Sisters Of Mercy - First And Last And Always

About "First And Last And Always"

First and Last and Always is the debut studio album by English gothic rock band the Sisters of Mercy, first released on 11 March 1985 through the band's Merciful Release label. Prior to recording sessions for a debut album, the band started off by releasing multiple extended plays and singles from 1980 through 1984. Guitarist Ben Gunn departed the band in October 1983 and was subsequently replaced by Dead or Alive member Wayne Hussey. This created one of the band's most iconic lineups, comprising Hussey with frontman Andrew Eldritch, guitarist Gary Marx, and bassist Craig Adams.

After touring for two months and releasing the single "Body and Soul", recording sessions with producer David M. Allen began at Strawberry Studios in Stockport during June 1984, with sessions also taking place at Genetic Studios in Reading. The sessions were prolonged due to Eldritch's drug use and extended time spent on writing lyrics, though recording was eventually completed in November 1984. Similar to the band's previous releases, they used a drum machine when recording, this time utilizing an Oberheim DMX nicknamed "Doktor Avalanche".

First and Last and Always was preceded by the singles "Walk Away" and "No Time to Cry", which peaked at number 45 and number 63, respectively, on the UK Singles Chart. The album peaked at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart, though the band had still been in debt afterward due to the production costs. The costs were recouped in 1988, and the album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry in 1989 for selling 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom. The album was later certified gold by the BVMI in 2011 for selling 250,000 copies in Germany.

Although Eldritch and Hussey began writing new material soon after the album's release, the Sisters of Mercy dissolved later in 1985 when Hussey, Marx, and Adams departed the band due to heightened tensions between them and Eldritch. Consequently, First and Last and Always was the only Sisters of Mercy album to feature Hussey, Marx, and Adams. In the aftermath of the disbandment, Hussey and Adams went on to form The Mission, while Eldritch created his side project The Sisterhood, though Eldritch would later restart the Sisters of Mercy with other members.