The Sisters of Mercy Forum
Ha! CheersBeing645 wrote:Hi Orca, (pretty user name btw ......)
... thanks for all the pictures. Now I know what you are on about.
... look like SAAB ... oh, had always loved to drive one of these, ... ...
Curious, I have the same. The spined ones are definitely the older ones. The Reptile House spined one originally had a printed lyric sheet within, which I believe to be a bit on the rare side.Orca wrote:Guys ... 'nuther question having just looked through my record collection
... a couple of my 12" releases of the earlier stuff - Alice and Temple of Love have releases with both a non-spined cover and one with a printed spine. I guess I collected them both because of this.
Did the others around that period come with and without a spine?
I have 'Reptile House' and 'Body and Soul' with a printed spine and 'Walk Away' and 'No Time to Cry' without spines.
It sounds a bit OCD, but I'd like to get my vinyl collection complete with all the oddities
unholyracket wrote:Dammit, now I am looking at it all again and trying to piece together history from an alcohol addled brain... Spined are definitely older versions and definitely the UK releases as I remember buying the specific ones in record shops at the time of release. This is further backed up by all the nice freebies like the lyric sheet and flexi disc of Long Train with Walk Away sitting with the spined ones.Orca wrote:Guys ... 'nuther question having just looked through my record collection
... a couple of my 12" releases of the earlier stuff - Alice and Temple of Love have releases with both a non-spined cover and one with a printed spine. I guess I collected them both because of this.
Did the others around that period come with and without a spine?
I have 'Reptile House' and 'Body and Soul' with a printed spine and 'Walk Away' and 'No Time to Cry' without spines.
It sounds a bit OCD, but I'd like to get my vinyl collection complete with all the oddities
Most of the singles will have had reissues or at least reprints of the sleeve at a later date and they came in the smooth and shiny spineless sleeves (usually had no inner sleeve either).
The Floodland pics you put up are of the Ltd release that had a lyric sheet and then the the general release copy of the album. There were three UK vairants of this album in vinyl. 1st had a ltd number and lyric sheet, another just had the lyric sheet and a third had no number and no sheet.
All released as MR441L but had a sticker on the front of the cover identifying the version which read 'Limited Edition - Special Numbered Sleeve also Include Lyric Sheet', 'Include Lyric Sheet' and no sticker.
If some-one can tell be how to upload piccies I will take a photo of the variants. There is a also a Japanese version with a very nice side banner in Japanese and a lyric sheet with English and Japanese. A US version I have also has the lyrics on the actual inner sleeve rather than a sheet.
I never quite sussed how they got the mixes slightly different on re-issues/releases. Not sure it is a conscious decision (particulalry as the band had no input to some of the reissues). I think it sometimes comes down to folks picking up a slightly different version of the master tape. There are some very distinct differences on some of the album versions though. The Japanese version of 'First and Last and Always' has quite a different intro to 'First and Last and Always' on the UK version. Again not sure it is planned. It would need someone with recording studio experience to explain how tapes were marked up in the day. Mind you, half of that lot were probably blasted and coudn't remember.Orca wrote:I'm finding this link really useful: http://www.discogs.com/artist/Sisters+Of+Mercy%2C+The
That's a neat tip about the spined versions being the initial releases ... so, I have the early stuff with spines excluding 'Walk Away' and 'No Time to Cry' (although, I've just snapped up a 'Walk Away' with sticker and flexi off the 'Bay).
Into the 'Floodland' era ... I am certain I bought 'This Corrosion', 'Dominion' and 'Lucretia' at the time and two of those are pictured above - 'This Corrosion' and 'Lucretia' without spines. 'Dominion' (pictured), I bought later although the sticker would suggest it was a first issue. So, a couple more to pick up there to complete the spined versions.
From the 'Vision Thing' era, they're all spined and all bought at the time of release. All stickered, too ... and I have the limited and un/limited releases of 'Dr Jeep'.
Discogs helps piece together the UK, French, German and Dutch releases of these singles. I guess the rest of the knowledge could come from folks here who have these various national releases.
Off topic a little ... I've been out of the loop for a few years and completely missed Rhino's re-release of the albums, remastered. I understand the 'First and Last and Always' re-issue is of the original mixes that I have on vinyl and cassette. I picked up the 'Merciful Release' box off Play to get these latest remasters. Also, back in the day, I snubbed CDs and so collected little on CD and completely missed the 1988 and 1992 issues of 'First and Last and Always' which I gather are different mixes to the vinyl I have - again, just snapped up a copy of the 1992 off the 'Bay.
I'm starting to catch up now
Thanks for the reply, pal.
it used to bother me immensely when I was in the market for buying Sisters records...Now that is an interesting nugget.jparton wrote:... it does provide evidence that for This Corrison at least there was no time lag between the availability of the spine / non spine selvees as they were in the shop at the same time..
It's a mix between spines and non-spines.Orca wrote:It is very comprehensive and a really useful resource. When you do ... let me know ... I'll have another look through. What is the state of your 12" singles? Do they have spines?Nic wrote:'Bout time I update that list.
I also bought 'This Corrosion', 'Dominion' and 'Lucretia' at the time of their release - but mine have spine... I bought them in Dublin but they'd be standard UK editions I imagine so the spine being original I don't think applies - certainly not to the WEA releases although I always thought it did to the Merciful Releases?Orca wrote:
That's a neat tip about the spined versions being the initial releases ...
Into the 'Floodland' era ... I am certain I bought 'This Corrosion', 'Dominion' and 'Lucretia' at the time and two of those are pictured above - 'This Corrosion' and 'Lucretia' without spines. 'Dominion' (pictured), I bought later although the sticker would suggest it was a first issue. So, a couple more to pick up there to complete the spined versions.
