1984 began with a new Modern English single, "Chapter 12" (BAD 401), which preceded the release of their final 4AD album, Ricochet Days (CAD 402). Producer Hugh Jones took a more active role in sculpting the band's music, and the result was a period gem which coupled an almost Beatles-esque sense of melody to the band's increasingly polished sound.
Colourbox's 1984 output consisted of a pair of singles, both of which featured vocals by Lorita Grahame. The first was the inadvertent byproduct of Ivo having let Martyn Young borrow his collection of reggae records; a cover of U-Roy's "Say You" (BAD 403) was the result. A few months later the supercharged electro-funk of "Punch" (BAD 406) demonstrated a group completely at ease their genre-hopping approach. Both singles deserved to be hits, and in an alternative universe would have breezed on to the radio and into the charts.
The major addition to the 4AD roster in 1984 was Dead Can Dance, who would evolve into one of the label's flagship acts. Though the seeds of their later work were present on both their self-titled debut album (CAD 404) and the Garden Of The Arcane Delights EP (BAD 408), Dead Can Dance at this time were still a dark, post-Joy Division rock & roll band, albeit one with an eccentric lineup (guitar/bass/drums/yang t'chin) and the widely contrasting vocal styles of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry.
The Cocteau Twins lineup stabilized for good with the arrival of bassist Simon Raymonde (formerly of Drowning Craze, and the son of noted arranger Ivor Raymonde). Their first new offering in 1984 was the "Pearly Dewdrops' Drops" single (AD 405) and its expanded EP version, The Spangle Maker (BAD 405). One of their finest records, it nearly became a major hit (the group declined to appear on Top Of The Pops to promote it). Later in the year, the group released a third album, Treasure (CAD 412), a critical and commercial success.
[One accidental legacy of the album haunts Ivo to this day. Instead of conventional song titles, Liz Fraser had given all of Treasure's songs proper names: "Amelia," "Persephone," etc. The album's first track, christened "Ivo," features Liz singing the refrain "Peep-Bo" (the song's original title) - and many listeners naturally assumed that she was singing "Ivo." Result: Ivo still occasionally contends with people who think his name is pronounced "ee-vo." (For the record: it's "eye-vo.")]
Xmal Deutschland returned with their second and last album for the label. Tocsin (CAD 407) offered a more refined and textured approach than previous efforts, albeit one combined with a more straightforward rock sound. The group parted ways with 4AD in the months following its release, and subsequently signed to Phonogram.
The Wolfgang Press returned with the first of a trilogy of EPs produced by Robin Guthrie. With Andrew Grey completing the lineup, Scarecrow (BAD 409) marked the group's first steps into the kind of hypnotic avant-funk they'd perfect in the coming years. Featuring musical contributions from Colourbox and guitar from Robin Guthrie, the EP's highlight was a twisted version of Aretha Franklin's "Respect", complete with backing vocals by Liz Fraser.
By the end of 1984, Ivo had finished the first This Mortal Coil album. Working closely with engineer/co-producer John Fryer at Blackwing Studios, Ivo invited a sizeable contingent of players into the studio to work on a selection of songs by the likes of Alex Chilton, Roy Harper, Rema-Rema and Colin Newman (the already-issued "Song To The Siren" was also included on the album). Lisa Gerrard contributed two compositions; several more were written in the studio (Ivo remains particularly proud of "Fyt," the first piece of music he ever wrote). Many of the contributors were 4AD artists - members of the Cocteau Twins, Colourbox, The Wolfgang Press, Modern English and Xmal Deutschland participated - but there were important performances by outsiders as well: Gordon Sharp of Cindytalk and Howard Devoto (Magazine) each contributed vocals, while Martin McCarrick (Marc Almond, Siouxsie & The Banshees) and Gini Ball provided the string parts. The single "Kangaroo" (AD 410) was issued just prior to the album It'll End In Tears (CAD 411). The striking cover photographs of model Pallas Citroen were originally intended for Modern English's Ricochet Days, but the group rejected them.