Mother Records, Son Records and Kitchen Recordings: U2’s Labels

Original Story by Aaron J. Sams / Don Morgan (2017-01-29)

Originally Published: January 29, 2017 Last Updated: January 29, 2019.

Back when U2 was recording and working on The Joshua Tree they were also working on another project, Mother Records. Mother Records was a record label founded by U2 in the early 1980s. A side label was also started during this time, Son Records. And a third label, called Kitchen Recordings, was started by U2 in 1998 to highlight dance music.

Mother Records ceased operations in 2000. Although no longer active, the three labels released a wealth of material, some of which may be of interest to fans of U2. In reality, though, only one release directly related to U2 emerged from these labels: the Mother Records single, across multiple formats, of Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen’s “Theme from Mission: Impossible” in 1996 (the single was released to promote the full-length Mission: Impossible soundtrack compilation, also on Mother Records). This article will look at all three labels and then focus in more detail on the early releases on Mother Records. At the end you will find our best attempt at putting together a full discography of the three labels.

Mother Records

Mother Records was first registered as “Mother Records Limited” on October 19, 1983. The label itself did not launch until August 1, 1984 however, spending just under a year getting up and running. The label was conceived by the members of U2, initially as a philanthropic enterprise. The original idea was to help young, local, Irish bands get a single together without a large input of cost to the fledgling act. A number of bands released an initial single on Mother and then used it to secure a contract with another record company. Because it was set up for this purpose, Mother did not issue anything but singles up until 1989. The label was originally headquartered at the Sir John Rogerson’s Quay complex, which also housed the U2 management offices (Principle Management) and Record Services (an Irish-owned distribution company). This address is also where the Irish arm of MCA Records was established.

Adam Clayton appearing on the Dave Fanning show in late 1984 spoke about the formation of Mother Records:

Well we’re not a record company, so its something we really can’t devote 100% of our time or energy to. But on times we are home, and we come across things that we think really think ought to be given a chance, and have all the right ingredients if you like, we will help. Its not a question of anything more than help. The philosophy in many ways is to actually pay for a reasonable single in terms of budget. I don’t think there’s any advantage in us giving anything more to a band because they’re not really ready for it in many ways. So we’ll pay for them to do a single and if we can help in terms of bringing in a proper producer we will do that and we’ll guarantee to put it out. That’s really all it is. It’s a very modest label. And it really is something that is up to the band then to do what they can with it, in terms of getting it to the press, getting it on to the radio, and using it as a demo almost, the idea is that its a superior demo than just a tape arriving on an A&R mans desk in London and him going ‘Well who are these guys? I don’t really know anything about them.’

After launching with this initial focus on singles for Irish artists, Mother later expanded to full album releases for both Irish and international acts. The label ceased operations in 2000, but the company itself was not dissolved as an entity until October 14, 2011. The sub-label Son Records was dissolved earlier, on January 8, 1999.

In official documents, the first director of Mother Records was listed as Osmond James Kilkenny. Kilkenny was U2’s accountant for a number of years but later parted ways with the band under difficult circumstances. When asked by the family of Susan Boyle about U2’s time with Kilkenny, Paul McGuinness replied in writing, “My late mother used to advise me that if I had nothing good to say about someone, to say nothing. I always take her advice in respect of Mr Kilkenny. I have nothing to say about him. I hope your sister has her own lawyer.” McGuinness and Kilkenny were partners in a number of business ventures including Ardmore Studios, TV3, and a post-production firm in London called The Mill. Kilkenny and U2 parted ways in mid-1998. Son Records was dissolved shortly thereafter, and Mother Records began to significantly slow its output as well, although it would officially continue to exist for another two years.

Another difficult and well-publicized parting occurred when U2 chose to fire Fachtna O’Ceallaigh from Mother Records in 1988. At the time, he was acting as manager for the label. Officially the band cited “incompatible temperaments” for the reason for the firing. O’Ceallaigh told Select Magazine that he was fired for describing U2’s role in Mother as “precious and meddling.” O’Ceallaigh, according to Rolling Stone, “once told a reporter, ‘I literally despise the music that U2 make.’” O’Ceallaigh would go on to manage Sinéad O’Connor, and it has been claimed that he pushed Sinéad O’Connor to make several disparaging comments about the band, which would keep Mother Records in the press for all the wrong reasons. O’Ceallaigh’s take on Bono for Select Magazine? “Musically he is the lard-arsed, pompous godfather of constipated white rock. I would recommend a strong laxative and early retirement.”

For many years, Mother Records was run day-to-day by Dave Pennefeather as General Manager in conjunction with MCA Records. Pennefeather is quoted as saying, “Mother signed acts for that ‘leg up’ start that so many acts needed and was non-profit, a hugely generous gesture by U2 and their team.”

In Billboard Magazine (June 13, 1992) Pennefeather further discussed Mother Records: “It really started out as a philanthropic venture but now we’re working on artist development, with albums from the Golden Horde, Engine Valley, and a new signing, Bumble. They’re doing something we haven’t done in Ireland before — very dance-based, but with a great Irish input. I think people may see their expectations realized sooner rather than later.” Already he was starting to look forward at other options which would lead to the formation of Son Records.

Image: Mother Records Logos

Mother Records from the start used a stylized “M” logo for the label, but this almost wasn’t the case. Paul Byrne of In Tua Nua spoke about the original logo idea: “It was Bono who instigated the Mother Records deal. He told Steve [Wickham] he was setting up a label. We called a meeting in a little cottage by the sea near Howth where we rehearsed. He said he wanted to call the label Mother and to use a little old granny in a wheelchair as a logo, just like in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. It was very wacky.” Instead of the granny in a wheelchair, the “M” was selected as the official logo. It was designed by Steve Averill, who worked on many of the covers throughout the Mother Records catalog. The “woven” look is reminiscent of Celtic designs found in the Book of Kells and other Irish manuscripts. In 1997 the “M” was retired and a new logo, an image of a child in the womb, was revealed.

Ironically, most music fans are familiar with Mother Records not as a result of U2 or one of the label’s up-and-coming Irish artists, but through Icelandic superstar Bjork. In the late 1990s Mother Records began distributing Bjork’s singles and albums (as well as those of her previous band, The Sugarcubes), in several European and Asian territories. These releases (including The Sugarcubes’ Life’s Too Good, Here Today, Tomorrow, Next Week!, Stick Around for Joy and the compilations It’s-It and The Great Crossover Potential, along with Bjork’s Debut, Post, Telegram, and Homogenic albums and related singles) all carried the Mother Records logo in many countries. Reissues of these titles continue to carry the logo to this day, even though Mother Records ceased operations years ago.

