A Brief History Of The Mission Last Update: 11/2/97 Written by Bryan McPhail & Steve Hodgson.

1985 Wayne Hussey (Guitar) & Craig Adams (Bass) leave the Sisters Of Mercy due to differences with singer Andrew Eldritch. They form a new band with Simon Hinkler (Guitar) and Mick Brown (Drums). Hussey assumes vocals with the new group, "Simply because Craig didn't want to".

1986 Hussey & Adams call the new band The Sisterhood and play their first gig at the Alice In Wonderland club in London. They debut songs such as "Wasteland", "Serpent's Kiss" and "Severina".The Sisterhood undertake a European tour supporting The Cult taking with them many of The Sisters Of Mercy roadcrew. Simon is sacked for a brief period at the end of the tour but later reinstated. Originally intending to use the name The Sisterhood, this idea is scrapped after disagrements and legal threats with Sisters frontman Andrew Eldritch. The Sisterhood was the name of The Sisters Of Mercy's fanclub. The Sisterhood reveal their new name at the Electric Ballroom in London - The Mission. Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy of The Cult join the band on stage for the encores and Andrew Eldritch is 'rumoured' to be in the audience!

The Mission release two singles - "Serpent's Kiss" & "Garden Of Delight/Like A Hurricane". Both singles go straight in at #1 in the UK indie chart. In particular, "Serpent's Kiss" becomes the biggest selling indie single of the year. Although Hussey and Adams were still signed to Warner Brothers (the Sisters record label) they take a chance in releasing both singles on a small indie label without permission of Warners. Warners eventually release Hussey and Adams from their contracts.

In July The Mission sign to Phonogram Records. Their debut album "God's Own Medicine" is released. The Mission gain their first hit in the UK Top 40 when the first single from the album, "Stay With Me" reaches number 30. All About Eve singer Julianne Regan provides backing vocals on some of the album tracks, and the band repay the favour when Wayne produces the Eve's single "Our Summer" with Mick providing the drums. Wayne also finds time to record and release a single with Gutherie Handley called "Where Was?".

1987 The Mission tour the UK, Europe and America. Craig has a nervous breakdown in Los Angeles. The band's popularity in the UK becomes more evident as "Wasteland" enters the charts at number 11. Another single from the album - "Severina" also becomes a chart hit at number 25.The Mission headline the Reading Festival and start to record their second album, provisionally titled "Children On Heat In America"."The First Chapter", consisting of the early singles and B-sides, is released. A concert video called "Crusade" is also released .

1988 "Children" is released and the band tour the world. "Tower Of Strength" is released as a single and gives them an international hit, even grazing the bottom reaches of the US billboard chart.The band play an arena tour of the US supporting Robert Plant, although some of the American fans don't approve of the bands reworking of the Aerosmith track "Dream On", almost considering it sacrilege to play a cover version of it! In the UK the band sell out the London Astoria for a record-breaking seven consecutive nights. John-Paul Jones, ex. of Led Zeppelin and producer of "Children", joins the band on encores some nights."Beyond The Pale" is released as a single and "Kingdom Come" is proposed as the next single but later cancelled even though the band had shot a video for it.The Mission sweep the board in the music magazines' end-of-year polls.

1989 The band play the Hillsborough benefit concert and a number of festivals in Europe. They headline Reading again. Most of the year is taken up with recording in Surrey, with Tim Palmer, who produced God's Own Medicine, producing. Around 20 tracks are recorded, of which 10 are finally chosen to appear on the new album, "Carved In Sand". Towards the end of recording some fans are picked at random from the fan club and invited down to the studio to preview the new material. The Mission also play a small fan-club tour of the Scottish highlands. The band play a special concert at Wembley Arena.Orignally scheduled for release at the end of the year, Phonogram decide to hold back "Carved In Sand" so it does not conflict with the release of Tears For Fears' (another Phonogram act) new album. In the meantime "Butterfly On A Wheel" is released as the first single from the album.

1990 "Carved In Sand" is released and the band start a world tour, starting in the UK and moving on to Europe. "Deliverance" and "Into The Blue" are both released as singles from the album. In April Simon leaves the band at the start of the US tour. This causes intense emotional pressure and a return to reliance on drugs which nearly splits the band up. The Mission decide to carry on touring regardless of the loss. "Grains Of Sand" is released, an album of the songs that didn't quite make it onto "Carved In Sand", and a few different versions of album songs. "Hands Across The Ocean", produced by XTC member Andy Partridge, gives the band another chart hit.The Mission tour party play the New Zealand national football team, and win! Wayne scores a hat-trick.The Metal Gurus team up with Slade and release "Merry Christmas Everybody"!

