Standing on a Beach is a singles compilation released by the British rock band The Cure

The Cure

The Cure are an English 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...

 in May, 1986, marking a decade since the band's founding in 1976. The album's title is taken from the opening lyrics of The Cure's debut single "Killing an Arab

Killing an Arab

"Killing an Arab" is the first single by The Cure. It was recorded at the same time as their first LP in the UK, Three Imaginary Boys but not included on the album...

".

The "New Voice - New Mix" of "Boys Don't Cry

Boys Don't Cry (song)

"Boys Don't Cry" was the second single to be released by The Cure, released in June 1979. It was released in the UK as a stand-alone single, and was included as the title track on Boys Don't Cry, the American equivalent to Three Imaginary Boys....

" (released as a single little over a fortnight before Standing on a Beach) is not featured on the album, making the album only span singles from 1978 to 1985. The same mix has never been released since onto a compilation album.

Release formats

The album was released in three formats, vinyl record

Gramophone record

A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...

, compact disc

Compact Disc

The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...

 and audio cassette

Compact Cassette

The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...

.

The vinyl

Gramophone record

A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...

 edition is a collection of all thirteen of The Cure's commercially released singles up to that point in chronological order. "10:15 Saturday Night

10:15 Saturday Night

"10:15 Saturday Night" is a song by British post-punk band, The Cure. It was the B-side to their single "Killing an Arab", as well as the opening track of their debut album, Three Imaginary Boys. It was also released in France as a single with the track "Accuracy" as the B-side...

" is dropped though, possibly because it was only released in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

The CD

Compact Disc

The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...

 edition features the same tracks as the vinyl edition, but also includes an extra track from four of the band's albums. The four songs, although not released as singles, all had music videos made for them.

The cassette

Compact Cassette

The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...

 edition features the same tracks as the vinyl edition, but also contains all of the band's b-sides that had, to that point, not received a long-play release. This excludes "10:15 Saturday Night" from the "Killing an Arab

Killing an Arab

"Killing an Arab" is the first single by The Cure. It was recorded at the same time as their first LP in the UK, Three Imaginary Boys but not included on the album...

" single, which was released on the Three Imaginary Boys

Three Imaginary Boys

The album included an uncredited, final instrumental track informally called "The Weedy Burton". The fact was not acknowledged until the Deluxe Edition re-issue.-2004 Deluxe Edition:...

album, "Plastic Passion" from the "Boys Don't Cry

Boys Don't Cry (song)

"Boys Don't Cry" was the second single to be released by The Cure, released in June 1979. It was released in the UK as a stand-alone single, and was included as the title track on Boys Don't Cry, the American equivalent to Three Imaginary Boys....

" single, which was released on the Boys Don't Cry

Boys Don't Cry (album)

Boys Don't Cry is a U.S. debut album by The Cure, released in February 1980 in the UK and in August 1980 in the U.S. It is a compilation of songs from Three Imaginary Boys, but replacing five of that album's tracks with "Jumping Someone Else's Train", "Boys...

album, and the five b-sides from the "Let's Go to Bed", "The Walk

The Walk (The Cure song)

"The Walk" is the name of a 1983 single by The Cure. It later appeared on their album Japanese Whispers"The Walk" was something of a commercial breakthrough for the group with regard to their singles output, peaking at #12 to give them their first entry into the UK top 20...

" and "The Lovecats

The Lovecats

"The Love Cats" is a 1983 single by The Cure. It was the band's first Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number seven, and also hit number six in Australia. It later appeared on the compilation album Japanese Whispers....

" singles, which were released on the Japanese Whispers

Japanese Whispers

Japanese Whispers: The Cure Singles Nov 82:Nov 83 is a compilation album by British rock group The Cure. It was released in late 1983 by their record company, Fiction Records....

compilation album. However, the b-side "Mr. Pink Eyes" from the 12" version of "The Lovecats" was omitted from Japanese Whispers, and so was included on this release.

These releases were accompanied by a VHS

VHS

The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....

 and laserdisc

Laserdisc

LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...

 release, a music video

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 collection named Staring at the Sea: The Images with the same setlist as CD version of the album.

All the b-sides on the cassette edition were also later released on the first disc of the Join the Dots

Join the Dots: B-Sides and Rarities, 1978-2001 (The Fiction Years)

Join the Dots: B-sides & Rarities is a box set of The Cure, released on January 27, 2004 by their former record label Fiction. . This box set is a four-disc compilation of B-sides and rarities, digitally remastered from their original tapes...

compilation in 2004.

The album has been certified 2x platinum in the U.S.

Also missing is the special "Lament" 'Flexipop' single from 1982, as this was not a proper single, and "I'm a Cult Hero

I'm a Cult Hero

"I'm a Cult Hero" is a single released by an extended lineup of The Cure under the name Cult Hero.-History:The single was conceived by Robert Smith and Simon Gallup as a way to test their musical compatibility...