In addition to Adam and Larry’s “Theme from Mission: Impossible,” another interesting link between U2 and Mother is U2’s “Last Night on Earth” single, which included a reference to the record label. The credits for the U2 cover of M’s “Pop Muzik” include this note: “‘Pop Muzik’ issued under license by Mother Records Ltd., courtesy of Music Collection International and Robin Scott.” At the time, a full single release of “Pop Muzik” had been planned, and contemporary DJs were commissioned to remix the song, including Steve Osbourne, Junior Vasquez, and the Dub Pistols. It was Osbourne’s remix that U2 would famously use for the entrance to the stage during the PopMart Tour, and that was included as a b-side on “Last Night on Earth.” While the full single release of “Pop Muzik” never happened, the Osbourne, Vasquez, and Dub Pistols mixes were eventually included on a 2009 digital album through Union Square Music called “Pop Muzik: The Remix Album,” containing remixes of the song from a variety of artists and eras.

A number of artists attempted to get on the Mother Records label but, for a variety of reasons, did not make the cut. Aslan was one of these acts. The Irish Times describes their experience shopping around their demo for “This Is”: “In the mid-1980s, at a meeting in the Docker’s Pub – close to U2’s offices on Dublin’s quays – band members Christy Dignam and Joe Jewell met up with Bono, only to be told by the U2 singer that he didn’t think the song was good enough. Bono offered Aslan the loan of a four-track recording machine to help them with their songwriting, but the band declined.” The demo ended up being a hit in Ireland for Aslan in 1986, and again in 1988 after they finally signed with EMI. Ironically, U2 would perform their own version of “This Is” as part of a charity concert for Christy Dignam (who was suffering from cancer) in 2013.

Another band that almost landed on the Mother label was Blue in Heaven, who discussed the recording of some demo tapes with Bono and The Edge, “Another thing about it all was just how much in control they were. There was always a feeling of ‘drive’ about them. We were really impressed that they took time out from such a heavy schedule to spend it with us. We were just before the Mother thing started, which was kind of a pity, but the demo helped us get signed in London.”

Mother Records was a different entity than “Mother Music Limited.” That company was registered on June 27, 1983, a few months prior to Mother Records being formed. Mother Music Limited handles the publishing of U2’s lyrics in Ireland, and is still in operation today.

In an interview with The Financial Times in 2001, Paul McGuinness spoke about the end of Mother Records, “Ultimately, Mother Records didn’t succeed, although we came close a couple of times with a group called The Longpigs. Quite frankly, I prefer being in the management business to the record business. Ultimately I prefer what I’m doing now. I’m very happy being known as U2’s manager.”

Son Records

Seeing the opportunity to expand record label oversight from a purely philanthropic endeavor to an actual profit-making enterprise, U2 launched Son Records as well. Son Records was first registered on January 29, 1993 as “Son Records Limited.” While Mother would continue to offer assistance to fledgling bands, Son was envisioned as a more traditional label focused on turning a profit. Dave Pennefeather worked as general manager for both Mother Records and Son Records over the years. He was also responsible for signing acts to Son Records. Later, he would go on to become the managing director for Universal Ireland. He talked about his involvement with the label in an interview: “Son, I started as a companion label to Mother. It’s purpose was to sign acts that didn’t fit the Mother bill, and was a commercial venture. Among its releases were two of the biggest-ever Irish singles, ‘Riverdance’ and ‘Put em Under Pressure.’ Son also signed the fabulous Christie Hennnesy and launched his career with the enormously successful ‘The Rehearsal’ album.”

One of those successful Son Records releases to which Pennefeather referred, “Put ‘em Under Pressure,” was a project spearheaded by none other than Larry Mullen. He helped write and produce the track. The project was put together by Larry with Maire Brennan of Clannad and the Republic of Ireland football team. The single entered the Irish charts on May 31, 1990 and would go on to spend an amazing 13 weeks at the Number 1 position (and 27 weeks in total on the charts).

Image: Son Records Logo

The other big single was the theme from “Riverdance,” a composition by Bill Whelan. It was used as interval music for RTE Television’s 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. The song was released as a single for charity, with proceeds going to aid famine relief in Rwanda. The single sold over 250,000 units. The song was heavily promoted and was used in both the Royal Variety Show in the UK and as the theme for the Ireland-England Rugby match. Eventually a full soundtrack album for the “Riverdance” show was recorded and released through the Celtic Heartbeat label, a venture of U2’s manager Paul McGuinness.

Son was also home to a number of singles by other acts, including odd cover versions of “The Fly,” “Where the Streets Have No Name,” and “Bad” by an act called The Joshua Trio. The Son label also released a small number of full-length LPs.

Son Records was dissolved commercially in January of 1999. But only six months prior to that, U2 was involved in starting their third label, Kitchen Recordings.

Kitchen Recordings

News of Kitchen Recordings was first published in early 1998, and Principle Management confirmed at the time that it would be an underground dance label. It was registered as “Kitchen Recordings Limited” on June 30, 1998. The label was named for the club that U2 owned and operated within the Clarence Hotel building, The Kitchen. Fittingly, a launch party for the label was held at the Clarence Hotel. Bono was directly involved with the label, sharing A&R duties with longtime friend Reggie “The Dog” Manuel. Manuel was charged with running the day-to-day operations of the label. The first directors of the company were listed as Paul David (Bono) Hewson, David Howell (The Edge) Evans, and John (Reggie) Manuel.

The Edge spoke about his own involvement with the label at the launch party: “Myself and Bono are hoping that the club is gonna keep us tuned into what’s happening in our dotage. We won’t have to worry about keeping our finger on the pulse. So rather than us feeling that we’re going to change the world of dance music, we’re happy just to let Reg do it. We’re gonna listen to tapes and be involved, but really it’s his baby.”

Manuel was also interviewed about his involvement with Kitchen Recordings:

“It started at school. I was in the same class as Bono and Edge and at that time I used to help them with their choice of listening fodder. They weren’t across some of the stuff I had so I used to lend them records, many of which I used to get from my older brother. I think they valued that contribution back then and now they’re helping me into the music scene in the ’90s. They’re kind of repaying a favour because I helped them.

“It might surprise you but in that 20-year period since school and now I’ve been an optician. The bizarre thing is I developed a kind of fixation. I was convinced that I would contract glaucoma from one of my customers so I decided to pack it in. I told Bono and it just so happened that he was putting this together. Until the ’90s I was a fan of music but over the last few years it’s become a real passion because of the advent of dance music. So right now I have to say I’m on a learning curve. The enthusiasm is simple but learning to take artistes like Rob [Rowland] out to the world is the hard part. I’m confident though that as long as Bono, Edge and myself are careful about who we work with, we should be able to make stars out of them.”

Early rumours about the label suggested that it would specialize in vinyl for DJs, with DJ Francois Pittion headlining the first release. At the time Pittion frequently appeared at The Kitchen. In the end, though, the first release instead featured Rob Rowland on a 12-Inch single titled “Ground Force.” Rowland was a Dublin producer specializing in minimalist techno. Two additional singles were released, “Greenback” by Basic, and “Romulus” by Koneveljet. Basic was a Belfast duo while Koneveljet was an ambient group from Finland. The three singles were given catalog numbers running from KITCHEN 001 to KITCHEN 003, and represent the label’s only output. Kitchen Recordings was registered as a company on June 30, 1998, and while the three singles were released in 1998-99, the label was not dissolved until March 5, 2004.

