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THE EARLY SYMPTOMS

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THE EARLY SYMPTOMS

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The Cure initially formed in Crawley in 1976, when a group of school friends came together under the name Malice. Following the first of many line-up changes, they renamed themselves Easy Cure the following year. Playing youth clubs and local venues, the band were driven by a shared enthusiasm for punk’s urgency and pop’s immediacy, tempered by an instinct for mood and melody that already set them apart. What began as a teenage experiment soon revealed a distinctive voice, with Robert Smith’s songwriting and vision giving the band a clear sense of direction even at this early stage.
In 1978, the band changed their name to The Cure, signaling a shift in their sound as they began to refine their craft and explore darker, more atmospheric tones. Early recordings capture the raw energy of these formative years alongside the growing sophistication evident in their first singles and albums. With releases such as Three Imaginary Boys (1979) and the stark, atmospheric Seventeen Seconds (1980), The Cure moved decisively away from their punk roots, embracing space, restraint and emotional tension, while navigating personnel changes that helped shape their evolving identity.
The recordings collected here trace that journey in detail, all recorded between 1977 and 1981. Early versions, demos, rarities and alternative takes reveal songs in development, offering a unique insight into the band’s emergence on the scene. Together, they document a group growing from earnest beginnings into a more assured and distinctive force, moving towards the darker, introspective gothic style that would soon become inseparable from their name.
Tracks 1-5 : Recorded At Sound And Vision Studios, London 11th October 1977
Track 6 : Recorded At Chestnut Studios, Sussex, 26th May 1978
Tracks 7-9 : Recorded At Morgan Studios, London, January 1979
Tracks 10-14 : Recorded At Maida Vale Studios, London, May 1979
Track 15 : Extended Live Version, September 1979
Track 16 : Early Live Version Of 'A Forest', December 1979
Tracks 17-20 : Recorded At Morgan Studios, London, January 1980
Tracks 21-22 : Recorded At Echo B Studios, France 1981
Tracklist

1        See The Children    3:08
2        Meathook    2:26
3        Pillbox Tales    2:27
4        I Just Need Myself    2:22
5        I Want To Be Old    2:36
6        Boys Don't Cry    2:41
7        Pillbox Tales    3:02
8        World War    2:45
9        Do The Hansa    2:45
10        Accuracy    2:10
11        Subway Song    2:39
12        Plastic Passion    2:22
13        Grinding Halt    2:58
14        Desperate Journalist    2:49
15        Jumping Someone Else's Train    5:18
16        Into The Trees    4:11
17        A Forest    6:09
18        Seventeen Seconds    4:03
19        Play For Today    3:46
20        M    3:06
21        A Forest    6:11
22        Figurehead    6:23

More Info
The Cure initially formed in Crawley in 1976, when a group of school friends came together under the name Malice. Following the first of many line-up changes, they renamed themselves Easy Cure the following year. Playing youth clubs and local venues, the band were driven by a shared enthusiasm for punk’s urgency and pop’s immediacy, tempered by an instinct for mood and melody that already set them apart. What began as a teenage experiment soon revealed a distinctive voice, with Robert Smith’s songwriting and vision giving the band a clear sense of direction even at this early stage.
In 1978, the band changed their name to The Cure, signaling a shift in their sound as they began to refine their craft and explore darker, more atmospheric tones. Early recordings capture the raw energy of these formative years alongside the growing sophistication evident in their first singles and albums. With releases such as Three Imaginary Boys (1979) and the stark, atmospheric Seventeen Seconds (1980), The Cure moved decisively away from their punk roots, embracing space, restraint and emotional tension, while navigating personnel changes that helped shape their evolving identity.
The recordings collected here trace that journey in detail, all recorded between 1977 and 1981. Early versions, demos, rarities and alternative takes reveal songs in development, offering a unique insight into the band’s emergence on the scene. Together, they document a group growing from earnest beginnings into a more assured and distinctive force, moving towards the darker, introspective gothic style that would soon become inseparable from their name.
Tracks 1-5 : Recorded At Sound And Vision Studios, London 11th October 1977
Track 6 : Recorded At Chestnut Studios, Sussex, 26th May 1978
Tracks 7-9 : Recorded At Morgan Studios, London, January 1979
Tracks 10-14 : Recorded At Maida Vale Studios, London, May 1979
Track 15 : Extended Live Version, September 1979
Track 16 : Early Live Version Of 'A Forest', December 1979
Tracks 17-20 : Recorded At Morgan Studios, London, January 1980
Tracks 21-22 : Recorded At Echo B Studios, France 1981
Tracklist

