Merciful Release
Merciful Release is a record label started by Andrew Eldritch, frontman with Leeds band The Sisters of Mercy. As Eldritch states in an early interview, he wanted to hear himself on the radio. He and Gary Marx (Mark Pairman) played and recorded on the Sisters Of Mercy's initial single "Damage Done" and pressed one thousand copies. This record was something of a collector's item.
Throughout the early 1980s the band released several singles on Merciful Release, controlling the format and image of the records. Typically in a black sleeve with artwork centrally mounted and a head and star logo on the rear of sleeves. A notable example being Henri Matisse's Blue Nude in gold on black for the single Alice.
By 1984 the band had signed a distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records (Elektra in the US) whilst still maintaining control of Merciful Release.
In the 1990s, a number of CDs were released on the Merciful Release label for the MK Ultra: their Beluga Pop and This is This albums, and German band Scoda Blush.
List of releases
| Number: | Date: | Group: | Title: | Type: | comments: |
| MR007 | ??/80 | The Sisters Of Mercy | The Damage Done | 7-inch EP | 1000x only, deleted - Some with Labels on wrong side, ones with labels on correct side are rarest. |
| CNT002 | 04/82 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Body Electric | 7-inch single | deleted |
| MR013 | 08/82 | The March Violets | Religious As Hell | 7-inch single | |
| MR015 | 11/82 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Alice | 7-inch single | |
| MR17 | 01/83 | The March Violets | Grooving In Green | 7-inch single | |
| MR019 | 03/83 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Anaconda | 7-inch single | |
| MR021 | 03/83 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Alice re-release | 12-inch single | |
| MR023 | 05/83 | The Sisters Of Mercy | The Reptile House EP | 12-inch EP | |
| MR025 | ??/83 | Salvation | Girlsoul | 7-inch single | |
| MR025X | ??/83 | Salvation | Girlsoul | 12-inch single | |
| MR027 | 10/83 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Temple Of Love | 7-inch single | |
| MRX027 | 10/83 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Temple Of Love | 12-inch single | |
| MR029 | 06/84 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Body And Soul | 7-inch single | |
| MR029T | 06/84 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Body And Soul | 12-inch single | |
| MR031 | ??/84 | Salvation | Clash Of Dreams | 12-inch LP | album wasn't launched and has never been available |
| MR033 | 10/84 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Walk Away | 7-inch single | |
| MR033T | 10/84 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Walk Away | 12-inch single | contains lim. ed. flexible 7-inch single SAM218 |
| MR335 | 02/85 | The Sisters Of Mercy | No Time To Cry | 7-inch single | |
| MR335T | 02/85 | The Sisters Of Mercy | No Time To Cry | 12-inch single | |
| MR337L | 03/85 | The Sisters Of Mercy | First And Last And Always | 12-inch LP | |
| MR337C | 03/85 | The Sisters Of Mercy | First And Last And Always | Cassette | |
| SIS010 | 01/86 | The Sisterhood | Giving Ground | 7-inch single | |
| SIS020 | 06/86 | The Sisterhood | Gift | 12-inch LP | |
| MRAY52 | 07/86 | James Ray And The Performance | Mexico Sundown Blues | 12-inch LP | |
| MRAY52R | 07/86 | James Ray And The Performance | Mexico Sundown Blues | 7-inch radio promo | |
| MRAY38 | 06/87 | James Ray And The Performance | Texas | 7-inch single | |
| MRAY38T | 06/87 | James Ray And The Performance | Texas | 12-inch single | |
| MR039 | 09/87 | The Sisters Of Mercy | This Corrosion | 7-inch single | |
| MR039T | 09/87 | The Sisters Of Mercy | This Corrosion | 12-inch single | |
| MR039C | 09/87 | The Sisters Of Mercy | This Corrosion | cassette | |
| MR039CD | 09/87 | The Sisters Of Mercy | This Corrosion | CD-single | |
| MR039B | 09/87 | The Sisters Of Mercy | This Corrosion | 7-inch boxed set | |
| MR441L | 11/87 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Floodland | 12-inch LP | |
| MR441C | 11/87 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Floodland | Cassette | |
| MR242246-2 | 11/87 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Floodland | CD | |
| MR043 | 02/88 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Dominion | 7-inch single | |
| MR043T | 02/88 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Dominion | 12-inch single | |
| MR043CD | 02/88 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Dominion | CD-single | |
| MR043C | 02/88 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Dominion | Cassette box set | |
| MR043TB | 02/88 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Dominion | 12-inch box set | |