Rowland spoke about the label around the time of the launch: “I look at it from a business point of view. I’ve been recording with D.1. and I’ve enjoyed some success but the time is right to get on a bigger platform. With half of U2 behind you, it puts things into a bigger perspective and puts me in a position to get records out to more people. I want to be able to keep on recording for various labels and in the true spirit of techno the boys took it upon themselves to write out a contract that allows that.”

Image: Kitchen Recordings Logo

Mother/Son Records: The First Twelve

U2’s greatest involvement with the label came during its first two years of operation. Often, members of U2 would be involved in finding acts, signing them, and in some cases even producing them. The first twelve singles issued through Mother Records from 1984-1988 saw (in most cases) each record being released in a custom Mother Records sleeve, with artwork designed by Steve Averill. Each record was assigned a unique catalog number, starting with “Mother 001” but then switching to “MUM 002” and using MUM for all releases going forward. Releases 1-95 used the stylized “M” logo for the label. Releases from MUM 95 onwards (1998) featured the updated “baby” logo. Not every catalog number was used—frequently numbers were skipped in the series, typically for releases that incorporated a different catalog numbering system.

In Tua Nua “Coming Thru” (1984)

Image: Covers, In Tua Nua “Coming Thru” (Courtesty of bigtom, 45cat.com)

In Tua Nua were a Dublin-based act that combined rock, folk and traditional sounds. They had the honor of being the first band to release music on the Mother Records label. The band’s earliest sessions, prior to signing with Mother, included piper Vinnie Kilduff, who would later play on U2’s October album, and Steve Wickham, who would play on War. The first song they demoed featured a young female vocalist named Sinéad O’Connor. By the time of their session with Mother Records, Sinéad had been replaced by Leslie Dowdall on vocals.

There were some differences in this first single that showed the label was still figuring out its path. First, the catalog number was “Mother 001,” where all later releases would use “MUM” instead of “Mother.” The single was also released solely on 7-Inch vinyl, whereas later releases were issued as both 7-Inch and 12-Inch recordings for their initial run. The 7-Inch included two tracks, “Coming Thru” and “Laughing at the Moon.” In Tua Nua would get a further boost from U2 when they opened six concerts for them, including the 1985 show at Croke Park in Ireland, and five shows in Europe on The Joshua Tree Tour.

After releasing “Coming Thru” on Mother, the band moved to Island Records, where they released one album, Somebody to Love that would contain a new version of the song. This new version of “Coming Thru” also featured on the b-side for “Take My Hand,” their first single for Island. Wickham left the band to join the Waterboys around the same time that In Tua Nua was dropped from Island. In 1987, a different lineup signed with Virgin Records, where they would release a number of additional singles and two albums. The band still gets together from time to time, and they reformed in 2004 to play a number of shows. In 2007 a self-released album was issued in Ireland.

Audio: In Tua Nua – “Coming Thru” (YouTube.com)

Cactus World News “The Bridge” (November, 1985)

Image: Covers, Cactus World News “The Bridge” (U2Songs.com Collection)

Cactus World News was an Irish rock band that formed in Dublin in 1984. The band was started by Frank Kearns, a longtime friend of U2, along with Eoin McEvoy. They were joined by Wayne Sheehy and Fergal MacAndris. Their single “The Bridge“ was the second release on Mother Records. The songs were produced by Bono himself.

Wayne Sheehy, the band’s drummer, talked about the recording sessions for this demo with Select Magazine:

We were in Windmill Lane II (St. Stephen’s Green) and Bono had just got this really old green Humber. He was producing The Bridge EP for us, and every time we got a mix done we all piled in the car and drove round and around the Green listening to a cassette. At one stage the police followed us, but we waved and they must have recognized him.

On one of the tracks, we were just sort of jamming — it was ‘Frontiers’ — and Bono got into Hiawatha mode and stripped down to his keks and wrapped himself in loo paper. He stood at the desk and finished the mix that way.

The single was released on 7-Inch vinyl in Ireland and Italy, and a 12-Inch EP release, the first for Mother, was also released in Ireland. The Italian 7-Inch had the more familiar Island Records iconography on the vinyl label itself rather than the unique Mother Records artwork. The 7-Inch included two songs, “The Bridge” (03:51), and “The Other Extreme” (04:13). The 12-Inch release included these two songs and also included a third song, “Frontiers” (04:54). An error on the 7-Inch label for Ireland listed both “The Other Extreme” and “Frontiers” on the B-Side, but only the former was actually included. The tracks were recorded at Windmill Lane Studios (the second studio, just off of St. Stephen’s Green) and were produced and mixed by Bono with Jon Kelly.

After “The Bridge,” Cactus World News moved to MCA Records for later releases, including the album Urban Beaches. That album included re-recorded versions of all three songs that had appeared on “The Bridge.” A second album through MCA was shelved, and the band was released from their recording contract and eventually disbanded. The members did come back together for some live shows in 2011. A 2001 re-release of Urban Beaches through Red Coral Records included the original Mother Records version of the EP as bonus tracks. It was the first time that these songs were released on CD.

As Bono was involved in producing this single, “The Bridge” has a discography entry here at U2Songs.Com.

Audio: Cactus World News – “The Bridge” (YouTube.com)

Tuesday Blue “Tunnel Vision” (1986)

Image: Covers, Tuesday Blue “Tunnel Vision” (U2Songs.com Collection)

Tuesday Blue was a rock band from Limerick, Ireland, active in the 1980s. The membership of the band changed over the years, alternating between a four-piece and five-piece lineup. They recorded just one single for Mother Records, “Tunnel Vision.” It was released on 7-Inch and 12-Inch formats. The 7-Inch contained the songs “Tunnel Vision” (3:40) and “Tell The Boys” (5:26), while the 12-Inch added a third song “Don’t Go Away” (8:08) as well as a longer version of “Tunnel Vision” at 4:50 in length.

After “Tunnel Vision,” Tuesday Blue recorded the album Shibumi for EMI-Manhattan in 1988. The album featured new versions of “Tunnel Vision” and “Tell the Boys.” The band also released a couple additional singles through EMI-Manhattan. The band were released from their contract but did produce one further album, Waiting for the Magic, which was self-released in 2002.

The single on Mother Records was promoted through the “Tunnel Vision Tour,” as well as a music video:

Video: Tuesday Blue – “Tunnel Vision” (YouTube.com)

Operating Theatre “Queen of No Heart” / “Spring is Coming with a Strawberry in the Mouth” (1986)

Image: Covers, Operating Theatre “Queen of No Heart” (U2Songs.com Collection)

Operating Theatre, a musical theatre company formed by Roger Doyle and actor/dancer Olwen Fouere in 1980, was the fourth act to have a release on Mother Records. Unlike the acts that preceded them, Operating Theatre had recorded and released singles prior to their Mother debut, including releases on United Dairies, Kabuki Records, and CBS Records Ireland. Doyle is now an adjunct professor of Music at Trinity College in Dublin. He is perhaps best known for the music he wrote for the musical version of Oscar Wilde’s play Salome.

