One of the interesting things about This Mortal Coil, apart from the amazing music, is that a large number of the songs they recorded were covers. Not everything was a cover, contrary to popular belief — a good number were written by Ivo Watts-Russel and others specifically for this project — but around half their recordings were.
I've compiled here their complete discography, noting the original songwriters where applicable, and providing links to download the MP3s from Amazon. For original pieces, the original link is to the This Mortal Coil version; for covers, original is to the original recording, while cover is for the TMC version. I was not able to find original recordings for everything, unfortunately.
Find out more about This Mortal Coil on the 4AD web site.
You may also be interested in a similar list I made for the related 4AD project The Hope Blister.
Sixteen Days / Gathering Dust
| Track name | Original songwriter | Buy this song |
|---|---|---|
| Sixteen Days / Gathering Dust | Modern English | Original |
It'll End in Tears
| Track name | Original songwriter | Buy this song |
|---|---|---|
| Kangaroo | Alex Chilton | Cover |
| Song to the Siren | Larry Beckett, Tim Buckley | Original, Cover |
| Holocaust | Alex Chilton | Cover |
| Fyt | Original | |
| Fond Affections | Rema-Rema | Original, Cover |
| The Last Ray | Original | |
| Another Day | Roy Harper | Cover |
| Waves Become Wings | Original | |
| Barramundi | Original | |
| Dreams Made Flesh | Original | |
| Not Me | Colin Newman | Original, Cover |
| A Single Wish | Original |
Filigree & Shadow
| Track name | Original songwriter | Buy this song |
|---|---|---|
| Velvet Belly | Original | |
| The Jeweller | Pearls Before Swine | Original, Cover |
| Ivy and Neet | Original | |
| Meniscus | Original | |
| Tears | Original | |
| Tarantula | Colourbox | Cover |
| My Father | Judy Collins | Original, Cover |
| Come Here My Love | Van Morrison | Original, Cover |
| At First, and Then | Original | |
| Strength of Strings | Gene Clark | Original, Cover |
| Morning Glory | Tim Buckley | Original, Cover |
| Inch Blue | Original | |
| I Want to Live | Gary Ogan and Bill Lamb | Cover |
| Mama K (1) | Original | |
| Filligree & Shadow | Original | |
| Firebrothers | Quicksilver Messenger Service | Cover |
| Thaïs (1) | Original | |
| I Must Have Been Blind | Tim Buckley | Original, Cover |
| A Heart of Glass | Original | |
| Alone | Colin Newman | Original, Cover |
| Mama K (2) | Original | |
| The Horizon Bleeds and Sucks its Thumb | Original | |
| Drugs | Talking Heads | Original, Cover |
| Red Rain | Original | |
| Thaïs (2) | Original |
Blood
| Track name | Original songwriter | Buy this song |
|---|---|---|
| The Lacemaker | Original | |
| Mr. Somewhere | The Apartments | Cover |
| Andialu | Original | |
| With Tomorrow | Gene Clark | Original, Cover |
| Loose Joints | Original | |
| You and Your Sister | Chris Bell | Cover |
| Nature's Way | Spirit | Original, Cover |
| I Come and Stand at Every Door | Byrds | Cover |
| Bitter | Original | |
| Baby Ray Baby | Original | |
| Several Times | Pieter Nooten | Original, Cover |
| The Lacemaker II | Original | |
| Late Night | Syd Barrett | Original, Cover |
| Ruddy and Wretched | Original | |
| Help Me Lift You Up | Mary Margaret O'Hara | Cover |
| Carolyn's Song | Rain Parade | Original, Cover |
| D. D. and E. | Original | |
| Till I Gain Control Again | Emmylou Harris | Original, Cover |
| Dreams are like Water | Original | |
| I am the Cosmos | Chris Bell | Original, Cover |
| (Nothing but) Blood | Original |