Kim Wilde - Kids In America

For a time in 1982, and again in 1987, it looked like Kim Wilde might break out and become a pop star in the U.S., but unfortunately the stars did not align for her.  However, she did carve out a long career in Europe and the UK, as well as two breakthrough hits in the U.S.

Wilde was basically born into the music business; her father (Marty Wilde) had several hits in the 1950s and early 1960s before transitioning to a career as an entertainer.  By the early 1980s, Marty was working with his son Ricky.  Kim offered to sing backup vocals in the studio with Ricky, and drew the attention of Mickie Most, the head of RAK Records. Ricky and Marty recognized that this could be a big break for Kim and wrote a song for her: "Kids in America."

The song became a hit in the UK and Europe in 1981, but it was the video, shown on the fledgling MTV cable channel that really drove Wilde's U.S. success.  "Kids in America" peaked at #25 in August 1982 - roughly eighteen months after its UK peak (at #2 in February 1981).  However, Wilde's other singles did not do well in the U.S.; none broke the top 40.  In contrast, from 1981-86, she had nine top 40 hits in her native UK.

Surprisingly, in 1987 Wilde broke through again, this time with a cover of The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On," which went to number 1.  Although Wilde never had another top 40 hit in the U.S., her career remain strong in the UK throughout the 1990s.  She later became a DJ and TV presenter which continues to the present day.

Hipsway - The Honeythief

Ah, the one hit wonder - such an interesting phenomena.  The category is comprised of major bands where only one single hit the Top 40 (such as Roxy Music), talented underappreciated artists who never quite caught on (Marshall Crenshaw), and acts who just caught lightning in a bottle (T'Pau).

Hipsway is mostly the latter, but there was definitely talent in the band, as well.  The group formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1984 and was led by Johnny McElhone (fomerly of Altered Images) on bass. Singer Grahame Skinner, guitarist Pim Jones, and drummer Harry Travers rounded out the lineup.

The group's self-titled debut album came out in 1986, and had a seriously catchy song on it, "The Honeythief," which became a hit.  Interestingly, "The Honeythief" was the third single released from the LP, which is kind of hard to understand.  At any rate, the song reached #19 in the U.S. and #17 in the UK, and helped the album to chart, too (#55 U.S., #42 UK).

Unfortunately, follow up success was elusive, thought Hipsway did have a few charting songs in the UK.  However, after the poor performance of their second LP (1989's Scratch the Surface), they broke up.  Noteably, Johnny McElhone would go on to have continued success in the UK with his next band, Texas (a definite candidate to show up on this blog down the line).

Hipswap did re-form in 2016, and even released a new album in 2018.

Real Life - Send Me An Angel

For our second All Hallows Even treat, we're posting Real Life's "Send Me An Angel" (the original version; more on that in a moment).

Real Life were an Australian band that formed in Melbourne in 1980.  Originally called The Wires, the group changed their name to avoid being confused with Wire (the UK punk rock act).  They settled on A Private Life, which turned out to be a terrible choice, as they were then threatened with a lawsuit from Private Lives (a Sydney band) and so changed their name again to Real Life.

"Send Me An Angel" was the lead single from the group's first LP, 1983's Heartland. The song did reasonably well, reaching #29 on the U.S. charts, and going to #6 in their native Australia.  The video, with a spooky forest and a wolfman (prince?) looking for his Celtic (?) princess (?) seems ... odd, but definitely Halloweeny.

As mentioned above, Real Life re-released the song (and video) in 1989, as part of their Send Me An Angel/Best of Real Life compilation.  Incredibly, "Send Me An Angel" re-charted even higher in the U.S., reaching #26.  The video is less interesting (and less spooky) than the original, but we've included it here anyway (cause that's what we do).

Special shout out to M, who asked for our help after seeing a portion of the video on Loop ... and then found it herself.  Obviously, we liked it enough to put it up on the blog.

Split Enz - I Got You

Split Enz (the NZ is a reference to New Zealand, where the band originated) formed in 1973 in Auckland.  The founders - Tim Finn and Phil Judd - wanted to create an eclectic pop band; hence the name (which was originally spelled correctly).

During the 1970s, the group went through a myriad of changes, both in terms of style and personnel.  The most significant change was Judd's departure; he was replaced by Tim Finn's brother Neil in 1977. During much of this period, Split Enz was a flamboyant art rock band, but they had little success outside of New Zealand and Australia.