Operating Theatre recorded five songs for Mother, all of which were produced by the group with Bono as executive producer. It was later revealed that he played guitar on the song “Queen of No Heart” as well. The 7-Inch single was titled “Queen of No Heart” and contained two songs, “Queen of No Heart” (04:24) and “Spring is Coming With a Strawberry in the Mouth” (03:51). The 12-Inch single was an EP titled “Spring Is Coming…” It featured five tracks, including longer versions of “Queen of No Heart” and “Spring is Coming With a Strawberry in the Mouth” as well as additional tracks “Part of My Make-Up,” “Atlantean,” and “Satanasa.” Bono was not listed as a performer on any of the tracks on either release, only as executive producer.

In 2006 the Dublin Electronic Arts Festival put together a compilation of recorded work by Operating Theatre that included the songs “Queen of No Heart” (03:51), “Spring is Coming With a Strawberry in the Mouth” (04:22), “Satanasa” (03:54), and “Part of My Make-Up” (03:30). The same compilation was released again in 2007 on Incunabulum Records. It was the 2007 release that credited Bono with guitar on “Queen of No Heart.”

As Bono was an executive producer and performer on this single, “Queen of No Heart” has a discography entry on U2Songs.Com.

Audio: Operating Theatre – “Queen of No Heart” (YouTube.com)

The Painted Word “Independence Day” (1986)

Image: Covers, The Painted Word “Independence Day” (U2Songs.com Collection)

The Painted Word was the alias of musician Alan McCusker Thompson, who recorded under that name from 1986 through 1995. A number of additional musicians collaborated with Thompson under the Painted Word moniker during that time. The band was based out of Scotland, and so was the first act outside of Ireland signed to Mother Records. It only produced one single for Mother.

“Independence Day” was released on two formats in June 1986. The 7-Inch featured “Independence Day” and “Letter from Jackie.” The 12-Inch added an additional track, “State of Mind.” All tracks were produced by Bobby Patterson and recorded at Park Lane Studios in Glasgow.

After the initial single with Mother, The Painted Word struggled to find another label, finally landing with RCA in 1989. There they released an album Lovelife and a number of singles. None of the songs from the Mother Records release were included on that album. A follow up album was released in 1995 on EMI called Universal.

Audio: The Painted Word – “Independence Day” (YouTube.com)

The Subterraneans “Slum” (February 1987)

Image: Covers, The Subterraneans “Slum” (U2Songs.com Collection)

The Subterraneans formed in 1982 in Artane, Dublin, and were named the Carling/Hot Press Band of 1986. Initially they were scheduled to release their first single with WEA Records in 1986, but that deal fell through, leading the band to Mother instead. Their debut single “Slum,” produced by Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur), was released in February 1987. The single featured “Slum” on the a-side and “Maxi Joy” on the b-side. The 12-Inch format added a third song, “Heading for the Light.”

The band did have some success as a support act, touring with other groups around Ireland. They opened for U2 at one concert, the August 8, 1987 show at Cork City.

Subterraneans was the first act on Mother Records to return for a second single, when the b-side “Maxi Joy” was remixed for release as a single a-side. They would also record and release two singles in 1991, “Gameshow” (MUM 29) and “Happy Under Pressure.” Very little is known about this final single. If you have any information please get in touch! The band never released a full album, but have spoken about having “three albums’ worth of stuff” stashed away.

The band thanked Larry Mullen on the sleeve of “Slum,” as well as Anne-Louise Kelly of Principle Management.

Audio: The Subterraneans – “Slum” (YouTube.com)

Hothouse Flowers “Love Don’t Work This Way” (1987)

Image: Covers, Hothouse Flowers “Love Don’t Work This Way” (U2Songs.com Collection)

Formed in 1985, Hothouse Flowers went on to become one of Mother Records’ biggest success stories. The band members met as children in Booterstown, Dublin, and later started performing together as street musicians. Others joined the lineup and the group became known as Hothouse Flowers. Bono saw the band performing on television and offered his support, leading to their first single “Love Don’t Work This Way” on Mother Records in 1987. The 7-inch format included “Love Don’t Work This Way” (3:43) on the a-side and “Freedom” (4:28) on the b-side. The 12-inch format replaced the single version of “Love Don’t Work This Way” with an extended version (6:45) and added a third track, “See-Line Woman [Live] (7:14). The songs were produced by none other than Flood, who also worked with U2 for the first time that year on The Joshua Tree. Hothouse Flowers opened for U2 on June 28, 1987 at Croke Park. After that first single, the band signed to London Records and released their debut album, People, in May 1988, to international acclaim. Their second album, 1990’s Home, included collaborations with a number of names familiar to fans of U2, including Daniel Lanois, Paul Barrett, and Steve Wickham. The band continues to work together, although it has gone through a number of personnel changes over the years, including Wayne Sheehy from Cactus World News on drums for a period.

Video: Hothouse Flowers – “Love Don’t Work This Way” (YouTube.com)

The Subterraneans “Maxi-Joy” (Remix) (1987)

Image: Covers, The Subterraneans “Maxi-Joy (Remix)” (U2Songs.com Collection)

As mentioned previously, “Maxi Joy” was the first single released by Mother Records from a repeat artist. The Subterraneans had also been featured on the sixth single, “Slum.” This single features the same two songs as the “Slum” 7-inch but switches the formula, moving “Slum” to the b-side and putting a new remix of “Maxi Joy” on the a-side. As with the earlier “Slum” 12-inch, the “Maxi Joy” 12-inch added “Heading for the Light” as a third track. Why repeat these songs over two releases? The band was set to perform at Irish Week at the Mean Fiddler on November 7, 1987. This second release was an attempt by Mother Records to draw interest in this performance.

Like the earlier single, Larry is thanked on sleeve as is Anne-Louise Kelly from Principle Management.

Subterraneans also released “Gameshow” in 1991 (MUM 29). A fourth single “Happy Under Pressure” was released that same year. The band never released a full album. Subterraneans are often confused with a UK act using the same name.

Audio: The Subterraneans – “Gameshow” (YouTube.com)

Pulse “Whole Lotta Love” (1988)

Image: Covers, Pulse “Whole Lotta Love” (U2Songs.com Collection)

This was the first single on the Son Records label. However, a space was skipped in the Mother Records catalog system when this was released, making it the 9th release on that label, with a catalog number BUA 88 1 on the 7-inch. Son Records catalog numbers contained the year in the release (this was released in 1988, thus the 88) and then the number of the release of that year (this was the first single in 1988 thus 88 1).

