The band who formed the Merciful Release label!
Posted: 07 Sep 2004, 17:54
I was kinda bored today, and being rather sad and geekish I thought I'd do a very sad and geekish thing...
I remember reading, in an old issue of Record Collector, of a Leeds punk band called the Impossibles, who formed a record label called Merciful release in 1980 and released at least one single on it. This event was also mentioned by glasperienspiel in their history of the Sisters (http://www.gps.tsom.org/history.html). So I've had a good search around the net and found as much info as I could about this elusive band (which aint much); Here goes...
After forming at Exeter University in the late seventies (NOT Leeds, as RC and glasperienspiel claimed), the band (who consisted of three guys and a girl) changed their name from the Impossibles to the Impossible Dreamers and then formed the Merciful release label in 1980 to release the 'Books' EP (Merciful Release MR 1) which featured the tracks Books Books Books/ Not A Love Song/ Waiting For The Girl/
What Can You Do When You See Someone As Beautiful As You?/ Timing Problems
The following year they released their first and only album under the interesting alias of 'The Merciful Release all-stars'. The Album was called 'Ready for the Rythm section' (Merciful release MR 2). the album was 'split' with a band called The Syndromes.
Later in 1981, a band called Sohep released the 7" single 'So Much Fun/ You could be so Nice, Dear' on the Merciful Release label, but I have been unable to find out the exact catalogue number.
The Impossible Dreamers released a single ('The House Built on Sand') on Ardadia records in 1984, and created enough of a buzz (here's a live review from NME: http://www.micksinclair.com/nme/imps.html) for RCA to sign them; they released a string of singles on RCA from 85-87, one of which, 'August Avenue', was produced by Johnny Marr!
So there you go. At least this (partly) explains why the first ever Sisters record, Damage Done, was given the catalogue number or 'MR 07' instead of 'MR 01'.
there are still a few unanswered questions, though - Was there ever a link between the Sisters and the Impossible dreamers? and why on earth were the Sisters able to release 'The Damage Done' in 1980 using a label name that was already in use? and why did the IDs suddenly stop using the Merciful Release label in 1982, the year the Sisters released 'Alice' on the label? (perhaps the Sisters bought the label from the IDs.)
I remember reading, in an old issue of Record Collector, of a Leeds punk band called the Impossibles, who formed a record label called Merciful release in 1980 and released at least one single on it. This event was also mentioned by glasperienspiel in their history of the Sisters (http://www.gps.tsom.org/history.html). So I've had a good search around the net and found as much info as I could about this elusive band (which aint much); Here goes...
After forming at Exeter University in the late seventies (NOT Leeds, as RC and glasperienspiel claimed), the band (who consisted of three guys and a girl) changed their name from the Impossibles to the Impossible Dreamers and then formed the Merciful release label in 1980 to release the 'Books' EP (Merciful Release MR 1) which featured the tracks Books Books Books/ Not A Love Song/ Waiting For The Girl/
What Can You Do When You See Someone As Beautiful As You?/ Timing Problems
The following year they released their first and only album under the interesting alias of 'The Merciful Release all-stars'. The Album was called 'Ready for the Rythm section' (Merciful release MR 2). the album was 'split' with a band called The Syndromes.
Later in 1981, a band called Sohep released the 7" single 'So Much Fun/ You could be so Nice, Dear' on the Merciful Release label, but I have been unable to find out the exact catalogue number.
The Impossible Dreamers released a single ('The House Built on Sand') on Ardadia records in 1984, and created enough of a buzz (here's a live review from NME: http://www.micksinclair.com/nme/imps.html) for RCA to sign them; they released a string of singles on RCA from 85-87, one of which, 'August Avenue', was produced by Johnny Marr!
So there you go. At least this (partly) explains why the first ever Sisters record, Damage Done, was given the catalogue number or 'MR 07' instead of 'MR 01'.
there are still a few unanswered questions, though - Was there ever a link between the Sisters and the Impossible dreamers? and why on earth were the Sisters able to release 'The Damage Done' in 1980 using a label name that was already in use? and why did the IDs suddenly stop using the Merciful Release label in 1982, the year the Sisters released 'Alice' on the label? (perhaps the Sisters bought the label from the IDs.)
still I realy want it back .....
