Album · Sisters of Mercy
First and Last and Always by Sisters of Mercy
First and Last and Always is an album by Sisters of Mercy, released in 1985. 4 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 9 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Walk Away”, on 3 lists with a best position of #8.
First and Last and Always, the Sisters of Mercy's debut album, came out on 11 March 1985 on the band's own Merciful Release label. With ex-Dead or Alive man Wayne Hussey in for departed guitarist Ben Gunn, the Leeds band lined up as Andrew Eldritch, Hussey, Gary Marx and bassist Craig Adams, with the drum machine Doktor Avalanche keeping cold, relentless time.
David M. Allen produced it from June 1984 at Strawberry Studios in Stockport and Genetic Studios in Reading, and the sessions dragged into November as Eldritch labored over his lyrics. Twin guitars chime and churn over the machine pulse while Eldritch intones from the bottom of a well. "Walk Away" and "Marian" are gothic rock at its most majestic, and the album reached number 14 in the UK. It was also the end of that lineup: Hussey, Marx and Adams walked out later in 1985, and Hussey and Adams went on to form the Mission.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from First and Last and Always on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walk Away | 3 | #8 | – | 1984–2003 | |
| 2 | Black Planet | 3 | #374 | – | 2002–2023 | |
| 3 | Marian | 2 | #36 | – | 1985–1991 | |
| 4 | Some Kind Of Stranger | 1 | #43 | – | 1985 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.