This changed with their 1980 release, True Colours, which was something of a coming out party for Neil as a songwriter.  The resulting material had a stronger pop sound, and this combined with more straight-forward visuals allowed Split Enz to ride the New Wave (see what we did there?)

True Colours became a #1 album in Australia and New Zealand, and broke into the charts in the U.S.  "I Got You" also charted, though it only reached #53 on the U.S. charts.  However, it was top 40 in several countries, and hit #1 in Australia and New Zealand.

While the group continued releasing records for the first half of the 1980s, there seemed to be a growing musical disconnect between Tim and Neil, and Tim Finn finally quit the group in 1984.  Shortly afterwards, Neil broke up Split Enz and went on to even greater success in Crowded House.  The Finn brothers did work together on Crowded House's 1991 LP, Woodface, and more recently as The Finn Brothers. 

Cool trivia fact:  As mentioned above, Split Enz is a no hit wonder in the U.S.; "I Got You" (#53) was their highest charting single.  However, Neil Finn did have two top 40 hits with Crowded House - "Don't Dream It's Over" (#2) and "Something So Strong" (#7).

Cool trivia fact #2: "I Got You" was the 81st video played on MTV's first day; interestingly, it was the third Split Enz video played on MTV, after "History Never Repeats" and "One Step Ahead."

Elliot Easton - (Wearing Down) Like a Wheel

As we've mentioned before, The Cars appeared to be running out of steam by the mid-1980s, which led to three of the five member releasing solo albums.  ERV has previously featured work by guitarist/singer Ric Ocasek ("Emotion in Motion") and by bassist/singer Ben Orr ("Stay the Night") both of which came out in 1986.  However, The Cars' lead guitarist, Elliot Easton released his only solo album the prior year.

Easton's solo album was titled Change No Change and was co-written with Jules Shear.  If Shear's name sounds familiar, it's because he wrote Cyndi Lauper's "All Through the Night" and The Bangles' "If She Knew What She Wants."

The resulting record was neither a commercial nor a critical success.  While Easton is undoubtedly a gifted guitarist, the songs don't highlight this, and there was criticism of his voice, as well.  The album peaked at #99, and while "(Wearing Down) Like a Wheel" picked up a modicum of airplay, it did not chart.  It is a solid, if unspectacular song, and a nice rare video too.

In addition to the videos linked above, Ric Ocasek's earlier (and excellent) "Something to Grab For" was featured on ERV early on, in September 2011.  We also posted The Cars "Since You're Gone" in May 2014. [Yes, The Cars are well-represented on ERV.]

Cool trivia fact: Elliot Easton's given name was Elliot Steinberg.

The Cure - Lullaby

For the final selection of our 2020 All Hallows Even celebration, we are going with The Cure's "Lullaby."  Skeptics might point at that just about any Cure song could be considered for a Halloween celebration, but this isn't totally true.  Yes, The Cure were known for their goth pop songs - they might even be the masters of this genre.  However, few of their songs were genuinely spooky - although "Lullaby" certainly fits the bill.

While the lyrics of "Lullaby" are literally about being eaten by "The Spiderman," the song is likely a metaphor. Lead singer Robert Smith wrote the lyrics, and in typical form, has provided several conflicting answers as to the meaning of "Lullaby."  Many fans believe that the song is a metaphor for drug addiction, a view shared by Tim Pope, who directed the video.  Other possibilities include depression, sexual assault, sleep issues, and even nightmares.

The video takes a somewhat literal approach to the song, creating a spider infested nightmare - though it is worth noting that Robert Smith plays both the victim and the spider. Amazingly (considering how dark it is), the clip won the video of the year at the 1990 Brit Awards.  The song would go on to reach #5 on the UK charts and become the highest charting single of The Cure's career there.  In the U.S., it was less successful, reaching only #74. ("Lovesong" also off the Disintegration LP, would hit #2 and become the band's highest charting single in the U.S.)

As many readers will know, The Cure remains active as of this writing, and have become one of the most successful alternative bands of the past few decades.  For other ERV videos of the group, "In Between Days" was posted in April, 2013 and "Pictures of You" was posted in September, 2014.

Cool trivia fact:  Rolling Stone ranked the Disintegration LP at #116 on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The Comsat Angels - I'm Falling

ERV reader(s) who are into movies from back in the day may recognize this song, as it was featured prominently in Real Genius, a fun (and underrated) 1985 flick starring Val Kilmer.  However, the Comsat Angels were a well-regarded early New Wave act, and with a bit of luck could have become major stars.

