The Head on the Door
Encyclopedia
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.
and the official re-induction of Porl Thompson
as a band member (he made a small contribution to The Top
, but wasn't an official band member until the album's tour). This is also the first Cure album with drummer Boris Williams
, who had previously worked with the Thompson Twins
. Special guest Ron Howe from Fools Dance
plays a saxophone solo on the track "A Night Like This".
On the recent 2007/08 4Tour
The Cure played "In Between Days
", "Kyoto Song", "The Blood", "Push", "The Baby Screams", "Close to Me" and "A Night Like This" at various concerts.
"Sinking" was last played as part of the 2004 North American Curiosa
Tour.
"Six Different Ways", and "Screw" have not been played since the 1985/86 Head Tour.
"A Night Like This" was covered by The Smashing Pumpkins
and released on their 1995
"Bullet with Butterfly Wings
" single.
on their Fiction Records
/Polydor Records
labels, digitally remastered with various demos and live tracks from the era. Included are demos of the four b-side
s from the era ("The Exploding Boy", "A Few Hours After This", "A Man Inside My Mouth", and "Stop Dead") and four songs that were never released. The remaining tracks are demos or live versions of all 10 songs from the first disc. It was released 8 August in the U.S. (where the album was instead released by Rhino Entertainment
/Elektra Records
) and 14 August in the UK.
One of the four new songs, "Mansolidgone" is similar both musically and lyrically to another demo, "A Hand Inside My Mouth" (not to be confused with "A Man Inside My Mouth") which appeared on The Top
Deluxe Edition. The lyrics to both songs, and the uncovered demo "Lime Time" have lyrics which would be later used in the songs "Inbetween Days" and "Six Different Ways."
Singles
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
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...
, released in 1985. The album is the first to feature drummer Boris Williams
Boris Williams
Boris Peter Bransby-Williams is an English drummer best known for his extensive work with The Cure . He had previously worked with various artists, including Thompson Twins, Kim Wilde, Strawberry Switchblade and Tomato City...
, it also features the return of Simon Gallup
Simon Gallup
Simon Jonathon Gallup is an English musician and bassist of the post-punk band The Cure.-Early years:...
and is Porl Thompson
Porl Thompson
Porl Thompson is an English musician best known for his work with The Cure.-Life and work:Thompson is the oldest of four children; he has two brothers and one sister...
's first album as an official member.
Overview
This album follows the return of Simon GallupSimon Gallup
Simon Jonathon Gallup is an English musician and bassist of the post-punk band The Cure.-Early years:...
and the official re-induction of Porl Thompson
Porl Thompson
Porl Thompson is an English musician best known for his work with The Cure.-Life and work:Thompson is the oldest of four children; he has two brothers and one sister...
as a band member (he made a small contribution to The Top
The Top (album)
The Top is the fifth studio album by British band The Cure, released in 1984.-Overview:The Top was the studio album to follow Pornography. After Pornography, Robert Smith found himself without his friend Simon Gallup, who departed the band due to a fight.Smith then took a radical shift in his music...
, but wasn't an official band member until the album's tour). This is also the first Cure album with drummer Boris Williams
Boris Williams
Boris Peter Bransby-Williams is an English drummer best known for his extensive work with The Cure . He had previously worked with various artists, including Thompson Twins, Kim Wilde, Strawberry Switchblade and Tomato City...
, who had previously worked with the Thompson Twins
Thompson Twins
The Thompson Twins were a British pop group that were formed in April 1977 and disbanded in May 1993. They achieved considerable popularity in the mid 1980s, scoring a string of hits in the United Kingdom, the United States and around the globe. The band was named after the two bumbling detectives...
. Special guest Ron Howe from Fools Dance
Fools Dance
Fools Dance was a short-lived British rock band, formed in 1982 by Simon Gallup after he left The Cure, due to a conflict with Robert Smith. Initially calling themselves 'The Cry', the band played their first gig at the Covent Garden Rock Garden on the 19th April 1983...
plays a saxophone solo on the track "A Night Like This".
On the recent 2007/08 4Tour
4Tour
4 Play Tour is the name of The Cure's 2007-2008 concert tour. It began with their first concert in Japan in over 22 years at the Fuji Rock Festival on 27 July 2007 and ended at New York City's Radio City Music Hall on 21 June 2008...
The Cure played "In Between Days
In Between Days
"In Between Days" is a song by the English new wave/rock band The Cure....
", "Kyoto Song", "The Blood", "Push", "The Baby Screams", "Close to Me" and "A Night Like This" at various concerts.
"Sinking" was last played as part of the 2004 North American Curiosa
Curiosa
Curiosa is the name of a 2004 concert tour in the United States and Toronto , organized by Robert Smith of The Cure. It began with a concert in West Palm Beach, Florida on July 24 and ended in Sacramento, California on August 29....
Tour.
"Six Different Ways", and "Screw" have not been played since the 1985/86 Head Tour.
"A Night Like This" was covered by The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
and released on their 1995
1995 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1995.- January–February :*January 18 – Jerry Garcia crashes his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California, USA, but is not injured in the accident....
"Bullet with Butterfly Wings
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
"Bullet with Butterfly Wings" is a song by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. It was the lead single from the band's 1995 double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The song won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. This song was the band's first Top 40...
" single.
