The Cure

[81]"The Cure, Foo Fighters, Kasabian to headline Reading And Leeds Festivals 2012" (http://www.nme.com/news/readingleeds-festival/ 62577). NME. Retrieved 13 June 2012

[82]"Smith seeks cure for writers' block" (http://uk.news.launch.yahoo.com/dyna/article.html?a=/06122006/325/

smith-seeks-cure-writers-block.html&e=l_news_dm). Yahoo.com. 6 December 2006. . Retrieved 28 March 2007.

[83]Sandall, Robert. "The Cure: Caught In The Act". Q. May 1989.

[84]Greenwald, Andy. "The Cure – The Head on the Door". Spin. July 2005.

[85]Blackwell, Mark; Greer, Jim. "Taking the Cure". Spin. June 1992.

[86]Gore, Joe. "The Cure: Confessions of a Pop Mastermind". Guitar Player. September 1992.

[87]Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Cure" (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:hifpxqe5ld6e~T1). Allmusic.com. . Retrieved 22 April 2007.

[88]Apter, pg. 241

[89]Apter, pg. 177–78

[90]Raggett, Ned. "Staring at the Sea: The Images (review)" (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:5zh9kextsq70). Allmusic (AllMusic.com). . Retrieved 5 April 2007.

[91]Spitz, Marc. "Robert Smith". Spin. November 2005.

[92]"Paul Banks (Interpol) on The Cure". Blitz Magazine. October 2010.

Sources

• Apter, Jeff. (2006). Never Enough: The Story of the Cure. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-827-1

Further reading

•Ten Imaginary Years, by L. Barbarian, Steve Sutherland and Robert Smith (1988) Zomba Books ISBN 0-946391-87-4

•The Cure: A Visual Documentary, by Dave Thompson and Jo-Ann Greene(1988) Omnibus Press ISBN 0-7119-1387-0

•The Cure: Songwords 1978–1989 S. Hopkins, Robert Smith and T. Foo (1989) Omnibus Press ISBN 0-7119-1951-8

•In Between Days: An Armchair Guide To The Cure by Dave Thompson, Helter Skelter Publishing (October 2005) ISBN 1-905139-00-4

•The Cure – Greatest Hits (songbook containing 20 of their best, transcribed note-for-note with tab, chord symbols and complete lyrics), Hal Leonard Corporation (May 2002) ISBN 0-634-04667-5

•Robert Smith: "The Cure" and Wishful Thinking by Richard Carman (2005) Independent Music Press (UK) ISBN 978-0-9549704-1-3

•Jeremy Wulc : My dream comes true : Carnet de route avec The Cure. (2009) Editions : Camion Blanc

External links

•Official website (http://www.thecure.com)

•The Cure Records (http://www.thecurerecords.com) – the most complete discography on the Internet

•The Cure (http://www.discogs.com/artist/Cure,+The) discography at Discogs

17

The Members

Robert Smith

Robert Smith

Schecter UltraCure Signature

Fender Jazzmaster

Fender Telecaster Deluxe

Fender Bass VI

Robert James Smith (born on 21 April 1959) is a British musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its formation in 1976. NY Rock describes him as "pop culture's unkempt poster child of doom and gloom", and asserts that some of his songs are a "somber introspection over lush, brooding guitars".[1]

Smith's guitar-playing and use of flanging, chorusing and phasing effects put him amongst the forefront of the Goth and New Wave genres. He also played guitar in the band Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Early years and personal life

Smith was born in Blackpool and is the third of four children born to Alex and Rita Smith. His siblings are Richard, Margaret and Janet. When he was three years old his family moved to Horley in Surrey, then finally to Crawley in Sussex four years later. Smith was raised as a Catholic and went to Notre Dame Middle School and St. Wilfrid's Comprehensive School in Crawley. He was an accomplished student who attained high marks, but after he began playing guitar at the age of 11 his main focus quickly became his music. His influences were The Beatles, Nick Drake, Jimi Hendrix, Thin Lizzy, The Stranglers, Wire, Buzzcocks, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Ink Spots, The Statler Brothers, Syd Barrett, Joy Division and David Bowie.

Smith's sister Janet is married to Porl Thompson, the erstwhile "second" guitarist of The Cure, and Robert married his childhood sweetheart, Mary Poole, in 1988.[2][3][4][5][6]

Smith now resides in Aldwick, West Sussex with his wife, Mary Poole.

