egypt White", Lucas Fox reads the technical specifications of an AK-47 rifle to several minutes of sheer repetition.
The hit single "This Corrosion" that wound up on Floodland was originally planned for the Gift album, harboring the same vitriol towards the betrayers of Eldritch's trust.
[edit] Aftermath
Sure enough, the release copyrighted the name of the band, forcing the other Sisterhood to initiate a name change. Changing to The Mission, supposedly taking the name from the next Sisters LP that had been planned, Left on Mission and Revenge, the band quickly started a life of its own.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Giving Ground (1986)
A1. Giving Ground [RSV]
B1. Giving Ground [AV]
[edit] Gift (1986)
- Jihad
- Colours
- Giving Ground
- Finland Red, Egypt White
- Rain From Heaven
[edit] Trivia
- The Sisterhood song 'Giving Ground' remains a part of The Sisters of Mercy's live set to this day (2007).
- An entirely unrelated "The Sisterhood" appear on the compilation album "American Song-Poem Christmas".