2006 re-release
In 2006, the album was re-released by UniversalUniversal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
on their Fiction Records
Fiction Records
Fiction Records is a UK label founded by Chris Parry in 1978 that is best known for being the home of The Cure for over 20 years. Formerly independent, the label is now owned by Polydor, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group.-History:...
/Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
labels, digitally remastered with various demos and live tracks from the era. Included are demos of the four b-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
s from the era ("The Exploding Boy", "A Few Hours After This", "A Man Inside My Mouth", and "Stop Dead") and four songs that were never released. The remaining tracks are demos or live versions of all 10 songs from the first disc. It was released 8 August in the U.S. (where the album was instead released by Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
/Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
) and 14 August in the UK.
One of the four new songs, "Mansolidgone" is similar both musically and lyrically to another demo, "A Hand Inside My Mouth" (not to be confused with "A Man Inside My Mouth") which appeared on The Top
The Top (album)
The Top is the fifth studio album by British band The Cure, released in 1984.-Overview:The Top was the studio album to follow Pornography. After Pornography, Robert Smith found himself without his friend Simon Gallup, who departed the band due to a fight.Smith then took a radical shift in his music...
Deluxe Edition. The lyrics to both songs, and the uncovered demo "Lime Time" have lyrics which would be later used in the songs "Inbetween Days" and "Six Different Ways."
Original 1985 release
- "In Between DaysIn Between Days"In Between Days" is a song by the English new wave/rock band The Cure....
" – 2:57 - "Kyoto Song" – 4:16
- "The Blood" – 3:43
- "Six Different Ways" – 3:18
- "Push" – 4:31
- "The Baby Screams" – 3:44
- "Close to Me" – 3:23
- "A Night Like This" – 4:16
- "Screw" – 2:38
- "Sinking" – 4:57
Disc two
- "In Between Days" (RS instrumental home demo) – 1:25
- "Inwood" (RS instrumental home demo) – 2:18
- "Push" (RS instrumental home demo) – 2:31
- "Innsbruck" (RS instrumental home demo) – 2:37
- "Stop Dead" (Fitz/F2 Studios Demo 2/85) – 3:21
- "Mansolidgone" (Fitz/F2 Studios Demo 2/85) – 4:06
- "Screw" (Fitz/F2 Studios Demo 2/85) – 3:09
- "Lime Time" (Fitz/F2 Studios Demo 2/85) – 2:56
- "Kyoto Song" (Fitz/F2 Studios Demo 2/85) – 4:28
- "A Few Hours After This..." (Fitz/F2 Studios Demo 2/85) – 4:36
- "Six Different Ways" (Fitz/F2 Studios Demo 2/85) – 3:00
- "A Man Inside My Mouth" (Fitz/F2 Studios Demo 2/85) – 3:00
- "A Night Like This" (Fitz/F2 Studios Demo 2/85) – 4:08
- "The Exploding Boy" (Fitz/F2 Studios Demo 2/85) – 3:06
- "Close to Me" (Fitz/F2 Studios Demo 2/85) - 4:03
- "The Baby Screams" (live bootleg Bercy Paris 12/85) – 3:46
- "The Blood" (live bootleg Bercy Paris 12/85) – 3:34
- "Sinking" (live bootleg Bercy Paris 12/85) – 5:06
Personnel
- Robert SmithRobert 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...
- vocals, guitars, keyboards - Lol Tolhurst - keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s - Porl ThompsonPorl ThompsonPorl Thompson is an English musician best known for his work with The Cure.-Life and work:Thompson is the oldest of four children; he has two brothers and one sister...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, keyboards - Simon GallupSimon GallupSimon Jonathon Gallup is an English musician and bassist of the post-punk band The Cure.-Early years:...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
s - Boris WilliamsBoris WilliamsBoris Peter Bransby-Williams is an English drummer best known for his extensive work with The Cure . He had previously worked with various artists, including Thompson Twins, Kim Wilde, Strawberry Switchblade and Tomato City...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - David AllenDavid M. AllenDavid M. Allen is a British record producer, engineer and mixer. He is mostly known for his work with new wave, synth pop and goth rock bands including The Cure, The Sisters of Mercy, The Chameleons, Depeche Mode, The Associates, The Human League, Clan of Xymox, Gianna Nannini, Shelleyan Orphan and...
- producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Ron Howe – saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
on "A Night Like This"
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Billboard 200 (U.S.) | 59 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
7 | |
| Germany Top 40 | 15 | |
| Switzerland Top 40 | 14 | |
| Sweden Top 40 | 24 | |
| 1986 | France Top 50 Top 50 The Top 50 refers to a list of weekly hit singles, or albums. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the same but similar to the top 40, but with 10 extra places.... |
6 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | "In Between Days In Between Days "In Between Days" is a song by the English new wave/rock band The Cure.... " |
Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play (U.S.) | 39 |
| The Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... (U.S.) |
99 | ||
| UK Top 40 | 15 | ||
| "Close to Me" | UK Top 40 | 24 | |
| 1986 | "In Between Days" | France Top 50 | 23 |
| "Close to Me" | France Top 50 | 17 | |
| Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play (U.S.) | 32 | ||
| 1991 | "Close to Me (remix)" | The Billboard Hot 100 (U.S.) | 97 |
Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| BPI – UK | Gold | 9 December 1985 |
| RIAA – U.S. | Gold | 18 March 1991 |
| SNEP – France | 2x Gold | 1986 |