The 1985 split

[MadameButterfly]

....well that I'm in the Patsy camp as she provided some lovely years which made the Sisters look good!

girls know more than we let onto you know....

Which is still a helluva lot less than the huge and absurd amount us blokes give you credit for

Whatever! *pfft*

[Ramone]

I've certainly heard the "him or me" rumours many times. But why would AE give the Albert Hall gig two names? Wasn't it billed as Altamont: A Festival Of Remembrance?

So why was the show dubbed Altamont:A Festival of Remembrance. ? The most obvious reason is down to the choice of venue itself,The Royal Albert Hall, which itself was the venue for the Festival of Remembrance every year to commemorate the November 11th service on Remembrance Sunday - hence the falling of the 'petals' at the end of the show as a tribute to the fallen( At the gig it was actually just strips of a red and silver coloured wrapping paper type material.)

If your lucky enough or know anyone, there were special 'one off' t-shirts sold that day depicting the venue but changed slightly from the F.A.L.A.A tour shirt from a couple of months earlier. Mine vanished one sunny day on a m*****n tour. Bugger. Still got the 'petal' some where though

[Ramone]

this may help ?

[stufarq]

So why Altamont? Obviously after the The Altamont Speedway Free Festival, and there's a connection with Gimme Shelter; but why would AE choose to name the concert after it? Purely out of bombast or was there more significance?

[Ramone]

The only reference I can think of for Altamont is that people died at it during a Rolling Stones concert. And because of the Sisters affiliation with that band and their music, it was maybe a good metaphor for them. Rather than mourn the dead of war, they were there to mourn the dead of music. Hence,Altamont: A festival of Remembrance.


But that's just my personal take on it and what we thought at the time..it could all just be a load of bollocks at the end of the day really!

As for Wake, that's self explanatory.

[nodubmanshouts]

As told to me by somebody 'who was there'...

The beginning of the end started after Body and Soul. Nobody was happy with the single, and in oder to get the success they wanted, and through fear of being dropped by WEA, Andy was to take a back seat to writing the music and production, which was to also give him more time to be a frontman for radio, TV, etc.

Obviously, this didn't last too long, and he kept sticking his nose into what was going on on the production and music writing side of things, pissing off the band, and leading to passive-aggressive confrontations, which left the band not speaking to each other for periods of time.

Eventually, after Andy recovered from his breakdown (which mostly had a lot to with diabetes, but also stress), the band hit the road and things got worse. Day in, day out, Andy would criticize (rightly or wrongly, publicly and privately) ) the band's performance. Marx left, and realising things were too-a-head, the band agreed to stop touring, protentially forever. Hence the "goodbye" and "wake" references.

After that, recording sessions were to begin for a new album. Craig walked out in the first of his many, many hissy fits over the years. Wayne and Andy continued to write, but Wayne simply saw the opportunity -- the time was right to strike out, so he did.

Everything was amicible enough, until Wayne picked the name "The Sisterhood", and then things went down hill...

[eastmidswhizzkid]

After that, recording sessions were to begin for a new album. Craig walked out in the first of his many, many hissy fits over the years.

not his first, though. apparently he'd "left" when the No Time To Cry b-sides were being recorded and isn't on the recordings.

Everything was amicible enough, until Wayne picked the name "The Sisterhood", and then things went down hill...

the name thing was at "handbags" before then: hussey had already (unsuccssfully) laid claim to the names "the sisters of mercy", followed by "the sisters" (cheeky cunt!) which of course von had already legally safeguarded.

[Ramone]

During the time of the Sisters, part of the following was known as the Sisterhood - around six of them who were more friends of the band than just 'fans'. When Wayne was toying with a name for his new project he chose upon the name the Sisterhood - and immediately rang up every member of the Sisterhood to see if it would be ok with them! And they all agreed, so the name was chosen.

I used to date one of the Sisterhood, Kaz, for a while and actually remember the black combat shirt she used to wear with the number 6 on ( they were all individually numbered), other members included Julie Heyes (Eldritchs one time girlfriend) and Jo and Pat who all went on to follow the Mishun. ( The whole tale can actually be found on the The Mishun's forum). As you well know the main body of the Sisters touring following was named the 'God Squad' and it's where I believe is where the Moderators of this forum took their name from.

[metal on metal]

Thanks for all this info, everyone! I'm learning a lot of new stuff here I'd often wondered about. I never got to see this line-up of the band (with typically impeccable timing, I got into the Sisters around 1986!) and always wish they'd soldiered on in that form for a bit longer, if only because those gigs look like they were bloody marvellous ... On the other hand, if that had happened, we'd surely have been denied the majestic triumph that is "Floodland"
So every cloud and all that, eh?

[Syberberg]

I never got to see this line-up of the band (with typically impeccable timing, I got into the Sisters around 1986!)

You and me both mate!

[stufarq]

After that, recording sessions were to begin for a new album. Craig walked out in the first of his many, many hissy fits over the years.

not his first, though. apparently he'd "left" when the No Time To Cry b-sides were being recorded and isn't on the recordings.

Who played bass on them then? Gary?

[Dark]

Apparently it's synth bass, I can't even hear any bass on them.

[Ramone]

Apparently it's synth bass, I can't even hear any bass on them.

I shared a room with Adams in Germany after a Mishun show and he 'spilled the beans' on the split and synth bass story. He's not on No Time Cry's b-sides. As for the split..... It all escapes me. Bugger!

[eastmidswhizzkid]

for all the '85 european and albert hall gigs were handled ok at short notice as a three-piece, i don't think that that line-up had a chance after mr.marx walked, as for the first time it was eldritch's band and his alone.

[eastmidswhizzkid]

it's not synth bass on the studio emma is it? but it's not patsy either,if my memory serves.

[stufarq]

Well, apparently none of it's Patsy...

[stufarq]

Apparently it's synth bass, I can't even hear any bass on them.

Which raises a question I've always been meaning to ask: who played the keyboards and why weren't they credited?

[Quiff Boy]

Apparently it's synth bass, I can't even hear any bass on them.

Which raises a question I've always been meaning to ask: who played the keyboards and why weren't they credited?

from what i gather, most synth stuff was programmed by eldritch, presumably with a bit of help from the nearest studio engineer, as & when.

[Dark]

But I still can't hear any bass, even keyboards.

[Barracuda]

£5.30!

You're not kidding, I was surprised at that and I was there!

In fact I was thinking about the Albert Hall gig a few weeks ago and thinking "18 quid was lot of money for me back then"... and then it was only £5.30!

No idea why I thought 18

[robertzombie]

But I still can't hear any bass, even keyboards.

Nine While Nine and possibly Walk Away? (keyboards/synths that is).

[DOZMEISTER]

I was in the studio (Comforts place, Oxfordshire) were some keyboards for Floodland were recorded. The engineer told me only Eldritch came to the recording sessions.. It supposedly had the best keyboard set up around at the time.

[Dark]

But I still can't hear any bass, even keyboards.

Nine While Nine and possibly Walk Away? (keyboards/synths that is).

I mean on the NTTC b-sides.

[spot778]

Cool avatar metal

The reason I read about the "Patsy not allowed to talk about it" was they settled out of court. According to Andrew the issue lay in the fact he had to pay all the legal fees to prove his case and she didn't owing to the British legal system.

So in theory she could have bled him dry until he rolled over and paid her off.

[metal on metal]

Thanks, spot!

But I still can't hear any bass, even keyboards.

Nine While Nine and possibly Walk Away? (keyboards/synths that is).

I mean on the NTTC b-sides.

There's definitely bass on Bury Me Deep. Whether it's synth or otherwise, I couldn't say.