The song itself was a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” recorded under the group name Pulse, which was a one-off project by Rusty Egan, a British musician, producer, and DJ. Egan was formerly the drummer for the band Rich Kids, a British new wave group. Rich Kids was formed by former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock, and fronted by Midge Ure (most notable for his work with Ultravox and for producing and writing “Do They Know it’s Christmas?”). Egan was also a member of The Skids (but not during the period when the band recorded “The Saints Are Coming”). Egan in 2018 would remix two of U2’s singles for release including “Summer of Love” and “Love is Bigger Than Anything in its Way” and continues to be an influential DJ.

This song was recorded at Sarm Studios in England, the studio originally established by Chris Blackwell and used for a number of Island Records acts. It is also well known as the studio where “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was recorded. The single included “Whole Lotta Love” on the a-side and a song called “Ultra-V” on the b-side. The 7-Inch (BUA 88 1) and the 12-Inch (12 BUA 88 1) both contained the same two tracks.

The Black Velvet Band “Old Man Stone” (1988)

Image: Covers, The Black Velvet Band “Old Man Stone” (U2Songs.com Collection)

Image: Covers, The Black Velvet Band “Old Man Stone” Alternate Release (U2Songs.com Collection)

“Old Man Stone” was the 10th single released on Mother/Son Records, by a group known as The Black Velvet Band. The act was formed by singers Kieren Kennedy and Maria Doyle. Doyle had previously recorded with Hothouse Flowers for their Mother Records single “Love Don’t Work This Way,” so “Old Man Stone” was technically the second release on Mother to feature Doyle. The Black Velvet Band band mixed rock, folk, and traditional music in a style similar to that of Hothouse Flowers.

The main 7-inch of “Old Man Stone” featured two tracks, “Old Man Stone” and “And I’ll Come Back (To the Same Ground Again).” The 12-inch added a third song, “As You Go Down.” In a strange move, there were two 7-Inch singles released with the same catalog number, both listed as “MUM 10” but each containing a different B-Side. The alternate 7-inch included “As You Go Down” as the B-Side and had a purple cover instead.

This single did use the distinctive Mother Records cover design, but due to the cost of cutting out the centre of the sleeve as on previous releases, this release featured the Mother logo without the die-cut. “Old Man Stone” would be the final single released on Mother Records with the distinctive logo cover design.

The Black Velvet Band released a number of singles on Mother Records: “Old Man Stone” (MUM 10), “When Justice Came” (MUM 15), “As You Go Down” (MUM 18), “Let it Flow” (MUM 21), and “Werewolves of London” (MUM 26). The band also released a full album, When Justice Came (MUML895), on Mother. The band did not part on friendly terms with the label, though, and moved to WEA/Elektra Records in 1991.

Guy Clark “(All Through Throwin’) Good Love After Bad” (1989)

Image: Covers, Guy Clark “(All Through Throwin’) Good Love After Bad” (U2Songs.com Collection)

“(All Through Throwin’) Good Love After Bad” was the first Mother Records single to be released with unique cover art rather than the Mother Records logo sleeve. Guy Clark was himself a departure from the typical label roster up to that point. Born in Texas in 1941, Clark was the first American on the list. He already had a well-established career, having released albums on RCA Victor in 1975 and 1976 and on Warner Brothers in 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1983. His album Old Friends was released worldwide on a number of labels, including Sugar Hill in the US, Stony Plain in Canada, Sawdust Records in Germany, and Mother Records in the UK. It is from this album that this single was taken. Old Friends featured Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell, and Emmylou Harris on backing vocals and Vince Gill on guitar. It was Clark’s only album on Mother Records. His follow-up album was released on Asylum Records in 1992.

The 7-inch single contained two tracks, “(All Through Throwin’) Good Love After Bad” and “Old Friends.” Unlike other releases on Mother up to that point, the second format was not 12-inch vinyl but rather a CD single, the first on the label. The CD added a third track, “Watermelon Dream.” All three songs were also included on the album.

Clark continued to record and perform for many years. He won the 2005 Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting, and his album My Favorite Picture of You won the 2014 Grammy for Best Folk Album. He released more than 20 albums in total, and his songs have been covered by many artists including Jimmy Buffett and Lyle Lovett. Clark died in May 2016 in Nashville, TN.

Based on the time when Guy Clark was releasing material on Mother Records, it’s possible that he came to U2’s attention while they were on the road in the USA working with artists such as “Cowboy” Jack Clement.

The Word “Kiss the Ground” (1989)

Image: Covers, The Word “Kiss the Ground” (U2Songs.com Collection)
The Word was a rock band from Ireland, and 1989’s “Kiss the Ground” was the first of several singles they released on Mother. They also released “Love’s Strange Ways” (MUM 19) in 1989, “Victoria” (MUM 23) in 1990, and the “Move Along” EP (MUM 36) in 1992. The band never released any material outside of these singles on Mother Records.

“Kiss the Ground” was released on 7-inch in the UK with the songs “Kiss the Ground” on the a-side and “Kangaroo” on the b-side. A 12-inch single was also issued, adding a third song, “As the Clock Goes.” The single was also released in Australia by Island Records, in both 7-inch and cassette formats.

Of particular note, this 7-inch brought back the Mother Records logo on the bottom of the sleeve, after the previous release by Guy Clark had removed it completely. This smaller Mother Records logo on the front sleeve would appear on the next three Mother Records single releases (MUM 13-15), but would disappear completely beginning with MUM 16, The Golden Horde’s “100 Boys.” The 12-inch sleeve for “Kiss the Ground” featured an image of the band with the Mother logo above it, and brought back the die-cut center to show the label of the vinyl inside.

After these first twelve singles, Mother Records increasingly began operating more like a traditional record label, releasing both singles and full albums from a wide range of artists. In the Appendices below, we have made an attempt to track all of the known releases from the Mother Records discography for those who wish to investigate the label further.

Appendix 1: Mother Records Discography:

Singles, EPs and Promotional:

