Twenty-two years ago, Robert Smith sat for a half-hour BBC2 documentary about The Cure that aired Aug. 8, 1988, as one of 10 installments of the series “That Was Then… This Is Now.” Shot on 16mm film, the 1988-89 series also spotlighted Pet Shop Boys, Spandau Ballet, Gary Glitter, Depeche Mode, John Lydon, Mick Jones, Joe Jackson, Martin Fry and Eddy Grant.
The playlist above features the Cure’s episode, courtesy of a Chain of Flowers reader who recently digitized the decades-old VHS tape his older brother recorded the show on, and uploaded it to YouTube. The very beginning is clipped off, and the sound gets a bit wobbly during the musical stretches — but it’s nevertheless a great find.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Slicing Up Eyeballs readers poll: The Cure’s Top 98 songs of all time
- Slicing Up Eyeballs readers poll: The Cure’s Top 10 B-sides
- Slicing Up Eyeballs readers poll: The Cure’s Top 10 singles
- Poll: ‘Same Deep Water as You’ best song off The Cure’s ‘Disintegration’
- Review: The Cure’s ‘Disintegration: Deluxe Edition’ expanded 3CD reissue
- The Cure’s ‘Disintegration’ gets 3CD deluxe reissue, plus ‘In Orange’ on DVD
