Merciful Release is a record label started by Andrew Eldritch, frontman with Leeds band the Sisters of Mercy. As Eldritch stated in an early interview, he wanted to hear himself on the radio. He and Gary Marx (Mark Pairman) played and recorded on the Sisters of Mercy's initial single "Damage Done" and pressed one thousand copies. This record was something of a collector's item.

Throughout the early 1980s, the band released several singles on Merciful Release, controlling the format and image of the records, typically in a black sleeve with artwork centrally mounted and a head and star logo on the rear of sleeves. A notable example of this being Henri Matisse's Blue Nude in gold on black for the single Alice.

By 1984, the band had signed a distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records (Elektra in the US) whilst still maintaining control of Merciful Release.

In the 1990s, a number of CDs were released on the Merciful Release label for the MK Ultra: their Beluga Pop and This Is This albums, and German band Scoda Blush.

List of releases + Date: Group: Title: Type: Comments: ??/80 The Sisters of Mercy The Damage Done 7-inch EP 1000x only, deleted 04/82 The Sisters of Mercy Body Electric 7-inch single deleted 08/82 The March Violets Religious As Hell 7-inch single 11/82 The Sisters of Mercy Alice 7-inch single 01/83 The March Violets Grooving in Green 7-inch single 03/83 The Sisters of Mercy Anaconda 7-inch single 03/83 The Sisters of Mercy Alice re-release 12-inch single 05/83 The Sisters of Mercy The Reptile House EP 12-inch EP 07/83 Salvation Girlsoul 7-inch single 07/83 Salvation Girlsoul 12-inch single 10/83 The Sisters of Mercy Temple of Love 7-inch single 10/83 The Sisters of Mercy Temple of Love 12-inch single 06/84 The Sisters of Mercy Body And Soul 7-inch single 06/84 The Sisters of Mercy Body And Soul 12-inch single Unreleased Salvation Clash of Dreams 12-inch LP Issued on CD in 2015 in expanded edition 10/84 The Sisters of Mercy Walk Away 7-inch single 10/84 The Sisters of Mercy Walk Away 12-inch single contains limited edition flexible 7-inch single 02/85 The Sisters of Mercy No Time To Cry 7-inch single 02/85 The Sisters of Mercy No Time To Cry 12-inch single 03/85 The Sisters of Mercy First And Last And Always 12-inch LP 03/85 The Sisters of Mercy First And Last And Always Cassette 01/86 The Sisterhood Giving Ground 7-inch single 06/86 The Sisterhood Gift 12-inch LP 07/86 James Ray and the Performance Mexico Sundown Blues 12-inch LP 07/86 James Ray and the Performance Mexico Sundown Blues 7-inch radio promo 06/87 James Ray and the Performance Texas 7-inch single 06/87 James Ray and the Performance Texas 12-inch single 09/87 The Sisters of Mercy This Corrosion 7-inch single 09/87 The Sisters of Mercy This Corrosion 12-inch single 09/87 The Sisters of Mercy This Corrosion cassette 09/87 The Sisters of Mercy This Corrosion CD-single 09/87 The Sisters of Mercy This Corrosion 7-inch boxed set 11/87 The Sisters of Mercy Floodland 12-inch LP 11/87 The Sisters of Mercy Floodland Cassette 11/87 The Sisters of Mercy Floodland CD 02/88 The Sisters of Mercy Dominion 7-inch single 02/88 The Sisters of Mercy Dominion 12-inch single 02/88 The Sisters of Mercy Dominion CD-single 02/88 The Sisters of Mercy Dominion Cassette box set 02/88 The Sisters of Mercy Dominion 12-inch box set 06/88 The Sisters of Mercy Lucretia My Reflection 7-inch single 06/88 The Sisters of Mercy Lucretia My Reflection 12-inch single 06/88 The Sisters of Mercy Lucretia My Reflection CD-single ??/88 The Sisters of Mercy First And Last And Always CD Album 10/89 James Ray and the Performance Dust Boat 7-inch single ??/89 James Ray and the Performance A New Kind of Assassin CD Album ??/90 James Ray's Gangwar Another Million Dollars 12-inch single ??/90 James Ray's Gangwar Without Conscience 7-inch single ??/90 James Ray's Gangwar Without Conscience 12-inch single ??/90 James Ray's Gangwar Without Conscience CD-single 10/90 The Sisters of Mercy More 7-inch single 10/90 The Sisters of Mercy More 12-inch single 10/90 The Sisters of Mercy More CD-single 10/90 The Sisters of Mercy More CD-single 12-inch gatefold cover 5000x 10/90 The Sisters of Mercy Vision Thing 12-inch LP 10/90 The Sisters of Mercy Vision Thing Cassette 10/90 The Sisters of Mercy Vision Thing CD Album 10/90 The Sisters of Mercy Vision Thing CD Album lim. ed. 10000x 12/90 The Sisters of Mercy Doctor Jeep 7-inch single 12/90 The Sisters of Mercy Doctor Jeep 12-inch single 12/90 The Sisters of Mercy Doctor Jeep CD-single 12/90 The Sisters of Mercy Doctor Jeep 12-inch single lim. ed. 5000x 02/91 The Sisters of Mercy When You Don't See Me 7-inch single 02/91 The Sisters of Mercy When You Don't See Me 12-inch single 02/91 The Sisters of Mercy When You Don't See Me CD-single 02/91 The Sisters of Mercy When You Don't See Me 12-inch single lim. ed. 5000x 04/92 The Sisters of Mercy Temple of Love (1992) 7-inch single 04/92 The Sisters of Mercy Temple of Love (1992) 12-inch single 04/92 The Sisters of Mercy Temple of Love (1992) 12-inch single limited edition 04/92 The Sisters of Mercy Temple of Love (1992) CD-single 04/92 The Sisters of Mercy Temple of Love (1992) CD-single limited edition 04/92 The Sisters of Mercy Some Girls Wander By Mistake 12-inch LP 04/92 The Sisters of Mercy Some Girls Wander By Mistake Cassette 04/92 The Sisters of Mercy Some Girls Wander By Mistake CD Album 04/92 The Sisters of Mercy Some Girls Wander By Mistake CD Album numbered lim. ed. of 500 /92 The Sisters of Mercy First And Last And Always CD digitally remastered ??/92 James Ray's Gangwar Dios Esta De Nuestro Lado CD Album (tr: God Is on Our Side) ??/93 The Sisters of Mercy Under The Gun 7-inch single ??/93 The Sisters of Mercy Under The Gun 12-inch single ??/93 The Sisters of Mercy Under The Gun CD-single ??/93 The Sisters of Mercy Under The Gun CD-single lim. ed. ??/93 The Sisters of Mercy A Slight Case of Overbombing 12-inch double-LP ??/93 The Sisters of Mercy A Slight Case of Overbombing Cassette ??/93 The Sisters of Mercy A Slight Case of Overbombing CD Album 16 May 1994 La Costa Rasa Autopilot CD ??/94 The MK Ultra This Is This CD The MK Ultra is another James Ray incarnation ??/95 The MK Ultra Beluga Pop CD 01/98 Scoda Blush Little Late CD

See also Lists of record labels

References