SELECT from multiple tables (not join though)

Hi all,

   I have another question, I hope it isn't too basic. ^.^

   I want to do a select from multiple tables but not join them. What I
am trying to do is something like this (though this doesn't work as I need):

SELECT a.file_name, b.file_name, c.file_name FROM file_info_1 a,
file_info_2 b, file_info_3 c WHERE a.file_name='/' AND
b.file_parent_dir='/' AND c.file_parent_dir='/';

   That returns every combination of the results from the three tables
which is a huge number. What I need is to return all of the matches in
all of the tables in a single column. Once I have all the matches in one
column the next trick is to sort the combined results (any tips there?).

   I hope the question was clear. Please let me know if it wasn't. Thanks!

Madison