Andrew Eldritch (The Sisters of Mercy) interview on KROQ - Feb 25 1991

Interview taken from a cassette I've had since 1991 that contained early recordings & demo's (all of which can be found on KZbin).

[@SoundsofDecay]

I've never heard Von sound quite so chirpy in an interview before, but I really enjoyed it.

[@flannerymonaghan-morris4825]

It seems like Andrew is quite relaxed with this interviewer, really.

[@owenfrow8339]

Great find. Thanks so much for uploading.

[@thiscorrosion900]

God what an American radio drip! OMG

[@frauleindaniela]

👍🏻

[@thiscorrosion900]

Why do people constantly ask him about Dr. Avalanche? If anybody knows the history of the band, and that Suicide, for one, was a major, major influence, it's kind of obvious why they ended up with the Dr. I think, in any case, that using the drum machine was more freeing creatively for the Sisters. It opens up possibilities that you may not get with just a single live drummer. It also suits their ever-more-bombastic sound as it developed from Floodland onwards (or at least, for that period). A standard rock drummer is not going to provide that type of assaultive sound.

[@theklubhaus]

It’s so strange. People really think those sounds come from an acoustic drum kit? Nah machine all the way!

[@thiscorrosion900]

@@theklubhaus I don't know if he ever augmented it in the studio with standard drums, but it doesn't really sound like it to me.

[@DollysplitBand]

And even pre-floodland era, the dr was essential to the sonic bombardment. The ghostrider/train medleys were so much about the assault on the ears, the loud, unchanging simple beat is part of the experience. Every drummer i know would have added fills and frills

[@thiscorrosion900]

@@DollysplitBand Yup! Some of the late 70s and 80s bands ended up with drum machines early on, at least, out of sheer economic necessity, didn't have a solid drummer, or a rehearsal space for one, so they borrowed or bought a cheap drum machine and used that for a while for demos, etc. I know for a fact China Crisis used drum machines and programming on early demos and early albums, even, and in fact, sometimes still do that live when they aren't touring with a full band. And of course the Sisters were also greatly inspired by the band Suicide.

[@frauleindaniela]

Will you upload the rest? I would love to hear the Marian version with Marx’s vocals!

[@blackplanettribute9710]

That recording is better known as "Red Skies Disappear" which is basically "First And Last And Always" with different lyrics which mention "Marian" and is sung by Gary Marx. kzbin.info/www/bejne/faGqpYJ9mZeee5o

[@frauleindaniela]

@@blackplanettribute9710 Very interesting! Thanks for the link! I do know that version and I actually own it on a CD 😄 but I never knew that Andrew did not sing that. :-) On that bootleg you tagged it is mentioned that Gary Marx wrote & sung it, but Wayne Hussey wrote it, so could it be that he sung it? Could he get so low with his voice? 🙃

[@frauleindaniela]

@@blackplanettribute9710 I just heard that Marian version and Dance on Glass back to back and it sounds like the same singer. I also can’t remember reading in Hussey’s autobiography that Gary Marx sung anything. If I remember that part of the book correctly only Hussey and Adams had been in the studio at that time.

[@blackplanettribute9710]

@@frauleindaniela Wayne Hussey wrote the music to "Marian" as heard on the album "First And Last And Always", but the song "Red Skies Disappear" is an early demo of the song "First And Last And Always" which Gary Marx wrote the music to. You can compare the vocals to those on the song "Watch" which Gary Marx also sang. kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6GWqKGtaJ6lnsU

[@thiscorrosion900]

And then....the Big Record Co. Strike....And then.....much ado about not very much for two decades.

[@thiscorrosion900]

God, Crowded House kind of bored the piss out of me.