| MR045 | 06/88 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Lucretia My Reflection | 7-inch single | |
| MR045T | 06/88 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Lucretia My Reflection | 12-inch single | |
| MR045CD | 06/88 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Lucretia My Reflection | CD-single | |
| MR240 616-2 | ??/88 | The Sisters Of Mercy | First And Last And Always | CD Album | |
| MRAY11 | 10/89 | James Ray And The Performance | Dust Boat | 7-inch single | |
| MRAY89CD | ??/89 | James Ray And The Performance | A New Kind Of Assassin | CD Album | |
| MRAY99 | ??/90 | James Ray's Gangwar | Another Million Dollars | 12-inch single | |
| MRAY101 | ??/90 | James Ray's Gangwar | Without Conscience | 7-inch single | |
| MRAY101T | ??/90 | James Ray's Gangwar | Without Conscience | 12-inch single | |
| MRAY101CD | ??/90 | James Ray's Gangwar | Without Conscience | CD-single | |
| MR47 | 10/90 | The Sisters Of Mercy | More | 7-inch single | |
| MR47T | 10/90 | The Sisters Of Mercy | More | 12-inch single | |
| MR47CD | 10/90 | The Sisters Of Mercy | More | CD-single | |
| MR47CDX | 10/90 | The Sisters Of Mercy | More | CD-single | 12-inch gatefold cover 5000x |
| MR449L | 10/90 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Vision Thing | 12-inch LP | |
| MR449C | 10/90 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Vision Thing | Cassette | |
| MR9031-72663-2 | 10/90 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Vision Thing | CD Album | |
| MR9031-72663-2 | 10/90 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Vision Thing | CD Album | lim. ed. 10000x |
| MR51 | 12/90 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Doctor Jeep | 7-inch single | |
| MR51T | 12/90 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Doctor Jeep | 12-inch single | |
| MR51CD | 12/90 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Doctor Jeep | CD-single | |
| MR51TX | 12/90 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Doctor Jeep | 12-inch single | lim. ed. 5000x |
| MR53 | 02/91 | The Sisters Of Mercy | When You Don't See Me | 7-inch single | |
| MR53T | 02/91 | The Sisters Of Mercy | When You Don't See Me | 12-inch single | |
| MR53CD | 02/91 | The Sisters Of Mercy | When You Don't See Me | CD-single | |
| MR53TX | 02/91 | The Sisters Of Mercy | When You Don't See Me | 12-inch single | lim. ed. 5000x |
| MR053 | 04/92 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Temple Of Love (1992) | 7-inch single | |
| MR053T | 04/92 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Temple Of Love (1992) | 12-inch single | |
| MR053TX | 04/92 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Temple Of Love (1992) | 12-inch single | limited edition |
| MR053CD | 04/92 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Temple Of Love (1992) | CD-single | |
| MR053CDX | 04/92 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Temple Of Love (1992) | CD-single | limited edition |
| MR555L | 04/92 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Some Girls Wander By Mistake | 12-inch LP | |
| MR555C | 04/92 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Some Girls Wander By Mistake | Cassette | |
| MR9031-76476-2 | 04/92 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Some Girls Wander By Mistake | CD Album | |
| MR9031-76476-2 | 04/92 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Some Girls Wander By Mistake | CD Album | numbered lim. ed. of 500 |
| MR9031-77379-2YS | /92 | The Sisters Of Mercy | First And Last And Always | CD | digitally remastered |
| MRAY341CD | ??/92 | James Ray's Gangwar | Dios Esta De Nuestro Lado | CD Album | (tr: God Is On Our Side) |
| MR59 | ??/93 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Under The Gun | 7-inch single | |
| MR59T | ??/93 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Under The Gun | 12-inch single | |
| MR59CD | ??/93 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Under The Gun | CD-single | |
| MR59CDX | ??/93 | The Sisters Of Mercy | Under The Gun | CD-single lim. ed. | |
| MR557 | ??/93 | The Sisters Of Mercy | A Slight Case Of Overbombing | 12-inch double-LP | |
| 4509-93579-4 | ??/93 | The Sisters Of Mercy | A Slight Case Of Overbombing | Cassette | |
| 4509-93579-2 | ??/93 | The Sisters Of Mercy | A Slight Case Of Overbombing | CD Album | |
| MREL001 | 16/05/94 | La Costa Rasa | Autopilot | CD | |
| MREL002 | ??/94 | The MK Ultra | This Is This | CD | (The MK Ultra is another James Ray incarnation) |
| MREL003 | ??/95 | The MK Ultra | Beluga Pop | CD | |
| MREL004 | 01/98 | Scoda Blush | Little Late | CD | distributed by Rough Trade |
See also
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