"Roger That" is a song by rap group Young Money Entertainment released as the third single from their debut collaboration album We Are Young Money. Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, and Tyga rap on this song. The video was released on March 1, 2010, alongside "Girl I Got You".^[1]

The song received generally positive reviews by critics, most of which favored Minaj's contribution to the song over the others. "Roger That" debuted and peaked at 56 on Billboard Hot 100, 15 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and 6 on the Billboard Rap Songs.

Background[link]

Nicki Minaj stated on her twitter that all three rappers featured on the song never actually met the songs producer, Phenom.^[2] Minaj stated the beat was sent to her by Gmail who sent it to Lil Wayne which later led to the song being released on the We Are Young Money LP with all three rappers adding verses.

In the 2010 Sucker Free Summit, Lil Wayne's verse in the song was nominated for the Verse of the Year award along with label-mate Nicki Minaj for her verse in "My Chick Bad".

Critical reception[link]

The single garnered generally positive reviews most of which complimented Nicki Minaj's assistance on the single. XXL gave Minaj a positive review on the song stating, "On “Roger That,” for instance, YM’s female MC Nicki Minaj steals the spotlight".^[3] HipHopDX also favored Minaj's verse but stated the track would be better without Wayne stating, "Nicki Minaj owns most of the tracks she’s present on including 'Roger That' and 'Fuck da Bullshit', two more songs that could’ve done without Wayne."^[4] Planet Ill gave the song a negative review stating " 'Roger That' is the final breath for an album that’s lifeless by its end."^[5] Nathan S. of DJ Booth gave the song a mixed review commenting on Minaj as part of the whole album but predictable in "Roger That" stating, "Nicki Minaj can’t be ignored, although over the course of an album her wild style can become oddly predictable (especially on 'Roger That', where she sounds almost bored)."^[6]

Music video[link]

The music video was released on March 1, 2010, the day before Lil Wayne was supposed to be sentenced to jail after the second postponing and same day as the premiere of Lil Twist's & Lil Chuckee's "Girl I Got You". The video was shot entireley with a green-screen and pays homage to Sin City and bases a more adult story of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.^[7][8] The video features Lil Wayne, Tyga & Nicki Minaj and also featured the others artists in Young Money except for Drake, T-Streetz & Young Money's newest artist Cory Gunz (who hadn't been signed at the time).^[9]

Charts[link]

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References[link]

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (December 2010)

Look up Roger in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Roger (or Rodger) is primarily a common first name of Catalan, English and French usage, ("Rogier", "Rutger" in Dutch) from the Germanic elements hrod (fame) and ger (spear) meaning "famous with the spear." The Latin form of the name is Rogerius, as used by a few medieval figures.

The name Roger was transmitted to England by the Normans after the Norman Conquest along with other names such as William, Robert, Richard, and Hugh. It replaced its Anglo-Saxon cognate, Hroðgar. The variant Rosser comes from a Welsh derivation of the Old Norse Rhosier meaning “renown for his sword” (or spear) and first introduced to Wales via the Norman Invasion.^[1]

Radio phraseology[link]

"Roger" means "I have received all of the last transmission" in both military and civilian aviation radio communications. This usage comes from the initial R of received: R was called Roger in the radio alphabets or spelling alphabets in use by the military at the time of the invention of the radio, such as the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet and RAF phonetic alphabet. It is also often shortened in writing to "rgr". The word Romeo is used for "R", rather than "Roger" in the modern international NATO phonetic alphabet.

Contrary to popular belief, Roger does not mean or imply "I will comply." That distinction goes to the contraction wilco (from, "will comply"), which is used exclusively if the speaker intends to say "received and will comply." Thus, the phrase "Roger Wilco" is both procedurally incorrect and redundant.^[2]

Slang[link]

Look up roger in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Roger is also a short version of the term Jolly Roger which refers to a black flag with white skull and crossbones, formerly used by sea pirates since as early as 1723.

From c.1650 to c.1870 Roger was slang for the word "penis" probably due to the origin of the name involving fame with a spear.^[3][4][5] Subsequently, "to roger" became a slang verb form meaning "to have sex with/ to penetrate", often particularly referring to anal sex.

In 19th century England, Roger was slang for the cloud of toxic green gas that swept through the chlorine bleach factories periodically.^[6]

The name 'Hodge' is a corruption of Roger and in England it was used as a colloquial term by townsfolk, implying a rustic.^[7]

Spellings[link]

The following forenames are related to the English forename Roger:

• Catalan: Roger
• Dutch: Rutger or Rogier
• French: Roger
• Galician: Roxerio, Roxelio
• German: Rüdiger, Rutger, Ruetger, Rudgar, Ruotger, Routger, Rotger, Rötger
• Greek: Ρογήρος - Rogéros
• Icelandic: Hróar, Hróðgeir
• Italian: Ruggero, Roggero, Ruggeri, Ruggiero, Rugiero
• Latin: Rogerius
• Norwegian: Roar, Roger
• Polish: Roger
• Portuguese: Rogério
• Spanish: Rogelio
• Swedish: Roar, Roger, Rutger
• Welsh: Rosser, Rozier

People[link]

Only name[link]

• Roger I of Sicily, Norman ruler of Sicily
• Roger II of Sicily, Norman ruler of Sicily
• Roger of Worcester from 1163 to 1179
• Roger Roger (composer), French composer

First name[link]