1        See The Children    3:08
2        Meathook    2:26
3        Pillbox Tales    2:27
4        I Just Need Myself    2:22
5        I Want To Be Old    2:36
6        Boys Don't Cry    2:41
7        Pillbox Tales    3:02
8        World War    2:45
9        Do The Hansa    2:45
10        Accuracy    2:10
11        Subway Song    2:39
12        Plastic Passion    2:22
13        Grinding Halt    2:58
14        Desperate Journalist    2:49
15        Jumping Someone Else's Train    5:18
16        Into The Trees    4:11
17        A Forest    6:09
18        Seventeen Seconds    4:03
19        Play For Today    3:46
20        M    3:06
21        A Forest    6:11
22        Figurehead    6:23

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THE EARLY SYMPTOMS—

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Description

More Info
The Cure initially formed in Crawley in 1976, when a group of school friends came together under the name Malice. Following the first of many line-up changes, they renamed themselves Easy Cure the following year. Playing youth clubs and local venues, the band were driven by a shared enthusiasm for punk’s urgency and pop’s immediacy, tempered by an instinct for mood and melody that already set them apart. What began as a teenage experiment soon revealed a distinctive voice, with Robert Smith’s songwriting and vision giving the band a clear sense of direction even at this early stage.
In 1978, the band changed their name to The Cure, signaling a shift in their sound as they began to refine their craft and explore darker, more atmospheric tones. Early recordings capture the raw energy of these formative years alongside the growing sophistication evident in their first singles and albums. With releases such as Three Imaginary Boys (1979) and the stark, atmospheric Seventeen Seconds (1980), The Cure moved decisively away from their punk roots, embracing space, restraint and emotional tension, while navigating personnel changes that helped shape their evolving identity.
The recordings collected here trace that journey in detail, all recorded between 1977 and 1981. Early versions, demos, rarities and alternative takes reveal songs in development, offering a unique insight into the band’s emergence on the scene. Together, they document a group growing from earnest beginnings into a more assured and distinctive force, moving towards the darker, introspective gothic style that would soon become inseparable from their name.
Tracks 1-5 : Recorded At Sound And Vision Studios, London 11th October 1977
Track 6 : Recorded At Chestnut Studios, Sussex, 26th May 1978
Tracks 7-9 : Recorded At Morgan Studios, London, January 1979
Tracks 10-14 : Recorded At Maida Vale Studios, London, May 1979
Track 15 : Extended Live Version, September 1979
Track 16 : Early Live Version Of 'A Forest', December 1979
Tracks 17-20 : Recorded At Morgan Studios, London, January 1980
Tracks 21-22 : Recorded At Echo B Studios, France 1981
Tracklist

1        See The Children    3:08
2        Meathook    2:26
3        Pillbox Tales    2:27
4        I Just Need Myself    2:22
5        I Want To Be Old    2:36
6        Boys Don't Cry    2:41
7        Pillbox Tales    3:02
8        World War    2:45
9        Do The Hansa    2:45
10        Accuracy    2:10
11        Subway Song    2:39
12        Plastic Passion    2:22
13        Grinding Halt    2:58
14        Desperate Journalist    2:49
15        Jumping Someone Else's Train    5:18
16        Into The Trees    4:11
17        A Forest    6:09
18        Seventeen Seconds    4:03
19        Play For Today    3:46
20        M    3:06
21        A Forest    6:11
22        Figurehead    6:23

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