It’s not all bad news today for fans of The Cure: The band apparently is preparing a deluxe 20th anniversary reissue of Wish for release sometime in 2012, as well as a new 7-inch of that album’s hit single “Friday I’m In Love” to be released in the U.K. on Record Store Day next April to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
A Wish reissue has not yet been formally announced, but our friends at fan site Chain of Flowers note that the website announcing a contest to design the artwork for the new “Friday I’m In Love” 7-inch includes this in the band’s bio: “The Cure have been re-issuing re-mastered versions of their early albums since 2003, with 1992’s Wish (the album that carries the single ‘Friday I’m In Love’) scheduled for the ‘deluxe re-release’ treatment in 2012.”
To date, Rhino Records has released expanded reissues of each of Robert Smith and Co.’s studio albums up through 1989’s Disintegration, which received a 3CD package upon its re-release last year. Wish, originally released May 26, 1992, is the next in line.
In late 2009, upon announcing the Disintegration reissue, Smith wrote on the band’s website that there would be “a lot more remastered Cure stuff in 2010,” including Mixed Up 2 (apparently a sequel to the 1990 remix album) as well as a box set of BBC recordings and DVD releases of 1987’s “In Orange” and 1993’s “Show” concert films.
None of those titles have been released, let alone officially announced.
As for the Record Store Day 7-inch, the Talenthouse design firm is hosting a U.K.-only contest called Secret 7″, in which fans can submit designs for the sleeves of singles for seven different participating artists, including The Cure. Forty-five different designs will be selected for the “Friday I’m In Love” single, but nobody will know who won or what designs were chosen until people start buying the singles on the U.K. edition of Record Store Day, which next year falls on April 21.
See full details of the contest here.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys make Rock Hall of Fame — The Cure snubbed
- The Cure’s Robert Smith hints at 2012 tour, tells New York: ‘We’ll see you again next year’
- The Cure to release ‘Bestival Live 2011’ CD next month with complete 32-song set
- Robert Smith to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: ‘Jason Cooper is The Cure’s drummer… bah!’
- The Cure to perform ‘Reflections’ concerts in London, New York, Los Angeles in November
- The Cure nominated for induction into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 2012 ballot
- The Cure at Bestival: Roger O’Donnell rejoins band for 32-song set (photo, video, setlist)
- The Cure’s Robert Smith vows to complete second half of ‘4.13 Dream’ album
- Video: The Cure plays 44-song ‘Reflections’ concert with Tolhurst, O’Donnell
Right now, that Talenthouse contest and reissue is UK-only. If that changes, we’ll let folks know.
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!! And I just got back from an hour in the rain to pickup the Bestival Live CD…and get to read THIS! FINALLY. Wish isn’t my favorite (that’s Kiss Me x3) but it IS the one I want remastered the most. The original is the WORST MASTERING EVER for any release by any band. Anything will be an improvement, and there better be the Lost Wishes instrumentals in the bonus tracks or else!!!
If you want a horribly mastered CD, 4:13 Dream (2008) will give you plenty of satisfaction.
I agree. I’ll keep buying what they put out just to have a complete collection but 4:13 was pure crap and that is coming from a hardcore Cure fan.
WORST MASTERING EVER? Are you freaking crazy? Try playing it on a decent stereo and not an earbud.
ugh. i want “in orange” on blu-ray. i can live without a reissue of Wish. That album marked the beginning of the end for the cure. everything after that was just horrible.
Wish was the sole reason i stopped listening to any new material by them. Tried to listen to Bloodflowers and found that barely listenable as well. Sad how people’s songwriting abilities can change as they get older.
I expect this to be released no earlier than 2014.
Any Cure fan knows Bloodflowers is an excellent album, by the way.
album cuts undermine WISH – the b-sides are amazing.