• Roger Adams, Nobel Prize chemist
• Roger Andrew Taylor, drummer for Duran Duran
• Roger Angell, baseball writer for The New Yorker
• Roger Avary, motion picture director
• Roger Bacon, English philosopher
• Roger Ballen, Photographer
• Roger Bannister, British athlete, first man to run the four minute mile
• Roger "Syd" Barrett, founder of Pink Floyd
• Roger Berrio, Colombian weightlifter
• Roger E. Billings (born 1948), American entrepreneur and developer of high-tech products
• Roger Binny, Indian cricketer
• Roger Joseph Boscovich, Croatian-Ragusan physicist, astronomer, mathematician, philosopher, diplomat, poet, and Jesuit
• Roger Boylan, American writer
• Roger C. Carmel, American character actor
• Roger A. Caras, American wildlife photographer and writer
• Roger Casement, Irish patriot, poet, revolutionary and British diplomat
• Roger Chaffee, American astronaut
• Roger Chan, The Bus Uncle
• Roger Christian (songwriter), pop music lyricist
• Roger Clemens, baseball player
• Roger Cook (journalist)
• Roger Corman, B-movie director and producer
• Roger Craig (baseball), baseball player
• Roger Craig (American football), American football player
• Roger Daltrey, lead singer of British rock band The Who
• Roger Davis (television actor), American actor
• Roger Delgado, British actor
• Roger Dobkowitz, producer and stats expert for The Price is Right
• Roger Donaldson, movie producer and director
• Roger Ebert, motion picture critic
• Roger M. Enoka, American neurophysiologist
• Roger Federer, Swiss tennis player
• Roger Galera Flores, Brazilian football (soccer) player
• Roger Fortin, Canadian boxer
• Roger Frampton, British Male Model
• Roger Frugardi, medieval surgeon
• Roger García Junyent, Spanish football (soccer) player
• Roger Gibbon, Trinidad and Tobago track cyclist
• Roger Glover, Welsh/English bassist, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer.
• Roger González, Mexican singer, actor and conductor of Zapping Zone
• Roger Goldammer, Canadian bikebuilder
• Roger Goodell, Current commissionner of the NFL
• Roger Guerreiro, Polish football (soccer) player of Brazilian descent
• Roger Hodgson, Former vocalist and songwriter from Supertramp
• Roger Howarth, American actor
• Roger Ilegems, Belgian track cyclist and road bicycle racer
• Roger Ingram, American trumpeter, educator, and author
• Roger José de Noronha Silva, Brazilian football goalkeeper
• Roger Machado Marques, Brazilian football fullback
• Roger Manganelli, bass guitarist for Less Than Jake
• Roger Maris, baseball player
• Roger Mayweather, ex-boxer
• Roger McGuinn, singer and guitarist for The Byrds
• Roger Meddows-Taylor, British drummer for Queen
• Roger Lee Mendoza, noted pension economist and scholar
• Roger Michell, film director
• Roger Milla, Cameroon international footballer
• Roger Miller, American musician
• Roger Mills (athlete), English race walker
• Roger Moore, English actor most famous for his role as James Bond
• Roger E. Mosley, American actor
• Roger Mudd, TV journalist
• Roger Penrose, English mathematical physicist
• Roger Penske, American Businessman
• Roger Tory Peterson, American ornithologist
• Roger Pierre (1923–2010), French actor
• Roger Price (comedy) (1918–1990), American humorist who created Droodles and Mad Libs
• Roger Price (television producer) (born 1941), English television producer
• Roger Price (Australian politician) (born 1945), former Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives (1984–2010)
• Roger Toussaint, transit worker's union official
• Frère Roger, baptised Roger Louis Schutz-Marsauche, initiator of the Taizé Community
• Roger Rees, British actor
• Roger Sessions, American Music Composer
• Roger Sheaffe, British general in the War of 1812
• Roger Sherman, American revolutionary, signer of many famous documents, inventor of congressional system
• Roger Smith, American actor
• Roger Smith (executive) former Chairman and CEO of General Motors Corporation and the subject of Michael Moore's documentary film Roger & Me.
• Roger Staubach NFL Hall of Famer, 1985 class, Dallas Cowboys, mvp Super Bowl VI
• Roger Sumich, New Zealand cyclist
• Roger Meddows-Taylor, Drummer for British rock band "Queen"
• Roger Troutman, also known as Roger, R&B recording artist, singer for Zapp
• Roger Vadim, French film director
• Roger Vangheluwe, former Belgian bishop, resigned following pedophilia scandal
• Roger Waters, English rock musician and songwriter
• Roger Whittaker, British singer
• Roger Wicker (born 1951), U.S. Senator from Mississippi
• Roger Williams (theologian), co-founder of Rhode Island
• Roger Wrightson, English cricketer
• Roger Zelazny, science-fiction author

Last name[link]

• Neil Munroe ("Bunny") Roger, English couturier, war hero
• Julius Roger (1819–1865), entomologist

Fictional characters[link]

• Roger, character in the short story "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes
• Roger Sterling, co-owner of the advertising company Sterling Cooper, a character in the television series Mad Men
• Roger, a jolly prankster of the Burger Palace Boys from the hit 50s musical Grease
• Roger (Tekken), a kangaroo character from the Tekken fighting game series, and Roger Jr., his son
• Roger (Hellboy), a homunculus, is a character from the series Hellboy
• Roger (American Dad!), Roger the Alien, fictional character from American Dad!
• Roger Chillingworth, the fictional antagonist in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
• Roger Davis (RENT), musician and ex-druggie of RENT
• Roger Fox, a character from the comic FoxTrot
• Roger Healey, captain/major played by Bill Daily in the I Dream of Jeannie 1960's sitcom
• Roger LeClerc, a character in the BBC sitcom 'Allo 'Allo!
• Roger Murtaugh, cop played by Danny Glover in the Lethal Weapon movies
• Roger Rabbit, cartoon character from the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit
• Roger Ramjet, cartoon superhero
• Roger Smith, the main protagonist of the anime series The Big O
• Roger Wilco (character), the fictional protagonist of the Space Quest game series
• Roger, a character in the novel Lord of the Flies, Jack's lieutenant and the savage tribe's torturer/hangman
• Roger Danish, a minor character in Arrested Development, Lindsey's high school counterpart and co-winner of the BEst Hair Award
• Roger the Shrubber, a character in Monty Python and the Holy Grail who sells a shrubbery to King Arthur and Sir Bedevere.
• Gold Roger (Gol D. Roger), the Pirate King in the manga/anime-series One Piece
• Roger Klotz, a bully on the cartoon series Doug
• Roger the Dodger, a character from The Beano
• Roger Hoyt, the main character on the short-lived series Life with Roger
• Roger Walker, one of the central protagonists in theSwallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome

Music[link]

• Roger That (song), by Young Money

See also[link]

• Roger Dodger (phrase)
• Ruggiero (character)

References[link]

This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (November 2010)

Roger Hodgson
Roger Hodgson in France in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson
Born	(1950-03-21) 21 March 1950 (age 62)
Origin	Portsmouth, England
Genres	Progressive rock, pop rock, art rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass
Years active	1969–present
Labels	A&M, Unichord/Voiceprint, Epic
Associated acts	Supertramp, Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, Argosy
Website	RogerHodgson.com

Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson (born 21 March 1950) is a British musician and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman, and founding member, of progressive rock band Supertramp.^[1][2][3]

Hodgson composed and sang on the majority of the band's hits, including "Dreamer", "Give a Little Bit", "The Logical Song", "Breakfast in America", "Take the Long Way Home" and "It's Raining Again".

He left Supertramp in 1983 to pursue a solo career, but after two albums he retired from touring and other industry obligations. In 1997 he returned to doing solo tours, and released a third album in 2000. He is recognised for his tenor singing voice, which became a trademark of his former band Supertramp, and often writes about spiritual and philosophical topics.