" from 1979, probably because it was released under a different band name, Cult Hero.

Vinyl edition

1. "Killing an Arab
   Killing an Arab
   "Killing an Arab" is the first single by The Cure. It was recorded at the same time as their first LP in the UK, Three Imaginary Boys but not included on the album...
   
   " (Robert Smith
   Robert Smith (musician)
   Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
   
   , Lol Tolhurst, Michael Dempsey
   Michael Dempsey
   Michael Dempsey is a bassist from England, who has performed as a member of several post-punk and New Wave bands including The Cure and Associates.-Early years:...
   
   ) – 2:22
2. "Boys Don't Cry
   Boys Don't Cry (song)
   "Boys Don't Cry" was the second single to be released by The Cure, released in June 1979. It was released in the UK as a stand-alone single, and was included as the title track on Boys Don't Cry, the American equivalent to Three Imaginary Boys....
   
   " (Dempsey, Smith, Tolhurst
   Laurence Tolhurst
   Laurence Andrew "Lol" Tolhurst is a founding member and former drummer and keyboardist of British band The Cure. He left The Cure in 1989 and was later involved in the band Presence and his current project Levinhurst, a portmanteau of Tolhurst and his wife vocalist Cindy Levinsons' surnames...
   
   ) – 2:35
3. "Jumping Someone Else's Train
   Jumping Someone Else's Train
   "Jumping Someone Else's Train" is a single by The Cure. The song was covered by the Brooklyn-based band "Luff" for the 2008 American Laundromat Records tribute album Just Like Heaven - A Tribute to The Cure and by Army Navy on Manimal Vinyl's tribute Perfect as Cats: A Tribute to The...
   
   " (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:54
4. "A Forest
   A Forest
   "A Forest" is a single by the English rock band The Cure, released on March 28, 1980 as the only single from their second album Seventeen Seconds. It was their first chart single in the UK, reaching #31; the song was also a hit in the Netherlands, reaching #26. It was also their first single to be...
   
   " (Smith, Tolhurst, Simon Gallup
   Simon Gallup
   Simon Jonathon Gallup is an English musician and bassist of the post-punk band The Cure.-Early years:...
   
   , Matthieu Hartley
   Matthieu Hartley
   Matthieu Hartley is an English musician born in Smallfield, England. He is best known as the original keyboardist for The Cure, but before that he and Simon Gallup were involved in two other bands called Lockjaw and The Magazine Spies....
   
   ) – 4:53
5. "Primary
   Primary (song)
   "Primary" is the first single from The Cure's third studio album Faith, released in 1981 on Fiction Records. It was the first song by The Cure to be remixed as a separate extended mix for release on 12" single...
   
   " (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 3:33
6. "Charlotte Sometimes
   Charlotte Sometimes (song)
   "Charlotte Sometimes" is a 1981 single by The Cure. The lyrics to both sides were based on the 1969 children's novel of the same name by British writer Penelope Farmer...
   
   " (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 4:13
7. "The Hanging Garden
   A Single
   A Single was the first limited edition release by The Cure. It was released as a gatefold double pack of 7" singles with a total of four tracks...
   
   " (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 4:21
8. "Let's Go to Bed" (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:33
9. "The Walk
   The Walk (The Cure song)
   "The Walk" is the name of a 1983 single by The Cure. It later appeared on their album Japanese Whispers"The Walk" was something of a commercial breakthrough for the group with regard to their singles output, peaking at #12 to give them their first entry into the UK top 20...
   
   " (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:28
10. "The Love Cats" (Smith) – 3:38
11. "The Caterpillar
    The Caterpillar (song)
    "The Caterpillar" is the name of a 1984 single and song written by Robert Smith and Lol Tolhurst. The song is performed by The Cure and is from their album The Top...
    
    " (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:38
12. "In Between Days
    In Between Days
    "In Between Days" is a song by the English new wave/rock band The Cure....
    
    " (Smith) – 2:56
13. "Close to Me" (Smith) – 3:39

CD edition/Video

1. "Killing an Arab" (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:22
2. "10:15 Saturday Night
   10:15 Saturday Night
   "10:15 Saturday Night" is a song by British post-punk band, The Cure. It was the B-side to their single "Killing an Arab", as well as the opening track of their debut album, Three Imaginary Boys. It was also released in France as a single with the track "Accuracy" as the B-side...
   
   " (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 3:37 (from Three Imaginary Boys
   Three Imaginary Boys
   The album included an uncredited, final instrumental track informally called "The Weedy Burton". The fact was not acknowledged until the Deluxe Edition re-issue.-2004 Deluxe Edition:...
   
