The Cure

Why Didn't "Galore" Outsell "Standing on a Beach"?

Why exactly did we Cure fans not have as much appreciation for "Galore" - the singles compilation covering the years 1987 to 1997 (the period covering "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me" to "Wild Mood Swings") - than we did for "Standing on a Beach/Staring at the Sea" that had covered the group's 1978-86 output (from "Three Imaginary Boys" to "The Head on the Door")?

By this I mean "Galore" didn't really sell that well compared to "Standing."

"Galore" contained one new song: "Wrong Number."

~Ben

Re: Why Didn't "Galore" Outsell "Standing on a Beach"?

This was a trasitional period in the music industry, The Cure kind of got lost in it.. (Not that they ever really wanted to be in it anyway.. :p)
Britpop and Grunge was starting to rear its ugly head.. This was an important time for the likes of Oasis, Greenday, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Spice Girls, Blur etc..
I think it was a record company (Fiction/Polydor/Electra) move to put Galore out there more than it was the bands'..
Robert especially at this point was pretty much over his relationship with Chris Parry
Really they should have maybe just held off and released Greatest/Acoustic Hits (which didn't do that great either) as a companion to Join The Dots..
They may have shifted more copies that way as it would have been a kind of 'olive branch' between Bloodflowers and the self titled and would have been a great way to end the contract with Fiction
Really as well, as far as single compilation/hit compilation ideas go, they were released alittle too close togther..

Re: Why Didn't "Galore" Outsell "Standing on a Beach"?

fattyowls wrote:
This was a trasitional period in the music industry, The Cure kind of got lost in it.. (Not that they ever really wanted to be in it anyway.. :p)
Britpop and Grunge was starting to rear its ugly head.. This was an important time for the likes of Oasis, Greenday, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Spice Girls, Blur etc..
I think it was a record company (Fiction/Polydor/Electra) move to put Galore out there more than it was the bands'..
Robert especially at this point was pretty much over his relationship with Chris Parry
Really they should have maybe just held off and released Greatest/Acoustic Hits (which didn't do that great either) as a companion to Join The Dots..
They may have shifted more copies that way as it would have been a kind of 'olive branch' between Bloodflowers and the self titled and would have been a great way to end the contract with Fiction
Really as well, as far as single compilation/hit compilation ideas go, they were released alittle too close togther..

Re: Re: Why Didn't "Galore" Outsell "Standing on a Beach"?

classictvman1981 wrote:

fattyowls wrote:
This was a trasitional period in the music industry, The Cure kind of got lost in it.. (Not that they ever really wanted to be in it anyway.. :p)
Britpop and Grunge was starting to rear its ugly head.. This was an important time for the likes of Oasis, Greenday, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Spice Girls, Blur etc..
I think it was a record company (Fiction/Polydor/Electra) move to put Galore out there more than it was the bands'..
Robert especially at this point was pretty much over his relationship with Chris Parry
Really they should have maybe just held off and released Greatest/Acoustic Hits (which didn't do that great either) as a companion to Join The Dots..
They may have shifted more copies that way as it would have been a kind of 'olive branch' between Bloodflowers and the self titled and would have been a great way to end the contract with Fiction
Really as well, as far as single compilation/hit compilation ideas go, they were released alittle too close togther..

I know "Join the Dots" appears to be comprehensive singles-wise, being a box set, but ... I wonder what comp the Cure members themselves will be involved in next, after "Standing"?

~Ben

Re: Re: Re: Why Didn't "Galore" Outsell "Standing on a Beach"?

fattyowls wrote:

classictvman1981 wrote:

fattyowls wrote:
This was a trasitional period in the music industry, The Cure kind of got lost in it.. (Not that they ever really wanted to be in it anyway.. :p)
Britpop and Grunge was starting to rear its ugly head.. This was an important time for the likes of Oasis, Greenday, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Spice Girls, Blur etc..
I think it was a record company (Fiction/Polydor/Electra) move to put Galore out there more than it was the bands'..
Robert especially at this point was pretty much over his relationship with Chris Parry
Really they should have maybe just held off and released Greatest/Acoustic Hits (which didn't do that great either) as a companion to Join The Dots..
They may have shifted more copies that way as it would have been a kind of 'olive branch' between Bloodflowers and the self titled and would have been a great way to end the contract with Fiction
Really as well, as far as single compilation/hit compilation ideas go, they were released alittle too close togther..

I know "Join the Dots" appears to be comprehensive singles-wise, being a box set, but ... I wonder what comp the Cure members themselves will be involved in next, after "Standing"?

~Ben

I've said this in other threads..
I reckon the "iTunes exclusive" will be a continuation of the 4Play idea that tied in with the release of the first four remasters.. This was done with a trio
As Disintegration is the fourth in the second batch which will be released at the end of this month (The Top to Kiss Me x3 being the other three), it would be good for this particular line up to play the next lot..
Only downside is, there are only two of these albums with title tracks.. so they'll have to come at it from another angle..

