JANUARY
Recording more demos with Steve Severin for The Glove (named after
one character in Beatles' Yellow Submarine). Robert Smith spent the
following month touring with the Banshees (Japan / New Zealand / Australia).
MARCH
07th
London, Hammersmith, Riverside
Studios
TV performance with Lol on drums, Steve Severin on bass, Marc Almond's Venomettes
on strings. Robert Smith played and sang Siamese Twins live while two Royal
Ballet dancers would do an entire choregraphy to the song. And nobody laughed.
Actually, the musicians were barely visible on TV. That was a test to see
how Robert could write a score for the Royal Ballet. This project wouldn't
see the light of the day.
11th
Manchester, Oxford Road Show,
TV
Originally a promotional appearence for Let's Go To Bed, but by putting out
a band especially for this (Andy Anderson on drums, Derek Thompson - from
SPK - on bass), Robert and Lol played One Hundred Years and The Figurehead
live instead.
MAY
Recording the Blue Sunshine album for the Glove (Robert Smith and Steve Severin's
project together) with Andy Anderson on drums and Jeannette Landray on vocals.
An "attack of the senses" according to Robert.
Around that time, the Cure (Robert & Lol), entered another studio (Jam
Studio) to record electronic music for a new single (The Walk) with Steve
Nye producing - resulting in Robert to conclude : "every week I'm in
another group".
JUNE
London, Angel Studio
Robert spent the month recording the Hyaena album with the Siouxsie and the
Banshees. A strange video for The Walk
was done by Tim Pope.
JULY
The Walk / The Upstairs Room single got released (FICS 18) and became a hit
in the UK, obliging the Cure to appear twice on Top Of The Pops. Porl Thompson
mimed the bass on the first showing.
Then Phil Thornalley took the job and became the Cure's bassist. The band
was a 4-piece now with him, Andy Anderson on drums, Lol Tolhurst on keyboards
and Robert.
This line-up would also embark for a few live dates in the UK, USA, France
sounding quite different from previous Cure's incarnations. Most of the songs
included keyboards parts.
Live repertoire : Killing An Arab, 10:15 Saturday Night, Three Imaginary Boys,
Jumping Someone Else's Train, Play For Today, In Your House, A Forest, M,
At Night, Primary, The Funeral Party, The Drowning Man, Faith, Forever, One
Hundred Years, The Hanging Garden, Siamese Twins, The Figurehead, Cold, Pornography,
The Walk, Lament.
27th
Bournemouth, Midnight Express
Secret gig in a small club used as a warm up for the Elephant Fayre
festival appearence.
28th
Bath, Moles Club
Another secret gig. Andy had troubles remembering the exact beat
to Siamese Twins. The band tried more songs they didn't play before : The
Hanging Garden, Lament and the Walk (the original keyboards tune being played
on guitar). Forever was very short that night (2 minutes), probably because
they had to end the show on time.
30th
St Germans, Elephant Fayre
Festival
One of Robert Smith's favorite festivals. The setting, the atmosphere, the
summer... They played Faith for the first time that night. Actually most of
these old classic songs were supposed to be put aside after this short tour
was over. A great version of Forever ended the show. The soundcheck was also
very interesting : two songs they wouldn't try in front of the audience, The
Holy Hour & All Cats Are Grey, followed by an instrumental version of
Siamese Twins on which they experimented altered chords and stuff !
AUGUST
The band arrived in America for a few concerts (only
New York and California, like in 1981) since they didn't tour playing the
songs from Pornography there. In San Francisco,
they tried The Funeral Party for the first and last time.
That version was pretty interesting, apart from including lots of improvised
lyrics, the song actually sounded quite different (lower octaves).
13th
St Jacut les Pins, Musicomanie Festival
The band returned to Europe to appear on a French festival. Half of the audience
didn't come for them and clearly showed it. Robert had a word for these people
: "Why don't you just fuck off and go home if you don't like it ?".
The end of the show was hilarious with Robert yelling "Peace and love,
man" in a sarcastic way.
14th
Paris, Studio des Dames
Recording songs for a new single : The Lovecats. The song was inspired by
the Aristocats movie (taking place in Paris). So the whole idea was to record
a jazzy single there. Part of the lyrics could also be interpreted as a suicide
pact between two lovers.
SEPTEMBER
The Glove's Blue Sunshine album was released. Unfortunately, not a success
in the UK, although it did well around the world. Robert Smith spent this
month and part of the following with the Banshees : videos, Top of The Pops,
live dates...
OCTOBER
25th
The Lovecats single was released (FICS 19) and became the Cure's biggest hit
to date (reaching n°7 at the charts). The
video for the song was filmed in a house in Hampstead ; Robert spread
the idea that they got it through an estate agent as they pretended being
interested in buying it, and gave back the keys once the video was shot !
Stuffed cats were also used instead of real ones as Tim Pope was allergic
to them.
DECEMBER
16th
A LP compilation called Japanese
Whispers, putting the last three Cure singles together, was released.
Originally, that was for German and Japanese markets but the record company
got "greedy". Robert Smith designed the picture sleeve himself.
Works on the next Cure album ("The Top") started at the beginning of the month at the Garden and Eden studios.
25th
The band appeared a third time at Top
Of The Pops miming The Lovecats. Porl still mimed the cello on the song
while Robert was completely drunk for this Christmas special. Robert would
also mimed Dear Prudence with the Banshees on the same show !
GO TO 1984 PART 1