MOTHER 001 – In Tua Nua “Coming Through (1984) [7-Inch]
MUM 2 – Cactus World News “The Bridge” (Nov. 1985) [7-Inch, 12-Inch]
MUM 3 – Tuesday Blue “Tunnel Vision” (1986) [7-Inch, 12-Inch]
MUM 4 – Operating Theatre “Queen of No Heart” / “Spring is Coming” (1986) [7-Inch, 12-Inch]
MUM 5 – The Painted Word “Independence Day” (Jun. 1986) [7-Inch, 12-Inch]
MUM 6 – The Subterraneans “Slum” (Feb. 1987) [7-Inch, 12-Inch]
MUM 7 – Hothouse Flowers “Love Don’t Work This Way” (May 1987) [7-Inch, 7-Inch Promo, 12-Inch]
MUM 8 – The Subterraneans “Maxi-Joy (Remix)” (1987) [7-Inch, 12-Inch]
MUM 9 – Not issued. Place Holder for Pulse “Whole Lotta Love” on Son label (Jun. 23, 1988)
MUM 10 – The Black Velvet Band “Old Man Stone” (Sep. 1988) [7-Inch, 12-Inch]
MUM 11 – Guy Clark “(All Through Throwin’) Good Love After Bad” (Jun. 5, 1989) [7-Inch, CD]
MUM 12 – The Word “Kiss the Ground” (Jul. 1989) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, Cassette]
MUM 13 – An Emotional Fish “Grey Matter” (Aug. 1989) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, Cassette]
MUM 14 – The Dixons “I Have Fun” (Jul. 1989) [7-Inch, Cassette]
MUM 15 – The Black Velvet Band “When Justice Came” (Aug. 1989) [7-Inch, Cassette]
MUM 16 – The Golden Horde “100 Boys” (Oct. 1989) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, Cassette]
MUM 17 – Unknown
MUM 18 – The Black Velvet Band “As You Go Down” (1989) [7-Inch]
MUM 19 – The Word “Love’s Strange Ways” (1989) [7-Inch]
MUM 20 – An Emotional Fish “Celebrate” (Dec. 1989) [7-Inch, Cassette]
MUM 21 – The Black Velvet Band “Let it Flow” (1990) [7-Inch]
MUM 22 – The Golden Horde “I Never Came Down” (1990) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, Cassette]
MUM 23 – The Word “Victoria” (1990) [7-Inch]
MUM 24 – An Emotional Fish “Lace Virginia” (Jun. 1990) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, Cassette, CD]
MUM 25 – An Emotional Fish “Blue” (Nov. 1990) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, Cassette, CD]
MUM 26 – The Black Velvet Band “Werewolves of London” (1990) [7-Inch]
MUM 27 – Unknown Possibly a place holder for Coletranes “I Wake Up” on Son label (1991)
MUM 28 – Unknown Possibly a place holder for The Spirit Merchants “Sixty Three” on Son label (1991)
MUM 29 – The Subterraneans “Game Show” (May 1991) [7-Inch, Cassette]
MUM 30 – Wreckage “Morning” (Jun. 13, 1991) [7-Inch, Cassette]
MUM 31 – The Golden Horde “Endless Weekend” (1991) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, Cassette, CD]
MUM 32 – Engine Alley “Flowerbox” EP (Sep. 1991) [12-Inch, CD]
MUM 33 – The Golden Horde “Friends in Time” (Dec. 1991) [7-Inch, 10-Inch, 12-Inch, CD, Cassette]
MUM 34 – Unknown Possibly a place holder for The Joshua Trio “The Fly” on Son label (Feb. 10, 1992)
MUM 35 – The Word “Move Along” (1992) [CD]
MUM 36 – The Golden Horde “Hell” (1992) [7-Inch, CD]
MUM 37 – Bumble “West in Motion” (Oct. 1992) [12-Inch, two 12-Inch Promos, CD]
MUM 38 – Engine Alley “Infamy” (1992) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, Cassette, CD]
MUM 39 – Engine Alley “Mrs Winder” (1992) [CD, Cassette]
MUM 40 – Bumble “Bumble” EP (1993) [12-Inch]
MUM 41 – Engine Alley “Song for Someone” (1993) [CD]
MUM 42 – Lena Fiagbe “You Come From Earth” (Jul. 12, 1993) [7-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, two CDs]
MUM 43 – Engine Alley “Infamy” (Jul. 1993) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, CD]
MUM 44 – Lena Fiagbe “Gotta Get it Right” (Oct. 11, 1993) [12-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, two CDs]
MUM 45 – Unknown Possibly a placeholder for the Longpigs “All Hype” record, only issued as a promotional release in October 1993.
MUM 46 – Unknown
MUM 47 – Engine Alley “Switch” (1993) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, CD]
MUM 48 – Engine Alley “Switch EP” (1993) [CD]
MUM 49 – Lena Fiagbe “What’s It Like to Be Beautiful” (Apr. 4, 1994) [7-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, two CDs, CD Promo]
MUM 50 – Unknown
MUM 51 – Unknown
MUM 52 – Bumble “Gaelic Monstrosity of Acidic Bliss” (1994) [12-Inch]
MUM 53 – Lena Fiagbe “Visions” (Jun. 13, 1994) [12-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, two CDs, Cassette]
MUM 54 – Boomshanka “Take My Love” (Jul. 4, 1994) [12-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, CD]
MUM 55 – DJ Disciple “On the Dancefloor” (Oct. 31, 1994) [two 12-Inch, two 12-Inch Promos, CD, CD Promo]
MUM 56 – Nerious Joseph and Tenor Fly “Let’s Play” (Sep. 5, 1994) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, CD]
MUM 57 – Alicia Bridges “I Love the Nightlife” (Sep. 26, 1994) [7-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, 12-Inch Picture Disc, two CDs]
MUM 58 – Gil Scott-Heron “Don’t Give Up” (1994) [12-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, Double 12-Inch Promo, CD, CD Promo]
MUM 59 – Unknown Possibly a place holder for Bjork “The Best Mixes” (Sep. 26, 1994) – Didn’t follow naming convention
MUM 60 – Lena Fiagbe “Is it Because” (Oct. 31, 1994) [7-Inch, Cassette, CD]
MUM 61 – Peaches and Herb “Shake Your Groove Thang” (Nov. 21, 1994) [12-Inch, Promo 12-Inch, Two CDs]
MUM 62 – Scalaland “Call Me” (1995) [CD]
MUM 63 – Longpigs “Happy Again” (Apr. 10, 1995) [7-Inch, 7-Inch Promo]
MUM 64 – Scalaland “Snow White Lies” (1995) [12-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, CD]
MUM 65 – Unknown Possibly a place holder for Bjork’s “Army of Me” on Mother label (Apr. 24, 1995)
MUM 66 – Longpigs “She Said” (Jul. 10, 1995) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, CD, CD Promo, Cassette]
MUM 67 – Unknown Possibly a place holder for Bjork’s “Isobel” on Mother label (Aug. 14, 1995)
MUM 68 – Longpigs “Jesus Christ” (Oct. 16, 1995) [7-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, CD, Cassette]
MUM 69 – Audioweb “Sleeper” (Oct. 2, 1995) [12-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, CD, Cassette]
MUM 70 – Bjork “It’s Oh So Quiet” (Nov. 13, 1995) [Promo CD labeled MUMCD 70 DJ]
MUM 71 – Longpigs “Far” (Feb. 5, 1996) [7-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, CD, Cassette]
MUM 72 – Audioweb “Yeah?” (Feb. 26, 1996) [12-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, CD, Cassette]
MUM 73 – Unknown Possibly a place holder for Bjork’s “Hyperballad” on Mother label (Feb. 12, 1996)
MUM 74 – Longpigs “On & On” (Apr. 1, 1996) [7-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, Two CDs, Cassette]
MUM 75 – Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton “Theme from Mission: Impossible” (Jun. 3, 1996) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, two 12-Inch Promos, three CDs, CD Promo, Cassette]
MUM 76 – Audioweb “Into My World” (Jun. 3, 1996) [12-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, CD, Cassette]
MUM 77 – Longpigs “She Said” (Jun. 10, 1996) [7-Inch, two CDs, CD Promo, Cassette]
MUM 78 – Audioweb “Sleeper” (Oct. 7, 1996) [7-Inch, 10-Inch Promo, 12-Inch Promo, two CDs, CD Promo]
MUM 79 – Hollywood “Apocalypse Kiss” (1996) [12-Inch, two 12-Inch Promos, CD, CD Promo, Cassette]
MUM 80 – Ballroom “The Rise of the Catwalk Queen” (1996) [7-Inch, Promo CD]
MUM 81 – Unknown
MUM 82 – Longpigs “Lost Myself” (Sep. 23, 1996) [7-Inch, CD, Promo CD, Cassette]
MUM 83 – Unknown Possibly a place holder for Bjork’s “Possibly Maybe” on Mother label (Oct. 28, 1996]
MUM 84 – Longpigs “On & On” (1996) [two CDs]
MUM 85 – Audioweb “Bankrobber” (Feb. 3, 1997) [7-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, three CDs, CD Promo]
MUM 86 – Bjork “Possibly Maybe” (1997) [two different CDs]
MUM 87 – Longpigs “On & On” (1997) [12-Inch Promo]
MUM 88 – Bjork “I Miss You” (Feb. 17, 1997) [two CDs]
MUM 89 – Ballroom “Silent Singers” (1997) [7-Inch, CD]
MUM 90 – Unknown
MUM 91 – Audioweb “Faker” (May 12, 1997) [12-Inch Promo, two CDs, Promo CD]
MUM 92 – Ballroom “Take It” (1997) [7-Inch, CD, Promo CD]
MUM 93 – Cinnamon Smith “Back to Her Mother” (1997) [7-Inch, CD, Promo CD]
MUM 94 – Cinnamon Smith “World At Your Feet” (1997) [7-Inch, CD, Promo CD]
MUM 95 – Ballroom “Through the Day” (1998) [7-Inch, CD, Promo CD]
MUM 96 – Unknown Possibly a place holder for Bjork’s “Bachelorette” on Mother label (Dec. 8, 1997)
MUM 97 – Unknown Possibly a place holder for Bjork’s “Hunter” on Mother label (Oct. 5, 1998
MUM 98 – Ballroom “Bionic” (1998) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, CD Promo]
MUM 99 – Schooly D & Joe Delia “The Player” (1998) [12-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, CD, CD Promo]
MUM 100 – Audioweb “Policeman Skank” (Apr. 13, 1998) [12-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, two CDs, CD Promo]
MUM 101 – Ballroom “Don’t Stop” (1998) [7-Inch, CD]
MUM 102 – Tanita Tikaram “Stop Listening” (May 25, 1998) [12-Inch Promo, two CDs, two CD Promos, Cassette]
MUM 103 – Cinnamon Smith “The Uvver Half” (1998) [7-Inch, CD]
MUM 104 – Audioweb “Personal Feeling” (Jun. 22, 1998) [7-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, two CDs, CD Promo]
MUM 105 – Tanita Tikaram “I Don’t Want to Lose at Love” (Aug. 17, 1998) [12-Inch Promo, two CDs, CD Promo]
MUM 106 – Ballroom “Take It” (1998) [7-Inch, CD, CD Promo]
MUM 107 – Audioweb “Get Out of Here” (1998) [Double 7-Inch, CD Promo]
MUM 108 – Tanita Tikaram “If I Ever” (1998) [CD Promo]
MUM 109 – Cinnamon Smith “Angel” (1998) [CD]
MUM 110 – Audioweb “Test The Theory” (Mar. 8, 1999) [12-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, CD, CD Promo]
MUM 111 – Bjork “Alarm Call” (1999) [CD, CD Promo]
MUM 112 – Unknown Possibly a place holder for Bjork’s “All is Full Of Love” on Mother label (Jun. 7, 1999)
MUM 113 – Longpigs “Blue Skies” (Sep. 27, 1999) [7-Inch, two CD, CD Promo]
MUM 114 – Longpigs “The Frank Sonata” (Dec. 6, 1999) [7-Inch, 12-Inch Promo, two CD, CD Promo]