   , 1979)
3. "Boys Don't Cry" (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:35
4. "Jumping Someone Else's Train" (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:57
5. "A Forest" (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup, Hartley) – 4:53
6. "Play for Today" (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup, Hartley) – 3:42 (from Seventeen Seconds
   Seventeen Seconds
   Seventeen Seconds is the second studio album by The Cure, released in April 1980 by Fiction Records. It is the only Cure album to feature keyboardist Matthieu Hartley, and was featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The album reached number 20 on the British album charts...
   
   , 1980)
7. "Primary" (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 3:33
8. "Other Voices" (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 4:26 (from Faith
   Faith (The Cure album)
   Faith is the third album by British band The Cure, released in April 1981.- Overview :Faith is generally a brooding, atmospheric, and sombre album, although it has a flash of anger in the form of the song "Doubt", and some edge in the driving single "Primary"...
   
   , 1981)
9. "Charlotte Sometimes" (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 4:13
10. "The Hanging Garden" (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 4:21
11. "Let's Go to Bed" (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:33
12. "The Walk" (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:28
13. "The Lovecats" (Smith) – 3:38
14. "The Caterpillar" (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:38
15. "In Between Days" (Smith) – 2:56
16. "Close to Me" (Smith) – 3:39
17. "A Night Like This" (Smith) – 4:11 (from The Head on the Door
    The Head on the Door
    The Head on the Door is the sixth studio album by British band The Cure, released in 1985. The album is the first to feature drummer Boris Williams, it also features the return of Simon Gallup and is Porl Thompson's first album as an official member....
    
    , 1985)

Side one - The singles

1. "Killing an Arab" (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:22
2. "Boys Don't Cry" (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:35
3. "Jumping Someone Else's Train" (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:54
4. "A Forest" (Smith) – 4:53
5. "Primary" (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 3:33
6. "Charlotte Sometimes" (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 4:13
7. "The Hanging Garden" (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 4:21
8. "Let's Go to Bed" (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:33
9. "The Walk" (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:28
10. "The Lovecats" (Smith) – 3:38
11. "The Caterpillar" (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:38
12. "In Between Days" (Smith) – 2:56
13. "Close to Me" (Smith) – 3:39

Side two - The b-sides

1. "I'm Cold" (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:47 (from "Jumping Someone Else's Train
   Jumping Someone Else's Train
   "Jumping Someone Else's Train" is a single by The Cure. The song was covered by the Brooklyn-based band "Luff" for the 2008 American Laundromat Records tribute album Just Like Heaven - A Tribute to The Cure and by Army Navy on Manimal Vinyl's tribute Perfect as Cats: A Tribute to The...
   
   ")
2. "Another Journey By Train" (Smith, Gallup, Tolhurst, Hartley) – 3:04 (from "A Forest
   A Forest
   "A Forest" is a single by the English rock band The Cure, released on March 28, 1980 as the only single from their second album Seventeen Seconds. It was their first chart single in the UK, reaching #31; the song was also a hit in the Netherlands, reaching #26. It was also their first single to be...
   
   ")
3. "Descent" (Smith, Gallup, Tolhurst) – 3:07 (from "Primary
   Primary (song)
   "Primary" is the first single from The Cure's third studio album Faith, released in 1981 on Fiction Records. It was the first song by The Cure to be remixed as a separate extended mix for release on 12" single...
   
   ")
4. "Splintered in Her Head" (Smith, Gallup, Tolhurst) – 5:16 (from "Charlotte Sometimes
   Charlotte Sometimes (song)
   "Charlotte Sometimes" is a 1981 single by The Cure. The lyrics to both sides were based on the 1969 children's novel of the same name by British writer Penelope Farmer...
   
   ")
5. "Mr Pink Eyes" (Smith, Tolhurst) – 2:42 (from "The Lovecats
   The Lovecats
   "The Love Cats" is a 1983 single by The Cure. It was the band's first Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number seven, and also hit number six in Australia. It later appeared on the compilation album Japanese Whispers....
   
   ")
6. "Happy the Man" (Smith) – 2:45 (from "The Caterpillar
   The Caterpillar (song)
   "The Caterpillar" is the name of a 1984 single and song written by Robert Smith and Lol Tolhurst. The song is performed by The Cure and is from their album The Top...
   
   ")
7. "Throw Your Foot" (Smith) – 3:33 (from "The Caterpillar
   The Caterpillar (song)
   "The Caterpillar" is the name of a 1984 single and song written by Robert Smith and Lol Tolhurst. The song is performed by The Cure and is from their album The Top...
   
   ")
8. "The Exploding Boy" (Smith) – 2:52 (from "In Between Days
   In Between Days
   "In Between Days" is a song by the English new wave/rock band The Cure....
   
