News Archive - September 2005



Sept. 30th

  • Cure covers:

    • "2 versions of "Other Voices" cover by polish band Bete Noire - http://www.thecure.pl/section.php?action=curexclusive"

    (Thanks Janek)

    "again while listening to the aol emo station, a band called "The get up Kids" does a cover of "close to me" its not that bad, the vocals suck
    but the little piano ding is still present."
     
    (Thanks     XllCoregirLllX)

    "Hi, here is our live cover of 'Prayers For Rain' played in a venue called 'Parco delle Rose' (in english 'Roses Park'. :)
    http://www.mothstales.com/recs/prayers_for_rain_live.mp3"

    (Thanks Michele)


  • Curespotting:

    • "In The West Australian "West Magazine" they always have a Flashback article that looks back on a song or an album that made an impact. Today
    (Saturday September 10) they featured The Head On The Door.  Here is the article:
     
    Just the right Cure
    In 1985, after a series of dark and gloomy albums that inspired a generation of black-clad gothic kids, the Cure released The Head on the Door, their musical crossover from the alternative to the mainstream pop charts.
     
    With his shock of birdnest hair, black eyeliner and wonkily-applied lipstick, singer Robert Smith was already an anti-pop star of sorts by the time the whimsical Love Cats was released in 1983. Two years later, he fused his sombre brand of romanticism with more up-beat melodies to create such skewed gems as In Between Days, Close to Me and A Night Like This.
     
    The album retained enough of the dark introspection of earlier albums like Faith and Pornography for the old fans, but built on the kooky pop of Love Cats to attract a legion of new admirers and turn the Cure into the unlikeliest stadium band of the 80s.
     
    The singles came with suitably quirky videos by Tim Pope (most memorably, in Close To Me, all five band members were squeezed claustrophobically into a wardrobe falling, in slow motion, off a cliff).
     
    However, some of the album tracks were even better than the singles. In Kyoto Song, with it delicate Japanese instrumentation, Smith sings of "waking up on the floor of the night before/With a stranger lying next to me". With The Blood, Smith unleashed his new-found interest in flamenco guitar sounds.
     
    The Cure were branching out and away from their maudlin past, and The Head on the Door - voted by the English music rags as 1985's album of the year - would mark a turning point in the band's career.

    Pip Christmass"

    See a scan of the article.

    (Thanks Jo and Brad)


    "A very curious Robert doll - "Robert Smith-The  Cure also has been sold for a undisclosed amount to a private collector in Hollywood, Ca."

    (Thanks Pamela)


    "A small picture is in the Elle Oct issue.  None of the designers mention The Cure but I guess the editors decided they influenced fashion in the 80's.  I think the picture is from the Wish era..."



    (Thanks Amy)
    Sept. 27th
  • 'Never Enough' book to be released in Poland:

    • "Translation of Jeff Apter's "Never Enough" will be printed in Poland. It will be in stores Nov. 15, 2005. The price will be 34,90 Polish zloties (about $ 11)"

    (Thanks to Fozzie @ Curesick)


  • Cure cover band on tv in Argentina:

    • "Here in Argentina there is a band called 'Cureosa: A Tribute to the cure', they played a show for Canal 7 (National Television, not cable) and it will
    be broadcasted 01.10.2005 (this Saturday)."

    (Thanks TCeA)


  • Cure cover:

    • "Just to give everyone a little heads up, The Band Suicide City (featuring Ex Biohazard member Billy Graziadei and former Kittie member Jennifer
    Arroyo http://www.suicidecity.com/ (opening for Mindless Self Indulgence http://www.mindlessselfindulbence.com) played "Burn" as their second to
    last song for their set. It was fairly metalized, and yet had the same flow as the Origional, all in all, a very nice live cover (Particularly since I've never heard or seen The Cure actually play the song live). So anyone who was going to watch MSI, make sure to peek in on Suicide City and see if they're still playing the cover."