Unknown Catalog Numbers:

Unknown – Bumble “An Thrush” (1993)
Unknown – Even Deeper “Nail ‘Em Up” EP (1993)
Both releases have been identified as being through Mother Records and likely fit into the numbers above. But it is unknown exactly where these fit at this time.

Promo Releases:

BJORKPRO2 – Björk “Hyperballad” [CD]
BACHPRO1 – Björk “Bachelorette”
FIRE01 – Audioweb “Fireworks City” [CD]
FIRE02 – Audioweb “Fireworks City” [CD]
GSH2 – Gil Scott-Heron “Interview with Imhotep Gary Bird on WLIB-AM” (1993) [Promo 10-Inch Single Sided]
HUNTED1 – Björk “Hunter”
MDCM1 – Cinnamon Smith “Magic Drive (Had to Be You)” [7-Inch Demo handed out at early shows]
PRMUM 1 – The Golden Horde “Third Album Promo”
PRMUM 5 – Lena Fiagbe “Visions”
PRMUMCD 8 – Longpigs “Jesus Christ”
PRMUMCD 9 – Audioweb “Far (3-Track Promo Sampler)” (1996) [Promo CD]
PROMOTOR – Engine Alley “Engine Alley” [Cassette]
SWITCH 1 – Engine Alley “Switch” [12-Inch]

Appendix 2: Son Records Discography: Singles, EPs and Promotional

Singles:

BUA 881 – Pulse “Whole Lotta Love” (1988) [7-Inch, 12-Inch]
BUA 882 – The Republic of Ireland Soccer Squad “The Boys in Green” [7-Inch]
BUA 892 – Moving Hearts “The Lark” [Single sided 7-Inch] (1989)
BUA 901 – The Republic of Ireland Soccer Squad “Put ‘Em Under Pressure” (1990) [7-Inch, 12-Inch, Cassette, CD]
BUA 191 – The Coletranes “I Wake Up” (1991) [7-Inch, Cassette]
BUA 291 – Christie Hennessy “Roll Back the Clouds” (1991) [CD]
BUA 391 – Christie Hennessy “Oh Jealous Heart” (1991) [CD]
BUA 491 – The Spirit Merchants “Sixty Three” (1991) [7-Inch]
BUA 192 – The Joshua Trio “The Fly” (1992) [7-Inch, Cassette, CD] (includes covers of “Where the Streets Have No Name” and “Bad”)
BUA 392 – Christie Hennessy “Song for Stephen” (1992) [CD]
BUA 193 – The Dust Devils “Kaleidoscope Days EP” (1993) [CD]
BUA 293 – Scheer “Wish You Were Dead” (1993) [CD]
BUA 194 – Scheer “Psychobabble EP” (1994) [CD]
BUA 294 – Buddy Mondlock “The Kid” (1994) [Cassette]
BUA CD1 – Bill Whelan and the RTE Concert Orchestra “Riverdance” (1994) [CD]

Promo Releases:

PRSON 3 – Patrick Cassidy “Mairseail Righ Lir” (1993) [CD]
PRSON 4 – Patrick Cassidy “Eistigh Re Cloc An Chleirigh – Listen to the Cleric’s Bell” (1993) [CD]

Appendix 3: Mother and Son Records Album Discography

Mother and Son shared catalog numbers for the album releases. So if a catalog number was used for Mother, it was not used again for a recording on Son Records.