The band formed in Sheffield, UK in 1978 and were named after a J. G. Ballard short story.  Their initial work was sparse, atmospheric pop, in the same segment as Joy Division.  Unfortunately, they never quite found their audience and their label (Polydor) did not know how to promote them.

The band switched to Jive, and then Island records during the 1980s, and tried to transition to a more pop-oriented sound, in an effort to become successful.  Sadly, nothing seemed to work.  By 1990, the group even changed its name to Dream Command and released a more rock-oriented LP (Fire on the Moon).  Several years later, they broke up, although they did briefly re-form in 2009-10.

"I'm Falling" is a catchy synth pop song that hints at the strong songwriting of the band.  The song did not chart in the U.S., but did reach #90 in the UK.

Strawberry Switchblade - Since Yesterday

Although they had one of the coolest names in the music industry, Strawberry Switchblade was a one hit wonder in their native U.K., and didn't make a dent in the U.S. market at all.  This is a shame, as they were an odd and interesting duo whose one hit was really pretty good.

Strawberry Switchblade was formed in Scotland in 1981, and was comprised of Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall.  Their image of big bright dresses and bows fit nicely with the synth pop sound ... as long as you didn't listen to the lyrics (or pay attention to the goth makeup).  It turns out that the name was intentionally chosen, and the lyrics to their bright pop songs were often dark or disturbing.  "Since Yesterday," for instance, was written about the aftermath of a nuclear war.

The group gained traction in 1983, and released their first single, "Trees and Flowers."  This led to a recording contract and in late 1984, "Since Yesterday" was released.  The song slowly rose on the UK charts, eventually reaching #5.  Their self-titled debut LP followed in 1985, but they were not able to land another hit, and a combination of musical and personal disagreements led to a split by 1986.

I don't recall seeing the video on MTV, though it may have appeared on 120 Minutes.  However, the Tim Pope video is visually arresting, and does a solid job of conveying the band to the public. 

Red Rockers - China

Red Rockers was a fascinating band who never quite found their audience.  To be fair, this was at least partly due to their evolving musical style, which seemed to shift almost on a song-by-song basis.

The band formed in New Orleans in 1979 as a punk act, influenced by groups such as The Clash and The Dils.  In fact, Red Rockers (the band) is named after "Red Rockers" (the 1979 Dils' song).   However, after  their first LP (1981's Guns of Revolution), they swung wildly from punk to pop/new wave on 1983's Good as Gold album.  This resulted in a MTV hit with "China," and set off a series of internal conflicts within the band (not to mention alienating their early punk fans).

In spite of some serious MTV airplay, "China" peaked at #53, leaving Red Rockers one hit short of being a one hit wonder.  Internal conflicts and some personnel changes continued through 1985's Schizophrenic Circus, and the band broke up later that year.

Divinyls - Pleasure and Pain

"Pleasure and Pain" is the second Divinyls video to show up on ERV; "Boys in Town" was posted back in July 2012, shortly before the untimely death of lead singer Chrissy Amphlett.  We view Divinyls as a unique and underrated band who were likely hurt by their hard to categorize sound that managed to combine rock, new wave, and pop elements all at once.

Interestingly, "Pleasure and Pain" was not the lead single off their 1985 What a Life! LP.  It was actually the fourth single released - perhaps because it was not written by the band.  The song was actually co-written by producer Mike Chapman and 1980s songwriter extraordinaire Holly Knight.  (Knight has shown up on the blog before; click on her name in the labels section for more info.)

I remember "Pleasure and Pain" picking up a fair bit of airplay on Boston rock radio when it came out, but the song only reached #76 on the charts, while the What a Life! album peaked at #91.  To be fair, the band did become stars in their native Australia, but it did seem like they never really broke through in the U.S. in the 1980s. (Although "I Touch Myself" did become a big hit in 1991.)

The energetic video featuring Chrissy Amphlett was filmed in the closed Balmain power plant in Sydney, Australia.  In our view it suits the song pretty well:

In addition to the vid, we also found a cool making of video, showing the somewhat boring hard work that went in to making music videos during MTV's heyday.

Peter Gabriel - I Don't Remember

For this years' slightly abbreviated All Hallows Even celebration, we are going with Peter Gabriel's excellent, creepy, and underrated video for "I Don't Remember."

