I wore a lot of Cure t-shirts in college. Sure, I loved the band. I also loved the cute goth girls who would tackle any guy they saw wearing a Cure t-shirt on the UT campus. I miss college.
One of the first Cure items I ever acquired was the cassette version of Standing On A Beach, The Cure’s 1986 greatest hits release. Why the cassette version, you ask? The second side of the tape contained most of the band’s b-sides up to that point, and the compilation was unique to the cassette version. I miss cassettes.
Of course, I had the CD version as well. It was called Staring At The Sea, and contained four songs that were not on the a-side of the cassette. There was also a video called Staring At The Sea, but it didn’t have any of the b-sides on it. I also own the LP version, which was also called Standing On A Beach. It doesn’t have the four extra songs that were on the CD, and it doesn’t have the b-sides either (and obviously no videos). I miss being taken advantage of by greedy record company executives.
Most of all, I miss the cute goth girls.
The Cure: Standing On A Beach: The Singles (And Unavailable B-Sides)
Elektra Records, 1986
1. “I’m Cold” (Smith/Tolhurst/Dempsey)
From the 12″ single Jumping Someone Else’s Train
2. “Another Journey By Train” (Smith/Gallup/Tolhurst/Hartley)
From the 12″ single A Forest
3. “Descent” (Smith/Gallup/Tolhurst)
From the 12″ single Primary
4. “Splintered In Her Head” (Smith/Gallup/Tolhurst)
From the 12″ single Charlotte Sometimes
5. “Mr. Pink Eyes” (Smith/Tolhurst)
From the 12″ single The Love Cats
6. “Happy The Man” (Smith)
From the 12″ single The Caterpillar
7. “Throw Your Foot” (Smith)
From the 12″ single The Caterpillar
8. “The Exploding Boy” (Smith)
From the 12″ single In Between Days
9. “A Few Hours After This” (Smith)
From the 12″ single In Between Days
10. “A Man Inside My Mouth” (Smith)
From the 12″ single Close To Me
11. “Stop Dead” (Smith)
From the 12″ single Close To Me
12. “New Day” (Smith)
From the EP Half An Octopuss
____________________________________________________________
Bonus Tracks!
The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.
The Cure: “The Love Cats” [Extended Version] (Smith)
From the 12″ single The Love Cats
Fiction Records, 1983
Vinyl rip courtesy of the Analog Kid
The Love Cats [Extended Version]
The Cure: “Let’s Go To Bed” [Extended Mix] (Smith)
From the 12″ single Let’s Go To Bed
Fiction Records, 1982
The Cure: “Close To Me” [Extended Remix]
From the 12″ single Close To Me
Fiction Records, 1985
Vinyl rip courtesy of the Analog Kid
The Analog Kid 
One of those “cute goth girls”, Arizona vintage, tried to give me this cassette once, saying I should really hear it. I took her love but I refused to own a pre-recorded cassette (only ever owned a few – always preferred to rip my own vinyl albums onto TDK SA 90s) let alone one with a creepy old guy face on it.
Can I get a mulligan?
Took me about 10 years and more than a few sheckles but I managed to round up all the rare stuff. And greedy record label execs continue to take advantage of me to this day.
Thanks for the share, though. Could have used your assistance about 20 years ago, bro.
You’re singin’ my song, baby. ’80s goth girls were yummy. The excessive eye-liner, porcelain skin, indifferent attitude, and they always knew where the best industrial underground dance clubs were. I owned far more Cure t-shirts than albums for the reasons you state above – they were bait and effective bait, at that.
Oh the b sides lost on tape
Come on. Why not on cd?????
Great sounds memories going through me at a million miles an hour
I had a copy of the b sides on tape that a friend taped for me. Used to drive around in my old car with it blaring. Felt so lucky to have that tape with all the extra Cure stuff on it. Have lost all my tapes now, but have a mean vinyl collection that has been growing for 20 odd years, which includes all Cure albums up to Disintegration and a few 12 inches with b sides. But New Day, wow. Killer track. Gonna have to find that on vinyl methinks!
Thanks, Jo! If you’re interested, I updated the song links on that post and the songs are now downloadable if you want a copy! Just right-click the blue song like and choose “save as: to download the mp3!