   ")
9. "A Few Hours After This" (Smith) – 2:26 (from "In Between Days
   In Between Days
   "In Between Days" is a song by the English new wave/rock band The Cure....
   
   ")
10. "A Man Inside My Mouth" (Smith) – 3:05 (from "Close to Me"/"Half an Octopuss
    Half an Octopuss & Quadpus
    "Half an Octopuss" is the name of a limited edition E.P. released exclusively within the United Kingdom by The Cure in 1985."Quadpus" was the American/Canadian alternative, released the following year, with a different tracklisting, highlighting the song "A Night Like This" for which a video was...
    
    ")
11. "Stop Dead" (Smith) – 4:02 (from "In Between Days
    In Between Days
    "In Between Days" is a song by the English new wave/rock band The Cure....
    
    "/"Close to Me"/"Half an Octopuss
    Half an Octopuss & Quadpus
    "Half an Octopuss" is the name of a limited edition E.P. released exclusively within the United Kingdom by The Cure in 1985."Quadpus" was the American/Canadian alternative, released the following year, with a different tracklisting, highlighting the song "A Night Like This" for which a video was...
    
    ")
12. "New Day" (Smith, Tolhurst) – 4:08 (from "Half an Octopuss
    Half an Octopuss & Quadpus
    "Half an Octopuss" is the name of a limited edition E.P. released exclusively within the United Kingdom by The Cure in 1985."Quadpus" was the American/Canadian alternative, released the following year, with a different tracklisting, highlighting the song "A Night Like This" for which a video was...
    
    ")

Comparison

Presented here is a comparison showing in what format each of the twenty nine songs on the album can be found, with the position number of that song on that particular format.

Song	Vinyl LP	CD and VHS	Cassette
"10:15 Saturday Night 10:15 Saturday Night "10:15 Saturday Night" is a song by British post-punk band, The Cure. It was the B-side to their single "Killing an Arab", as well as the opening track of their debut album, Three Imaginary Boys. It was also released in France as a single with the track "Accuracy" as the B-side... "		2
"A Few Hours After This"			22
"A Forest A Forest "A Forest" is a single by the English rock band The Cure, released on March 28, 1980 as the only single from their second album Seventeen Seconds. It was their first chart single in the UK, reaching #31; the song was also a hit in the Netherlands, reaching #26. It was also their first single to be... "	4	5	4
"A Man Inside My Mouth"			23
"A Night Like This"		17
"Another Journey By Train"			15
"Boys Don't Cry Boys Don't Cry (song) "Boys Don't Cry" was the second single to be released by The Cure, released in June 1979. It was released in the UK as a stand-alone single, and was included as the title track on Boys Don't Cry, the American equivalent to Three Imaginary Boys.... "	2	3	2
"The Caterpillar The Caterpillar (song) "The Caterpillar" is the name of a 1984 single and song written by Robert Smith and Lol Tolhurst. The song is performed by The Cure and is from their album The Top... "	11	14	11
"Charlotte Sometimes Charlotte Sometimes (song) "Charlotte Sometimes" is a 1981 single by The Cure. The lyrics to both sides were based on the 1969 children's novel of the same name by British writer Penelope Farmer... "	6	9	6
"Close to Me"	13	16	13
"Descent"			16
"The Exploding Boy"			21
"The Hanging Garden A Single A Single was the first limited edition release by The Cure. It was released as a gatefold double pack of 7" singles with a total of four tracks... "	7	10	7
"Happy the Man"			19
"I'm Cold"			14
"In Between Days In Between Days "In Between Days" is a song by the English new wave/rock band The Cure.... "	12	15	12
"Jumping Someone Else's Train Jumping Someone Else's Train "Jumping Someone Else's Train" is a single by The Cure. The song was covered by the Brooklyn-based band "Luff" for the 2008 American Laundromat Records tribute album Just Like Heaven - A Tribute to The Cure and by Army Navy on Manimal Vinyl's tribute Perfect as Cats: A Tribute to The... "	3	4	3
"Killing an Arab Killing an Arab "Killing an Arab" is the first single by The Cure. It was recorded at the same time as their first LP in the UK, Three Imaginary Boys but not included on the album... "	1	1	1
"Let's Go to Bed"	8	11	8
"The Love Cats"	10	13	10
"Mr Pink Eyes"			18
"New Day"			25
"Other Voices"		8
"Play for Today"		6
"Primary Primary (song) "Primary" is the first single from The Cure's third studio album Faith, released in 1981 on Fiction Records. It was the first song by The Cure to be remixed as a separate extended mix for release on 12" single... "	5	7	5
"Splintered in Her Head"			17
"Stop Dead"			24
"Throw Your Foot"			20
"The Walk"	9	12	9