Biography[link]

1950–1969: Early years[link]

Hodgson was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, in 1950 and grew up in Oxford. He is the son of Charles Hodgson and Jill Hodgson (died in June 2009). He attended Woodcote House near Wallingford, Oxfordshire, where he was the first boy to learn electric guitar, and Stowe School near Buckingham, Buckinghamshire. His first guitar was a parting gift from his father at age 12 when his parents divorced.^[4] He took it to boarding school with him, where his teacher taught him three chords. He began composing his own music and lyrics and within a year gave his first concert at school with nine original songs. Hodgson's first band at school consisted of him on guitar and his friend Roy Hoby playing snare drums. They were dubbed the "H-bombs" because of their last names.

At age 19, Roger Hodgson made his first appearance in a recording studio as guitarist for People Like Us, a band he formed shortly after graduating from boarding school.^[4] The group recorded a single, "Duck Pond" b/w "Send Me No Flowers", which was never released.^[5]

After People Like Us disbanded, Hodgson auditioned for Island Records, with Traffic's road manager providing him a foot in the door with the label.^[4] Island set him up in a recording studio as vocalist for the one-off "flower power" pop band Argosy, which also included Reginald Dwight (later known as Elton John), Caleb Quaye, and Nigel Olsson.^[6] Their sole single, "Mr. Boyd" b/w "Imagine", consisted of two pieces of orchestrated pop (both penned by Hodgson) and was issued in 1969 on the DJM (U.K.) and Congress (U.S.) record labels.^[6] It sold poorly and consequently has become rare and sought after. "Mr. Boyd" was covered in 1997 by Jake Shillingford and his band My Life Story on their album "The Golden Mile".

1969–1983: Supertramp[link]

After the breakup of Argosy, Hodgson, responding to an advert placed in Melody Maker by Rick Davies, auditioned for the guitarist spot in the progressive rock band Supertramp. Hodgson was offered the job, but when Richard Palmer arrived the next day to audition for the same spot, Hodgson agreed to learn how to play bass instead.^[7]

The songs on Supertramp's self-titled first album, released in 1970, were composed by Roger Hodgson, Rick Davies, and Richard Palmer; however, since both Hodgson and Davies were unwilling to write lyrics, Palmer wrote all the album's lyrics.^[7] Palmer left shortly after the album's recording, allowing Hodgson to switch back to guitar, but leaving him and Davies no choice but to serve as the band's lyricists. Paralleling fellow British prog rockers Genesis and their search for a new lead vocalist, Supertramp auditioned 93 guitarists before turning the role over to Hodgson.^[8] The hugely successful Crime of the Century was released in 1974. Crisis? What Crisis?, released in 1975, was followed by Even in the Quietest Moments in 1977. In 1979, they released their most successful album, Breakfast in America. This album has sold over 20 million copies to date.^[9] The live album, Paris, was released in 1980. …Famous Last Words…, released in 1982, included Hodgson's first solo recording, "Know Who You Are".

From 1974 through 1983, all songs recorded by Supertramp were legally credited with a shared writing credit of Davies/Hodgson. Roger Hodgson was the writer of hits such as "Give a Little Bit", "Breakfast in America", "It's Raining Again", "Take the Long Way Home" and "Fool's Overture". Hodgson wrote "Breakfast in America", "The Logical Song", and some of "Fool's Overture" at home with a harmonium he had bought from a neighbour when he was 17 years old (this instrument is used in the background of "Breakfast in America", and prominently appears on "Two of Us" and his solo track "The Garden").

In 1981, Hodgson left Los Angeles and moved his family to Northern California, where he built a home studio and began contemplating solo recordings.^[10] The rest of Supertramp remained in Los Angeles, and the geographic separation created a rift between them and Hodgson; there was little to no feuding, but the group harmony was lost. Hodgson felt increasingly constrained in the group context, and during the tour for …Famous Last Words… he made the final decision to leave Supertramp.^[11] He has stated that there were not any real problems in his relationship with Davies, as was speculated.^[12]

1984–present: Solo career[link]

Hodgson recorded three solo albums at his new home studio, the first before his departure from Supertramp. Titled Sleeping With the Enemy, it was cut in the months between the release of …Famous Last Words… and its supporting tour, and mixed during Supertramp rehearsals for said tour in hopes of fitting in some solo promotion while on the road.^[11] However, at the last minute Hodgson had second thoughts about the album's quality and decided to scrap it, planning to record a new and better album after his last tour with Supertramp.^[11]

This second effort, In the Eye of The Storm, was released in 1984. Despite being heavily publicized as the solo album of a former member of Supertramp, it failed to break the top 40 in either the US or UK.^[13][14] The single "Had a Dream (Sleeping With the Enemy)" was able to reach no higher than number 48 in the US,^[15] while the follow-up single, "In Jeopardy", failed to chart at all.

Though a major commercial disappointment after his last six albums with Supertramp, In the Eye of the Storm would prove to be Hodgson's biggest success without the group. His second album was Hai Hai (1987), however, just prior to the release of Hai Hai, Hodgson fell from a loft in his home and broke both wrists, which disabled him from promoting the album.^[16] It would barely scrape into the Billboard 200,^[17] and did not make the UK Chart. He decided to take a long break from both touring and recording in order to spend more time with his children.^[16]

In 1990, Hodgson was approached by Yes to take the lead singer position but declined the offer. One of the songs he co-wrote with Trevor Rabin, "Walls", appears on Yes's 1994 Talk album, with lyrics revised by Anderson. A version of "Walls" with only Hodgson and Rabin on vocals was released on Trevor Rabin's 2003 archival release 90124.

After a long break, he launched into his first tour in over ten years, and released 1997's live Rites of Passage to document the tour. The live album was recorded at the Miners Foundry in Nevada City, California. He performed with a full band including his son Andrew and Supertramp sax player John Helliwell. The album was a total flop in both the UK and US, but gave Hodgson his only significant solo success in Germany, reaching number 34 in the charts there.^[18]

Hodgson played King Arthur in the rock opera Excalibur: La Legende Des Celtes, and appeared on the album for two songs: "The Elements," and "The Will of God." The project was headed by Alan Simon and released in 1999. In 2000, he contributed vocals on a track titled "The Moon Says Hello" by Carlos Núñez, on the CD Mayo Longo.

Hodgson's fourth solo effort Open the Door was released in 2000 and continued in the vein of his previous work. He collaborated again with Alan Simon on the album. In August 2000, Hodgson guested with Fairport Convention at that years Cropredy Festival. He performed "Breakfast In America", "The Logical Song", "Open The Door" and "Give A Little Bit".

Hodgson toured as a member of the All-Starr Band in 2001, playing lead guitar, and has since collaborated with Trevor Rabin (who appears on the track "The More I Look" on Open the Door) and Ringo Starr.

