The Sisters Of Mercy - Alice 12''

After the release of ‘Alice’ in November 1982, The Sisters of Mercy entered their first golden age. It lasted 12 glorious months.

That year was strewn with brilliant singles, EP's and legendary live shows. By the end of it, they stood as one of Britain’s premier independent bands, with a nationwide hardcore following and were ready to make the transition to rock stardom. The Sisters were already cloaked in a powerful mystique that intersected with some of the mythic nodes of rock: the NYC of The Velvets, Suicide and The Ramones; the Detroit of the MC5 and The Stooges; and the LA of The Doors.

Yet, this unlikely ascent was incubated in a nondescript semi-detached house in an area of north-west Leeds better known for its high concentration of students and takeaways than rock action.

Leeds (one of the least lauded cities with a post-punk scene) was at the time being laid waste by the pyroclastic cloud of Thatcherism. It had places for bands to play, but it didn’t have a decent recording studio. So The Sisters made their records in Bridlington, a Yorkshire resort town, in an 8-track studio near the seafront.

Nor did Leeds even have a record label. So The Sisters started their own and ran it as a cottage industry out of that self-same semi.

Yet, The Sisters remained steadfastly a Leeds band during their golden year, even as they outgrew the city that had birthed and nurtured them. The bond between band and city were unshakeable. For all its shortcomings, Leeds made The Sisters.

And their own shortcomings made The Sisters too. When things did click during 1982 and 1983, they were operating on a shoestring budget and with limited musical ability. Their equipment was primitive (sometimes borrowed, sometimes home-made, often junk) and playing their own repertoire properly was often a stretch for them.

Ripped from the 12” single to MP3

The Sisters Of Mercy; Alice 12”

A1.  Alice

A2.  Floorshow

B1.  Phantom

B2.  1969