The interview was conducted by Jimmy Chunga, Mr. West and Casey from 107.5 the end in SLC, Utah:

At first they thought he wasn't going to call in to do the show so they said this:

Mr. West:  I'm not gonna be stiffed by Bob

Chunga:  Well... I don't think it's Bob that's stiffin' us... I think it's the record weasel that's stiffin' us...

Mr. West: And, and I just... oh wait... (phone rings)

Chunga: Oh!Oh!

Mr. West: Hello?

Robert: Hello this is Robert calling for Casey

Chunga: Robert! We're on the air!!! It's Chunga & Mr...

Mr.West: We were just talking about you as a matter of fact...

Chunga: We were afraid that you'd stiffed us Robert...

Robert: Oh no... no way

Mr. West: I said... I said... Oh Robert would never do that to us...

Chunga: You just said 'Damn rockstars! They're stiffin' us all the time!'

Robert: (Laughing)

Mr.West: I didn't say that!!!

Chunga: So uh Robert we're glad that you.. uh... Robert Smith Ladies and Gentlemen the legendary frontman of the
Cure... uh... joining us. Robert! Thanks man! I've been trying to interview you for years!

Robert: Have you?

Chunga: Yeah...

Robert: Well... I hope it's well worthwhile now that you've got me then

Chunga: I have no doubt that it will be. So what've you been up to lately?

Robert: Ummm... how lately's lately? How far back you wanna go?

Chunga: Well... let's go back the past 3 years...

Robert: (Laughs) Ohhhhh... I can't remember back that far. Ummm... you remember last year we were touring... we
were in America. In fact we played our last show of the year around about this time last year. And this year, it's
been kind of broken up between me doing some solo stuff and the band doing a few new songs... and getting
together this greatest hits package, DVD stuff, filming the new videos... so um... the usual

Mr.West: So... the band's still together?!?!

Chunga: Yeah... we'd heard you'd broken up?

Robert: Ummm... yeah.... I heard that too

Chunga & Mr: (Laughing)

Mr.West: What's the story?

Robert: Well... Ummm... I think what it was really, is that when we did the last studio album, Bloodflowers, I was
pretty convinced, I was turning 40, and we were headed toward the year 2000 and I thought it'd be kind of a good
time for me to change things dramatically in my life, and ummm... and everyone in the band got that feeling and it
kind of leaked out and the record companies got hold of it and it became like this story and I thought... no point in
deying it 'cause it added a certain poignancy to the shows and umm... it may very well be the last studio album
'cause we haven't made another one yet... But at the end of last year, it was sort of the first time ever that I felt
like I wanted to do it some more. So...

Chunga: Wow!

Robert: So, now I'm kind of looking forward to the next 10 years of the band.

Chunga: So is there going to be a... there's been much ado about your image and the kind of gothic image that
you've portrayed... pretty much your entire career with the Cure. If you were to go out solo, would that image
continue or would you uh...

Robert: (Chiming in sounding a bit irritated) Well I... uh... would like to take issue about that because this is on
the back of the greatest hits compilation and VHS and DVD which shows me in a bear suit... it shows me in
polka-dot shirts... you know... I think that whole goth thing... it, it's alright when I'm out there talking about an
album like Bloodflowers, but I think on the back of the greatest hits... it doesn't really work. It's got 'Let's go to
bed'...'Friday I'm in love'...they're not goth songs.

Mr.West: Right...

Robert: This is not a 'Goth band.' I think the ways I've looked over the years have changed more than people
think. I mean if you look at the video and note the changes... I've got quarter inch long spikey hair on through the
videos...

Chunga: Yeah! Hot, hot, hot...

Robert: Yeah... so it's not... you know... I accept it to a point but (something jumbled here). I think there is a
certain look to the band...at which it's really just me so I mean if I did something on my own... I suppose the look
would still be there. I mean whatever I record, whatever I do... it's going to be Robert Smith of The Cure...so... I'm
not too fussed about it. I mean musically it would be so different, and I'd be collaberating with different people so I
think the attention would be sort of focused away from what um... hair products I was using.

Chunga: (Trying to cover his butt) Well... and I think since you guys had uh... had made your rise during the 1980's
when everything was so based on fashion... that that's probably why you... there's been so much... you know...

Robert: Well... yeah... it's kind of like an easily identifyable kind of look... and it's just stuck. I mean it doesn't
bother me.. you know... I mean I'm kind of... I mean we were like a face-less band for our first 5 years... we were
very anonymous, and I liked it like that. We kind of... we existed underground. We went around the world a couple
of  times playing in front of people in small numbers... you know what I mean? And it's really like the mid-80's when
we kind of got noticed a bit more, but I suppose that's when the image, you know... just kind of stuck with it.

Mr.West: Sure...