Re: Re: Re: Re: Why Didn't "Galore" Outsell "Standing on a Beach"?

classictvman1981 wrote:

fattyowls wrote:

classictvman1981 wrote:

fattyowls wrote:
This was a trasitional period in the music industry, The Cure kind of got lost in it.. (Not that they ever really wanted to be in it anyway.. :p)
Britpop and Grunge was starting to rear its ugly head.. This was an important time for the likes of Oasis, Greenday, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Spice Girls, Blur etc..
I think it was a record company (Fiction/Polydor/Electra) move to put Galore out there more than it was the bands'..
Robert especially at this point was pretty much over his relationship with Chris Parry
Really they should have maybe just held off and released Greatest/Acoustic Hits (which didn't do that great either) as a companion to Join The Dots..
They may have shifted more copies that way as it would have been a kind of 'olive branch' between Bloodflowers and the self titled and would have been a great way to end the contract with Fiction
Really as well, as far as single compilation/hit compilation ideas go, they were released alittle too close togther..

I know "Join the Dots" appears to be comprehensive singles-wise, being a box set, but ... I wonder what comp the Cure members themselves will be involved in next, after "Standing"?

~Ben

I've said this in other threads..
I reckon the "iTunes exclusive" will be a continuation of the 4Play idea that tied in with the release of the first four remasters.. This was done with a trio
As Disintegration is the fourth in the second batch which will be released at the end of this month (The Top to Kiss Me x3 being the other three), it would be good for this particular line up to play the next lot..
Only downside is, there are only two of these albums with title tracks.. so they'll have to come at it from another angle..

But what we still want on the remastered list are all the bonus tracks representing "Carnage Visors," a special collection of songs packaged with the long-play-cassette issue of "Faith" and which there briefly existed a 2005 two-CD deluxe version of "Faith" containing this and other 1980-81 rarities, including "Violin Song."

Also ... the Cure's 1st live album, "Concert," which also featured on the cassette version "Curiosity Killed the Cat: Cure Rarities 1977-1984," should get a wide release.

~Ben

Re: Why Didn't "Galore" Outsell "Standing on a Beach"?

i think galore didn't sell as well because of wild mood swings. galore was released too long after the cure had a decent record out, i'm glad it's there, and it's a great collection, but we'd all lost interest in them by that point.
on the subject of reissues, and whether the compilations should get the expansion treatment, i think it would be justifiable to put out a double disc singles comp, so long as the tracks aren't covered on the greatest hits package, there are plenty of singles and/or b-sides which are still sitting in the vaults, the dub version of pictures of you for instance, the 86 version of boys don't cry, and then all the post fiction stuff on disc two..

Re: Re: Why Didn't "Galore" Outsell "Standing on a Beach"?

jones the steam wrote:
i think galore didn't sell as well because of wild mood swings. galore was released too long after the cure had a decent record out, i'm glad it's there, and it's a great collection, but we'd all lost interest in them by that point. <br />on the subject of reissues, and whether the compilations should get the expansion treatment, i think it would be justifiable to put out a double disc singles comp, so long as the tracks aren't covered on the greatest hits package, there are plenty of singles and/or b-sides which are still sitting in the vaults, the dub version of pictures of you for instance, the 86 version of boys don't cry, and then all the post fiction stuff on disc two..

Re: Why Didn't "Galore" Outsell "Standing on a Beach"?

I feel that Standing on the Beach was a superior comp not necessarily due to the content it contained, but because it summarized a much greater output from a at the time very prolific band. Galore's first 8 tracks come from only 2 albums.
I got both of them at the same time, and clearly enjoyed Galore initially more, (it had fascination street) but Staring at the Sea kept me intrigued due to all the various albums it was covering, in some cases with just a single song (Pornography, The Top) that it led me to buying all those albums in order to see the transition.
I never felt that sort of narrative arc with Galore.

Re: Why Didn't "Galore" Outsell "Standing on a Beach"?

The Cure was hot when Standing on the beach was released , at the time of Galore they were out of the picture , an experimental but disappointing Wild Mood Swings record didn't help to create interest. I enjoy WMS much more now then when it was released , having had to wait 4 years I found too many songs too playful and happy.
I recall they had trouble filling their gigs as well.

Re: Why Didn't "Galore" Outsell "Standing on a Beach"?

Standing on a Beach was the first The Cure album that I owned. It is still one of my favorites. I bought it because I recognised and loved the songs. Maybe it was a good shortcut for people who got into the band with KMKMKM to go backwards? I didn't buy Galore because I bought the albums after that - I do have Greatest Hits though.

Re: Re: Why Didn't "Galore" Outsell "Standing on a Beach"?

leahcl wrote:
Standing on a Beach was the first The Cure album that I owned. It is still one of my favorites. I bought it because I recognised and loved the songs. Maybe it was a good shortcut for people who got into the band with KMKMKM to go backwards? I didn't buy Galore because I bought the albums after that - I do have Greatest Hits though.

Re: Why Didn't "Galore" Outsell "Standing on a Beach"?

agree with the jeff, not sure about boys being on the beach, video used for staring at the sea, but sure audio is the original..? probably wrong, haven't had a tape (or video) player for years, which is tedious..
but yes, there is no real growth through galore, so much less interest.

Re: Re: Why Didn't "Galore" Outsell "Standing on a Beach"?

ShakeJeffShake wrote:
I feel that Standing on the Beach was a superior comp not necessarily due to the content it contained, but because it summarized a much greater output from a at the time very prolific band. Galore's first 8 tracks come from only 2 albums.
I got both of them at the same time, and clearly enjoyed Galore initially more, (it had fascination street) but Staring at the Sea kept me intrigued due to all the various albums it was covering, in some cases with just a single song (Pornography, The Top) that it led me to buying all those albums in order to see the transition.
I never felt that sort of narrative arc with Galore.