Hodgson is still touring, often playing alone, but from time to time he is joined by other musicians or a full orchestra. He took part in the Night of the Proms concert series in Belgium and Germany in late 2004, as well as the rock festival Bospop in 2005. On 30 November 2005, he held his first concert in England in over twenty years, at Shepherd's Bush, London. While the performance was filmed and scheduled for a DVD release, the plan was scrapped. Instead, the concert recorded at the Place Des Arts in Montreal, Canada on 6 June 2006 was his first DVD, released on 22 August 2006, entitled Take The Long Way Home - Live In Montreal. In October 2006, the DVD was certified multi-platinum by the CRIA (Canadian Recording Industry Association).

In May 2006, Hodgson was honoured by ASCAP in recognition of his song "Give A Little Bit" being one of the most played songs in the ASCAP repertoire in 2005. He received another ASCAP award on 9 April 2008 for the Gym Class Heroes' song "Cupid's Chokehold", recognized as one of the most played songs in ASCAP's repertoire in 2007.

Hodgson participated as a mentor on Canadian Idol along with Dennis DeYoung. He continued mentoring several of the finalists during his 2006 Canadian Tour.

Hodgson performed at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium, UK on 1 July 2007. He sang a medley of his most popular songs: "Dreamer", "The Logical Song", "Breakfast in America" and "Give A Little Bit".

On 18 September 2007, Eagle Vision released the DVD Take the Long Way Home - Live in Montreal worldwide, achieving gold in Germany and France.

Hodgson toured the US, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Europe, and Canada in 2010. Though Hodgson's former bandmates in Supertramp announced a 40th Anniversary reunion tour, he was not invited to join them, and his own touring schedule would have prohibited him from any participation beyond the occasional guest spot in any case.^[19] Both Hodgson and Supertramp released tour material on download only on their websites. Hodgson's Classics Live is a collection of recordings taken from solo, band, and orchestra shows from his 2010 world tour. Hodgson again toured worldwide in 2011 and is again on a world tour which started in February and will finish in November.^[20]

Personal life[link]

Hodgson has been a vegetarian all of his life. He said in a 1983 interview about the topic: "I've always loved going out in the woods with all the trees because I also have the respect for the wilderness because I am a vegetarian and I don't eat meat."^{[citation needed]}

Discography[link]

For his work with Supertramp, see Supertramp discography between 1969 and 1983

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Roger Hodgson

• Official website
• Roger Hodgson on Myspace
• UK fansite

v t e Supertramp Rick Davies Bob Siebenberg John Helliwell Carl Verheyen Lee Thornburg Cliff Hugo Jesse Siebenberg Gabe Dixon Cassie Miller-Thornburg Past members: Roger Hodgson Dougie Thomson Richard Palmer Robert Millar Frank Farrell Kevin Currie Dave Winthrop Mark Hart Tom Walsh Keith Baker Touring members: Marty Walsh (1985–1988) Brad Cole (1986–1988) Scott Page (1983–1985) Fred Mandel (1983) Albums Supertramp Indelibly Stamped Crime of the Century Crisis? What Crisis? Even in the Quietest Moments... Breakfast in America ...Famous Last Words... Brother Where You Bound Free as a Bird Some Things Never Change Slow Motion Live albums Concert Classics Paris Live '88 It Was the Best of Times Is Everybody Listening? 70-10 Tour Compilations The Autobiography of Supertramp The Very Best of Supertramp The Very Best of Supertramp 2 Retrospectacle – The Supertramp Anthology Singles "Forever"" "Land Ho" "Dreamer" "Bloody Well Right" "Lady" "Ain't Nobody But Me" "Give a Little Bit" "Babaji" "From Now On" "The Logical Song" "Breakfast in America" "Goodbye Stranger" "Take the Long Way Home" "Dreamer (live)" "Breakfast in America (live)" "It's Raining Again" "Don't Leave Me Now" "Crazy" "My Kind of Lady" "Still in Love" "Cannonball" "Better Days" "I'm Beggin' You" "Free As A Bird" "Give a Little Bit (New Version)" "You Win, I Lose" "Listen To Me, Please" "Slow Motion" Selected songs "Brother Where You Bound" "Fool's Overture" Related articles Discography Band members Book:Supertramp

The Cure
The Cure performing in Singapore in 2007. Left to right: Porl Thompson, Jason Cooper (back), Robert Smith, Simon Gallup.
Background information
Origin	Crawley, England
Genres	Gothic rock,[1][2] alternative rock, New Wave, post-punk
Years active	1976–present
Labels	Fiction, Suretone, Geffen, Polydor, Elektra, Asylum, Sire
Associated acts	Malice, Easy Cure, The Glove, Siouxsie and the Banshees
Website	www.thecure.com
Members
Robert Smith Simon Gallup Roger O'Donnell Jason Cooper Reeves Gabrels
Past members
Lol Tolhurst Michael Dempsey Matthieu Hartley Andy Anderson Phil Thornalley Boris Williams Porl Thompson Perry Bamonte

The Cure are an English alternative rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member. The Cure first began releasing music in the late 1970s with its debut album Three Imaginary Boys (1979); this, along with several early singles, placed the band as part of the post-punk and New Wave movements that had sprung up in the wake of the punk rock revolution in the United Kingdom. During the early 1980s, the band's increasingly dark and tormented music helped form the gothic rock genre.^[1][2][3]

After the release of Pornography (1982), the band's future was uncertain and Smith was keen to move past the gloomy reputation his band had acquired. With the 1982 single "Let's Go to Bed" Smith began to place a pop sensibility into the band's music (as well as a unique stage look). The Cure's popularity increased as the decade wore on, especially in the United States where the songs "Just Like Heaven", "Lovesong" and "Friday I'm in Love" entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart. By the start of the 1990s, The Cure were one of the most popular alternative rock bands in the world. The band is estimated to have sold 27 million albums as of 2004.^[4] The Cure have released thirteen studio albums, 10 EPs and over thirty singles during the course of their career. Since 2010, they have been working on a fourteenth studio album.^[5]

History[link]

Formation and early years (1973–1979)[link]

The first incarnation of what became The Cure was The Obelisk, a band formed by students at Notre Dame Middle School in Crawley, Sussex. The band made their public debut in a one-off performance in April 1973, and featured Robert Smith (piano), Michael "Mick" Dempsey (guitar), Laurence "Lol" Tolhurst (percussion), Marc Ceccagno (lead guitar) and Alan Hill (bass guitar).^[6] In January 1976 the band took a more substantial form of what would be when Ceccagno formed Malice with Smith and Dempsey along with two other classmates from St. Wilfrid's Catholic Comprehensive School, with Ceccagno on lead, Smith on guitar, and Dempsey switching to bass. Ceccagno soon left, however, to form a jazz-rock fusion band called Amulet. Increasingly influenced by the emergence of punk rock, Malice's remaining members became known as Easy Cure in January 1977.^[7] By this time, Smith and Dempsey had been joined by Lol Tolhurst from The Obelisk on drums, and new lead guitarist Porl Thompson. Both Malice and Easy Cure auditioned several vocalists before Smith finally assumed the role of Easy Cure's frontman in September 1977.^[8]

