The Sisters of Mercy photographed on tour circa 1983. Photo was taken on Woodward Avenue in front of the former Scorpio Book Center and adult movie theater.”Sisters Of Mercy” by Count to 10 is licensed under CC BY 2.0 .
Sisters of Mercy, a seminal goth rock band founded in 1980, exerted significant influence over the musical landscape of their era. When two members, driven by irreconcilable differences with the band’s frontman, broke away from The Sisters’ to form The Mission, an intense rivalry blazed to life.
Throughout their journey, The Sisters of Mercy released three albums, each featuring a different band setup. The only constants across all three records were singer-songwriter Andrew Eldritch and the drum machine he had programmed, known as Doktor Avalanche. The list of former band members is long (very, very long), with two of them splitting to form their own successful band – The Mission.
Sisters of Mercy – The early years
The Sisters’ emerged as a prominent gothic rock band from the English post-punk scene in 1980. After gaining early recognition in the UK’s underground and goth music circles, The Sisters of Mercy experienced a significant breakthrough in the mid-1980s. This success continued into the early 1990s, after which they ceased to release new music. Nevertheless, the band persists, albeit primarily as a live concert act.
Founding members Gary Marx and Andrew Eldritch were later joined by Craig Adams on guitar and Ben Gunn on bass in 1981. Together, they formed a band of four young musicians, all driven by the ambition to achieve great success. However, Ben Gunn left the band after only two years, in October 1983, and was replaced by Wayne Hussey, who had previously been a member of synthpop band Dead or Alive.
Sisters of Mercy in the Body and Soul video 1984. From the left: Gary Marx, Andrew Eldritch, Craig Adams and Wayne Hussey.
The enigmatic singer and frontman, Andrew Eldritch, played a leading role in creating the unique blend of dark, suggestive goth rock that strongly resonated with the youth of the 1980s. Their hypnotic melodies and somber aesthetics quickly garnered a devout following.
As The Sisters’ star rose, discord within the band also grew. Shortly after the release of their debut album ‘First and Last and Always‘ in 1985, Gary Marx split from the band in the midst of a tour. He later cited an inability to continue working with the lead singer as the reason for his departure.
“Then they said ‘Well, okay, what are we gonna do for new songs?’ And I said ‘How about this, this and this’ and, unfortunately, the first ‘this’ I cited had too many chords per minute and Craig said ‘If that’s the guitar line, I’m not playing it’ and walked out. That was really that.”
– Andrew Eldritch to music journalist Steve Sutherland in a Melody Maker Magazine interview in 1987.
Following the album release, Andrew Eldritch sought a change of direction. This eventually caused a rift to form between him and the remaining band members, as they could not agree on a shared vision.
Andrew Eldritch of The Sisters of Mercy 1984.
Just a few months after the release of their first album, bass player Craig Adams walked out of rehearsal. The very next day, two years after replacing former member Ben Gunn, guitarist Wayne Hussey followed suit.
In late 1985, the sole remaining member of the British goth rock band The Sisters of Mercy was Andrew Eldritch (not counting the undyingly loyal Doktor Avalanche). He would remain the solitary member until 1987 when bass player Patricia Morrison joined. She stayed for two years before leaving the band as well.
Formation of The Mission
The seismic departure of Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams in 1985 both marked a significant turning point for The Sisters’, as well as ultimately leading to the formation of a rival act. In 1986, Hussey and Adams founded The Sisterhood, later rebranded as The Mission. Despite the shift in their musical style towards a more accessible rock sound, they were inevitably set on a collision course with their former band.
The Mission January 1988. From the left: Wayne Hussey, Craig Adams, Mick Brown and Simon Hinkler.
Many expected it to be the quirky Eldritch who would achieve greater successes. Although Hussey primarily composed the majority of the music for The Sisters of Mercy’s debut album, ‘First And Last And Always’, Eldritch had taken the helm as the band’s leader and the creative force shaping the music to mirror his persona. Eldritch exuded a sense of gravity and authority – qualities Hussey and Adams acknowledged they did not possess.
In a 1988 interview with Classic Rock Magazine, Hussey shared his perspective on the creative relationship among Eldritch, Adams, and himself.
“As far as the Sisters were concerned, Craig and I were seen as just a couple of drunks,” he says. “And that was pretty much the truth. Andrew is not a person who delegates responsibility very easily, so we had none, and we just got pissed.”
Wayne Hussey 1988. The Mission Performing At The Astoria Theatre in London.
What followed was a musical rivalry that reverberated through the alternative music scene. The Sisters of Mercy and The Mission vied for the allegiance of fans. Critics compared their records, and fans passionately debated which band best embodied the rock spirit. It was a heady time for alternative music, and the rivalry between these two bands only added to the excitement.
Battle over The Sisterhood name
It was inevitable that the tension between Hussey, Adams, and Eldritch would reach a breaking point, resulting in them parting ways. While Eldritch continued to refine the signature gothic sound of The Sisters’, Hussey and Adams envisioned a different musical direction.
The budding band, initially named The Sisterhood, did not, however, start from scratch. Their repertoire included songs that were originally intended for The Sisters of Mercy but were rejected by Eldritch. This was something the remaining The Sisters’ member let slide, but he strongly objected to their use of the name The Sisterhood, claiming it bore too much similarity to both The Sisters of Mercy and his band’s fan community.
In an effort to thwart Hussey’s and Adams new band, Eldritch also formed a band under the same name – The Sisterhood. This was possible since his former band members had not yet released anything under the name. The battle had thus turned into a horse race.
Eldritch selected material that was originally intended for The Sisters of Mercy’s second album but ended up becoming an album titled ‘Gift’ under the band name The Sisterhood.
Patricia Morrison and Andrew Eldritch 1988. Morrison collaborated with Eldritch on The Sisterhood album, which was released in 1986, and later became a member of the band The Sisters of Mercy.
Hussey and Adams now had no choice but to give up the battle for the name and instead adopted The Mission as their official band name.
Eldritch has stated that the ‘2-5-0-0-0’ mentioned at the beginning of the song ‘Jihad’ on The Sisterhood LP represented the sum of money he obtained from The Mission through a civil lawsuit. However, the Mission’s manager, Tony Perrin, claimed that the case never reached the courts.
A couple of decades later, Hussey expressed regret over the feud about the name The Sisterhood:
“To be terribly honest now, I think Andrew was right. I mean, two members of the band going off and trading on their old band? It’s like two ex-members of the Mission going off and naming themselves as the Missionaries. It’s a bit cheap.”
– Hussey in an interview with Classic Rock Magazine in July 2007.
Impact on the alternative music scene
The rivalry between The Sisters of Mercy and The Mission left an indelible mark on the music scene. While it might have intensified their creative output, it also divided fans and critics. The Sisters’ continued to explore their signature gothic sound, releasing critically acclaimed albums like ‘Floodland’, solidifying their position as one of the most iconic goth bands in music history.
Andrew Eldritch of The Sisters of Mercy 1984.
Conversely, The Mission which took a more mainstream path, achieving significant success with their 1988 release ‘Children’. The album earned gold status, and the band went on to perform sold-out shows.
The Mission in 1988. From the left: Simon Hinkler, Wayne Hussey, Mick Brown and Craig Adams.
Despite the turmoil, both bands left a lasting legacy, inspiring generations of gothic and alternative rock bands. Ultimately, the story of The Sisters of Mercy and The Mission is a testament to the complexity of creative partnerships. The rivalry between musicians demonstrated the power of artistic vision in driving musical innovation and carving out distinctive musical expressions.