    (Thanks Mark)

    "I just wanted to tell you, that Katie Melua made an very good cover of Just Like Heaven for her new CD "piece by piece". Here is a link, where you can listen to the whole song.

    http://www.swr3.de/musik/cdtipps/melua_katie/piece_by_piece/ (the link is in the gray box at the bottom of the page)"

    (Thanks TheVinc and Rich)

    "The american EBM/industrial band God Module has the cover version on 'a night like this' on their coming album Viscera. There's a clip of the
    song on their website http://www.godmodule.org"
     
    (Thanks Antti)


  • Curespotting:

    • "Maxim always has artists create a CD for readers to burn. Chris Cornell was this month's artist.  Track 11 on his CD is Catch."



    Update: "I think Mr. Cornell has his songs mixed up in his Maxim burn list.  Vocals for "Catch" start at the beginning of the song and the verse starts after 20 seconds.  I think he meant "The Kiss" instead.  Vocals for that song start after 3:50.  Hope things are well."

    (Thanks John, Raphael and Ryan)
    Sept. 24th

  • Results of Rita were much better than Katrina. Some gusty winds, moderate rain and loss of electricity for 5 hours. So, COF will be updated later tonight and the pieces can finally start to fall into place for a return to New Orleans next month (fingers crossed).


  • Another new Cure book - Robert Smith: Cure and Wishful Thinking.

    • (Thanks Fozzie and Jamesie)


  • UK fans can finally get Robert's iTunes playlist:

    • "Robert's playlist that's been available for ages to the US iTunes customers is now available from the UK store :) £15.01 for all the songs he's recommending."
     
    (Thanks Stephanie)


  • Cure cover:

    • "Today on aol radio a band on the emo station called anberlin did a cover of lovesong, it was ok a lot better then 311"

    (Thanks XllCoregirLllX)


  • Curespotting:

    • "Top Ten "Fuck You" Songs (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/features/artistlists/c/chin-up-05/). The Figurehead made number 10."

    (Thanks Bennion)


    "From the Kane County Chronicle

    With '80s bands from Duran Duran to Depeche Mode enjoying a revival, it was only a matter of time before a movie came along that was named after a song by The Cure.

    ("Boys Don't Cry" doesn't count — the song is too upbeat and the movie is too depressing. There's no way they're connected.)

    "Just Like Heaven," though, is the perfect song to go along with a perky romantic comedy. In case you had any doubts, a cover of it plays over the dreamy opening titles. Other Cure tunes — "Killing an Arab," for example — probably wouldn't have been so suitable. "

    (Thanks Craig)


    "Here's a bit about the song "Just Like Heaven" from a review slamming the movie, "Just Like Heaven."

    But perhaps the most uncool thing about "Just Like Heaven" is how it gives The Cure's classic love song a bad name. Just what did DreamWorks
    give Robert Smith in exchange for the rights to the title? A lifetime supply of hair-care products? I just hope nobody makes a romantic comedy and calls it "Why Can't I Be You?" Then, I'll really be angry.

    Full review - http://www.newsobserver.com/lifestyles/story/2796362p-9237027c.html"

    (Thanks Lenore)


    "This is an article from The Vail Trail - Indulging My Inner Teenager"

    (Thanks Tempest)


    "The Magazine" is a TV-guide-like mag aimed at Canadian kids.  www.themagazine.ca.  In their September issue there is a spread where a band called "The Dead 60s" have given a top-10 tunes mix.  Their #6 is "The Cure - Killing and Arab" with this caption: "We thought about covering this song but we thought people might take it the wrong way.  Originally writen about The Stranger by Camus, it's a great early single - there should be more pyramid punk".  Others on the list include The Clash,  Public Enemy, Joy Division, Kraftwerk, and Echo and the Bunnymen."

    (Thanks heather the buzzard)


    "In the September issue of Word(UK music magasine, Noel Gallagher on the cover) there is a quite interesting interview with Siouxie and obviously
    some references to The Cure and Robert..

    (....)But arguably Siouxie's influence runs much deeper than punk.It was her band that provided the catalyst for Robert Smith's reinvention of The
    Cure.

    (...)Part of the problem was their ever-shifting line-up;guitarists in particular were hard to keep.John McKay walked John McGeoch became mentally ill, his temporary replacement, Robert Smith returned to his own band.

    (...)The desertion of Robert Smith to return to The Cure 2 weeks before a Banshees tour in particular stang Siouxie(post departure she coined the
    nickname"Fatboy").I was only pissed off with him letting me down she says now.That's unforgivable.Not turning up for a tour-that's a crime.

