Mouth to Mouth

Recording

Bassist O'Doherty said, "Gottehrer programmed all the drums and virtually all of the bass. So there was virtually no point in me and [drummer] Bird being there. I remember feeling pretty desolate, thinking 'I fucking hate this'. It wasn't fun anymore. I was programmed out, basically."

Reception

Jane Gazzo said the album, "epitomised 80s keyboard experimentation. With spacy, ethereal synthesiser treatments and expansive gated drum sounds." She also noted of the title track "some felt marked the band's departure into overindulgence".

Trouser Press said, "There isn't an unlikable moment anywhere on the record, but the Mentals seem in danger of drifting into musical senility unless they find some collective personality and start showing a little more enthusiasm."

Track listing

Australian release:

International releases:

The US/Canada version of the album drops "Ruby Baby", and adds the band's cover of "Love Me Tender". Releases in the UK and continental Europe also drop "Ruby Baby", and add "Love Me Tender" and a new version of "If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too?", which is remixed and overdubbed with some new vocals and instrumentation. Production of both these international tracks was by Mark Opitz.

Personnel

Musicians

Martin Plaza — lead vocals, guitar

Greedy Smith — lead vocals, keyboards, harmonica

Reg Mombassa — guitar, vocals

Peter O'Doherty — bass, guitar, vocals

Wayne de Lisle — drums

Additional personnel

Martin Armiger — guitar

Mary Bradfield-Taylor — vocals

Rick Chadwick — keyboards

Sandi Chick — vocals

Andrew Farriss — keyboards

Mark Kennedy — percussion

Recording details

Producer — Richard Gottehrer

Engineer, mixing — Thom Panunzio

Assistant — Allan Wright

Art work

Art direction — Jana Hartig, Ken Smith, Sue Woollard

Design — Martin Plaza, Greedy Smith (and cover design)

Photography — Paula Clarke (cover photo), Paul Clarke, Hugh Hamilton, Frank Lindner (and sleeve photo), Francine McDougall