Albums:

Mother: MUML 891 – Stano “Only”
Son: BUA 892 – Moving Hearts “The Storm” (1989) [12-Inch, CD]
Mother: MUML 893 – Guy Clark – Old Friends LP
Mother: MUML 894 – Rainbow Warriors Release
Mother: MUML 895 – The Black Velvet Band “When Justice Came” (1989) [12-Inch, Cassette]
Mother: MUMCD 906 – Various Artists “Irish Music 1990” [CD]
Mother: MUML 907 – An Emotional Fish “An Emotional Fish”
Mother: MUML 919 – The Golden Horde “The Golden Horde”
Son: BUA 9110 – Christie Hennessy “The Rehearsal” (1991) [CD]
Mother: MUML 9211 – Engine Alley “A Sonic Holiday”
Mother: MUML 9312 – Engine Alley “Engine Alley”
Son: BUA 937 – Patrick Cassidy “The Children Of Lir / Oidhe Chloinne Lir” (1993) [Cassette, CD]
Mother: MUML 9413 – Lena Fiagbe “Visions”
Son: BUA 9414 – Buddy Mondlock “Buddy Mondlock” (1994) [CD]
Mother: MUMCD 9415 – Gil Scott-Heron “Spirits”
Mother: MUMCD 9416 – Various “Adventurs of Priscilla Queen of the Desert”
Mother: MUMCD? – Scalaland “Breathing Down the Neck of Meaning” (1995)
Son: BUA 9501 – Michael Flatley “Michael Flatley” (1995 Reissue) [CD]
Unknown 9601
Mother: MUMCD 9602 – Longpigs “The Sun is Often Out”
Mother: MUMCD 9603 – Various “Mission Impossible”
Mother: MUMCD 9604 – Audioweb “Audioweb”
Mother: MUMCD 9605 – Bjork “Telegram”
Mother: MUMCD 9701 – Sugarcubes “Life’s Too Good”
Mother: MUMCD 9702 – Sugarcubes “Here Today, Tomorrow, Next Week!”
Mother: MUMCD 9703 – Sugarcubes “Stick Around for Joy”
Mother: MUMCD 9704 – Sugarcubes “It’s It”
Mother: MUMCD 9705 – Various “The Blackout” soundtrack
Mother: MUMXD 9706 – Bjork “Homogenic”
Mother: MUMCD 9801 – Tanita Tikaram “The Cappucino Songs”
Unknown (9802)
Mother: MUMCD 9803 – Audioweb “Fireworks City”
Mother: MUMCD 9804 – Cinnamon Smith “The Curates House”
Mother: MUMCD 9805 – Ballroom “Day After Day”
Mother: MUMCD 9806 – The Sugarcubes “The Great Crossover Potential”
Mother: MUMCD 9901 – Longpigs “Mobile Home”

Appendix 4: Kitchen Recordings Discography

Singles:

KITCHEN 001 – Rob Rowland “Ground Force” (1998) [12-Inch]
KITCHEN 002 – Basic “Greenback” (1999) [12-Inch]
KITCHEN 003 – Koneveljet “Romulus” (1999) [Single Sided 12-Inch]

Appendix 5: Mammy Records

Mammy records issued just one single by an artist named Terence for the People in Need Charity. The song was “Que Sera Sera” and it entered into the Irish charts in April 1989, and reached #2. The single was credited to “Mammy Records” with an M logo very similar to Mother Records. It is not known if this was an attempt to mock Mother in some way, or if this release was somehow tied to the Mother label.

Singles:

MA 001 – Terence “Que Sera Sera” (May not be related)

Appendix 6: Björk Discography on Mother Records

All of the following Björk related singles / albums were released on Mother Records but not all of them carried the Mother Records numbering. Some did however carry the familiar MUM numbers. In other cases a more generic catalog number is found, but it is suspected these were given internal MUM numbers to track the releases even if these did not appear on the albums. Below we list the items that were released while Björk was under contract to Mother Records, including the artist, title of the release, and the date of release. If known we have also added the Mother Records numbering.

Singles:

Björk “Human Behavior” (1993)
Björk “Venus as a Boy” (1993)
Björk & David Arnold “Play Dead” (1993)
Björk “Big Time Sensuality” (1993)
Björk “Violently Happy” (1994)
Björk “The Best Mixes from the Album Debut for All the People Who Don’t Buy White-Labels” [Possibly MUM59] (September 26, 1994)
Björk “Army of Me” [Possibly MUM 65] (April 24, 1995)
Björk “Isobel” [Possibly MUM 67] (August 14, 1995)
Björk “It’s Oh So Quiet” [MUM 70] (November 13, 1995)
Björk “Hyperballad” [MUM 73] (February 12, 1996)
Björk “Possibly Maybe” [Possibly MUM 83] (October 28, 1996)
Björk “Possibly Maybe” [MUM 86] (1997 Release)
Björk “I Miss You” [MUM 88] (February 17, 1997)
Björk “Jóga”
Björk “Bachelorette” [Possibly MUM 96] (December 8, 1997)
Björk “Hunter” [Possibly MUM 97] (October 5, 1998)
Björk “Alarm Call” [MUM 111] (1999)
Björk “All Is Full of Love” [Possibly MUM 112] (June 7, 1999)

Albums:

Björk “Debut” (July 5, 1993)
Björk “Post” (June 13, 1995)
Björk “Telegram” [MUM9605] (November 25, 1996)
Björk “Homogenic” [MUM9706] (September 22, 1997)

VHS:

Björk “Volumen” (1999)

Other Björk Related Material on Mother Records:

Björk Guðmundsdóttir & Tríó Guðmundar Ingólfssonar “Gling-Gló” (1994 Reissue)
The Sugarcubes “The Great Crossover Potential” [MUM 9806] (1998)
The Sugarcubes “Life’s Too Good” [MUM 9701] (1997)
The Sugarcubes “Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week! [MUM 9702] (1997 Reissue)
The Sugarcubes “Stick Around for Joy” [MUM 9703] (1997 Reissue)
The Sugarcubes “It’s It” (1997 Reissue)

(A personal thank you from Aaron to Chris N (NN) who got me interested in Mother all those years ago, and put together some early lists of what had been released).

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