    (....)Siouxie and Budgie formed their bare drums and vocals side project The Creatures, partly as a way to explore new non Banshee ideas, partly as a way to simply finding time together.Severin and Robert Smith of The Cure created their own group, The Glove,which Siouxie always regarded as a riposte to The Creatures...Boys will be boys she says archly.

    (...)The Creatures has an immediate hit with the single Right now, The Glove's album , in contrast was a druggy mush..(....)"

    (Thanks JC)

     
    "In a kind of strange place the september 19th comic strip of Sally Forth by Francesco Marciuliano there was a good Cure reference claiming that
    The Head On The Door is a great album."

    (Thanks John)


    "I don't know if this was mentioned or not. In www.johnandjohn.nl episode 240 is mentioning R. Smith."

    (Thanks Sarune)
    Sept. 22nd
  • Sorry for the lack of updates, but things have not been as positive as I was led to believe. I was told that I had very minor damage to my house, and was planning to head home on Sept. 19th. Well, the "minor damage" included a giant pecan tree down in my yard which crushed the backyard awning, tore parts of the roof off, knocked down some smaller trees, which all got tangled up in the electrical/phone/cable wires, pulled all of them down, which then ripped out the electrical boxes on the side of the house. So no air, lights, phone, etc. until the boxes are repaired by an electrician, the trees are cut down and untagled from all of the wires, and Entergy/Bellsouth/Cox can repair their lines. Other than that, two windows are smashed, there might be some leaks from the roof damage, and it appears that the house now has termites. Very depressing, yet I know it's a hell of a lot better than many others have it.  
    • And yes, I'm STILL in a hotel just north of Houston. And yes, I'm well aware that Hurricane Rita is heading this way. I just don't care right now. Sorry to be so down, but this has been a horrible week. I hope to get back to updating this weekend if the power doesn't go out here.


    Sept. 9th

  • Video clip from Istanbul:

    • "In the web site of Capture TV, you can download a little video of the last performance in Sept. 3rd, 2005 - Istanbul, Turkey (Rock'n Coke
    Festival) the video includes only 2 songs: Open and From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea.

    Here is the link: http://capturetv.5gigs.com/component/option,com_content/task,view/id,352/Itemid,86/ "

    (Thanks Jose)


  • 'Lovesong' will be featured on the next Diplo mix cd. Story at Pitchfork.

    • (Thanks Matthew)


  • Cure covers:

    • "Two Australian singers, Chanel Cole and Daniel Belle, former contestants on the Australian version of American Idol(!), have a cover of Lullaby
    on their new record, Spook, to be released Oct. 4.

    From a Daily Telegraph article:
    "Their sound is very 1990s triphop (Lamb, Massive Attack, Portishead) and the debut album, which is released through their own Ghost Music label on October 4, includes a stunning version of The Cure's Lullaby."
     
    I could only find more info. on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanel_Cole"

    (Thanks Lenore)

    "A band named Five Star Dive has posted on myspace a "demo" version of Cold ( www.myspace.com/fivestardive ). It's brilliant for a demo, pass
    it along/on."
     
    (Thanks Dave)
  • Another National guitar up for auction:

    • "I can't afford any more guitars right now.... Oh how I wish I could get this one. This looks to be the same model as played by Robert around
    Disintegration and for the Trilogy show.
    http://cgi.ebay.com/1963-National-Val-pro-88-Electric-Guitar-All-Original_W0QQitemZ7348811648QQcategoryZ2384QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"

    (Thanks Beahm)
  • Curespotting:

    • "album review: Stellastarr* - Harmonies For The Haunted"

    (Thanks Tempest)
    Sept. 7th


  • Thank you to everyone who has written in, sent thoughts and prayers, and made donations to the various relief agencies. I am receiving e-mail, but I can't reply for some reason. Probably the setup that I'm running. If you need a reply, e-mail me here, otherwise, continue to use the old address (especially for photos, videos, MP3s) and know that I'm very thankful to everyone who has continued to send in the setlists, photos, reviews, etc. It has lent a sense of normalcy to a week straight out of hell. Thanks again. 


