Hits "Galore" On The Way For Cure Fans

BYLINE BY MELINDA NEWMAN

CURE-ALL: While many acts consider a collection of hits a nice gift for fans, the Cure"s Robert Smith would not
be one of those artists. In fact he sees "Galore," the group"s Oct. 28 release that covers singles put out by the
band since 1987, as "the least fan-orientated record we"ve released in 10 years." Smith says previous singles
collection " "Standing On A Beach" was really successful because people who wouldn"t buy the rest of our
albums because they think we might be too difficult for them bought that. This will be the same thing. It"s aimed
at the people who this is the only Cure album they"re going to buy." The album will come out on Fiction/Elektra
in the U.S. and on Fiction/PolyGram in the rest of the world.

"Galore" contains plenty of evidence why the Cure is considered one of the founding fathers of the modern rock
movement. Among the 18 tracks are four that went to the top of Billboard"s Modern Rock Tracks
chart--"Fascination Street," "Never Enough," "High," and "Friday I"m In Love."

The affable Smith says his favorites on the disc are "Just Like Heaven," "Mint Car," and the collection"s lone
new track, the instantly catchy, techno-influenced "Wrong Number."

Throughout the years, the members of the Cure have always treated their fans with a devotion and respect that is
all too rare in rock music. With the invasion of the Internet, the Cure has turned to cyberspace to provide
followers with special packages and to keep in contact with fans. Its last mini-release, April"s "Five Swing Live,"
was available to fans only via the band"s World Wide Web site. Additionally, last year the group released an
alternate version of the videoclip for "Mint Car" on its Web site. During the recording of the band"s new studio
album, a select number of fans have been able to hear the proceedings via an Internet hookup with the recording
studio.

So it should come as no surprise that, with "Galore"s" release still weeks away, Smith is already hard at work
on another project dedicated to the faithful--a new B-sides collection. "I wanted to put it out now, but the labels
said it would muddy the waters, so we"re going to put it out after Christmas." says Smith. "It"s filling up three
CDs of space right now, so I have to find a way to condense it. A lot of these songs are unavailable unless you"re
willing to pay through the nose, so I really like the idea of providing a collection of them in one place." Smith says
decisions are still being made as to how to distribute the release, but it may be through the Web site.

While the label turned down the idea of releasing the B-sides collection before Christmas, Smith nixed the idea
of a best-of retrospective spanning the group"s career since its inception in the late "70s. "The label wanted a
greatest-hits, but I didn"t want to do that," he says. "I didn"t think it would appeal to more people. It would be
ludicrous for me to put half of "Standing On A Beach" on "Galore"; it would dissuade people from buying this
thing."

Amid the flurry, the Cure is also working on the new studio album. "We"re currently halfway through," says
Smith. "I"m doing the album in tandem not just with a group, but I"ve invited a couple of other people to take
part as well." Among the guests are guitarist Reeves Gabrels, who plays on "Wrong Number." Smith is aiming
for a release date of April 1, 1998. After that, the group"s future is uncertain.

"After that, I have no idea. That"s our last album to Elektra and PolyGram, so I don"t know after that," Smith
says. In terms of what he may be looking for in a new label contract, Smith swears, "I don"t know what I want, I
don"t care about those kind of things."

However, he adds, while he doesn"t know what will happen with the Cure next after the new studio album, he
does know what will happen last. "The final thing that will come out will be my version of the greatest hits. It
will be my personal selection of what I think our best work is," Smith says.

To celebrate the release of "Galore," the Cure will play at least two club dates, including an Oct. 31 New York
gig. That show, which may be cybercast and radio simulcast, will be the Cure"s first U.S. club date in a decade.
Smith doesn"t relish the idea of playing such cozy confines. "I did a club date last October in Paris to
commemorate my 20th anniversary of playing onstage. It was going to be a day off, and I thought, "We"ll just
go to a bar and talk about the old days." So instead we went and played one obscure song from each album.
There were about 900 people there, and it was really sweaty, and I really hated it," he says with a laugh. "When
it gets down to 1,000 people, I get really nervous because I can see everyone, and it makes me try too hard."
Sounding a little like
Goldilocks, Smith adds, "I hate really big places too, but I think there"s a happy medium with between 5,000 and
10,000 seats. You can still get feedback, but it adds enough drama."

At least Smith derives some comfort in the knowledge that no club date to support "Galore" can be as bad as the
gigs during the Cure"s infancy. With fondness that only time and distance can bring, Smith recalls, "The first time
we played clubs it was the end of punk. We were getting spat at. It was horrible! I had to drive after the gig back
to the hotel, if we had a hotel. At least now, I don"t have to drive, and I know we have a place to stay."