Robert: You know... I'd rather that then... I mean I can think of worse things to be known for

Chunga: So we've learned that Robert Smith is just a normal Joe? Just a sittin' around in a Pokemon shirt eating
cheese doodles watching football...

Mr.West: Polka-DOTS... So tell us... I want to know a little bit more about the album. It's a greatest hits album...
but there are... um, some new songs on it as well right?

Robert: Yeah... we were slightly releuctant to take on this greatest hits thing... it was the first time that anything
had been instigated outside of the band... it was actually a record company thing. And to make it work for the fans...
I mean I'm old enough to remember when greatest hits albums only came out after the band was "definitely
finished."

Chunga: Yeah.. that's true

Robert: So you didn't have to worry about the fact that the fans have probably got most of the stuff on there... so
I said to the companies I want to make sure that we've got a couple good enough songs to put on there, not just a
couple of new songs... 'cause they've got to live with like some of the best... you know... well certainly the ones
that have been played on the radio the most. The most "popular" songs that we've done. Ummm... and I was
unsure if we could do it you know... it was a strange way of working for me... actually going into the studio and...
we haven't really written a "single" actually for years. So ummm... it's kind of odd but I think we just about managed
it. We did 3 new songs and 2 of them made it onto the record... more importantly what we... we came up with the
idea of re-interpreting the hits acoustically and we actually did that as a brand new album that we... it's free
everywhere in the world except for America...Elektra hiked the price up a few extra dollars...

Chunga: Oh is that right? Of course!!! And I tell ya... one of my favorite Cure songs is one of the hardest to find ...
it was recorded on MTV's unplugged... "The Blood"... which you can't find anywhere.

Robert: You can't find it on this either (Laughs)

Chunga: Oh is that right?

Mr. West: (Laughs)

Robert: Well what we did was we just took the running order of the 18 songs that we new was going to be the
running order and we rehearsed them... and we just um... we just set up one weekend and we played them and uh...
it's funny I think... it's a nice intimate little um... disc. It kind of throws new light on some of the songs. It was an
enjoyable thing to do for us... and hopefully it makes the package a little bit more exciting for the fans.

Chunga: And I'm sorry if I missed it... but did you say you were going to tour with this album?

Robert: Uh... we decided when we were putting it together this summer that we wouldn't, because um... everyone
enjoyed last year so much... that the thought of going out and doing promotional shows, which essentially is what
they are around something like this... we did it a few years ago with an album called 'Galore' which is like a singles
collection of this sort... like a second decade of the band. It wasn't very much fun to be honest... it's like it's not
really where the band's heart is at the moment. Like last year we played I think, what was it like 75 songs in the
course of the year and I think we only played 3 of these hits so it's not really what we're about at the moment... and
I thought it would be, having gone through all that last year and built up such a kind of a strong feeling among...
particularly among the hardcore audience... I thought it would be a bit... lame just to go out there and just go
through the motions... so... it's a little bit of a low key promotional trip.

Chunga: Now...uh... when you're putting... or I should say when the record company is putting together a greatest
hits compilation, now the Cure has undergone many, many personnel changes...over the years. Did you have to go
through, you know, piece by piece and get everybody's permission to do this thing... or...

Robert: No.

Chunga: Because you own... do you own the rights to that kind of...

Robert: Well it's not so much that... uh... sadly I don't own any of  the back catalog...the record companies own it...

Chunga: Oh... is that right?

Robert: Uh... but I, I'm on good terms with every ex-member of the Cure... now... thankfully... so um...

Chunga & Mr.:  (Laughing)

Robert: They're all back... trusting me. I kind of courtesy called everyone, you know, explaining what was going on so
it's not um... it's not coming as a shock to anyone and they're happy, I should think, since they're on it. The three provisions I had with kind of agreeing to get myself involved in this was that I chose the running order, that to me
was like the key thing, 'cause some of the running orders being suggested by the different record companies around
the world were pretty peculiar to say the least, some of them included non-singles which I found was stretching the concept of  "Greatest Hit" a little too far for my taste. Um no, the others are fine...the ex-members of the band are
all, I think without exception, are all involved in music in varying degrees, there's only one of them actually in a band,
but um, they're happy with it.

Chunga: Good. We're talking with Robert Smith, the frontman, the inspiration behind the band The Cure. One of my
favorite bands.

Mr. West: Absolutely! And we're both very happy to hear that you're still together. Because we were, you know,
really convinced that you guys had broken up.

Robert: Well we were playing on Saturday, we met up for a little rehearsal, 'cause we've got a couple of tv...you
know, just the usual things coming up, so we thought we'd better dust off a couple of the hits. It's actually when
we were playing in the summer and doing the new songs, and we were sitting around practicing the acoustic stuff,
it just felt really good and I kind thought to myself...I'm stupid really to keep putting a definite kinda stop on it,
because I think there will come a point when I don't enjoy it as much, I'm not as enthusiastic and it will just like
naturally stop. So I've given up, I'm officially giving up announcing the end of the band.

