Search results
The current lineup includes Smith, bassist Simon Gallup (from 1979 to 1982, and since 1984), keyboardist Roger O'Donnell (from 1987 to 1990, 1995 to 2005, and since 2011), guitarist and keyboardist Perry Bamonte (from 1990 to 2005, and since 2022), drummer Jason Cooper (since 1995) and guitarist Reeves Gabrels (since 2012). History.
Initially called Easy Cure, the band was founded by Robert Smith (vocals, guitar), Michael Dempsey (bass), Lol Tolhurst (drums), and Porl Thompson (guitar). Known for their distinct post-punk, gothic rock sound, The Cure achieved widespread acclaim and commercial success, particularly in the 1980s.
- Brian Kachejian
The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, West Sussex. [1] [2] [3] Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member, though bassist Simon Gallup has been present for all but about three years of the band's history.
- 1978–present
People also ask
Who are the cure?
Who are the cure band?
Who are the members of Easy Cure?
Who were the cure's original members?
- Overview
- Formation and early years
- Mainstream success
- Later work and influence
the Cure, English post-punk rock group known for its innovative new-wave style, which rests largely on creating moody songs laced with Gothic imagery that embrace melancholic and lovesick themes. The Cure was formed in 1978 by vocalist and guitarist Robert Smith (b. April 21, 1959, Blackpool, Lancashire, England), bassist Michael Dempsey (b. Novemb...
Smith, Dempsey, and Tolhurst, along with guitarist Thompson, formed Easy Cure at St. Wilfrid’s Catholic secondary school in Crawley, West Sussex, England, in 1976. However, when Thompson departed in 1978, the trio of Smith, Dempsey, and Tolhurst renamed the band the Cure and released its first album, Three Imaginary Boys, in 1979. The record features “10:15 Saturday Night” and other tracks inspired by 1970s punk. Several songs from Three Imaginary Boys (including the one mentioned above) were placed on the band’s first North American release, Boys Don’t Cry (1980), along with the singles “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Jumping Someone Else’s Train,” and the controversial “Killing an Arab,” whose title was taken from an excerpt from The Stranger (1942) by French author Albert Camus.
The album Seventeen Seconds (1980) marked the Cure’s first turn into their signature sound—that is, minimalist instrumentation marked by heavy, pulsing bass lines and warbling, sometimes frantic, single-noted guitar progressions. This sound is exemplified in “A Forest,” which was released as a single in early 1980. This darker style would continue in Faith (1981), with Smith’s vocals becoming more tortured and his lyrics exploring isolation and loneliness against a backdrop of bass and drums, as in “Primary” and “Other Voices.” In Pornography (1982) Smith’s echoes and wails are pitted against frenzied instruments in some songs, as in “The Hanging Garden” and “Pornography,” whereas others, such as “One Hundred Years” and “Cold,” introduced grand, sweeping synthesizer progressions of the type that would feature prominently on later albums.
The middle to late 1980s was a period of substantial critical and commercial success for the band, with a number of singles, as well as the albums themselves, making inroads into traditional rock radio in the United States. The Head on the Door (1985) included the songs “In Between Days” and “Close to Me,” which made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and peaked on the U.K. charts at number 15 and number 24, respectively. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987) highlighted the various faces of love and lust across musical styles, which spanned the punchy and playful horns of “Why Can’t I Be You?,” the slashing funk textures of “Hot Hot Hot!!!,” and the melodic guitar lines of “Just Like Heaven.” Disintegration (1989), which became the Cure’s best-selling album, revealed a group at the top of its game. According to most critics, Smith’s sophisticated songwriting was at its best here, with “Plainsong,” “Pictures of You,” “Fascination Street,” and other songs featuring soaring orchestral soundscapes contrasted against the mainstream pop of “Lovesong” and the dread and menace of “Lullaby.”
Riding on the acclaim of Disintegration, Wish (1992) reached the number one position on the U.K. charts and entered the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S. at number two. The album spawned three singles and included one of the Cure’s biggest selling hits, the lighter and more joyous “Friday I’m in Love.”
The band produced only a handful of albums in the 21st century, and none reached the critical acclaim and commercial success of earlier records. Despite such developments, the Cure continues to be admired for its enduring contributions to both rock music and culture. The band still plays to large crowds, often on stages awash in mists and green and blue lighting, which helps the audience visit the Gothic atmospheres described in its songs. Bands as diverse as Nine Inch Nails, the Smashing Pumpkins, Interpol, and Fall Out Boy cite the Cure as an important influence, and nods to Smith’s signature look appear in mainstream American culture, including the film Edward Scissorhands (1990) as well as in both the comic series and film The Crow (1994). The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
Special offer for students! Check out our special academic rate and excel this spring semester!
- John P. Rafferty
Sep 30, 2023 · Louder. “In my own mind there have been five bands called The Cure that I’m in”: Robert Smith on the ever-changing line-up of his goth trailblazers. By Niall Doherty. published 30 September 2023. In 2002, Smith looked back over the line-up changes and sonic transformations of his band. (Image credit: Ross Marino/Getty Images)
May 7, 2024 · The current lineup includes Smith, bassist Simon Gallup (from 1979 to 1982, and since 1984), keyboardist Roger O'Donnell (from 1987 to 1990, 1995 to 2005, and since 2011), guitarist and keyboardist Perry Bamonte (from 1990 to 2005, and since 2022), drummer Jason Cooper (since 1995) and guitarist Reeves Gabrels (since 2012). Contents. History.
Discography. Notes. References. External links. Robert Smith (musician) Robert James Smith (born 21 April 1959) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and the co-founder, lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and only continuous member of the Cure, an alternative rock band formed in 1978.