Role in The Cure

When The Cure was first formed, Smith did not intend to become the lead vocalist; he began singing after the original singer left the band and fell into the role somewhat by default, since no better replacement appeared. From the late 1970s and into the 1980s, Smith composed some of The Cure's songs on a Hammond organ with a built-in tape recorder, including a complete demo of the song "10:15 Saturday Night".

Smith has written or co-written the bulk of the band's music and lyrics over its thirty six-year lifespan. With Lol Tolhurst, Smith wrote such songs as "The Love Cats", "Let's Go to Bed", and "The Walk". He put together the album The Top between stints playing guitar with Siouxsie and the Banshees. Smith has co-produced most of the band's material.

Stage persona and image

Smith began sporting his trademark and cult style of smeared red lipstick, eye-liner, pale complexion, artfully dishevelled black hair, black clothes and trainers in the early 1980s, around the same time as the Goth subculture took off. However, Smith denies any credit for this trend and claims it is a coincidence that the styles are similar,

stating that he wore make-up since he was young and further saying: "It's so pitiful when 'Goth' is still tagged onto the name The Cure."[7]

His songwriting for the band's early albums centered around themes of depression, loneliness, and isolation. The sombre mood of these early albums, along with Smith's on-stage persona, cemented the band's "gothic" image.

The band's aesthetic went from gloomy to psychedelic beginning with the album The Top. In 1986, Smith altered his image by appearing on-stage and in press photos sporting short spiky hair and polo shirts (this can be seen in The

Cure in Orange, a concert in the south of France released on video in 1987). This new haircut made the headlines on MTV news.[8]

Although Smith's public persona could be deemed to portray a depressed image, he has claimed that his songs do not convey how he feels all, or even most, of the time:

"At the time we wrote Disintegration ... it's just about what I was doing really, how I felt. But I'm not like that all the time. That's the difficulty of writing songs that are a bit depressing. People think you're like that all the time, but I don't think that. I just usually write when I'm depressed."[9]

Vocal styles

In the band's earliest period, Smith used a soft vocal style on the demos of "10:15 Saturday Night" and "Boys Don't Cry", and a frenetic punk style on "I Just Need Myself". Both of those styles were left behind as a third emerged during the production of the band's debut album, Three Imaginary Boys. This new sound, which can be heard on most of the final versions of songs from that period, became the signature Smith sound, which he generally employed until the 2000 album Bloodflowers. Around that time, Smith said he wanted to improve his singing, the opposite of his goal in 1984: he remarked in the documentary Ten Imaginary Years that he tried to sing badly on the album The Top.

In an interview in 2000, Smith said that "there is one particular kind of music, an atmospheric type of music, that I enjoy making with The Cure. I

enjoy it a lot more than any other kind of sound".[1] When Smith was asked about the 'sound' of his songwriting, Smith said that he did not "think there is such a thing as a typical Cure sound. I think there are various Cure sounds from different periods and different line-ups."[1]

Collaborations

Smith has also been involved in other musical projects, including stints in 1979 and 1982–84 as guitarist with Siouxsie and the Banshees, as well as a side project in 1983 with Banshee bassist Steven Severin called The Glove.

In 1980, Smith sang backing vocals to the song "The Affectionate Punch" on The Associates' debut album The Affectionate Punch. At the time, The Associates were also signed to Fiction Records. The Cure song, "Cut Here", alludes to The Associates' singer Billy MacKenzie's suicide.

In 1992-1993 Smith formed a friendship with The Cranes, whom he asked to open shows on The Wish Tour to support the Wish album. Smith later contributed some guitar work on an alternate version of The Cranes' "Jewel" single.

In 1998, Smith formed a "one-off" side project with Jason Cooper and Reeves Gabrels under the name COGASM, releasing the track "A Sign from God" for the film Orgazmo. Smith also contributed to and sang the track

"Yesterday's Gone" on Reeves Gabrels' album Ulysses (Della Notte) released in 1999 via Internet and in 2000 on CD by E-Magine.[10]

In 2003, Smith collaborated with the pop punk band Blink-182 on the track "All of This" on their self-titled Blink-182 album. He also provided vocals for Junior Jack for the club hit "Da Hype".

In 2004, Smith co-wrote and supplied vocals for the Tweaker song "Truth Is". Smith collaborated again with Junior Jack on a remix of "Da Hype", featured on the album Trust It. Blank & Jones remixed "A Forest" featuring Smith on vocals. He was also featured as a vocalist and co-writer on JunkieXL's "Perfect Blue Sky".

