Editing First and Last and Always (section)

==Release and aftermath==
On 8 March 1985, the single "No Time to Cry" was released, reached No. 63 on the UK chart.<ref name="occ"/> To coincide with the album release, a UK tour began on 9 March. On 11 March, [[Warner Music Group|WEA Records Ltd.]] released the album in the UK to positive press reactions. On 1 April, Marx played his last concert with The Sisters of Mercy, followed by a TV appearance the day after, during which the band played live in the studio versions of "First and Last and Always" and "Marian".<ref>{{cite episode |series=[[The Old Grey Whistle Test]] |date=2 April 1985 |network=[[BBC Two|BBC 2]]}}</ref> The remaining trio, with Wayne Hussey shouldering all guitar parts, started another tour through Europe and the US on 12 April, which continued till 7 June. A second TV appearance for German TV show ''{{ill|Formel Eins|de|3=Formel Eins (Fernsehserie)|lt=Formel Eins}}'', during which the band mimed to "No Time to Cry", was broadcast on 15 April 1985. The Sisters of Mercy played their final concert as planned on 18 June 1985 at the [[Royal Albert Hall]]. Gary Marx, who was announced to take part, didn't show up. The video was released in 1986 by [[PolyGram]].

In the summer of 1985, the music press reported that The Sisters of Mercy were planning an [[ABBA]] cover version as their next single.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=August 1985 |title=Schnell und vergänglich |magazine=[[Spex (magazine)|SPEX]] |page=5}}</ref> Eldritch later confirmed that he had indeed contacted producer [[Jim Steinman]]: "I called him up [in 1985] when the band had '[[Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)|Gimme Gimme Gimme]]' in their set and told him about the song and that our version had to be absolutely stupid. He agreed with me but he was booked out. And then the band broke up."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Ruff |first=Michael |date=January 1988 |title=Prinz der Feuchtgebeite |magazine=[[Spex (magazine)|SPEX]]}}</ref> On 2 November, the music press reported the band's split.<ref>[[Sounds (magazine)|''Sounds'']]. 2 November 1985. p. 3.</ref> Andrew Eldritch: "The people that are now The Mission and myself had an agreement: no one would use the name when the band went its separate ways."<ref name="ultimatesistersguide1987">{{cite magazine |last=Sutherland |first=Steve |date=5 September 1987 |title=His Master's Voice |magazine=[[Melody Maker]] |url=http://www.ultimatesistersguide.org/images/mag/His_Masters_Voice.jpg |type=JPEG |access-date=9 March 2013}}</ref> "The band was good and successful, each of us could continue. The split came at a time when it wouldn't do us any damage."<ref name="Hartmann">{{cite magazine |last=Hartmann |first=Markus |date=November 1990 |title=...And the Wind Blows Wild Again... |magazine=Zillo |page=12}}</ref>

===Editions===
The original vinyl album was released in March 1985 in the UK, the US and Europe. In July 1985 ''Warner-Pioneer Corporation'' in Japan released a version of the album that contained different mixes of some tracks ("Black Planet" features slightly different instrumentation and is 10 seconds longer, "No Time to Cry" features different opening and ending instrumentation and sound effects, "A Rock and a Hard Place" features additional guitar tracks and a slightly different drum track, while "First and Last and Always" features a totally different drum track as well as a totally different arrangement and has an intro which is 15 seconds longer; the remaining tracks are identical to the standard vinyl release).<ref name="heavyleatherblog"/> In March 1988 the album was released on CD for the first time, but it was the Japanese version that was used. In May 1992 a digitally remastered version of the CD was released, again using the Japanese version.

In October 2006 a remastered version of the original vinyl album was released for the first time on CD. This CD edition featured some bonus tracks such as an early demo version of "Some Kind of Stranger" with different lyrics, plus the b sides of the singles "''Walk Away''" ("Poison Door", "On the Wire" and "Long Train") and "''No Time to Cry''" ("Blood Money" and "Bury Me Deep"). On 24 July 2015, a 4-LP vinyl box set was released by Warner Music International that included the original version of the album with three EPs from the era, all with reproduced artwork in a slipcase. The set was also released digitally.