This Mortal Coil was a musical dream pop project of Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the British 4AD Records label. The project brought together key 4AD artists, as well as others not signed to the label, under an umbrella name: among others, This Mortal Coil featured contributions from Howard Devoto, Colourbox, Dead Can Dance and, pivotally, Cocteau Twins. Between 1983 and 1991 This Mortal Coil released three albums --It'll End in Tears, Filigree & Shadow, and Blood -- each of which consists largely of atmospheric interpretations of songs by 1970s artists such as Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Roy Harper and Tim Buckley. Two tracks from the first TMC album, It'll End In Tears, feature vocals by Elizabeth Fraser of the Scottish group Cocteau Twins, who also recorded for 4AD: the more well-known of these is the ethereal cover of Tim Buckley's Song to the Siren, which created considerable renewed interest in Buckley at a time when his albums were not widely available; the recording was also used by David Lynch for the film Lost Highway (1997). In 1998 Watts-Russell released another album in a similar vein to his TMC projects, "...smile's OK", under the name The Hope Blister.

The name "This Mortal Coil" is drawn from Hamlet and is a poetic expression referring to the earthly condition.

The gothic dream pop collective This Mortal Coil was one of the most representative bands on the 4AD label, not least because they were run by 4AD president and co-founder Watts-Russell. Whether they played covers (of Watts-Russell's favorite artists) or originals, their material epitomized the haunting, ethereal sound that came to be associated with the label. Lush, swirling arrangements drenched in echo, reverb, and other effects were the project's stock-in-trade, often approaching ambient music. A rotating cast of vocalists and musicians supplied the sounds heard on record, all overseen by Watts-Russell and co-producer John Fryer. A studio entity only, the group started out as something of a 4AD all-star unit, but evolved into a way for Watts-Russell to collaborate with up-and-comers and other artists not signed to his label. Whoever was performing, the music was united by its gentle surges of melancholy and by Watts-Russell's highly influential aesthetic. Ivo Watts-Russell grew up in England's Northamptonshire area, more than an hour's drive north of London. In lieu of college, he worked in record stores, eventually hooking up with the Beggars Banquet retail chain, which had formed its own label. He and colleague Peter Kent co-founded 4AD in 1980 with financial support from Beggars Banquet, and initially signed post-punk acts like Modern English and the Birthday Party. Kent departed after a few years, and Watts-Russell took the label in a more atmospheric direction, making signature signings in Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance. The idea for This Mortal Coil germinated around that time; having been unsuccessful in convincing Modern English to record a covers medley that closed their concerts, Watts-Russell decided to do it himself. Gordon Sharp (of Cindytalk) and Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance) supplied vocals on it and the intended B-side, a lovely cover of Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren." From there the project snowballed, and Watts-Russell eventually assembled enough material for an album.

Released in 1984, It'll End in Tears featured musical efforts from 4AD staples like Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins), Steven Young and Martyn Young (Colourbox), Brendan Perry (Dead Can Dance), and Mark Cox (Wolfgang Press), among others, with vocals from Gerrard, Sharp, Modern English's Robbie Grey, and Howard Devoto (Buzzcocks/Magazine). Watts-Russell and Fryer handled any additional instruments or programmed loops as needed. The track listing featured two songs from Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers, plus numbers by Roy Harper and Wire's Colin Newman, in addition to band originals. It'll End in Tears helped crystallize 4AD's emerging signature sound, and helped win a wider audience for their stable of artists.

Fryer and Watts-Russell put together a follow-up album, Filigree & Shadow, which was released in 1986. A sprawling and more varied collection, Filigree & Shadow covered songs by Tim Buckley, Colin Newman, Talking Heads, Pearls Before Swine, Gene Clark, Judy Collins, and Van Morrison in between the original compositions. The Cocteau Twins' Simon Raymonde was still a significant presence, and string player/arranger Martin McCarrick took a bigger role this time around; Steven Young and Mark Cox both returned, and members of Dif Juz were also prominent. Most vocals were by Dominic Appleton (also of Breathless), Deirdre Rutkowski and Louise Rutkowski, and a pre-dance diva Alison Limerick.