Chunga: So do you have children Robert?

Robert: No, I've got 20 cross nephews and nieces.

Chunga: And they keep you plenty busy.

Robert: They do. They try to.

Chunga: Sure, ok. I was just wondering if you, you know, were sitting at home, teaching them music and being a
domesticated dad?

Robert: Two of them want to be singers. One for the right reasons, one for the wrong reasons.

Chunga: Oh yeah, chicks and uh, chicks and uh, hooch?

Robert: Yeah.

Chunga: Yeah, very nice

Robert: The younger wants to be a singer becomes he wants to create something, which I think is more admirable.
The older one is probably more realistic.

Chunga: He wants to create.

Robert: Yeah.

Chunga: Sure. Yes Casey, you have a question?

Casey: I've got a question for you. You know, you're a rock star and you get all of this preferential treatment, and
I'm suffering a cold right now, what do you take for a cold?

Robert: Well it's a long time since I had a cold actually. I've very lucky...I rarely get anything.

Chunga: Really?

Robert: Yeah. It's because I live such a healthy lifestyle. The secret to not getting a cold is to just drink beer.

Chunga: Well I know that's definitely not the case with Casey. He drinks more beer than anyone I've ever seen
in my life.

Robert: Dr. Smith advises. I live by the sea, so I think that's probably why I don't suffer from many respiratory
illnesses. I literally like wake up with the sound of the sea. So it's pretty good air where I live.

Chunga: Where is that, where you live?

Robert: It's down in Brighton on the south coast of England.

Chunga: And is that where we're talking to you from right now?

Robert: It is indeed, yeah.

Chunga: Very nice, very nice. So um, what do you think about the current state of music? On the whole?

Robert: It's pretty much the same as it ever was I think, with the um...I think the thing for me that's the most worrying aspect of the music business is the way that everything has kind of converged and the power is in so few
hands. When I started, everything was a lot  more diverse...People were still trying to screw everybody and they
were still trying to make money and art came second to commerce, but they didn't have as much power, it didn't
seem, and there were a lot more kinda independents and the independents were truly independent, and it seemed
a little bit easier, a bit more vibrant. Now, despite the fact that the internet has like opened up so many other things
up...so many avenues, um it's being corprotizied on a daily basis and it's a bit worrying 'cause the um five sorta big
majors...you know, they're like the hardware providers and they just kind of buy up all of the software, so I don't
know...it's a bit gloomy really I think. But I think there's too many people making music who really aren't making
music for my taste. But having said that, there are some good people out there. As there always are.

Chunga: What are you listening to right now?

Robert: Um...what, of new stuff?

Chunga: Yeah.

Robert: Very little, having said all that. Mogwai are about the only band of the last 2 years that I constantly play.
Everyone else has sort of fallen by the wayside. But I don't think a lot of it is aimed at me, you know... I think
I'm kind of not really...and that's probably why it's missing me.

Chunga: It's all aimed younger.

Robert: Ye..or yeah, maybe I'm...I am aware of being quite hyper-critical, particularly of other people's words, and
I find myself listening to alot of instrumental music because of that...because I get very easily agitated by poor...
poor rhyming.

Chunga: So you're not at home listening to...you're not home grooving to the 'Nsync then?

Robert: Um...no. I'm not...I wouldn't say I'm a big fan.

Mr. West: Who's hotter, Britney or Christina?

Robert: Um, to be honest, I don't actually like either of them. I hate to say it, but...

Chunga: There you go, that's ok.

Robert: Yeah. There basically just weird for my taste.

Robert, Chunga & Mr. West: (Laughing)

Chunga: Who do you find in the public eye that's very sexy?

Robert: Um...(chuckles)...I can't, I can't honestly answer that. I can't think of anyone off the top of my head. I think...
ah what's his name...Peter Sissons (I can't make out the name, can any UK readers help me out here?) is a news
reader in England who I saw out when I was shopping once, eating toast(?). And he's a really huge bloke and there's
something kind of strangely erotic about that.

Chunga and Mr. West: (Laughing)

Robert: I don't normally go for male news readers, I must say.

Chunga: Well yeah, sure.

Robert: It's just his voice, he's got an incredibly deep voice and actually kind of like it's the deepest thing I ever
hear coming out of my television, it's sort of strange. In the way I'd kind of be fascinated and allured by an alien I
suppose, I'm intrigued. Um I'm sure about that...we've got this pretty nice weather forecaster over here, but I
should get her name as well huh?

Chunga: Yeah. Is she the one with the really long blonde hair on CNN?

Robert: No. She's got short, dark hair.

Chunga: Eh, just making sure. Hey ah Robert thanks for taking the time to chat with us man.

Robert: That's alright.

Chunga: And can we have you hang on the line for just a minute?

Robert: Yes.

Chunga: We want you to give us a liner here.