As many readers will know, Peter Gabriel left Genesis in 1975, and released his first solo album in early 1977.  [As a side note, the first four Peter Gabriel solo albums are all untitled, and are often referred to by the cover art.]  While Gabriel's first two solo albums sold well, it was his third LP, 1980's 'Melt' that broke him as a solo artist.  The album was a sonic breakthrough with a modern, driving sound.  As one example, the album did not use any cymbals at all, which led to the innovation of the gated reverb drum sound.

'Melt' would go on to hit "1 in the U.K. and #22 in the U.S., led by "Games Without Frontiers," which reached #4 in the U.K. and #48 in the U.S.  The album also drew no small amount of critical acclaim; Rolling Stone ranked it as the 45th greatest album of the 1980s.  The LP is remarkably strong from cover to cover with lyrics that are creative and political, and a sound that was unlike anything on radio at the time.

In the All Hallows Even spirit, we opted for "I Don't Remember," which has a genuinely unnerving video.  The song only reached #107 in the U.S. and did not chart in the U.K., and we doubt that the video would have been played by most mainstream outlets back in the day.  However, it fits seamlessly into our theme of the season here.

Also note that previous All Hallows Even videos can be selected by choosing the Label to the right.

Cool trivia fact: Rolling Stone rates the Melt LP as the 46th greatest album of the 1980s.

Wang Chung - Everybody Have Fun Tonight

A wonderfully catchy piece of dance-pop, "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" was the peak of Wang Chung's career, and might also be the most dangerous eighties video ever made.  (More on the second point in a bit.)

Wang Chung (originally spelled  Huang Chung) was a British new wave act that formed in London in 1980.  The group was comprised of  Jack Hues (born as Jeremy Ryder) on vocals and guitars, Nick Feldman on bass, and Darren Costin on drums (though he left the group in 1985).  Named after the first note in the Chinese classical musical scale, the band released their first LP in 1982, using the original spelling.  However, it was 1984's Points on the Curve that put them on the map (in the U.S., at least), as "Don't Let Go" and "Dance Hall Days" became top 40 hits.

The band continued to have success in 1985 with the soundtrack of To Live and Die in L.A, but 1986's Mosaic contained their biggest hits, with two top 10 singles -- "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" (#2) and "Let's Go" (#9).

Unfortunately, Wang Chung's 1989 LP, The Warmer Side of Cool did not do particularly well, and the band broke up in 1990.  The did re-form in 1997, and remain together as of this writing.

Now, as to the video ...  The clip was directed by the famous duo of Godley and Creme, who opted for a strobe effect of rapid cuts.  Unfortunately, someone at the BBC became concerned that this cause trigger epileptic seizures, and the network banned it on health grounds.

The B-52's - Private Idaho

New wave and surf rock might seem like an odd combination (ok, it is an odd combination), but somehow the B-52's hit on a sound that was pure campy fun.  Sounding simultaneously  modern and vintage, the band sported an odd look that included the high beehives that gave the band its name.  Combine that with some seriously catchy material, and it is not surprising that the group made a name for itself in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The B-52's emerged out of the growing Athens, Georgia music scene, and would soon be joined by fellow Athenians R.E.M.  However, the group's sound was more Devo or Talking Heads than southern rock.  After forming in 1976 with little musical training, the band had progressed enough to make a demo of "Rock Lobster" in 1978.  That song would go on to become an independent hit, and would lead to recording contracts with Warner Bros. and Island Records.

"Private Idaho" was off the B-52's second LP, 1980's Wild Planet.  The single hit #74 on the charts (the group's second charting single, after "Rock Lobster"), while the album hit #18.  From there, things became more challenging -- the next few albums did not do as well, and founding guitarist Ricky Wilson (whose sister Cindy was also in the band) died of an AIDS-related illness in 1985.

As many readers will know, that wasn't the end of the story.  The B-52's 1989 comeback album, Cosmic Thing, became a huge surprise hit and led to a second period of success.  The group remains active as of this writing, though there have been some personnel changes and periods of inactivity through the years.

U2 - A Celebration

Many years ago (before the internet), we were involved in a conversation where the topic of rare songs came up (shocking, we know).  One of the women at the gathering (whose name we never knew) stated that she had heard that there was a U2 song that the band had pulled for some reason or other.  We remember thinking that it sounded odd, and forgot all about it until we started ERV ... and we soon discovered that not only did this rare song exist, but that there was a rare video to go with it.

"A Celebration" was a non album single, recorded in 1982, between the October and War LPs.  U2 liked it enough to record a video for it, and played in regularly at concerts through 1983.  It then fell off the face of the earth -- the band didn't play it or support the song or video, and it did not even appear on any U2 compilation albums until 2004.  Note than in the days before digital music, leaving the song off an album was the kiss of death.

