| Wish | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 21 April 1992 | |||
| Recorded | Fall 1991 – January 1992[1] | |||
| Studio | The Manor (Shipton-on-Cherwell, England) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 66:23 | |||
| Label | Fiction | |||
| Producer |
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| The Cure chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Wish | ||||
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Wish is the ninth studio album by the Englishrock bandthe Cure, released on 21 April 1992[5] byFiction Records in the United Kingdom andElektra Records in the United States.[6]Wish was the most commercially successful album in the band's career, debuting at number one in the UK and number two in the US.
On 25 November 2022, a remastered 30th-anniversary deluxe edition ofWish was released, containing four previously unreleased demos with vocals, instrumental demos, theLost Wishes instrumental cassette and remix versions.[7]
The record is the final studio album by the Cure to feature drummerBoris Williams and the first to feature guitarist/keyboardistPerry Bamonte, who previously worked as a roadie for the band,[8] as well as being the last album to feature guitaristPorl Thompson for sixteen years.[9]
Whilst retaining their trademarkgothic rock sound and mood on some tracks,Wish often found the band emphasizing the lighter, broader guitar-drivenalternative rock direction that was hinted on their previous three records. After recording several demos in early 1991, the official recording sessions for the album commenced in September 1991 and lasted around six months. According to Thompson,Wish was recorded on 48 tracks and "almost everything was used".[10]Robert Smith also revealed the hit song "Friday I'm in Love" was accidentally sped up a quarter-tone sharp on the tape, halfway between D and E-flat. Smith commented on the speeding up of the tape of the song in a 1993 interview: "[…] that was an accident. I was playing with the vari-speed and forgot to turn it off. But the whole feel changed, and the fact that it's the only song on Wish that's not in concert pitch really lifts it out and makes it sound different. After working on the record for months, hearing something a quarter-tone off makes your brain take a step backwards."[10] Smith also revealed that the "detuning" of the guitars played a role in the unique "sound" of the album, as did the subliminal overdubs and the extensive use of feedback.[10] "A lot of things on our record that sound like heavy chorusing are actually just detuned instruments. The only drawback to that is onstage it's very confusing sometimes, especially with lots of phasing effects going on. It turns into this overwhelming pulsing sound, and you can't hear anything."[10]
Smith also revealed that the songs "Mesmerise" byChapterhouse and "Human" byThe Human League were an influence on the album, commenting on both songs in 1993: "For every album we do, I assemble a bunch of songs that have something that I'm trying to capture. ForWish, I would listen to 'Mesmerise' by Chapterhouse for its feeling of abandon and 'Human' by The Human League. You couldn't spot anything sonically or structurally that would influence anything we did, but there's an indefinable something that I'm trying to capture. One night I must have played 'Mesmerise' 20 times, drinking and turning it louder and louder, putting myself into a trance."[10]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Chicago Tribune | [12] |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide | C+[13] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[14] |
| Los Angeles Times | [15] |
| NME | 8/10[16] |
| Pitchfork | 8.4/10[17] |
| Q | [18] |
| Rolling Stone | [19] |
| Select | 5/5[20] |
The album'slead single was "High", released on 16 March 1992.[21] The single peaked at number eight on theUK Singles Chart, number 42 on the USBillboardHot 100, and number one on theBillboardModern Rock Tracks chart.[22][23][24] The album's second single, "Friday I'm in Love", was released on 15 May 1992, a Friday,[25] later reaching number six on the UK Singles Chart, number 18 on theBillboard Hot 100, and number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.[26][23][24] The final single was "A Letter to Elise", issued on 5 October 1992.[27] This song reached number twenty-eight in the UK and number two on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.[26][24]
Wish was released on 21 April. It received positive reviews upon release, including a four-star review inRolling Stone that stated: "For its cult of millions, the Cure offers the only kind of optimism that makes sense."[19]Wish was also the band's overall highest-charting album, and most commercially successful in the band's career. Upon release,Wish would soon debut at number one on theUK Albums Chart, and number two on the USBillboard 200.[26][28] It also reached number one onCash Box's Top 200 Pop Albums chart in the US on 16 May 1992.[29]Wish was nominated for theGrammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1993.
On 16 November 1993, a limited-edition EP titledLost Wishes was released on cassette with four new tracks on it.[30] In 1995,Q includedWish in its publication "In Our Lifetime:Q's 100 Best Albums 1986–94", a list compiled to celebrate its 100th issue.[31] In 2000 it was voted number 646 inColin Larkin'sAll Time Top 1000 Albums.[32]
On 13 April 2018, in an interview withBBC Radio 6 Music, Robert Smith confirmed that the deluxe edition ofWish had been finished.[33] On 28 July 2022, the band announced a remastered and expanded 30th-anniversary deluxe edition ofWish, releasing it on 25 November 2022. The 30th-anniversary edition contains 24 previously unreleased demos, out-takes, theLost Wishes EP and a collection of 12-inch remixes of all three singles from theWish period.[7] The recordings were remastered by Smith and Miles Showell atAbbey Road Studios.[34][35]
All songs composed by the Cure (Perry Bamonte,Simon Gallup,Robert Smith,Porl Thompson,Boris Williams).