BLOODFLOWER is the last truly great CURE album
Simon Gallup one of the best bass players ever
WISH BORIS would come back or team up with Tom Bailey and tour
Wish was the last ‘great’ Cure album. Sure it had some duds like ‘Wendytime’ on it, but all Cure albums have one or two songs that aren’t great (except for Pornography & Disintegration which are perfect).
The Cure have not put out a decent album since Wish. Wild Mood Swings was utter filth, Bloodflowers has a few good tunes but it’s boring. ‘The Cure’ and 4:13 Dream were awful, with the exception of a few tunes.
I have zero faith in this band to produce an album at the quality level of the 1979 – 1992 period. But as a live act – they are bar none the BEST out their. Who else plays 3 albums in full and 45 song sets? Even when they normally tour its a 35 song set.
The Cure are a superb live act, but a terrible studio act.
REALLY? “friday i’m in love” is in my top ten most HATED songs…let alone the record that song is on. this is not good news…just news.
I didn’t think Wendytime was a dud and it is better than Friday or High. Those are just cheesie songs. I guess Mr. Smith has to show his playful side now and again though. I personally thing wish is an overlooked album by The Cure. To me, it was more of a return to a focus on the guitar if you don’t consider the two main singles.
Mike C. is right, too. Bloodflowers was a good album. I think they are pretty much done as a recording group but as performers they are going as strong as anyone out there. A Cure show represents good value for your entertainment$$
Are you able to pre order the 7″ cure single, friday I’m in love?
For those going on about Wendytime check out on youtube the wish demo version and even better the T & C II version that kicks off the Play Out video (yet to be released on DVD, but there is a VHS rip kickin about).
The track ‘was’ awesome, and in that early form was one of my Cure favs. It seems the production ruined it as they changed the approach to the track. It went from dark to light and cheery. There is a huge consensus about this…
To me it is all about time and money. I don’t think the group is able to spend as much time in Studio as it could during the wish album or maybe up to Wild Mood Swings (since whatever you think of the album those were ‘finished’ songs live they never added or adjusted anything)and that shows in the finished product of all the albums post Wish/WMS.
Well 2012 has come and gone. We are in mid-March 2013 and still no word of a reissue of “Wish” in either CD or Vinyl. I see no mention of it in upcoming Record Store Day 2013 websites. Are we to wait another 2-3 years for the “25th Anniversary” edition? If they put it out like they did with previous albums, people WILL buy them. Or are record pressing plants awash in orders that this album took a backseat? No word from Mr. Smith either. I’d hate to have to consider an overpriced eye-gouging set on eBay.
I know I’m late on this convo… but I just have to say… some of you people must be high as hell. The entire Wish album was great. How can you clown on the album that provided the layout for Show??
Open – great song
High – can be lame but the remixes are great
Apart – great song to be depressed to
From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea – GREAT song
Wendy Time – how can you not like this song?
Doing the Unstuck – the opposite of Apart
Friday I’m in Love – clearly everyone’s skip song
Trust – another great song to be depressed to
A Letter to Elise – not only is this song and its mixes great, but the B-side The Big Hand is beyond perfect (how can a real Cure fan not like this?)
Cut – great song
To Wish Impossible Things – great song! one of those songs that you can listen to at any time, depressed or not, and it can have an affect on you
End – great song
Who seriously tries to pass this album off as being shit? The b-sides for this album are THE CURE… not to mention Lost Wishes. Sheesh people, dont let your hate for Wild Mood Swings, 4:13, The Cure, and the new lineup influence your attitude towards Wish.
And Bloodflowers is actually quite amazing. Especially after Wild Mood Swings set the stage for a down-slope of future music.
Agreed. And late on this too…waiting for Wish. Yes, Wild Mood Swings…. no need to reissue. But Wish is fantastic. Bloodflowers is ‘good’ with some amazing songs. But yes WMS is a mixed batch. Lastly, I agree on 4:13…. some very good songs indeed. BUT the drums sound horrible/tinny…..bad mastering. No richness and depth. What happened? Please someone get an update on Wish and when the heck the dispute with record co or whatever will be over….