应该说This Mortal Coil不是一个真正意义上的乐队。作为一个成功的独立唱片厂牌，4AD需要去尝试和探索各种不同类型的音乐领域。作为This Mortal Coil里最为主要的人物，同时也是身为4AD唱片公司的老板的Ivo watts-Russell已不再局限于4AD的环境中，而是通过许多艺术家们的各具特色的风格去开创属于4AD的灵魂和精髓所在，其中包括有Ivo watts所喜爱的Syd Barrett,Alex Chilton,Talking head,Tim Buckley和Gene Clark。This Mortal Coil的首张唱片是于1983年，由4AD发行，Tim Backley着手的<>。最初被当作一张B-side,然而，由于有Robin Guthrie和Cocteaus Twins的Elizabeth Fraser等人那不凡的才华的支持，这张single很快就变成了还处于地下音乐派系中的一个成功的例子。紧随着，1984年，This Mortal Coil推出了他们的首张专辑《It'll end in tears》，其中收录了由Elizabeth Fraser,Dead Can Dance的Lisa Gerrard、Brendan perry,Siouxsie And The Banshee的Martin McCarrick这些伟大的音乐家们共同演绎了Buckley,Alex Chilton和Syd Barrett等人的作品。紧接着一个类似的版本也是This Mortal Coil的第二张专集《Filigree & Shadow》于1986年发行。在1991年，This Mortal Coil又推出他们的第三张极具收藏价值的专集《Blood》。此时，Watts-Russell对外宣称《Blood》将成为TMC的最后一张专集。在唱片里有包括对Chris Bell的"You And Your Sister"由The Breeder的Kim Deal和Belly的Tanya donelly协力合作的优美的二重奏，由Louise和Deidre Rutkowski表现的The Byrd的"I come and stand at every doors",Syd Barrett的"late night"(由Caroline Crawley担任演唱）和Gene Clark的"With Tomorrow"。直至今天，Watts-Russell实现了他的允诺，This Mortal Coil没有再发行过一张新的专集。但是在1993年4AD发行了一张名为《1983-1991》的4张大碟的特辑里，加入了几首在TMC的三张专集里没有被收录的曲目。和许多4AD旗下的乐队一样，This Mortal Coil犹如史诗般的那种绚烂，很多时候似被湮没于空幻中，而更多给我们的却是难以忘怀。The gothic dream pop collective This Mortal Coil was one of the most representative bands on the 4AD label, not least because they were run by 4AD president and co-founder Ivo Watts-Russell. Whether they played covers (of Watts-Russells favorite artists) or originals, their material epitomized the haunting, ethereal sound that came to be associated with the label. Lush, swirling arrangements drenched in echo, reverb, and other effects were the projects stock-in-trade, often approaching ambient music. A rotating cast of vocalists and musicians supplied the sounds heard on record, all overseen by Watts-Russell and co-producer John Fryer. A studio entity only, the group started out as something of a 4AD all-star unit, but evolved into a way for Watts-Russell to collaborate with up-and-comers and other artists not signed to his label. Whoever was performing, the music was united by its gentle surges of melancholy and by Watts-Russells highly influential aesthetic.Watts-Russell grew up in Englands Northamptonshire area, more than an hours drive north of London. In lieu of college, he worked in record stores, eventually hooking up with the Beggars Banquet retail chain, which had formed its own label. He and colleague Peter Kent co-founded 4AD in 1980 with financial support from Beggars Banquet, and initially signed post-punk acts like Modern English and the Birthday Party. Kent departed after a few years, and Watts-Russell took the label in a more atmospheric direction, making signature signings in Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance. The idea for This Mortal Coil germinated around that time; having been unsuccessful in convincing Modern English to record a covers medley that closed their concerts, Watts-Russell decided to do it himself. Gordon Sharp (of Cindytalk) and Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance) supplied vocals on it and the intended B-side, a lovely cover of Tim Buckleys Song to the Siren.From there the project snowballed, and Watts-Russell eventually assembled enough material for an album. Released in 1984, Itll End in Tears featured musical efforts from 4AD staples like Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins), Steven and Martyn Young (Colourbox), Brendan Perry (Dead Can Dance), and Mark Cox (Wolfgang Press), among others, with vocals from Gerrard, Sharp, Modern Englishs Robbie Grey, and Howard Devoto (Buzzcocks/Magazine). Watts-Russell and Fryer handled any additional instruments or programmed loops as needed. The track listing featured two songs from Big Stars Third/Sister Lovers, plus numbers by Roy Harper and Wires Colin Newman, in addition to band originals. Itll End in Tears helped crystallize 4ADs emerging signature sound, and helped win a wider audience for their stable of artists.Fryer and Watts-Russell put together a follow-up album, Filigree & Shadow, which was released in 1986. A sprawling and more varied collection, Filigree & Shadow covered songs by Tim Buckley, Colin Newman, Talking Heads, Pearls Before Swine, Gene Clark, Judy Collins, and Van Morrison in between the original compositions. The Cocteau Twins Simon Raymonde was still a significant presence, and string player/arranger Martin McCarrick took a bigger role this time around; Steven Young and Mark Cox both returned, and members of Dif Juz were also prominent. Most vocals were by Dominic Appleton (also of Breathless), Deirdre and Louise Rutkowski, and a pre-dance diva Alison Limerick.Much of the same core cast — Watts-Russell, Fryer, McCarrick, Appleton, Limerick, and the Rutkowskis — was on hand for the third and final This Mortal Coil album, the tighter Blood, issued in 1991. New guest vocalists included Caroline Crawley of Shelleyan Orphan, Kim Deal and Tanya Donelly of the Breeders, and Heidi Berry. Covers this time out included two by Big Stars Chris Bell, Rain Parade, Spirit, Syd Barrett, and Rodney Crowell, among others. Watts-Russell had announced that he would retire the This Mortal Coil name following Blood, and remained true to his word. In 1993, he issued a limited-edition CD box set, 1983-1991, which packaged all three of the groups albums, plus a bonus disc featuring original versions of many of their covers. In 1998, Watts-Russell formed a similar but somewhat sparser project dubbed the Hope Blister.