1991 A quiet year for the band. Wayne gets married to Kelly, whom he met on the 1990 US tour. He also passes his driving test! The Mission move to Vertigo records, and start to record "Masque" in Wayne's new house (a converted barn in Herefordshire). They headline Finsbury Park in June and preview some new material, Simon joins the band for the last few songs. 1992 "Masque" is released. The album is a significant change in style for the band, originally planned as a solo album by Hussey, it features more electronics and some dance influences. Many of the tracks don't even feature live drums or bass. Sadly many previous fans didn't like the new work and although some critics approved of the the style, the band probably lost more fans than they gained. The dance influences become more apparent as each single from the album featured various dance remixes, featuring amongst others The Utah Saints. The band do not tour.In September Wayne takes the drastic step of sacking Craig Adams. The band (now just Wayne & Mick) advertise for a new bassist and second guitarist. In the meantime Wayne & Mick demo ideas for a new album, provisionally entitled "With A Bullet". The paths of The Mission and The Cult cross again when Craig joins The Cult as their new bass player.

1993 Rik Carter, Mark Gemini Thwaite and Andy Cousin join the band. On 21st August the band play at the Off The Streets Benefit concert at Leeds Town and Country club - also on the bill are Cud and The Utah Saints. Andrew Eldritch joins The Utah Saints for two songs - "Gimme Shelter" (by The Rolling Stones) and "New Gold Dream" (by Simple Minds) - then he goes off, much to the disappointment of the large section of the crowd wearing Sister's T-shirts. Although a rumoured onstage reunion between Hussey & Eldritch fails to happen, apparently the two meet backstage and reconcile past 'differences' ;) Steve's mate catches a Mick Brown drumstick. The Mission start work on their next album, now called "Dog Lover". Tracks recorded include "Daddy's Going To Heaven Now", "Raising Cain", "Valentine", "Gung Ho", "Cold As Ice", "Rush", "Neverland" & "Cry Like A Baby". A new version of "Tower Of Strength", remixed by Killing Joke bassist Youth, is released as a single. The band remix a new version of "Wasteland" for the B-side, featuring a re-recorded vocal.

1994 "Sum and Substance", a hits compilation, is released. It features all of The Mission's singles and two new tracks "Afterglow" & "Sourpuss". "Valentine" and "Cold As Ice" are released as B-Sides to "Afterglow". The band tour the UK, on the "Recce '94" tour. Around this time relations between the band and Phonogram become strained; it's not quite clear whether The Mission left Phonogram at this point or if Phonogram dropped The Mission as "Afterglow" failed to chart and "Sum and Substance" sold poorly, despite getting (mostly!) good reviews. The Mission decide to set up their own independent label and get back on their feet. The new label is called Neverland. "We'd had enough corporate dickin' around", says Wayne.The new album is also called "Neverland" is scheduled for release towards the end of the year, it includes some of the tracks originally recorded back in 1993 including a remixed "Afterglow". In October the "Mission 1 EP" is released, featuring "Raising Cain", "Sway" and "Neverland". A tour is also announced. However it soon becomes clear that the album will be not be finished in time - the tour dates are re-arranged for spring 1995.

1995 "Neverland" is finally released. "Swoon" is a released as a single, and "Lose Myself In You" is released in some European countries (although mysteriously not in the UK). The band undertake a successful tour of Europe with some tracks appearing on the "Live EP" release. Wayne and Mark also play a special unplugged gig at a small club in South Africa.

1996 The band record what becomes their final album - "Blue", produced by Wayne Hussey himself, it is recorded in eight weeks - a reaction to the fact that "Neverland" took a year to record. Blue is released on the 3rd June and "Coming Home" is released in Europe as a single. Soon after the release of the album it is announced that the band are to split up. The band play farewell shows in England and Germany and play their last gig on October 26th (my birthday!!!)at a massive festival in South Africa set up by radio station Radio 5. Wayne joins The Cure for their encore at a show at Los Angeles Forum, August 11, 1996 playing "A Forest". Wayne later announces he is moving to America with his wife to concentrate on production, Andy Cousins and Mark Gemini-Thwaite join Julianne Regan's band, "Mice" and finally, a rumour surfaces that Mick Brown is to become a truck driver for "Oasis"..... more biography fom Official site in links