In 2005, Smith teamed up with Billy Corgan, lead singer and lead guitarist of both The Smashing Pumpkins and Zwan, to do a cover of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody" on Corgan's first solo release, TheFutureEmbrace.

Smith also provides guest vocals to the track "Come to Me" on the 65daysofstatic album We Were Exploding Anyway, released in 2010.[11]

Smith has provided guest vocals for the single version of Crystal Castles song "Not in Love", released on 6 December 2010.[12]

In 2011 Smith collaborated with The Japanese Popstars on their track "Take Forever".

Guest appearances

In 1993, Smith appeared as himself in the BBC2 comedy show Newman & Baddiel In Pieces. Standing by a grave, Smith — who was often fondly parodied by the two comedians — says "I've never felt so miserable".[13]

On 9 January 1997, Smith joined David Bowie on stage at Bowie's 50th Birthday Party concert at Madison Square Garden to duet on two Bowie songs, "The Last Thing You Should Do" and "Quicksand".

In 2004, Smith stood in as one of three guest presenters for John Peel on BBC Radio 1, a week before Peel's death. In November, he joined Placebo on stage at their Wembley Arena gig to sing the band's hit song "Without You I'm Nothing", as well as The Cure staple "Boys Don't Cry".

Also in 2004 Smith made a guest appearance with the popular pop-punk band Blink-182 to perform the song "All of This" and The Cure hit "Boys Don't Cry".

Smith along with his band, joined Korn onstage for the band's unplugged performance in 2006 where they played a mashup of Korn song "Make Me Bad" and Cure song "In Between Days".

He was also in an episode of South Park, in which he battles "Mecha" Barbra Streisand in a battle that completely destroys the town of South Park. Smith looks very similar to Mothra of the Godzilla movies, but has the ability of "robot punch" to take out the "Godzilla (Mecha) version" of Streisand. In one scene, he offers to roshambo Cartman in order to get his Walkie-Talkie back, and immediately kicks Cartman in the groin, causing him to drop the walkie-talkie. At the end of the episode as Smith walks off into the sunset, Kyle remarks "Disintegration is the best album ever!" In recording the lines for the episode, Trey Parker and Matt Stone deliberately did not provide any context for his lines, for a more humorous effect. Smith states that Kyle claiming Disintegration to be the best album ever as one of his "Happiest moments."

He also has a guest spot on the soundtrack to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. His track on "Almost Alice" is titled "Very Good Advice" which is a cover of one of the songs from the 1951 film adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.

Smith appeared on 65daysofstatic's fourth album We Were Exploding Anyway on the song, "Come to Me". The

major shift from math rock to electronica and dance music in the album is believed to be partially due to The Cure's influence after the two toured on The Cure's 2009 tour.[14] He was also going to be on the third studio album This Is

War of US rock band 30 Seconds To Mars but at the time Smith was busy. Smith also appeared on The Japanese Popstars single 'Take Forever' released on Virgin Records on September 2011.

Cultural references

The look of the main character in This Must Be the Place is inspired by Smith's appearance.[15]

The song "Robert Smith in meiner Kneipe" by German singer/songwriter Tommy Finke is mainly about Smith going into a fictional bar and drinking beer with the singer/songwriter. In the music video, an actor dresses like a stereotyped-version of Smith.[16]

Discography

With The Cure

See The Cure discography from 1976 (start) to present

With The Glove

• Blue Sunshine (1983)

With Siouxsie and the Banshees

•Nocturne (1983)

•Hyæna (1984)

References

[1]"Robert Smith on Craziness, Commercialism and Cure by Numbers (NY Rock Interview)" (http://www.nyrock.com/interviews/2000/ cure.htm). Nyrock.com. . Retrieved 2010-05-02.

[2]"Contactmusic.com" (http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/robert smith happy without children). Contactmusic.com. . Retrieved 2010-05-02.

[3]voconces (29 May 2009). "Independent.co.uk" (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/

robert-smith--what-becomes-of-the-brokenhearted-997591.html). London: Independent.co.uk. . Retrieved 2010-05-02.

[4]"Blender.com" (http://www.blender.com/guide/67574/dear-superstar-robert-smith.html). Blender.com. 15 July 2004. . Retrieved 2010-05-02.

[5]Zoe Williams (12 June 2004). "Guardian.co.uk" (http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2004/jun/12/popandrock1). London: Guardian. . Retrieved 2010-05-02.