That year, Easy Cure won a talent competition with German label Hansa Records, and received a recording contract. Although the band recorded tracks for the company, none were ever released.^[9] Following disagreements in March 1978 over the direction the band should take, the contract with Hansa was dissolved. Smith later recalled, "We were very young. They just thought they could turn us into a teen group. They actually wanted us to do cover versions and we always refused."^[9] Thompson was dropped from the band in May, and the remaining trio (Smith/Tolhurst/Dempsey) were soon renamed The Cure by Smith.^[10] Later that month the band recorded their first sessions as a trio at Chestnut Studios in Sussex, which were distributed as a demo tape to a dozen major record labels.^[11] The demo found its way to Polydor Records scout Chris Parry, who signed The Cure to his newly formed Fiction label—distributed by Polydor—in September 1978.^[12] The Cure released their debut single "Killing an Arab" in December 1978 on the Small Wonder label as a stopgap until Fiction finalised distribution arrangements with Polydor. "Killing an Arab" garnered both acclaim and controversy: while the single's provocative title led to accusations of racism, the song is actually based on French existentialist Albert Camus's novel The Stranger.^[13] The band placed a sticker label that denied the racist connotations on the single's 1979 reissue on Fiction. An early NME article on the band wrote that The Cure "are like a breath of fresh suburban air on the capital's smog-ridden pub-and-club circuit" and noted "With a John Peel session and more extensive London gigging on their immediate agenda, it remains to be seen whether or not The Cure can retain their refreshing joie de vivre."^[14]

The Cure released their debut album Three Imaginary Boys in May 1979. Because of the band's inexperience in the studio, Parry and engineer Mike Hedges took control of the recording.^[15] The band, particularly Smith, were unhappy with their debut; in a 1987 interview, he admitted, "a lot of it was very superficial – I didn't even like it at the time. There were criticisms made that it was very lightweight, and I thought they were justified. Even when we'd made it, I wanted to do something that I thought had more substance to it".^[16] The band's second single "Boys Don't Cry" was released in June. The Cure then embarked as the support band for Siouxsie and the Banshees' Join Hands promotional tour of England, Northern Ireland, and Wales between August and October. The tour saw Smith pull double duty each night by performing with The Cure and as the guitarist with The Banshees when John McKay quit the group.^[17] That musical experience had a strong impact on him: "On stage that first night with the Banshees, I was blown away by how powerful I felt playing that kind of music. It was so different to what we were doing with The Cure. Before that, I'd wanted us to be like The Buzzcocks or Elvis Costello, the punk Beatles. Being a Banshee really changed my attitude to what I was doing."^[18]

The Cure's third single "Jumping Someone Else's Train" was released in early October 1979. Soon afterwards, Dempsey was dropped from the band because of his cold reception to material Smith had written for the upcoming album.^[19] Dempsey joined the Associates, while Simon Gallup (bass) and Matthieu Hartley (keyboards) from The Magspies joined The Cure. The Associates toured as support band for The Cure and The Passions on the Future Pastimes Tour of England between November and December—all three bands were on the Fiction Records roster—with the new Cure line-up already performing a number of new songs for the projected second album.^[20] Meanwhile, a spin-off band comprising Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey, Gallup, Hartley and Thompson, with backing vocals from assorted family and friends, and lead vocals provided by their local postman Frankie Bell released a 7-inch single in December under the assumed name of Cult Hero.^[21]

Early Gothic Phase (1980–1982)[link]

	"One Hundred Years" (1982) noicon Sample of "One Hundred Years" from Pornography.
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Due to the band's lack of creative control on the first album, Smith exerted a greater influence on the recording of The Cure's second album Seventeen Seconds, which he co-produced with Mike Hedges.^[22] The album was released in 1980 and reached number 20 on the UK charts. A single from the album, "A Forest", became the band's first UK hit single, reaching number 31 on the singles chart.^[23] The album was a departure from The Cure's sound up to that point, with Hedges describing it as "morose, atmospheric, very different to Three Imaginary Boys."^[24] In its review of Seventeen Seconds the NME said, "For a group as young as The Cure, it seems amazing that they have covered so much territory in such a brief time."^[25] At the same time, Smith was pressed concerning the concept of an alleged "anti-image".^[26] Smith told the press he was fed up with the anti-image association that some considered to be "elaborately disguising their plainness", stating, "We had to get away from that anti-image thing, which we didn't even create in the first place. And it seemed like we were trying to be more obscure. We just didn't like the standard rock thing. The whole thing really got out of hand."^[27] That same year Three Imaginary Boys was repackaged for the American market as Boys Don't Cry, with new artwork and a modified tracklist. The Cure set out on their first world tour to promote both releases. At the end of the tour, Matthieu Hartley left the band. Hartley said, "I realised that the group was heading towards suicidal, sombre music—the sort of thing that didn't interest me at all."^[28]

The band reconvened with Hedges to produce their third album Faith (1981), which furthered the mood of misery present on Seventeen Seconds.^[29] The album peaked at number 14 on the UK charts.^[23] Included with cassette copies of Faith was an instrumental soundtrack for Carnage Visors, an animated film shown in place of an opening act for the band's 1981 Picture Tour.^[30] In late 1981, The Cure released the non-album single "Charlotte Sometimes". By this point, the sombre mood of the music had a profound effect on the attitude of the band. The band would refuse requests for older songs in concert, and sometimes Smith would be so absorbed by the persona he projected onstage he would leave at the end in tears.^[31]

In 1982, The Cure recorded and released Pornography, the third and final album of an "oppressively dispirited" trio that cemented the Cure's stature as purveyors of the emerging gothic rock genre.^[32] Smith has said that during the recording of Pornography he was "undergoing a lot of mental stress. But it had nothing to do with the group, it just had to do with what I was like, my age and things. I think I got to my worst round about Pornography. Looking back and getting other people's opinions of what went on, I was a pretty monstrous sort of person at that time".^[16] Gallup described the album by saying, "Nihilism took over [. . .] We sang 'It doesn't matter if we all die' and that is exactly what we thought at the time."^[33] Parry was concerned that the album did not have a hit song for radio play and instructed Smith and producer Phil Thornalley to polish the track "The Hanging Garden" for release as a single.^[34] Despite the concerns about the album's uncommercial sound, Pornography became the band's first UK Top 10 album, charting at number eight.^[23] The release of Pornography was followed by the Fourteen Explicit Moments tour, where the band finally dropped the anti-image angle and first adopted their signature look of big, towering hair and smeared lipstick on their faces.^[35] The tour also saw a series of incidents that prompted Simon Gallup to leave The Cure at the tour's conclusion. Gallup and Smith did not talk to each other for eighteen months following his departure.^[36]

