Miscellaneous - Blue Sunshine

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 26 / 8 / 2006

Label: Select Label
Format: N/A

intro

In the latest in our Re : View series, in which our writers look back at albums from the past, Anthony Strutt examines 'Blue Sunshine', the 1983 only album of the Cure's Robert Smith and Siouxsie and the Banshees' Steve Severin's side project, the Glove

Cure frontman Robert Smith first met Siouxsie and the Banshees guitarist Steve Severin at the bar at a Throbbing Gristle gig at the YMCA in London's Tottenham Court Road on the 3rd August 1979. On that night it was agreed that the Cure should support the Banshees on their next tour. During this tour the Banshees guitarist John McKay quit so Robert stepped in and took over the job initially on a temporary basis. Over the course of this engagement their friendship bonded and they discovered a love of lots of things they had in common especially music and cinema. When McKay's eventual replacement John McGeogh collapsed on stage in Spain during a tour in 1982 to promote the Banshees then album 'A Kiss in the Dreamhouse', Robert stepped in to fill the gap again and eventually became his permanent replacement. He would stay as the Banshees guitarist until 1984, combining it with his job in the Cure, and finally leaving so that he could concentrate on the Cure full-time again. Robert and Steve originally formed the Glove in 1983 as a side project to the Banshees with the aim of recording a few one off singles for the Japanese market, but it soon developed into something more than that. After they had booked the studio, Chris Parry, the owner of the Cure's record label Fiction,informed Robert under his contract that he could only sing for the Cure. When they went into the studio to record what would eventually become their only album, 'Blue Sunshine', they had nothing written, but had, however, persuaded Banshees drummer Budgie's then girlfriend Jeanette Landray to do most of the singing instead of Robert , who eventually sang on just two songs. The Glove named themselves after a character from the Beatles' 'Yellow Submarine' movie and titled the album after a little known horror film from '77 about people taking an LSD substance called 'Blue Sunshine' which leads to them becoming murderers 10 years later. The album has just been re-released with extra tracks and remixes. It opens with 'Like An Animal', which was the album's first single. More poppy than either of Robert and Steve's other bands, it has psychedelic-flavoured guitars, massive drums and vocals from Jeanette that recall Siouxsie but which don't have her her air. 'Looking Glass Girl' has a cowboy sort of beat and violins which recollect the Cure's 'The Caterpillar' which still hadn't been released at this time. 'Sex-Eye-Make-Up' is closer to the Banshees in tone, but is far weirder in sound. 'Mr Alphabet' starts sounding somewhat cowboyish, and features some easy-on-the-ear nice piano in its intro, but soon the weirdness sets in again. It is sung by Robert but sounds completely unlike the Cure. 'A Blues in a Drag', is synth, bass and piano- based, and, again featuring violins, has a sad feel. 'Punish Me with Kisses', the group's second single, is big in sound, and, easily the most digestible thing here, is a big paisley shirted thing for us to dance around the room too. It even sounds like the Cure at the end. 'This Green City' is keyboard based, and has an experimental feel but is still very poppy. 'Orgy' is based around a weird flute groove and is very Banshees like, while 'Murder', which is sung by Robert, sounds very much of its time, but also very fresh. 'Relax' has lots of samples and an eccentric Mexican feel. The extra tracks include 'The Man from Nowhere (Original Instrumental Mix)' which is post rock in feel and the most rocky thing here, and 'Mouth to Mouth' (Landray Vocal Mix), the B side of the 'Like A Animal' single which sounds like the theme to 'Halloween' and combines great Cure guitar lines with a lovely over-the-top vocal. 'Punish Me with Kisses' (Mike Hedges Mix)' is a 12 inch remix. 'The Tightrope' (Original Mix)', the B side of 'Punish Me With Kisses', sounds like a horror theme tune, while 'Like An Animal' (12 inch Club What Club Mix) is a dance remix of the first track and single.

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