Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust

Infobox Album |
Name = Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust
Type = EP
Artist = This Mortal Coil


Cover size =
Caption =
Released = 1983
Recorded =
Genre = Dream pop
Length = 16:46
Label = 4AD
Producer = John Fryer, Ivo Watts-Russell
Compiled by =
Chronology =
Last album =
This album = "Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust"
(1983)
Next album = "It'll End in Tears"
(1984)
Misc =

"Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust" in an EP released by This Mortal Coil, a supergroup on the 4AD label, headed up by label founder and president Ivo Watts-Russell. It was released in 1983, after Ivo had tried to convince Modern English to record a medley of "Sixteen Days" and "Gathering Dust," two of the band's early songs that they closed out their live sets with. The band declined, but Ivo decided to assemble a group of musicians to record the medley. Members of Cocteau Twins, Xmal Deutschland and Modern English itself, along with vocalist Gordon Sharp of Cindytalk made up the band that recorded the title track of the EP.

Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins recorded the intended b-side, a cover of Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren." Ivo was pleased enough with the results that "Siren" was made the A-side of the 7" release.

Ivo has expressed displeasure with how the "Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust" medley turned out, and it has become somewhat of a rarity. A 4AD compilation EP, only available through the iTunes Music Store in 2006, has been the only re-release of the song since 1983.

Track listing

12" EP version

Side One

Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust (9:07)

Side Two

Song to the Siren (3:30)

Sixteen Days Reprise (4:10)

7" single version

Side One

Song to the Siren (3:30)

Side Two

Sixteen Days Reprise (4:10)