Increasing commercial success (1983–1986)[link]

	"Just Like Heaven" (1987) noicon Sample of "Just like Heaven" from Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.
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With Gallup's departure from The Cure and with Smith's work with Siouxsie and the Banshees, rumours spread that The Cure had broken up. In December 1982, Smith remarked to Melody Maker, "Do The Cure really exist any more? I've been pondering that question myself [. . .] it has got to a point where I don't fancy working in that format again." He added, "Whatever happens, it won't be me, Laurence, and Simon together any more. I know that."^[37]

Parry was concerned at the state of his label's top band, and became convinced that the solution was for The Cure to reinvent its musical style. Parry managed to convince Smith and Tolhurst of the idea; Parry said, "It appealed to Robert because he wanted to destroy The Cure anyway."^[38] With Tolhurst now playing keyboards instead of drums, the duo released the single "Let's Go to Bed" in late 1982. While Smith wrote the single from as a throwaway, "stupid" pop song to the press,^[39] it became a minor hit in the UK, reaching number 44 on the singles chart.^[23] It was followed in 1983 by two more successful songs: the synthesiser-based "The Walk" (number 12), and "The Love Cats", which became the band's first British Top 10 hit, reaching number seven.^[23] The group released these studio singles and their B-sides as the compilation album Japanese Whispers, designed by Smith for the Japanese market only, but released worldwide on the decision of the record company. The same year, Smith also recorded and toured with Siouxsie and the Banshees, contributing as guitarist on their Nocturne live video and their Hyaena studio album. Meanwhile, he recorded the Blue Sunshine album with Banshees bassist Steven Severin as The Glove, while Lol Tolhurst produced the first two singles and debut album of the English band And Also The Trees.

In 1984, The Cure released The Top, a generally psychedelic album on which Smith played all the instruments except the drums—played by Andy Anderson—and the saxophone—played by returnee Porl Thompson. The album was a Top 10 hit in the UK, and was their first studio album to break the Billboard 200 in the U.S., reaching number 180.^[23][40] Melody Maker praised the album as "psychedelia that can't be dated", while pondering, "I've yet to meet anyone who can tell me why The Cure are having hits now of all times."^[41] The Cure then embarked on their worldwide "Top Tour" with Thompson, Anderson, and producer-turned-bassist Phil Thornalley on board. Released in late 1984, The Cure's first live album, Concert consisted of performances from this tour. Near the tour's end, Anderson was fired for destroying a hotel room and was replaced by Boris Williams.^[42] Thornalley also left because of the stress of touring.^[43] However, the bassist slot was not vacant long, for a Cure roadie named Gary Biddles had brokered a reunion between Smith and former bassist Simon Gallup, who had been playing in the band Fools Dance. Soon after reconciling, Smith asked Gallup to rejoin the band.^[44] Smith was ecstatic about Gallup's return and declared to Melody Maker, "It's a group again."^[45]

In 1985, the new line-up of Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup, Thompson, and Williams released The Head on the Door, an album that managed to bind together the optimistic and pessimistic aspects of the band's music between which they had previously shifted.^[46] The Head on the Door reached number seven in the UK and was the band's first entry into American Top 75 at number 59,^[23][40] a success partly due to the international impact of the LP's two singles, "In Between Days" and "Close to Me". Following the album and world tour, the band released the singles compilation Standing on a Beach in three formats (each with a different track listing and a specific name) in 1986. This compilation made the US Top 50,^[40] and saw the re-issue of three previous singles: "Boys Don't Cry" (in a new form), "Let's Go To Bed" and later "Charlotte Sometimes". This release was accompanied by a VHS or LaserDisc called Staring at the Sea, which featured videos for each track on the compilation. The Cure toured to support the compilation and released a live concert VHS of the show, filmed in the south of France called The Cure in Orange. During this time, The Cure became a very popular band in Europe (particularly in France, Germany and the Benelux countries) and increasingly popular in the U.S.^[47]

[edit] Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me and worldwide success (1987–1993)

In 1987, The Cure released the double LP Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, which reached number six in the UK, the Top 10 in several countries^[48] and was the band's first entry into the U.S. Top 40 at number 35 (where it was certified platinum),^[23][40][49] due to the combination of the band's rising popularity and the success of lead single, "Why Can't I Be You?".^[50] The album's third single, "Just Like Heaven" was the band's most successful single to date in the US, being their first to enter the Billboard Top 40.^[51] After the album's release, the band embarked on the successful Kissing Tour. During the European leg of the tour, Lol Tolhurst's alcohol consumption was interfering with his ability to perform so The Psychedelic Furs keyboardist Roger O'Donnell was frequently called upon to stand in for him.^[52]

	"Lovesong" (1989) noicon Sample of "Lovesong" from Disintegration. "Lullaby" (1989) noicon Sample of "Lullaby" from Disintegration.
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In 1989, The Cure released the album Disintegration, which saw a return to the gothic atmospheres of earlier releases like Faith and Pornography.^[53] It became their highest charting album in the UK to date, entering at number three and featuring three Top 30 singles in the UK and Germany ("Lullaby", "Lovesong" and "Pictures of You").^[23][54] Disintegration also reached number twelve on the US charts.^[40] The first single stateside, "Fascination Street", reached number one on the American Modern Rock chart, but was quickly overshadowed when its third US single, "Lovesong", reached number two on the American pop charts (the only Cure single to reach the US Top 10).^[51] By 1992, Disintegration had sold over three million copies worldwide.^[55]

During the Disintegration sessions, the band gave Smith an ultimatum that either Tolhurst would have to leave the band or they would.^[56] In February 1989, Tolhurst's exit was made official and announced to the press;^[57] this resulted in Roger O'Donnell becoming a full-fledged member of the band and left Smith as The Cure's only remaining founder member. Smith attributed Tolhurst's dismissal to an inability to exert himself and issues with alcohol, concluding, "He was out of step with everything. It had just become detrimental to everything we'd do."^[58] Because Tolhurst was still on the payroll during the recording of Disintegration, he was credited in the album's liner notes as playing "other instruments", however it has since been revealed that he contributed nothing to the album in either performance or song writing. The Cure then embarked on the Prayer Tour, which saw the band playing stadiums in the US. On 6 September 1989, The Cure performed "Just Like Heaven" at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.^[59] In February 1990, the song won the Brit Award for Best British Video.^[60]