[6]"Picturesofyou.us" (http://www.picturesofyou.us/88/88-starhits-holiday88-weddingparty.htm). Picturesofyou.us. . Retrieved 2010-05-02.

[7]"Robert Smith: Not Goth, Has Writer's Block" (http://stereogum.com/archives/robert-smith-not-goth-has-writers-block_004111.html). Stereogum. 12 June 2006. . Retrieved 2008-06-28.

[8]http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/the-cure-biography/272826fee27fcf974825683100151947

[9]The Holy Hour (http://imaginaryboys.altervista.org/english/cure/articles/tib_holyhour.htm) a July 1989 interview for the French fanzine

Three Imaginary Boys

[10]"Review by Craig Young of Ulysses (Della Notte)" (http://earpollution.com/vol2/dec00/album/album2.html). Earpollution.com. December 2000. . Retrieved 2012-04-20.

[11]"Blog Archive » 65Propaganda 030210" (http://www.65daysofstatic.com/blog/2010/02/03/65propaganda-030210/). 65daysofstatic. . Retrieved 2010-05-02.

[12]"Pitchfork: The Playlist: Crystal Castles: "Not in Love" ft. Robert Smith" (http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/

12025-not-in-love-remix-ft-robert-smith/). Pitchfork. 27 October 2010. . Retrieved 2010-10-29.

[13]"Youtube - Newman & Baddiel In Pieces" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5h2HaYraEY). . Retrieved 2010-01-09.

[14]"Music - Review of 65daysofstatic - We Were Exploding Anyway" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/5xnv). BBC. . Retrieved 2010-05-02.

[15]English press kit This Must Be The Place. Retrieved 2011-05-09 (http://www.festival-cannes.com/assets/Image/Direct/040739.pdf)

[16]music video "Robert Smith in meiner Kneipe" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NysB1jeDwso)

External links

•Robert Smith at Pictures of You (http://www.picturesofyou.us/members/robert.htm)

•Robert Smith interview at Stereo Warning (http://www.stereowarning.com/2008/10/ robert_smith_interview_about_the_cure_and_his_latest_album.html)

•Robert Smith (http://www.discogs.com/artist/Robert+Smith) discography at Discogs

•Robert Smith (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0809733/) at the Internet Movie Database

•Robert Smith (http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/704620/) at BFI Film & TV Database

Simon Gallup

Simon Gallup

Associated acts Lockjaw (1976-1978)

The Magazine Spies (1978-1979)

The Cure (1979-1982), (1985-present)

Fools Dance (1983-1984)

Website http://www.thecure.com/

Notable instruments

Gibson Thunderbird

Fender Precision Bass

Fender Jazz Bass

Epiphone Jack Casady Bass

Simon Jonathon Gallup (born 1 June 1960) is an English musician and bassist of the post-punk band The Cure.

Early years

Born in Duxhurst, Surrey, Simon is the youngest of six children born to Bob and Peg Gallup. His siblings are Stuart, David, Duncan, Monica, and Ric. After moving to Horley, Surrey in 1961 he attended Horley Infants and Junior Schools between 1961 and 1975, followed by Horley Balcombe Road Comprehensive from 1971-1976. Between 1976 and 1978 he worked in a plastics factory and became the bass player for local punk band Lockjaw, who later evolved into The Magazine Spies (1979–1980), also known as The Mag/Spys.[1] Lockjaw and The Mag/Spys played regular live shows with Easy Cure and later The Cure between 1977 and 1979, and after collaborating in the studio on the Cult Hero recording sessions in October 1979, both Gallup and keyboardist Matthieu Hartley left The Mag/Spys to join The Cure.[2] Former Mag/Spys Gallup, Hartley and Stuart Curran later performed together under the name of The Cry and later Fools Dance during Gallup’s hiatus from The Cure between 1982 and 1984.

The Cure

Gallup first joined The Cure in 1979, replacing Michael Dempsey on bass guitar. He also has been credited for occasionally playing the keyboard, particularly after Matthieu Hartley's departure in 1980; he took over keyboard lines for many of the songs that Hartley played. Examples of songs he played keyboard on live include "At Night", "A Forest", "A Strange Day" and "Pornography". During "Cold" he multi-tasked playing bass guitar and bass pedals. On the Swing Tour in 1996, he played acoustic 12-string guitar on "This is a Lie". On the Dream Tour in 2000 he played a Fender Bass VI on "There Is No If". He is also credited with singing lead vocals for a demo for "Violin Song." Gallup first performed on the Cure albums that make up "The Dark Trilogy": Seventeen Seconds, Faith, and

Pornography.