  • Ivan from Hispacure had the chance to speak with Robert after the Benicassim show and got some great info to pass along:

    • - New album next april 2006 with a new Cure World Tour.
     
    - The album will be produced by Robert himself !! Robert told us that Ross Robinson is a great man and he will be involved in the making of the new album but not as a Producer.
     
    - Robert told us that the new album will have keyboards !! Robert and Porl will play them and at the moment they are not thinking about a new cure member.
     
    -  Robert is in contact with Severin and maybe he is going to do a collaboration in the new album but not like a new Cure member.
     
    -  Robert is really happy with this new line-up.  He thinks it was important to take a "new direction" now.
     
    - About Roger  :  Robert told us that he is a great musician but maybe he wasn't a part of "The  Cure soul" . . . they had differences in the way of working and about the future of The Cure so . . . it was better to continue with this new line up.
     
    (after listening  to Robert 's  words we could suppose that Robert thinks that Roger is an excellent musician but maybe they are people with great "differences" and minds . . .)
     
    - About Perry  :  This is different beceause  : Robert told us that He and Porl  had a drink with Perry in an English pub one week before Benicassim and they still have a great relationship. Robert told us that Perry admires Porl as one of the best guitar players in Great Britain.
     
    After listening to Robert's words we thought that maybe Robert and Porl had been thinking about " Porl's comeback" for a long time . . . we saw that
    Porl and  Robert are more like band members. They were together all night long ( Jason and  Simon were in the backstage area), so we understood that  Porl has been always a  Cure member even when he left the band. Porl told us that he is always in contact with Robert ... so when Robert is recording a new song or just thinking about the future of The Cure . . .  Porl supports Robert. For example  : Robert told us that they played " Signal  To  Noise" because Porl wanted to play this song !! so we tought that it's easy to believe that when Robert was thinking about this song (in 2001),
    maybe Porl was helping him.
     
    For this reason we all ( Hispacure members ) thought after the meeting that . . . maybe Robert and  Porl have been thinking about Porl's comeback for a long time. "The official news" were that Roger and Perry left the band and after Porl would returnto The  Cure .  .  .
     
    But we think that  Robert was unhappy with The Cure line up for different reasons.
     
    Roger  : they had different opinions . . .

    Perry  : maybe  Robert wanted  Porl in the band again and it was better that  Perry left.  We think that  Perry had been the first guitar during more than a decade ... and if  Porl returned it'd become a difficult situation for  Perry (even  if Perry admires  Porl). He  would have been a second guitar ... and this is really difficult to  accept or understand.
     
    - so Robert told us that he is now really happy with the new line up  : full of energy . . .
     
    We also spoke about football !! spanish football  :  Real  Madrid and  Valencia !! and he told us that he is still a Queen's Park Rangers' supporter.
     
    (Thanks to Ivan and David)


  • An update on Jeff Apter's new Cure book 'Never Enough':

    • "The book is still scheduled for a Sept 10 release in hardcover in the UK. (It's being held back until early 2006 in the US.) The publisher is Omnibus Press. And, unlike Dave Thompson's recent book, it is more than a cut-and-paste job. Although Smith remained elusive, I did interview, in some depth, Lol Tolhurst, Michael Dempsey, Phil Thornalley, Perry Bamonte, Jason Cooper and dozens of others. The Tolhurst revelations, in particular, make for some juicy reading. I even found out how much the coke budget was during the making of Pornography – this is crucial information!"

    (Thanks Jeff)


  • Here's an article about the Berlin show.

    • (Thanks emil)


  • Curespotting:

    • "September 2005 - Uncut (UK) "100 Rock and Movie Icons" #7 = David  Bowie
     http://www.picturesofyou.us/05/05-9-uncut-robert-bowies-lp.htm"

    (Thanks Autumn)

    "I was watching BBC2 today and on Sunday Past Times "The Lovecats" was being played as there were some scenes of cats. It is hosted by the garden man, Alan Titchmarsh."

    (Thanks Lips)

    "hey just thought i would let u know that atreyu one of the up and coming bands in the metal scene has paid tribut to robert.....once i heard the line i fell in love with the band....this just goes to show how far roberts influence stretches...the line goes "robert smith lied boys do cry"....even thehardcore metal scene is touch by this musical genius."

    (Thanks Jay)

    Back