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Biography
other uses|Mortal coil (disambiguation)Refimprove|date=July 2010POV|date=February 2009Infobox musical artist | name = This Mortal Coil| image =| caption =| image_size =| background = group_or_band| alias =| origin = United Kingdom| genre = Dream pop Gothic rock Ethereal Wave | years_active = 1983–1991| label = 4AD | associated_acts = Alison Limerick Cindytalk The Wolfgang Press Xmal Deutschland Frazier Chorus In Camera Cocteau Twins Breathless (band)|Breathless Dif Juz The Hope Blister Clan of Xymox Michael Brook Dead Can Dance Brendan Perry Lisa Gerrard Pixies Belly (band)|Belly The Breeders Colourbox Tanya Donelly Modern English (band)|Modern English Heidi Berry | website =| current_members =| past_members = Ivo Watts-Russell John Fryer (music)|John Fryer This MortalCoil was a gothic rock|gothic dream pop Supergroup (music)|supergroup led by Ivo Watts-Russell , founder of the British record label 4AD .cite web |url= http://www.4ad.com/artists/thismortalcoil |title=This MortalCoil |work=4AD.com |accessdate=14 August 2011 Although Watts-Russell and John Fryer (music)|John Fryer were technically the only two official members, the band's recorded output featured a large rotating cast of supporting artists, many of whom were signed to, or otherwise associated with, 4AD. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/this-mortal-coil-p5635 About half of the songs released were cover version s, often of 1960s and 1970s Psychedelic rock|psychedelic and Folk rock|folk acts. On each of the band's three LPs, at least one song would also be a cover of a 4AD artist, and most of the original songs were instrumental s.
Quoting the http://www.4ad.com/artists/thismortalcoil/ 4AD website
This MortalCoil was not a band, but a unique collaboration of musicians recording in various permutations, the brainchild of 4AD kingpin Ivo Watts-Russell. The idea was to allow artists the creative freedom to record material outside of the realm of what was expected of them; it also created the opportunity for innovative cover versions of songs personal to Ivo.
The name 'This Mortal coil|Mortal Coil ' is taken from Shakespeare 's Hamlet .
Background
Watts-Russell had founded 4AD in 1980, and the label quickly established itself as one of the key labels in the British post-punk movement. One of the label's earliest signings was Modern English (band)|Modern English . In 1983, Watts-Russell suggested that the band re-record two of their 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 ; and a few members of Modern English. An EP, Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust , resulted from these sessions.
Recorded as a A-side and B-side|B-side for the Extended play|EP was a cover of Tim Buckley 's " Song to the Siren (Tim Buckley song)|Song to the Siren ", performed by Fraser and Guthrie alone. 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 recording a full album under the This MortalCoil moniker.
In June 1998 Watts-Russell released another album in a similar vein to his TMC projects, '' ...Smile's OK , under the name The Hope Blister .