In May 1990, Roger O'Donnell quit and was replaced with the band's guitar technician Perry Bamonte. That November, The Cure released a collection of remixes called Mixed Up. The album was not well received and quickly slid down the charts.^[61] The one new song on the collection, "Never Enough", was released as a single. In 1991 The Cure were awarded the Brit Award for Best British Group.^[62] That same year Tolhurst filed a lawsuit against Smith and Fiction Records in 1991 over royalties payments, and claimed joint ownership of the name "The Cure" with Smith; the verdict was handed out in September 1994 in favour of Smith. In respite from the lawsuit, the band returned to the studio to record their next album.^[63] Wish reached number one in the UK and number two in the US and yielded the international hits "High" and "Friday I'm in Love".^[23][40] The Cure also embarked on the "Wish Tour" with Cranes, and released the live albums Show (September 1993) and Paris (October 1993). As a promotional exercise with the Our Price music chain in the UK, a limited edition EP was released consisting of instrumental outtakes from the Wish sessions. Entitled Lost Wishes, the proceeds from the four-track cassette tape went to charity. In 1993, the band were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album for Wish.^[64]

In the years between the release of Wish and the start of sessions for The Cure's next album, the band's line-up shifted again. Thompson left the band once more during 1993 to play with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, and Bamonte took over as lead guitarist. Boris Williams also left the band, and was replaced by Jason Cooper (formerly of My Life Story).

Period of transition (1994–1998)[link]

The album sessions began in 1994 with only Smith and Bamonte present; the pair were later joined by Gallup (who was recovering from physical problems) and Roger O'Donnell, who had been asked to rejoin the band at the end of 1994.^[65] The Cure performed "Burn" in the movie The Crow and "Dredd Song", the theme song of the 1995 movie Judge Dredd starring Sylvester Stallone (The former song despite never being released as a single nor ever played live, is regarded a fan favourite of Cure fans and fans of 'The Crow'). It was not released on a Cure album until 2004 on Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities 1978–2001 (The Fiction Years).

Wild Mood Swings, finally released in 1996, was poorly received compared with previous albums and marked the end of the band's commercial peak.^[66] Early in 1996, the Cure played festivals in South America, followed by a world tour in support of the album Galore. Galore contained all of the Cure's singles released between 1987 and 1997, as well as the new single "Wrong Number", which featured longtime David Bowie guitarist Reeves Gabrels. Gabrels also accompanied The Cure on a brief American radio festival tour as an onstage guest guitarist for "Wrong Number". In 1998 The Cure contributed to the soundtrack album for The X Files feature film as well as the Depeche Mode tribute album For the Masses, with their cover of "World in My Eyes".

	"Out of This World" (2000) noicon Sample of "Out of This World" from Bloodflowers.
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Later years (1999–2009)[link]

With only one album left in their record contract and with commercial response to Wild Mood Swings and the Galore compilation lacklustre, Smith once again considered that the end of The Cure might be near and thus wanted to make an album that reflected the more serious side of the band.^[67] The Grammy-nominated album Bloodflowers was released in 2000 after being delayed since 1998.^[68] According to Smith, the album was the third of a trilogy along with Pornography and Disintegration.^[69] The band also embarked on the nine-month Dream Tour, attended by over one million people worldwide. In 2001, The Cure left Fiction and released their Greatest Hits album and DVD, which featured the music videos for a number of classic Cure songs. In 2002, the band headlined twelve major summer music festivals, and played three extended concerts (one in Brussels, two in Berlin) in which they performed the albums Pornography, Disintegration and Bloodflowers in their respective entireties each night. The Berlin performances were released on DVD as The Cure: Trilogy in 2003.

In 2003, The Cure signed with Geffen Records. In 2004, they released a new four-disc boxed set on Fiction Records titled Join the Dots: B-Sides and Rarities, 1978-2001 (The Fiction Years). The compilation includes seventy Cure songs, some previously unreleased, and a 76-page full-colour book of photographs, history and quotes, packaged in a hard cover. The album peaked at number 106 on the Billboard 200 album charts.^[40] The band released their twelfth album The Cure on Geffen in 2004, which was produced by Ross Robinson. It made a top ten debut on both sides of the Atlantic in July 2004.^[23][40] To promote the album, the band headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival that May. From 24 July to 29 August, The Cure headlined the Curiosa concert tour of North America. While attendances were lower than expected, Curiosa was still one of the more successful American summer festivals of 2004.^[70] The same year the band was honoured with an MTV Icon award in a television special presented by Marilyn Manson.^[71]

The Cure in concert in 2004. From left to right: Robert Smith, Jason Cooper, and Simon Gallup

In May 2005, Roger O'Donnell and Perry Bamonte were fired from the band. O'Donnell claims Smith informed him he was reducing the band to a three-piece. Previously O'Donnell said he had only found out about the band's upcoming tour dates via a fan site and added, "It was sad to find out after nearly 20 years the way I did but then I should have expected no less or more."^[72] The remaining members of the band—Smith, Gallup and Cooper—made several appearances as a trio before it was announced in June that Porl Thompson would be returning for the band's 2005 Festival summer shows, as well as their set at Live 8 in Paris on 2 July. Later that year, the band recorded a cover of John Lennon's "Love" for Amnesty International's charity album Make Some Noise. It is available for download on the Amnesty website, while the album was released on CD in 2006. On 1 April 2006, The Cure appeared at the Royal Albert Hall on behalf of the Teenage Cancer Trust. It was their only show through to the end the year. In December a live DVD, entitled The Cure: Festival 2005 including 30 songs of their 2005 Festival tour was released.

The Cure began writing and recording material for their thirteenth album in 2006. Smith initially stated it would be a double album.^[73] The Cure announced a last-minute postponement of their autumn 2007 North American 4Tour in August in order to continue working on the album, rescheduling the dates for spring 2008.^[74] Titled 4:13 Dream, the album was released in October 2008. The group released four singles and an EP—"The Only One", "Freakshow", "Sleep When I'm Dead", "The Perfect Boy" and Hypnagogic States respectively—on or near to the 13th of each month, in the months leading up to the album's release. In February 2009, The Cure received the 2009 Shockwaves NME Award for Godlike Genius.^[75]

Reunion with former members and next album (2010–present)[link]

On January 13, 2010, Smith announced on The Cure's website that they were working on the follow-up to 4:13 Dream and an iTunes exclusive release. He explained, "There is an 'exclusive' iTunes Cure album still in the works... and part two of the Dream sessions is slowly taking shape."^[5] In August 2011, Smith told Hot Press that The Cure may not be interested in wrapping up the leftover material that was recorded during the 4:13 Dream sessions. He explained, "It's one of those things that it's been left so long now I expect it will come out as a half-finished sort of thing. I'm not sure if the band wants to complete it, which is sort of the elephant in the room. What happened to the second half of the album? No one mentions it! We're aware that it's there. Nobody really wants to talk about it. Maybe it will come up after a few post-festival beers!". Smith later added, "I think between now and this time next year, The Cure will take precedence over anything else. Until I get the second half of this album out, I won't do another collaboration."^[76]