The reason for all of the controversy was due to a misinterpretation of the lyrics.  The lyrics "I believe in a third world war.  I believe in the atomic bomb." were meant to be darkly humorous, but they were apparently taken seriously, particularly in Europe.  In response and to avoid any confusion about where they stood, the band pulled the song, making it and the video rare (and therefore ideal for this blog).

The video for "A Celebration" was shot in the Kilmainham Jail in Dublin, and it shows the band in fine early form.  (And man, do they look young).  The song actually charted in the U.K. at #47, prior to the controversy, but it did not chart in the U.S.

Note that U2's "I Will Follow" was posted on ERV in August, 2014.

Fischer-Z - So Long

Fischer-Z (named after two of Ronald Fisher's statistical formulas) was a quirky British new wave act.  The group had the potential to be akin to Talking Heads, even if Americans didn't pronounce the name correctly (Fisher's Zed, not Fisher Zee).  Mixing new wave, reggae and rock with interesting lyrics, the act became somewhat successful in Europe, but never enjoyed more than cult status in the U.K. and U.S.

The band was formed in London in 1978 by John Watts (vocals, guitars) and Steve Skolnik (keyboards), but it was really Watts' band from the get go.  They quickly signed to United Artists and released their debut album in 1979.  Their second LP, the wonderfully named Going Deaf for a Living (1980) built on their success in Europe, and the "So Long" single even reached #72 on the U.K. charts.

Skolnik quit after Going Deaf for a Living, but Watts released a strong follow up (1981's Red Skies Over Paradise) before deciding that he did not want to be constrained within a band.  (Even if it was his band).  Watts released three solo records before resurrecting the Fischer-Z name in 1987; he seems to have used both names during most of the ensuing years.

The video for "So Long" is awesome, in a totally 1980 sort of way.  Shots of the band playing are mixed with vintage cars and a Humphrey Bogart look-alike private eye (no relation to Hall & Oates).  The results are ... well, see for yourself:

Cool trivia fact:  "So Long" was the 112th video ever played on MTV, and was played on the first day.

The Little Heroes - Young Hearts

When we started ERV, we originally envisioned posting only really rare videos (such as "Young Hearts"), as a way of highlighting some of the (mostly) unknown music from our favorite decade.  However, it soon became apparent that this would likely result in a blog viewership of two, including your humble author.  As a result, we expanded our playlist, but continue to mix in some really rare music on the blog.  We hope that many readers will take the time to meander through the site, uncovering forgotten and rare gems along the way.

All of this is a roundabout way of saying that "Young Hearts" is a really rare song and video, particularly for our non-Australian readers.  It is by The Little Heros, a Melbourne band that formed in 1980.  The group was comprised of veterans of the Melbourne pub rock scene and was led by guitarist/singer Roger Hart-Wells, along with an ever-changing lineup around him.

The band released their self-titled debut in 1981, but it was their second LP, 1982's Play By Numbers that helped them break out in their native Australia. That album featured two successful singles, "One Perfect Day" (#12) and "Young Hearts" (#42).  Unfortunately, while the LP reached #37 in their home market, it did not generate any real traction in other countries.

The Little Heroes released a follow-up album in 1983 (Watch the World), which performed worse than its successor, and broke up the following year.  Roger Hart-Wells would go on to become a writer and meditation coach, and most of the other members of the group likewise left the industry.

Berlin - Masquerade

Fronted by the provocative and gorgeous Terri Nunn, Berlin was a LA-based synth pop group that had nothing to do with Germany (the band admired the late 1970s German synth scene; hence the name).  The group was formed by bassist John Crawford in 1978 and featured a shifting lineup with Nunn as the lead singer, though she briefly left Berlin to pursue an acting career in 1979-80.

Berlin's first LP (1980's Information) was released when Nunn was acting and featured Virginia Macolino on vocals.  Although that album did not chart, the group's second effort, 1982's Pleasure Victim became Berlin's biggest success, and featured several early MTV staples.  "The Metro," "Sex (I'm A ...)," and "Masquerade" all broke the top 100, but none of them hit the top 40.

Berlin continued to have success with 1984's "No More Words" (#23) and 1986's "Take My Breath Away" (a #1 hit from Top Gun).  However, creative tensions over whether to focus on a pop or new wave sound doomed the band and the group called it quits in 1987.

Terri Nunn has had the legal use of the Berlin name since the late 1990s, and continues to record and perform to the present day.

