Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters
| type = Album
| artist = Marc Almond and The Willing Sinners
| cover = Marc_Almond_Mother_Fist_album_cover.jpeg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|1987|4|6|df=y}}{{cite magazine |last=Smith |first=Robin |date=4 April 1987 |title=News Digest |magazine=Record Mirror |page=20 |issn=0144-5804}}
| recorded = Summer 1986
| venue =
| studio = Milo Studios, London, Abbey Road, London
| genre = Art pop
| length = 50:02
| label = Some Bizzare, Virgin
| producer = Mike Hedges, Marc Almond
| prev_title = Stories of Johnny
| prev_year = 1985
| next_title = The Stars We Are
| next_year = 1988
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters
| type = album
| single1 = Ruby Red
| single1date = October 1986
| single2 = Melancholy Rose
| single2date = January 1987{{cite magazine |title=New Singles |magazine=Music Week |date=24 Jan 1987 |page=26}}
| single3 = Mother Fist
| single3date = March 1987{{cite magazine |title=New Singles |magazine=Music Week |date=21 Mar 1987 |page=39}}
}}
}}
Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters (often shortened to Mother Fist) is the third studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released in April 1987 and reached number 41 on the UK Albums Chart.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/|title=The Official Charts Company - Marc Almond And The Willing Sinners|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=2011-07-28}} Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters includes the singles "Ruby Red", "Melancholy Rose", and "Mother Fist". The album title is taken from Nocturnal Turnings or How Siamese Twins Have Sex, a short story by the American author Truman Capote. Almond dedicates the album in the liner notes to Capote.
Almond with his assembled band The Willing Sinners, made up of Annie Hogan, Billy McGee, Martin McCarrick, Richard Riley and Steven Humphreys, accompanied by studio musicians recorded the songs for the album at Milo Studios, London and Abbey Road. The artwork was designed by Huw Feather with photography by Ben Thornberry.
{{Album reviews
|rev1 = Allmusic
|rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r442|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]
| rev2 = Encyclopedia of Popular Music
}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| collapsed =
| headline = Side one
| all_writing = Marc Almond; except where indicated
| title1 = Mother Fist
| length1 = 4:29
| title2 = There is a Bed
| length2 = 4:50
| title3 = Saint Judy
| length3 = 5:53
| title4 = The Room Below
| writer4 = Almond, Annie Hogan
| length4 = 3:30
| title5 = Angel in Her Kiss
| writer5 = Almond, Hogan
| length5 = 3:42
| title6 = The Hustler
| writer6 = Almond, Hogan
| length6 = 3:15
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| title7 = Melancholy Rose
| length7 = 3:10
| title8 = Mr Sad
| length8 = 3:49
| title9 = The Sea Says
| writer9 = Almond, Hogan
| length9 = 4:03
| title10 = Champ
| writer10 = Almond, Hogan
| length10 = 4:23
| title11 = Ruby Red
| length11 = 3:41
| title12 = The River
| length12 = 5:17
}}
Personnel
- Marc Almond – vocals, arrangements
; The Willing Sinners
- Annie Hogan – piano, marimba, pump organ
- Billy McGee – double bass, electric bass guitar
- Martin McCarrick – cello, accordion, yang t'chin, keyboards
- Richard Riley – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Steven Humphreys – drums, assorted percussion
with:
- Nigel Eaton – hurdy-gurdy
- Peter Thoms – trombone
- Enrico Tomasso – trumpet
- Jane West – backing vocals
- Audrey Riley – backing vocals
;Technical
- Mike Hedges – Vocals, Producer, Engineering (Abbey Road)
- Annie Hogan – Arrangements
- Martin McCarrick – Cello Arrangements
- Charles Gray – Engineering (Milo)
- Haydn Bendall – Engineering (Abbey Road)
- Ian Grimble – Engineering (Abbey Road)
- Huw Feather – Design, Layout
- Ben Thornberry – Photography