It'll End in Tears
| It'll End in Tears | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by This Mortal Coil | ||||
| Released | 1 October 1984 | |||
| Genre | Gothic rock, dream pop | |||
| Length | 44:12 | |||
| Label | 4AD | |||
| Producer | John Fryer, Ivo Watts-Russell | |||
| This Mortal Coil chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   link |
| Pitchfork Media | (9.0/10) link |
It'll End in Tears was an album released in 1984 by 4AD using the name This Mortal Coil as an umbrella title for a loose grouping of guest musicians and vocalists brought together by label boss Ivo Watts-Russell. When released in late 1984, the album reached #38 on the UK Albums Chart. It features many of the artists on the 4AD roster at the time, including Dead Can Dance, and key post-punk figure Howard Devoto, who sang "Holocaust", one of two covers of songs from the Third/Sister Lovers album by Big Star. The other Alex Chilton-penned track, album opener "Kangaroo", was released as a single to promote the album. Two key songs were performed by Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins, including Tim Buckley's haunting "Song to the Siren", which reached #66 on the UK Charts when released as This Mortal Coil's debut single a year before the album. The song remained on the UK Indie Chart for almost two years. Fraser also performed on "Another Day" by Roy Harper, a track that had previously been covered as a duet by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush for the latter's TV special. 4AD would go on to release two further albums under the name of This Mortal Coil: Filigree & Shadow (1986) and Blood (1991).
Valentino Records, a sublabel of Atco Records, released the album in the United States in late 1984, the only time a This Mortal Coil album was released simultaneously in the UK and the US. All three This Mortal Coil albums were later re-released in the US in 1993 on 4AD/Warner Brothers, and in 1998 solely on 4AD.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Interpreted by | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kangaroo" | Alex Chilton | Gordon Sharp, Simon Raymonde | 3:30 | |
| 2. | "Song to the Siren" | Larry Beckett, Tim Buckley | Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie | 3:30 | |
| 3. | "Holocaust" | Alex Chilton | Howard Devoto | 3:38 | |
| 4. | "Fyt" | Ivo Watts-Russell, John Fryer | Instrumental | 4:23 | |
| 5. | "Fond Affections" | Rema-Rema | Gordon Sharp | 3:50 | |
| 6. | "The Last Ray" | Watts-Russell, Robin Guthrie, Simon Raymonde | Simon Raymonde | 4:08 | |
| 7. | "Another Day" | Roy Harper | Elizabeth Fraser | 2:54 | |
| 8. | "Waves Become Wings" | Lisa Gerrard | Lisa Gerrard | 4:25 | |
| 9. | "Barramundi" | Simon Raymonde | Simon Raymonde | 3:56 | |
| 10. | "Dreams Made Flesh" | Lisa Gerrard | Lisa Gerrard | 3:48 | |
| 11. | "Not Me" | Colin Newman | Robbie Grey, Simon Raymonde | 3:44 | |
| 12. | "A Single Wish" | Gordon Sharp, Steven Young, Simon Raymonde | Gordon Sharp | 2:26 |
Personnel
- Elizabeth Fraser - vocals
- Robin Guthrie - guitar
- Simon Raymonde - guitar, bass, synthesizer
- Lisa Gerrard - vocals
- Brendan Perry - drums
- John Fryer - multi-instruments, production
- Gordon Sharp - vocals
- Martyn Young - synthesizer, bass, guitar
- Mark Cox - synthesizer
- Steven Young - piano
- Manuela Rickers - guitar
- Martin McCarrick - cello
- Gini Ball - violin, viola
- Ivo Watts-Russell - keyboards, production
Album Chart Placings
- "It'll End in Tears" - #38 UK Albums Chart (4 weeks), #1 UK Indie Chart (35 weeks), #42 NZ (3 weeks); released October 1984
Singles Chart Placings
- "Song to the Siren" - #66 UK Singles Chart (3 weeks), #3 UK Indie Chart (101 weeks), #8 NZ (15 weeks), #39 NL (4 weeks); released September 1983. "Song to the Siren"'s 101 weeks on the UK Indie Chart was the 4th longest chart run.
- "Kangaroo" - #2 UK Indie Chart (20 weeks); released September 1984.
External links
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