Song:Just Like Heaven
Album:Greatest Hits
The Cure was one of the most durable bands to emerge from the late 70s British punk scene. They changed their sound significantly in the 80s and they were very popular in England. Though Just Like Heaven was not their biggest US chart hit, the song established them in the US when MTV played the video to death. Robert Smith from Crawley, West Sussex, England was the lead singer and lyricist. He wrote all the lyrics and the band worked out the music in the recording studio. Early incarnations of The Cure were called Malice and Easy Cure. Smith played guitar at first but took over lead vocals when the singer left the band. Guitarist Porl Thompson and drummer Lol Tolhurst were both in these bands and they would later contribute to The Cure. The Cure released their debut album Three Imaginary Boys in 1979 on Fiction Records. Smith said later that he didn't like the album. He thought it was too commercial. So on the 1980 album Seventeen Seconds, Smith exerted more control and the result was a much darker tone. This would continue for the next couple of albums and The Cure were hailed as leaders in "gothic rock". Smith wasn't too happy about that. After bassist Simon Gallup left in 1982, Smith considered disbanding The Cure. He was convinced by Fiction to reinvent The Cure and it was soon after that Thompson returned to the band. Gallup also returned. So finally they had some success on the British charts and that led to a US record deal with Elektra. The 1987 single Just Like Heaven was their first top 40 hit in the US. The video was heavily played on MTV and the 1987 album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me was certified Platinum. The success continued into the early 90s when the 1989 single Lovesong reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. But it's likely The Cure would have never had that success without the earlier breakthrough of Just Like Heaven. This budget comp is a good intro to their music. The Cure faded in the mid-90s and today Robert Smith is the only original member remaining. They last recorded new music in 2008 but they still tour. I guess at this point The Cure could be considered an 80s nostalgia act. Here's the video for Just Like Heaven by The Cure.
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