Raised on MTV: In the distance I remember everything

Posted over 4 years ago

Artist:
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The Cure

This is not the first Cure video I ever saw; that honor would go to their silly video for "Let's Go To Bed". However, between endless plays of the video on local music video shows, and over-saturation on KROQ, I got really tired of that song. I would later appreciate it, given some space.No, this is the video and song that convinced me, back in 1983, that I should pay attention to The Cure.I don't remember seeing this video on MTV too much, but likely saw it on one of a number of local music-video shows that proliferated on TV back then, most of which featured Richard Blade, well-known KROQ DJ. These shows worked as an eighties version of "American Bandstand", except instead of the band lip-synching to their song, they just played the videos while the kids danced away.While I wish I could say that I followed The Cure carefully henceforth, I did not. I lost track of them, and they didn't reappear in my life until The Head on the Door, especially "Inbetween Days" and rides home in the back of my friend Rich's Suburban listening to Side Two of that awesome tape. That led me to listen to them so often that, for about six months, my friends would not ask what was in my Walkman; they would simply ask which Cure album I was listening to that day.Some questions remain, of course. What the heck does it mean to look like a Japanese baby? (Better yet, I think I'll remain in ignorance, thanks.) What's with Lol Tolhurst and the off-the-shoulder dress, ewwww? And who's the older woman in the back doing the sign language?And, just because I'm feeling perverse tonight, I'm uploading the killer remix from their Mixed Up album, one of my favorite Cure remixes. Enjoy!

Comments (7)

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Mike the Knife says Japanese baby! Yeah! (Really, Dale.The Cure has served as the soundtrack for my happy place, my sad place, my dour place, and a whole lotta other places over the past two decades. Still gettin' it done, too.)

Permalink posted 01/18/2008
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Neill says Before Rob morphed into Liz Taylor's natty half sister he looked like this on one of the Cure's first outings; A Forest. What was the name of that video when they where all in a wardrobe?

Permalink posted 01/19/2008
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Mike the Knife says Wow. Neill, Although "A Forest" is among my most crucial, repeatedly-played Cure songs, I don't recall ever seeing the video - and certainly don't remember a clean-cut R. Smith. He looks like he just auditioned for Joy Division - and didn't get the gig..

Permalink posted 01/19/2008
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Dale says Oh please Neill, that video was "Close To Me". Ah, but which video is the first one The Cure did without longtime director Tim Pope?

Permalink posted 01/19/2008
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Bartleby says What I remember is those kids all dressed like Robert Smith. On my way to high-school, I would across at least half a dozen. Even girls wanted to look like him.

Permalink posted 01/20/2008
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Jonh Ingham says Forgotten this one - thanks for reminding me! A bit of The Forest and a bit of Boys Don't Cry = very cool. Half remember dancing to this all across the clubs of Hollywood.

Permalink posted 01/21/2008
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goodmusiconly says "Let's Go to Bed" was the first Cure video I saw as well. After I saw them live on Halloween in 1984 I dove full-on into their back catalog and fell in love with (among others) "A Forest"; like Mike it has gone down as one of my favorite Cure songs. They lost me after "Head on the Door" too, although I did like "Kiss Me..." for a time. Great remix, D, nice post! :)

Permalink posted 01/24/2008