In 2011, the band played their first three studio albums in their entirety during two shows in Sydney, Australia. These "Reflections" shows notably featured Roger O'Donnell and Laurence Tolhurst, both in a keyboard and percussion role. Porl Thompson was absent from the performances. The shows are due to be released on DVD in 2012.^[77] The band later headlined Bestival. Roger O'Donnell again joined the band on stage. On 11 September 2011, Roger O'Donnell announced on his Facebook page that he had officially rejoined the band. The band announced seven more Reflections shows, one in London, three in New York City and three in Los Angeles.^[78] On Tuesday 27 September, The Cure was announced as a nominee for 2012 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.^[79] The Cure have been announced as one of the three headliners of the 2012 Reading and Leeds Festivals.

Musical style[link]

The Cure are often identified with the gothic rock subgenre of alternative rock, and are viewed as one of the form's definitive bands. However, the band has routinely rejected classification, particularly as a gothic rock band. Robert Smith said in 2006, "It's so pitiful when 'goth' is still tagged onto the name The Cure", and added, "We're not categorisable. I suppose we were post-punk when we came out, but in total it's impossible [...] I just play Cure music, whatever that is."^[80] Smith has also expressed his distaste for gothic rock, describing it as "incredibly dull and monotonous. A dirge really."^[81] While typically viewed as producers of dark and gloomy music, The Cure have also yielded a number of upbeat songs. Spin has said "The Cure have always been an either/or sort of band: either [...] Robert Smith is wallowing in gothic sadness or he's licking sticky-sweet cotton-candy pop off his lipstick-stained fingers."^[82]

The Cure's primary musical traits have been listed as "dominant, melodic bass lines; whiny, strangulated vocals; and a lyric obsession with existential, almost literary despair."^[83] Most Cure songs start with Smith and Gallup writing the drum parts and bass lines. Both record demos at home and then bring them into the studio for fine-tuning.^[84] Smith said in 1992, "I think when people talk about the 'Cure sound,' they mean songs based on 6-string bass, acoustic guitar, and my voice, plus the string sound from the Solina."^[84] On top of this foundation is laid "towering layers of guitars and synthesisers".^[85] Keyboards have been a component of the band's sound since Seventeen Seconds, and their importance increased with the instrument's extensive use on Disintegration.^[86] With the Departure of Roger O'Donnell in 2005, keyboards have not been as prominent in the band's album 4:13 Dream and their live shows.

Music videos[link]

The band's early music videos have been described as "dreadful affairs" and have been maligned for their poor quality, particularly by the band itself. Lol Tolhurst said, "Those videos were unmitigated disasters; we weren't actors and our personalities weren't coming across."^[87] It was with the video for "Let's Go to Bed", their first collaboration with director Tim Pope, that The Cure would become noted for their videos. Pope added a playful element to the band's videos; the director insisted in a 1987 Spin interview, "I think that side of them was always there, but was never brought out."^[16] Pope would go on to direct the majority of The Cure's videos, and his videos, which became synonymous with the band, helped expand The Cure's audience during the 1980s.^[88] Pope explained the appeal of working with The Cure by saying, "The Cure is the ultimate band for a filmmaker to work with because Robert Smith really understands the camera. His songs are so cinematic. I mean on one level there's this stupidity and humour, right, but beneath that there are all [Smith's] psychological obsessions and claustrophobia."^[81]

Legacy[link]

The Cure were one of the first alternative bands to have chart and commercial success in an era before alternative rock had broken into the mainstream. In 1992 the NME declared The Cure had during the 1980s become "a goth hit machine (19 to date), an international phenomenon and, yep, the most successful alternative band that ever shuffled disconsolately about the earth".^[55] Smith has noted he looks at Cure-influenced bands like Interpol and My Chemical Romance with affection, adding, "I also think [Interpol bassist] Carlos D.'s obsession with Simon Gallup is sweet."^[89] Interpol lead singer, Paul Banks was quoted as saying "The Cure is the band that all of us in Interpol can say influenced us. When I was younger I listened to them a lot. Carlos as well. Actually, he took a straight influence from this band on the way he played the bass and the keys. To me, Robert Smith is also one of these examples: you can't be Robert Smith if you're not Robert Smith. It's one of the bands with the deepest influence on Interpol, because we all like them. They're legendary."^[90]

Several references to The Cure and their music have been made in popular culture. A number of films have used the title of a Cure song as the film's title, including Boys Don't Cry (1999) and Just Like Heaven (2005). The Cure's gloomy image has been the subject of parody at times. In series two of The Mighty Boosh, The Moon sings 'The Love Cats' over the credits. In the same episode, a powerful gothic hairspray, Goth Juice, is said to be "The most powerful hairspray known to man. Made from the tears of Robert Smith." The Mary Whitehouse Experience often featured brief clips of the stars of the show performing comical songs and nursery rhymes as The Cure in a morose style. Robert Smith appeared in the final episode of the first series of The Mary Whitehouse Experience singing "The sun has got his hat on" before punching the character Ray (played by Robert Newman) whilst uttering Ray's catchphrase "Oh no what a personal disaster". Robert Smith was also portrayed on an episode of South Park (Season 1, Episode 12) where he transforms into the form of Mothra and battles Mecha-Streisand to save the day and Kyle shouts "Disintegration is the best album ever!" In Craig Thompson's graphic novel Blankets the chapter seven is called "Just Like Heaven". The same chapter shows Raina singing some lyrics from this song to Craig.

Discography[link]

• Three Imaginary Boys (1979)
• Boys Don't Cry (1980)
• Seventeen Seconds (1980)
• Faith (1981)
• Pornography (1982)
• Japanese Whispers (1983)
• The Top (1984)
• The Head on the Door (1985)
• Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987)
• Disintegration (1989)
• Wish (1992)
• Wild Mood Swings (1996)
• Bloodflowers (2000)
• The Cure (2004)
• 4:13 Dream (2008)

Members[link]

Current line-up

• Robert Smith – lead vocals, guitars, keyboards (1976–present)
• Simon Gallup – bass guitar, keyboards (1979–1982, 1985–present)
• Roger O'Donnell – keyboards (1987–1990, 1995–2005, 2011–present)
• Jason Cooper – drums, percussion (1995–present)
• Reeves Gabrels – guitars (2012–present)

See also[link]

• Wikipedia books: The Cure

References[link]