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Open" | 6:51 |
| 2. | "High" | 3:37 |
| 3. | "Apart" | 6:40 |
| 4. | "From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea" | 7:44 |
| 5. | "Wendy Time" | 5:13 |
| 6. | "Doing the Unstuck" | 4:24 |
| 7. | "Friday I'm in Love" | 3:39 |
| 8. | "Trust" | 5:33 |
| 9. | "A Letter to Elise" | 5:14 |
| 10. | "Cut" | 5:55 |
| 11. | "To Wish Impossible Things" | 4:43 |
| 12. | "End" | 6:45 |
| No. | Title | Details | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Big Hand" (1990 demo) | final version on B-side to "A Letter to Elise" 7-inch | 4:38 |
| 2. | "Cut" (1990 demo aka "Away") | final version appears onWish | 3:31 |
| 3. | "A Letter to Elise" (1990 demo, aka "Cut") | final version appears onWish | 5:01 |
| 4. | "Wendy Time" (1990 demo) | final version appears onWish | 5:13 |
| 5. | "This Twilight Garden" (instrumental demo) | final version on B-side to "High" 7-inch | 3:25 |
| 6. | "Scared as You" (instrumental demo) | final version on B-side to "Friday I'm in Love" 12-inch | 2:33 |
| 7. | "To Wish Impossible Things" (instrumental demo) | final version appears onWish | 3:33 |
| 8. | "Apart" (instrumental demo) | final version appears onWish | 3:38 |
| 9. | "T7" (instrumental demo) | previously unreleased | 2:40 |
| 10. | "Now Is the Time" (instrumental demo) | previously unreleased | 2:20 |
| 11. | "Miss van Gogh" (instrumental demo) | previously unreleased | 2:48 |
| 12. | "T6" (instrumental demo) | previously unreleased | 3:14 |
| 13. | "Play" (instrumental demo) | final version on B-side to "High" 12-inch | 2:28 |
| 14. | "A Foolish Arrangement" (instrumental demo) | final version on B-side to "A Letter to Elise" 12-inch | 2:28 |
| 15. | "Halo" (instrumental demo) | final version on B-side to "Friday I'm in Love" 7-inch | 3:06 |
| 16. | "Trust" (instrumental demo) | final version appears onWish | 4:02 |
| 17. | "Abetabw" (instrumental demo) | previously unreleased | 2:26 |
| 18. | "T8" (instrumental demo) | previously unreleased | 2:17 |
| 19. | "Heart Attack" (instrumental demo) | previously unreleased | 2:41 |
| 20. | "Swing Change" (instrumental demo) | previously unreleased | 2:10 |
| 21. | "Frogfish" (instrumental demo) | previously unreleased | 2:35 |
| No. | Title | Details | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Uyea Sound" (Instrumental Dim-D Mix) | fromLost Wishes Cassette, 1993 | 5:28 |
| 2. | "Cloudberry" (Instrumental Dim-D Mix) | fromLost Wishes Cassette, 1993 | 5:22 |
| 3. | "Off to Sleep..." (Instrumental Dim-D Mix) | fromLost Wishes Cassette, 1993 | 3:47 |
| 4. | "The Three Sisters" (Instrumental Dim-D Mix) | fromLost Wishes Cassette, 1993 | 4:12 |
| 5. | "A Wendy Band" (Instrumental) | previously unreleased | 3:47 |
| 6. | "From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea" (Partscheckruf Mix) | previously unreleased version | 7:36 |
| 7. | "Open" (Fix Mix) | B-side to "High" 12-inch | 6:51 |
| 8. | "High" (Higher Mix) | "High" 12-inch | 7:15 |
| 9. | "Doing the Unstuck" (Extended 12-inch Mix) | Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities box set | 5:54 |
| 10. | "Friday I'm in Love" (Strangelove Mix) | "Friday I'm in Love" 12-inch | 5:29 |
| 11. | "A Letter to Elise" (Blue Mix) | "A Letter to Elise" 12-inch | 6:36 |
| 12. | "End" (Paris Live 92) | previously unreleased version | 8:38 |
All credits taken from liner notes[9]
The Cure
Additional musicians
Production
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[81] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[82] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[83] | Gold | 7,500^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[84] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[85] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[86] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
| Summaries | ||
| Worldwide | — | 3,000,000[87] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
the release of the band's 10th studio album, Wish, next Tuesday (April 21)
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)The Cure's idiosyncratic decision to release Friday I'm In Love on Friday instead of Monday...
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Live albums | |
| Compilations | |
| Remix albums | |
| Extended plays | |
| Singles |
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| Other songs | |
| Video releases | |
| Tours | |
| Related articles | |
