First And Last And Always (album)

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First And Last And Always - Album Cover (Front)


First And Last And Always was the first studio album by The Sisters Of Mercy.
It reached number 14 in the UK charts.

For some comprehensive insights into the production and the various recordings, mixes, releases and pressings of First And Last And Always, we strongly recommend the Heavy Leather Blog research review All I Know For Sure: The Making of First And Last And Always by Robert Cowlin!!!

Band/Recording Personnel

as credited on the inner sleeve of the gatefold LP:


Original Release Notes

  • Tape Cassette: Merciful Release MR 337 C Mar 1985
  • CD (original version) WEA 2292-40616-2 1988
  • CD (Digitally Remastered in 1992): EastWest 9031-77379-2 1992
  • CD Rhino UK 5101-17579-2 2006


The album was generally available on CD from 1988 on and was first released as a remixed version in 1992. At the time, many fans felt that the 1992 CD remix is inferior to the original.

In late 2006, the CD-version was (together with Floodland and ) re-released by Rhino Records featuring the original vinyl mixes, b-sides and a demo version of Some Kind Of Stranger.


Production Notes


Remarks


This page is Work in Progress and going to be extended as soon as ever possible


Track List

First And Last And Always - UK gatefold cover (front)
Side A   Side B  
Track Duration         Track Duration
 A1  /  1  Black Planet     B1  /  6  First And Last And Always       
 A2  /  2  Walk Away     B2  /  7  Possession   
 A3  /  3  No Time To Cry     B3  /  8  Nine While Nine   
 A4  /  4  A Rock And A Hard Place         B4  /  9  Amphetamine Logic   
 A5  /  5  Marian (Version)     B5  / 10  Some Kind Of Stranger   


2006 CD Extra Tracks


Difference between the original and the 1992 remastered First and Last and Always CDs

Additional Notes on the Release

First and Last and Always probably has the most variations in terms of mixes of all the Sisters' releases.

The vinyl LP was originally released on gatefold vinyl, subsequent releases have standard sleeves. The Japanese release is sought after as it has different song mixes to other vinyl pressings.

The CD version was first released in 1988 and contains mixes from the Japanese and normal vinyl releases. It was reported that this was because the master tapes had been lost. 1992 saw a digitally remastered release which again had slightly different mixes. Besides the standard jewel case release the CD was also released in long box format.

The 2006 release was the first time that Poison Door, On The Wire and Bury Me Deep were available on CD. Blood Money appeared on the Tour Thing 91 promo CD and Long Train was featured as the B-Side to Lucretia in 1988. Some Kind Of Stranger (Early) is pretty much a demo of the song, with slightly different lyrics and a much rawer sound.

Some more information can be found here in another Wiki as well as here (in German), quite comprehensive and offering a hell lot of very interesting references to original sources.