For the blog, we went with "Masquerade," a somewhat lesser-known Berlin cut.  The video picked up a bit of airplay on MTV back in the day, and the song reached #82 on the charts.

Cool trivia fact:  A remixed version of "Masquerade" was featured on the soundtrack to Perfect (a no-so-great movie starring John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis ... probably the less said about the movie, the better).

Frozen Ghost - Should I See

WIth a little bit of luck, Frozen Ghost could have made it big.  They had a new wave-influenced, radio-friendly sound, and their first single ("Should I See," below) picked up a bit of radio play.  However, they were unable to build on this initial success and faded from view.

Frozen Ghost (sometimes spelled Frōzen Ghōst) formed in Toronto in 1985, and were initially made up of Arnold Lanni (vocals, guitars, keyboards) and Wolf Hassel (bass).  Lanni and Hassel had previously been two-fifths of Sheriff, who had a #1 hit with "When I'm With You," (in 1989, 4 years after that band broke up).

In the aftermath of Sheriff, Frozen Ghost scored a recording contract with WEA and released their self-titled debut LP in 1987.  While the album only reached #107 on the charts, "Should I See" did a bit better and peaked at #69.  The band opened for Howard Jones and The Thompson Twins and released a follow up album, Nice Place to Visit in 1988.  It did not do well, and after 1991's Shake Your Spirit, the group broke up.

Arnold Lanni and Wolf Hassel have remained in the Canadian music industry to the present day;  Lanni has become a producer, while  Hassel has continued to play bass.

Oingo Boingo - Weird Science

Oingo Boingo was one of the more interesting 1980s bands, with a theatrical flair that was often compared to Devo.  The band formed in LA in the 1970s and began as an avant-garde musical theater act called The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo.  Shortening their name to just Oingo Boingo, the group (led by Danny Elfman) transitioned to a ska/dance/new wave sound, and was signed by I.R.S. Records in 1980.

As a southern California band with dramatic tendencies, Oingo Boingo was tailor-made for the movies, and eventually made a series of appearances on movie soundtracks.  This continued into the 1990s as frontman Elfman became friends with director Tim Burton, and the band contributed a song to virtually every Burton film of the era.  (In addition, Elfman wrote the musical score for virtually all of Burton's movies).

"Weird Science" was on the soundtrack of the John Hughes movie of the same name, and the song was also included on the group's 1985 LP, Dead Man's Party.  The single became the most successful release of Oingo Boingo's career, reaching #45 on the charts, while the album hit #98, and eventually went gold.

Although Oingo Boingo never enjoyed mainstream success, they remained a well-known cult act until they disbanded -- after a Halloween show (!) in 1995.  Danny Elfman remains active in the industry, and has become a huge success as a movie and TV soundtrack composer.

Cool trivia fact:  Elfman wrote the theme to the popular TV show, The Simpsons.

The Cure - Pictures Of You

By 1989, The Cure had become big stars in the U.K. with four consecutive top 10 albums, and they had even broken through in the U.S. (1987's Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me broke the top 40 on the album charts).  However, frontman Robert Smith was depressed about turning 30 and concerned that the band's music had become too commercial.

As a result, 1989's Disintegration was broody and somewhat downbeat -- to the point that the label was concerned that the record could be considered commercial suicide (a phrase that turns up a lot when discussing this record).  But a funny thing happened on the way to the discount bins -- Disintegration became a huge hit, and received no small amount of critical acclaim as well.  It turns out that the songs' melancholy vibe had just enough pop sensibilities to appeal to a broad audience, and the sound was unlike anything in pop music at the time.

Although there are many strong cuts on the album, we have always been partial to "Pictures of You."  The song was supposedly inspired by a Myra Poleo story called The Dark Power of Ritual Pictures ... except that there is no such story or author.  Cure fans have pointed out that Myra Poleo is an anagram for Mary Poole (Robert Smith's wife), for what it is worth.  Smith has also stated that the inspiration for the song came after a fire damaged his house, and left him looking through old photographs from his wallet.  Whatever the source, "Pictures of You" remains a haunting, sad and romantic song.

Disintegration would go on to reach #12 on the U.S. album charts (#3 in the U.K.), while "Pictures of You" would hit #71 in the U.S. (#24 in the U.K.).

For a slightly more upbeat Cure song, "In Between Days" was featured on ERV in April 2013. If a creepier video is more your style, "Lullaby" was part of ERV's All Hallows Even celebration in 2020.