During the Pornography Tour in 1982, a series of incidents prompted Gallup to leave The Cure, including an incident when he got into a fist fight with Robert Smith at a nightclub reportedly over a bar-tab. Gallup left the band and started The Cry with Gary Biddles and Matthieu Hartley. Their first gig was at the Covent Garden Rock Garden on 19 April 1983. They later changed their name to Fools Dance, which released two EPs - Fools Dance and They'll Never Know. Biddles sang most of the songs that were released by this band, Gallup sang on one called "The Ring". When asked why he left The Cure, he said, "It's just basically that Robert and I are both really arrogant bastards, and

it got to such an extreme. I suppose you just can't have two egocentrics in a band, and Robert was sort of 'the main man.'"[3]

In 1984, Smith asked Gallup to return to The Cure, an offer which he accepted. Since then, the two of them have remained on good terms. Gallup also served as best man at Smith's wedding in 1988.[4]

In late 1992, Gallup again took a brief break from the band during the Wish Tour after he had to be transported to hospital, suffering from pleurisy after being ill for several months. During this time, he was replaced on bass by former Associates and Shelleyan Orphan member Roberto Soave.[5]

Gallup is the second longest serving member of The Cure, which has led to him being referred to as Robert Smith's right-hand man. He performed on every album except Three Imaginary Boys/Boys Don't Cry, Japanese Whispers,

The Top, and Concert.

Gear

•Simon's favourite bass is his Gibson Thunderbird.[6] In 2004 Gibson created a special red Thunderbird bass for Simon Gallup, to celebrate his 25th year as the bassist for The Cure.[6]

•He has also played Fender Precision, Fender Jazz, Rickenbacker 4001, MusicMan Stingray, Washburn AB10 acoustic, Kramer Acoustic, custom Dick Knight, Epiphone Jack Casady and Eccleshall 335 basses live.[6]

•Simon uses the following Boss guitar effect pedals: BF-2 Flanger, CE-5 Chorus Ensemble, MT-2 Distortion, DD-3 Digital Delay and NS-2 Noise Suppressor.[6]

•Simon Gallup is a supporter of Reading Football Club and draped a team flag over his amp while playing in Sydney Australia during the band's 2007 tour. He also draped a Reading F.C flag over his amp at Coachella 2009, during the set at Bestival 2011, Isle of Wight and during Reading Festival in 2012.

Discography

Lockjaw

•Radio Call Sign, The Young Ones (1977), - 7" Single

•Journalist Jive, A Doong A Doong A, I'm A Virgin (1978), - 7" Single

The Mag/Spys

• Life Blood, Bombs (1980), - Split 7" single with The Obtainers

The Cure

•Seventeen Seconds (1980)

•Faith (1981)

•Pornography (1982)

•The Head on the Door (1985)

•Standing on a Beach (1986)

•Staring at the Sea (1986), VHS

•The Cure In Orange (1986), VHS

•Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987)

•Disintegration (1989)

•Mixed Up (1990)

•Entreat (1991)

•Picture Show (1991), VHS

•The Cure Play Out (1992), VHS

•Wish (1992)

•Paris (1993)

•Show (1993)

•Wild Mood Swings (1996)

•Galore (1997)

•Bloodflowers (2000)

•Greatest Hits (2001)

•Trilogy (2003), DVD

•Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities 1978–2001 (The Fiction Years) (2004)

•The Cure (2004)

•Festival 2005 (2005), DVD

•4:13 Dream (2008)

Fools Dance

→ See Fools Dance discography

Family Life

Simon’s older brother David Gallup was the manager for Lockjaw, while Ric Gallup was responsible for the promotional artwork of Lockjaw, The Mag/Spys, and (following Porl Thompson’s departure from the original Easy Cure line-up) early art and design for The Cure, including the ‘drop C’ logo used on the band’s early posters and record covers. Ric also founded the Dance Fools Dance label, which released The Mag/Spys’ only split-single release in 1980 (from the earlier Cult Hero sessions), and produced the animated short film Carnage Visors, which featured a soundtrack by The Cure and was screened in place of an opening band during The Cure’s Picture Tour in 1981. Ric also designed promotional materials for Fools Dance, and was responsible for the band’s lighting on tour. Since the mid 1980s he has also been the regular lighting designer/director for And Also The Trees.